The breadth of choices can be daunting if you’re on the lookout for one of the best Android phones. But one of the biggest things about Google’s mobile OS is variety. Android offers a comparable user experience across multiple phone brands and models while allowing you to prioritize the features that matter most to you.
For under $200, anyone on a tight budget can get a good-enough Android phone. Move up to the $400 range, and, particularly when it comes to camera quality, the choices get dramatically better. And starting at under $700, you can get flagship-level efficiency as long as you’re willing to live without some bells and chirps and the best photography.
Offering the most explicit and brightest displays, the most advanced photography, and cutting edge features such as reverse wireless charging and 120Hz screens, the most premium Android flagship phones start at $899. For now, 5G remains a predominantly premium feature, but from Samsung, TCL, and Motorola, more affordable 5G best Android phones with faster download speeds are continually coming.
Read on to find the best Android phones for your needs and budget.
What are the best Android phones?
We’ve tested all the best Android phones in all shapes, sizes, and prices, and our prevailing top choice is none other than Google’s Pixel 4a.
The Pixel 4a is a good smartphone on paper, but the worth it offers makes it an absolute steal for just $350, from its camera ripped straight out of Google’s premium Pixels to its impressive display and quality design. If you need a 5G phone from Google and still want some of the best mobile photos available, the Pixel 4a 5G, a larger version of the same phone, is our choice.
However, there are no higher priorities than the newly introduced Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra and OnePlus 8 Pro if you find a more premium Android experience. The Note 20 Ultra wows with the finest phone cameras on this list, as well as a large, 6.9-inch, 120Hz dynamic display. Meanwhile, because it starts at $899, the OnePlus 8 Pro delivers blistering performance, long-lasting battery life, and wicked-fast charging at a reasonable price.
Perhaps other flagships from Samsung still require your attention. The standard Note 20 retains the Ultra version’s impressive productivity software suite but ditches bells and whistles for a lower price. Simultaneously, the Galaxy S20 Plus slides right between the two Note versions and should satisfy anyone who wants a high-end phone but does not expect much use of the S Pen.
And if you want the absolute maximum of mobile technology, the latest Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 is the computer for you, for an eye-watering $ 2,000. With the first foldable phone/tablet hybrid, Samsung has corrected its missteps, making a much more stable and realistic product that can do it well.
In the Moto G Strength, which lasts the entire day on a charge but costs only $249, bargain hunters trying to pay the least will find a very excellent option.
The best Android phones you can buy today.
1. Google Pixel 4a – The best affordable Android phone
- Ostentation: 5.81-inch OLED (2340×1080)
- Android version: 10
- CPU: Snapdragon 730G
- RAM: 6GB
- Storage / Expandable: 128GB / No
- Rear camera: 12.2MP (ƒ/1.7)
- Front camera: 8MP (ƒ/2.0)
- Battery life (Hrs: Mins): 8:55
You may be amazed to see the Pixel 4a in the midrange of our best Android phone range. But at just 349 bucks, the Pixel 4a is a surprisingly complete smartphone, which we have never seen before.
The Pixel 4a provides a flagship camera, high performance, flawless apps, pocket-fit design, and a 128GB built-in storage space and brilliant 5.8 inch OLED display for half the cost of the newly released Pixel 5 or one-third of the price of Samsung and Apple on their full versions.
It would be the battery life if the 4a had one deficiency. However, it is almost sufficient in all other ways — and even has a jack on the headset. You will have to spend at least $500 on a device like this in previous years, but Pixel 4a is an unsurpassed offer between Android devices and a much better deal than the already excellent Pixel 3a last year.
Be assured that the Pixel 4a 5G, which starts at $499, has been revealed by Google. This is a 5G version of Pixel 4a, which has many features such as two rear cameras and a faster processor with the flagship system Pixel 5.
2. Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra
- Display: 6.9-inch AMOLED (3088×1440)
- Android version: 10 with Samsung One UI 2.5
- CPU: Snapdragon 865 Plus
- RAM: 12GB
- Storage / Expandable: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB / Yes
- Rear camera: 108MP wide (ƒ/1.8); 12MP telephoto with 5x optical zoom (ƒ/3.0); 12MP ultrawide (ƒ/2.2)
- Front camera: 10MP (ƒ/2.2)
- Battery life (Hrs: Mins): 10:15
For those willing to pay an ultra-premium amount, the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra takes the crown as the best Android smartphone. And that is because there is much more to this system than a phone. With lots of S Pen improvements, it is a versatile note-taking tool; it is a pro-level camera with a 108MP sensor and 50x zoom; it is a mini-game console with the ability to download Xbox games.
