There was a time when smartphones packed everything and the kitchen sink, including headphone jacks, removable batteries, notification LEDs, and IR blasters. While those first three have largely fallen by the wayside, there are a few notable Android smartphones that still include the infrared projector.
IR blasters are super useful for controlling other devices, like TVs and audio equipment. We’ve tested a slew of Android phones in 2025, but only a handful include IR blasters that are worth your time. I’ve narrowed your choices based on use cases, price points, and unique selling points.
OnePlus 13: The best overall phone with an IR blaster
Gorgeous design • Clever AI features • Flexible cameras
MSRP: $899.99
The OG flagship killer’s killer flagship.
The OnePlus 13 is the company’s most killer flagship to date, offering a massive battery, speedy charging, and powerful cameras that give Google and Samsung something to worry about.
Positives
Gorgeous designIncredible camera zoom and overall photographyHelpful AI integrationExcellent charging optionsSimplified Oxygen OS experienceGreat performance
Cons
Magnetic charging requires accessoriesFewer updates than Samsung or Google
OnePlus is well-known for producing reliable and capable handsets, but the OnePlus 13 is by far the brand’s best effort. It comfortably takes its place among the most complete smartphones of the year, and, thanks to OnePlus’ inclusion of an IR blaster, it is even more useful than the Samsungs and Google Pixels of the world if you really want that feature.
Let’s start with the design. While other companies opt for an obscene camera bar, OnePlus continues its off-center circles-within-circle design. The soft eco-leather finish looks awesome, feels great in the hand, keeps fingerprints at bay, and keeps environmentalists happy. There’s nothing but wins here.
OnePlus also paid special attention to the OnePlus 13’s hardware. Joining that IR blaster is a camera array that performs tremendously, from ultrawide to heavy zoom scenarios. OnePlus’s AI-powered scene software also helps extract the best from these tools. Then there’s the internals. Powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite, a 6,000mAh battery, and 80W fast charging, the device is made to perform. We’ve also had to applaud the company’s tremendous chipset optimization, which helps edge it over other devices.
The OnePlus 13 comfortably takes its place among the most complete smartphones of the year.
If there were any chinks in the OnePlus 13’s armor, software support would be one. It’s still supported with four years of Android version upgrades and two more years of software updates. That’s nothing to sniff at, but it does fall behind the newest Galaxy and Pixel hardware.
Nevertheless, the OnePlus 13 is a tremendous flagship smartphone that melds excellent imaging, great battery life, rapid charging, and stellar performance into a gorgeous design.
Read more
OnePlus 13R: The best value phone with an IR blaster
Speedy performance • Long-lasting battery • Superb value for money
MSRP: $599.99
R-eally great.
The OnePlus 13R is everything you’d expect from a OnePlus phone — blazing performance, amazing battery life, and rapid charging. Add to that a gorgeous display and a smooth, feature-packed Oxygen OS experience, and you have a phone that feels like it punches well above its $600 price tag.
Positives
Speedy performanceLong-lasting batteryGreat main cameraImproved update commitmentSuperb value for money
Cons
Weak ultrawide cameraNo wireless chargingLimited quality selfie video
Like its namesake, the OnePlus 13R is an exceptional device. Although it faced a few nips and tucks to shave the asking price, the OnePlus 13’s understudy may actually be a better value than its big sibling, especially if you need a relatively affordable phone with an IR blaster that can still provide flagship-tier performance and features.
It packs numerous creature comforts and flagship-level features, including the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, a bright AMOLED screen, and a large 6,000mAh battery with rapid recharging. This package is enough for enthusiasts and general users looking for a future-proof handset.
The OnePlus 13R offers more than enough for enthusiasts and general users looking for a future-proof handset.
The OnePlus 13R is also a solid camera phone, packing a 50MP main lens and a 50MP telephoto lens; these two shooters impressed us to no end during our review. The accompanying ultrawide camera lags behind a fair distance regarding fidelity, but it’ll be an adequate tertiary camera when capturing broader scenes.
Looking at its price, the OnePlus 13R does very little wrong. It covers all the basics and even has a few goodies for enthusiasts. It’s the best value phone with an IR blaster.
Rushil Agrawal / Android Authority
Read more
Xiaomi 15 Ultra: The best camera phone with an IR blaster
Brilliant cameras • Two-day battery life • Fast universal charging
MSRP: €1,499.99
The best camera phone you can buy?
The Xiaomi 15 Ultra is an elite camera phone with incredible photography hardware and processing. It also packs rapid charging, great battery life, and is supported by up to six years of security updates.
Positives
Brilliant camerasTwo-day battery lifeFast universal chargingSolid update policy
Cons
Snapdragon overheats under loadQuestionable AI featuresHyperOS bloatware
The Xiaomi 15 Ultra is an impressive piece of hardware, so much so that our reviewer, Rob Triggs, seriously considered ditching his dedicated camera for this phone. It’s by far the best camera phone you can buy; it rewards its users with excellent imagery across all of its lenses. The IR blaster is a wonderful extra, though keep in mind this one is more for the global market due to the lack of official US availability or carrier support.
