If you’re reading this, you’re probably interested in getting a new Android phone, and that’s a fine choice. You might be a lifelong user (oddly enough, that’s possible at this point), or you might be looking to switch after a less than ideal experience with an iPhone. Whatever the case, you aren’t making a wrong choice by going with an Android.
Yet with an iPhone, you’re choosing from perhaps half a dozen models at the absolute most, and half of those will be variations from the same series. With Android phones, it will be a bit different, as there are dozens of different models at vastly different price points to choose from. It leads you to wonder how you could ever make the best decision.
Fortunately, we are here to help. Here is everything you need to know and six of our top recommendations:
Narrowing down the options to six phones wasn’t easy, but we did it and are confident with our choices. We used the following criteria to judge and compare phones. Some might be more important to you than others based on your circumstances, so make sure that you weigh each of these factors according to your priorities.
Performance/Processing Power: No phone has ever been worse for having more processing power and the ability to do more. It’s surprising what can fit in a phone these days, and some android phones are indistinguishable from cheaper laptops these days. Whether you’re interested in mobile gaming or keep many apps open simultaneously, keeping tabs on the processor is essential to review a phone.
Screen Resolution/Image Quality: Smartphones, despite being phones, convey most of their information via their screen, and the quality of that screen is important. As long as a phone can process the image well so as not to cause technical hiccups, a higher resolution is universally better. As for screen size, for many bigger is better, though there is a point where a smartphone becomes a tablet with phone capabilities, losing much of the portability, which makes people buy smartphones in the first place.
Camera: Many people choose their phone heavily based on the camera available, and for a good reason. With the importance of images and video to social media, anyone who heavily uses social media will want an excellent camera. A smartphone camera might not replace a DSLR, but it is getting closer, and carrying your smartphone everywhere is much more convenient.
Longevity/Durability: If a phone breaks after a single rainstorm or a small fall on the floor, it isn’t going to last for its intended lifespan. Smartphones are sturdier than ever and usually are built with water resistance, so this is less of an issue than it was in the past. Nonetheless, if you take your phone off the beaten path or know you’re rougher than most with it, pay attention to the build quality and how tough it is. We know we do.
Battery Life: You would like to be able to rely on your phone for a full day of use without needing to worry about charging it. However, some phones are thirstier than others for power. Longer battery life makes for a better phone, whether it comes from a more efficient device or just a better battery.
Design: The iPhone has an iconic design that only changes a little bit with each iteration, but Android phones aren’t so constrained and are vastly varied in their design philosophies. Do you want a phone that flips or folds? Both are options, and there are all sorts of additional design considerations. Ports are important, as is button placement (even if you don’t think about it all the time). Even the shape of a phone can matter, as a quarter of an inch can make a phone feel much different in the average person’s hand.
Price: All things must be balanced against the phone’s price point. This is obvious but needs repeating from time to time. If a $1400 phone is only marginally better than a $1000 phone, get the $1000 phone. After a certain point, you are getting diminishing returns when it comes to performance, and only a certain type of enthusiast wants that level of performance.
Included Software and Options: It can be tricky to judge unique software and features to a phone, partially because such a feature won’t be unique for long and partly because such software can come with a catch. Nonetheless, there are plenty of useful features to be found, and today’s experiment can be tomorrow’s killer app. If something is notable, we will mention it, and you should consider it.
There might be other things you might be looking for as well, and we encourage you to consider them as well. We can only truly weigh the common things everyone looks for. You might need something special that only a few select phones have. In such cases, always follow your needs.
We want to provide you with the six best Android phone options. However, in truth, you are only looking for the best option. Why would you ever want to buy the sixth-best Android phone, after all? That’s why we selected the best Android phone in six different categories instead of a general list, each tailored to a different type of user.
If you are just looking for an all-around option, then we recommend the OnePlus 10 Pro. Note that this isn’t the best phone overall, just the most balanced option for someone with a decent budget and no particular needs in mind. Those who want the best overall, regardless of cost, should look at the following listing.