As its massive 6.9-inch Oled display has a dynamic 120Hz refresh rate, the Note 20 Ultra also boasts the best collection on the phone yet. So, depending on what is shown, it’s smart enough to turn stuff up or down, saving battery life. The 4,500 mAh battery is charged for a long time, and you get a fast 25-watt charge out of the pack. Overall, more than lives up to its name, the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.
3. OnePlus 8 Pro (The Best Flagship Android phone)
- Display: 6.78-inch OLED (3168×1440)
- Android version: 10 with Oxygen OS
- CPU: Snapdragon 865
- RAM: 8GB, 12GB
- Storage / Expandable: 128GB, 256GB / No
- Rear camera: 48MP wide (ƒ/1.78); 48MP ultrawide (ƒ/2.2); 8MP 3X telephoto (ƒ/2.4); 5MP color filter
- Front camera: 16MP (ƒ/2.5)
- Battery life (Hrs: Mins): 11:05
A departure from previous OnePlus handsets may seem like the OnePlus 8 Pro. At $899, after all, this is one of the most expensive OnePlus phones ever made. But since it packs as many high-end features as possible for an incomparable value, the OnePlus 8 Pro is the best Android phone.
Those features introduce a 120Hz refresh rate for its 6.78-inch OLED display and a top-of-the-line Snapdragon 865 CPU in the case of the OnePlus 8 Pro. The OnePlus 8 Pro is the first OnePlus product to support wireless charging. Its wireless charging standard is faster than many wired alternatives in the grand tradition of OnePlus pushing the battery envelope.
With the OnePlus 8 Pro, you won’t get the best camera phone; the imaging of the Galaxy S20 Plus is a little better across the board. However, the OnePlus 8 Pro’s four rear lenses can produce some fantastic shots that measure appropriately against leading companies. And while the $899 price might be high by the standards of OnePlus, it is still $100 less than the least expensive variant of the Galaxy S20, not to mention $300 less than the S20 Plus.
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4. Samsung Galaxy Note 20 (The Best Samsung Galaxy Android Phone under $1,000)
- Display Size: 6.7-inch AMOLED (2400×1080)
- Android version: 10 with Samsung One UI 2.5
- CPU: Snapdragon 865 Plus
- RAM: 8GB
- Storage / Expandable: 128GB / No
- Rear camera: 12MP wide (ƒ/1.8); 64MP telephoto with 3x lossless zoom (ƒ/1.8); 12MP ultrawide (ƒ/2.2)
- Front camera: 10MP (ƒ/2.2)
- Battery life (Hrs: Mins): 9:26
A fascinating proposition is the $999 Galaxy Note 20. In reality, it’s $200 cheaper than the Galaxy S20 Plus from Samsung and $300 less expensive than the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, and you lose a few notable features for that. There is a 6.7-inch AMOLED display on the standard Note 20, but no 120Hz rapid refresh rate. It has a rear camera with a triple-lens but no primary 108MP sensor or 5x folded visual zoom lens.
However, you still see a lot for what you’re going to spend on the Note 20, including a robust Snapdragon 865 Plus chipset, Samsung’s S Pen signature with new air navigation gestures and constructive note-taking improvements, cameras that still take great photos (even if they’re a shadow behind what the Note 20 Ultra can pick and wireless DeX projection support for TVs and Xbox Game Pass So long as you’re willing to part with some buzzwordy features you do not necessarily need to start with the Note 20 can do it all.
5. Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus (A premier flagship Android Phone)
- Display: 6.7-inch OLED (3200×1440)
- Android version: 10 with OneUI
- CPU: Snapdragon 865
- RAM: 12GB
- Storage / Expandable: 128GB, 512GB / Yes
- Rear camera: 12MP wide (ƒ/1.8); 12MP ultrawide (ƒ/2.2); 64MP 3X telephoto (ƒ/2.0); time-of-flight VGA
- Front camera: 10MP (ƒ/2.2)
- Battery life (Hrs: Mins): 10:31
The Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus is expensive at $1,199, but you get a lot in return. First of all, the camera setup on the back of the S20 Plus impresses us with four lenses that produce great images, especially when you put the 64MP telephoto lens to work. With the Space Zoom feature of the S20 Ultra, you won’t be able to zoom in as you should, but the shots that the S20 Plus yields still contain a lot of detail.