Zeroing in on those cameras, the quad lens array covers practically all shooting scenarios. You get three 50MP sensors for general, mild zoom, ultrawide shots, and a 200MP periscope lens for heavier zooming tasks. With this setup, you can capture macro shots and portraits and bring distant scenes to your feet.
The rest of the Xiaomi 15 Ultra is excellent, too. It’s powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite, features a 5,410mAh battery, boasts a brilliant 6.73-inch AMOLED screen, and offers a solid update support policy.
Robert Triggs / Android Authority
Read more
OPPO Reno 14: The best budget phone with an IR blaster
MSRP: $485.00
The OPPO Reno 14 fills the mid-range market with an elegant, solidly constructed handset. It offers excellent value with its 6,000mAh battery, 80W charging, and bright 6.59-inch OLED display.
Positives
Thin and lightweight designRoomy batteryRapid charging
Cons
No official US availabilityWeak ultrawide camera
You’d never say that the OPPO Reno 14 is a budget smartphone just by looking at it. Although it’s one of the best-built and thinnest devices on this list, it costs under $500 — it’s easy to see why we’d recommend it as the best budget device with an IR blaster.
Like more expensive devices on this list, the Reno 14 offers a trio of 50MP rear cameras, a massive 6,200mAh battery, and 80W wired/50W wireless charging. It’s all powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 8450, which pushes pixels around a 6.83-inch AMOLED screen. It’s an excellent package.
You’d never say that the OPPO Reno 14 is a budget smartphone just by looking at it.
The OPPO Reno 14 offers buyers plenty of storage options and a solid software base with ColorOS.
If you seek an affordable Android phone with an IR blaster, the Reno 14 is a solid option. It’s just a shame this one isn’t readily available in the US.
Read more
OnePlus Open: The best foldable phone with an IR blaster
Solid cameras • Refined hardware • Alert slider
MSRP: $1,699.99
A debut foldable phone with great hardware
The OnePlus Open brings what might be the best hardware on a foldable phone and enough clever software tricks to turn heads. It pairs top-end internals with some of OPPO’s careful trial-and-error to create a debut foldable phone that hardly feels like a first attempt. Add in a competitive asking price, and the OnePlus Open just might give other foldables a run for their money.
Positives
Solid camerasRefined hardwareAlert sliderAmple RAM and storageSpeedy wired chargingGreat battery life
Cons
Underwhelming IP ratingOxygen OS feels unfinished at timesNo wireless charging
In 2025, not many smartphones offer IR blasters, and even fewer foldable phones do. However, the OnePlus Open is a welcome exception. It may have launched in late 2023, but it’s still a great phone, and one of the only real options for a foldable with an IR blaster that you can officially buy in the US.
The phone packs a 6.3-inch outer screen and a 7.82-inch internal display, which means it has plenty of pixels available to accomplish various tasks. It’s powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, which might not be the latest piece of silicon on offer, but it still includes plenty of power. The phone also has a 4,805mAh battery, which is plenty to see through the day, and 67W wired charging for rapid top-ups.
The OnePlus Open is still one of the best foldable phones you can buy, and it keeps the IR blaster.
One of our favorite aspects of the OnePlus Open is its camera setup. It includes five snappers: two front-facing with 20MP and 32MP sensors, and three at the rear. The 48MP primary camera, 48MP ultrawide, and 64MP periscope cameras make for a formidable trio.
If there’s one mark against the OnePlus Open, it’s its price. The phone is costly, but it is one of the only foldables with an IR blaster, and by far the most complete on offer in 2025.
Read more
What to look for in a good phone with an IR blaster
Robert Triggs / Android Authority
Phones with IR blasters come in all shapes and sizes, meaning picking a device with one comes down to the basics: battery life, performance, software support, and a feature that best suits your use case. This may be a large screen, as in the OnePlus Open, or a complete camera array like the Xiaomi 15 Ultra.
Either way, here’s how I would choose a phone with an IR blaster:
Strong battery life: A smartphone is useless if it’s constantly running out of battery. Naturally, you’ll get the most use from that IR blaster if the phone can comfortably last between charges. Focus on picking a device with a roomy battery and rapid charging.
Solid performance: Modern smartphones are no slouches, but picking one with excellent performance is a good way to future-proof your purchase. Additionally, if you’re a gamer, a heavy AI user, or edit video on your device, you’ll want a chipset that can easily crunch through these tasks.
Lengthy software support: The longer your smartphone is supported by its manufacturer, the longer it’ll remain secure and fresh, packing the latest features from Android and its maker.
That little bit extra: Consider your core use case before purchasing a device. A foldable with a large screen may be best if you want to watch videos or view spreadsheets. If you wish to replace your digital camera, a phone with a capable camera array would be first on the list.
What do you look for in a phone with an IR blaster?
9 votes
Strong battery life.
78%
Solid performance.
11%
Lengthy software support.
0%
A unique feature fit for your needs.
11%
Something else (elaborate in the comments).
0%
Thank you for being part of our community. Read our Comment Policy before posting.