Yet just because we say that, don’t discount this phone entirely. There is a reason we picked it. It has one of the best CPUs available and RAM to match most flagships on the market. The camera array is more than enough for the average person and should last the average person all day without needing an extra charge. In short, it will be a reliable companion without performance drop-off for several years, and the best phone might be the one you hardly notice and make a part of your everyday life. The OnePlus 10 Pro is the perfect candidate for that.
Unique specifications and features include:
• The CPU is a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, and the phone will either have 8GB or 12GB of RAM, depending on your choice of model. We recommend the 12GB option, as 8GB is a bit low for a phone that otherwise is strong performance-wise. Internal storage options include either 128GB or 256GB, with no opportunity to expand storage. This is a little low compared to other flagships but should be enough for most users.
• The display and picture quality are great compared to most phones. You can expect a 6.7” AMOLED screen that provides a 3216x1440p resolution, making it one of the best you can find today.
• For those interested in gaming but don’t want a gaming phone, the OnePlus 10 Pro generally runs cooler than its major competitors while running games.
• The camera array includes a rear setup of a 48MP main camera, a 50MP ultrawide lens, and an 8MP 3.3 telephoto lens. There is a front camera of 32MP. Video recording can reach up to 8K 30fps or 120fps at 4K. Overall, the picture quality is excellent, if not meeting the high bar set by dedicated camera phones, and OnePlus outdid itself this year with its release.
• The battery life is on par with other major flagship phones, running for around 12 hours, depending on your chosen settings. However, it will take twice as long to charge as its major competitors, taking about a half-hour to go from nearly empty to full again. This might not seem like a problem for people who work at home, but people on the go might want something a little faster or take a charge pack along on their travels.
• As of this writing, the OnePlus 10 Pro costs about $800-900 (depending on selections for RAM and storage space). You will likely be able to find it cheaper if you look for sales and opportunities online.
We recommend the OnePlus 10 Pro if:
• You are picking out a phone for someone else and want something reliable, but otherwise aren’t too sure of their needs and usage habits.
• You are willing to spend a bit of money on a phone but still want something that provides great general value.
• You are looking for a phone with very few overall weaknesses that should last you the next few years without issue.
The previous choice was nice and all, but you might be a person with higher tastes and a larger wallet. Suppose you are looking for one of the absolute top performers who should last you a while and do everything you want. In that case, we recommend the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, representing the pinnacle of mainstream smartphone achievement as this writing. For starters, the phone is stunning in its display and design, providing everything a smartphone enthusiast could want. It is also packing a ton under the hood.
Notable specifications and features include:
• The United States version of the phone uses the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Processor, one of the best you can currently get. The phone has either 8GB or 12GB of RAM, depending on your model. Whatever app or program you want to use, it would take a lot to strain this phone.
• The storage options for the phone are 126GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. It should be noted that the phone’s memory is not expandable, so make your initial choice carefully.
• Depending on your chosen settings, battery life of between eight and ten hours. While it is enough to get through most days given usage habits, power users will want to bring a method of charging or a mobile charge pack with them. This is somewhat offset by a faster charging time than most phones.
• A 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED screen that looks absolutely stunning. It has a 3088x1440p resolution that is among the best you can find among phones today and will perhaps only be beaten by the eventual 4K smartphone meant for the standard market. Of particular note is the potential brightness of the phone, making it perfect to look at even in direct sunlight. Colors also pop out nicely on the display, and this is one of the best smartphones for a general entertainment experience money can buy. The refresh rate can reach up to 120Hz.
• If you know about this series of phones already, you might already know about the S-Pen stylus and its odd case that was inconvenient for many users. The S22 Ultra has an improvement over that, with a shorter latency time for a more responsive experience. Additionally, there’s a slot for the stylus in the phone when you aren’t using it, so you don’t have to worry about losing it.
• The camera array includes a 108 MP main rear camera, alongside a 12MP ultrawide lens, a 10MP 10x telephoto lens, and a 10MP 3x telephoto lens. The front camera is 40MP. Whatever your need, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better array than this without a specialist phone.