In the S20 Plus, all of the other top Galaxy S20 features are available, including 5G connectivity, a Snapdragon 865 chipset that delivers the best results of any Android phone, and a vivid 6.7-inch display with a refresh rate of 120Hz, which you will not find in the marginally cheaper Galaxy Note 20.
4,500-mAh consistent overall things up and running, and during our research, the Galaxy S20 Plus got better-than-average durability. Indeed, the price of the S20 Plus would put it out of the reach of most phone shoppers, but those who can buy it should not worry about picking one up twice.
6. Moto G Power
- Display: 6.4-inch LCD (2300×1080)
- Android version: 10
- CPU: Snapdragon 665
- RAM: 4GB
- Storage / Expandable: 64GB / Yes
- Rear camera: 16MP wide (ƒ/1.7), 8MP ultrawide (ƒ/2.2); 2MP macro (ƒ/2.2)
- Front camera: 16MP (ƒ/2.0)
- Battery life (Hrs: Mins): 16:10
The Moto G Capacity, its giant battery, and its sub-$300 price stands out for two things. Compared to other mid-range Android phones, the former enables Motorola’s budget smartphone to post the best time ever on our battery power test. At the same time, the latter makes the Moto G Power a convincing buy.
The Moto G Power persisted 16 hours and 10 minutes during our battery test on the front of the battery, in which phones frequently browse the web over LTE until they run out of power. That’s 30 minutes more reliable than our former champion for the best battery life for an Android phone. (Coincidentally, that was the successor of the Moto G Power, the Moto G7 Power.) If you’re willing to consider less battery life for a stylus phone, the Moto G Stylus is a Moto G Power carbon copy, although it costs $50 more.
If we talk about price, $150 less than the Pixel 3a, you can get the Moto G Power, and for that lower price, you won’t make many trade-offs. Inside the Moto G Power, the Snapdragon 665 chipset turns to comparable performance, and while the Pixel still has a better camera, the triple-lens array of the Moto G Power always produces good shots for what you’re going to spend.
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7. Google Pixel 4a 5G (Google’s best 5G Android Phone)
- Display: 6.2-inch OLED (2340×1080)
- Android version: 11
- CPU: Snapdragon 730G
- RAM: 6GB
- Storage / Expandable: 128GB / No
- Rear camera: 12MP main (ƒ/1.7 ); 16MP ultra-wide (ƒ/2.2)
- Front camera: 8MP (ƒ/2.0)
- Battery life (Hrs: Mins): 8:12
You don’t have to have the Pixel 5 if you want a 5G phone from Google. All of the best features of that best Android phone can be found in the Pixel 4a 5G, including 5G networking and some of the best performing cameras we’ve reviewed. And it costs $200 less for this phone than the Google flagship.
By going for the cheaper 5G option, you give up some interior quality and water resistance, and the Pixel 4a 5G has no quick-refreshing screen. The recent Google launches are the most extensive display, and the 6.2-inch OLED screen is colorful enough.
Ultimately, the cameras justify picking up a Pixel, and the Pixel 4a 5G will fit the Pixel 5 shot for shot. (Not surprising because the same hardware is used and the same features are supported.) The Pixel 4a 5G offers you an inexpensive way to get acquainted with the future of 5G.
8. OnePlus Nord N10 5G (Most favorite best Android phone)
- Display: 6.49-inch OLED (2400×1080)
- Android version: 10 with Oxygen OS
- CPU: Snapdragon 690
- RAM: 6GB
- Storage / Expandable: 128GB / Yes
- Rear camera: 64MP main (f/1.8); 8MP ultrawide (f/2.25); macro lens; monochrome lens
- Front camera: 16MP (ƒ/2.05)
- Battery life (Hrs: Mins): 11:48
When the budget phone launched earlier this year, we were impressed by the OnePlus Nord, offering quality features we’d like to see in more costly handsets. We were less pleased by the plan made by OnePlus not to release the phone outside Europe and India. The OnePlus Nord N10 5G will not repeat the decision; however, it heads to the U.S. after a November launch in the U.K.
The specs aren’t as good as they were on the original Nord, but you’re still going to get some added benefits, including a 90Hz refresh rate monitor and 5G support, all on a £ 329 handset. (We’re waiting for the U.S. price to find out The Nord N10 5G delivers good efficiency, especially when it comes to battery life. If you do not want to pay a lot for your next handset, this is a decent 5G phone to consider.
9. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2
- Display: 7.6-inch OLED (2208×1768) main; 6.2-inch OLED (2260×816) cover
- Android Version: 10 with OneUI 2.5
- CPU: Snapdragon 865 Plus
- RAM: 12GB
- Storage / Expandable: 256GB / No
- Rear camera: 12MP wide (ƒ/1.8); 12MP ultrawide (ƒ/2.2); 12MP telephoto (ƒ/2.4)
- Front camera: 10MP (ƒ/2.2) cover; 10MP (ƒ/2.2) main display
- Battery life (Hrs: Mins): 10:10
In the beginning, it did not look promising for foldable phones, with the original Galaxy Fold offering a revolutionary mobile computing design in a deeply flawed and damage-prone box. Then, Samsung returned to the drawing board, updating its initial concept to create the Galaxy Z Fold 2, which corrects its predecessor’s shortcomings while introducing some useful new features.
One of those useful additions is Flex Mode, which leverages the free-stop hinge of the Galaxy Z Fold 2 to allow the computer to remain in place at any position while displaying custom, split-screen controls for suitable apps, such as software for video chatting. But thanks to a much-expanded exterior cover monitor that lacks the eyesore bezels on the previous design, as well as a more comprehensive interior panel shrouded in Samsung’s Ultra-Thin Glass, the Z Fold 2 still nails the basics, making it more durable and friendly to the touch.
All this equipment, of course, comes for $1,999, to be exact. But then there’s no Android phone capable of doing what the Galaxy Z Fold 2 does, perfectly perched between phone and tablet. All this equipment, of course, comes for $1,999, to be exact. But then there’s no Android phone capable of doing what the Galaxy Z Fold 2 does, perfectly perched between phone and tablet.
10. OnePlus 8T
- Display: 6.55-inch OLED (2400×1080; 120Hz)
- Android version: 11 with Oxygen OS
- CPU: Snapdragon 865
- RAM: 8GB, 12GB
- Storage / Expandable: 128GB, 256GB / No
- Rear camera: 48MP wide (ƒ/1.7); 16MP ultrawide (ƒ/2.2); 5MP macro; 2MP depth
- Front camera: 16MP (ƒ/2.4)
- Battery life (Hrs: Mins): 10:53
The $749 OnePlus 8T has the 120Hz display of the OnePlus 8 Pro and a faster 65-watt charge. The new Warp Charging device from OnePlus is enough to get 93 percent of the company’s latest smartphone in just half an hour, making this the fastest charging phone we’ve ever checked. The OnePlus 8T is the first Android phone to launch with Android 11 on this side of Google’s Pixels, which is also a praiseworthy achievement.
OnePlus guarantees its phones three years of software updates, which is gradually and became the norm on Android, especially after Samsung joined Google this year to make that commitment.
OnePlus phones also benefit from their custom front-end, called Oxygen OS, which adds to Google’s platform a unique interface and various extra features, such as an eye-care Reading Mode and a range of always-on display options that can be personalized. We wish the OnePlus 8T’s quad rear camera system were much better, but overall, this is still a fantastic Android phone for the price.
How to pick the best Android phone
When looking for the best Android phone for you, the first thing, to begin with, is your budget. And there are a few levels, costing under $200 for the cheapest Android phones and offering just the basics for using apps, taking pictures, and staying linked.
You’ll find more convincing handsets as you step up to under $400, boasting more robust processors, higher-grade materials, and more camera lenses. Progress in the $700-and-up range, together with advanced image processing and unique features, the best phones offer flagship-caliber performance.
The most expensive Android phones deliver foldable designs. However, generally, we don’t feel that these kinds of devices are still worth the splurge, except, maybe, for the recent Samsung Galaxy Z Flip, which glitches the Galaxy Fold’s nature and is not egregiously expensive (for a foldable, anyway) at $ 1,380.
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