• As of this writing, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra costs about $1200, which is a good value for what you are getting. However, with some patience and the right timing, you can likely get it for cheaper.
We recommend the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra if:
• You are looking for a phone that can do practically everything and then some.
• You are looking for an Android phone that is great for gaming but do not necessarily want a “gaming phone.”
• You want to use the extra features such as the S Pen and need things such as a brighter screen.
The best performance Android phone and the best Android phone for gaming are extremely close but are not the same. A phone built for mobile gaming has a few more design elements that can be helpful for users, and one made for pure performance and everyday use might find such elements superfluous. No one but the most serious mobile gamers will notice the difference, but the differences are there. Therefore, we’d like to introduce gamers to the ASUS ROG Phone 6, the latest in a line of specialist gaming smartphones.
It is expensive, nearly absurd in its power and features, and it is also an Android phone. Yet, for the most part, let’s let the features do the rest of the talking.
Notable specifications and features include:
• The phone has a massive 6.8-inch AMOLED display that can reach a refresh rate of up to 165Hz. This is perhaps the largest screen you can possibly find on a mainstream (if this is a mainstream) Android phone with the highest refresh rate, and while the resolution is lower than what you’d expect (2448 x 1080p), it is in the service of increased performance.
• The phone has a whopping 18GB of RAM and the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 CPU, equaling the Samsung S22 Ultra in processing power while surpassing it in terms of RAM. If you would like to fine-tune the performance further, there is a performance manager that gives you more control over the phone. Storage Space is 512GB, which should be plenty for an array of mobile games you want to have ready to play instantly.
• A fantastic battery life to match the phone’s power usage and a quick charge time. You can game for hours at a time and barely notice. It should be able to surpass 15 hours of regular usage easily.
• Speaking of not being able to notice if you’ve been gaming for hours, one of the major problems with mobile gaming is the device getting a bit warm after a while (this is an understatement with some devices). The ASUS ROG 6 has cooling features and equipment that allow you to keep gaming without breaking the wrong kind of sweat.
• Additional small features and options that make life easier for gamers (or if not easier, then they improve the gaming experience). You might notice the AirTriggers that effectively act as shoulder buttons while gaming. The sound quality coming from the speakers of the phone also surpasses normal expectations, though audiophiles will still want to use headphones.
• The camera setup is not why you will buy this phone, but it has a 50MP rear camera, a 13MP ultrawide lens, a macro camera, and a 12 MP front camera.
• As mentioned, the price is a lot, with the phone costing about $1800-$2000 depending on availability and where you look. You may be able to find it much cheaper, with some reports saying it can be available for $1300, but realistically this may not be possible. This is a significant investment in your gaming life.
We recommend the ASUS ROG 6 Pro if:
• You love mobile gaming and have a lot of money to burn. Most people do not need everything this phone has, but it is here if you want the experience.
• You don’t want the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra but still want an amazing phone with plenty to offer.
• You think you will use the extra features and controls for gaming on this device and use them often.
There’s a wide range of Android phones, many of which are top-of-the-line flagship models that push the boundaries of what a portable device can do. But those smartphones are expensive, and you may not need that amount of power. For practical people on a budget, such as yourself, a better option might be the Samsung Galaxy A53 5G. While it has the Samsung Galaxy name, this is much more affordable and a different phone than the other two selections from Samsung on this list.
And while affordable, the phone is more than serviceable, with a nice display, a good if not great camera setup for the price, and overall, nothing that will have you wishing for a new phone in six months, which is the real goal for a budget model.
Notable specifications and features include:
• The phone uses an Exynos 1280 CPU. It has 6GB of RAM (not top-tier, but enough for nearly all apps and to be expected) and 128GB of default storage space. However, the storage is expandable, which actually gives it a leg up over even some flagship phones if you’re willing to pay a bit extra for a microSD card.
• The display is a 6.5” AMOLED screen with a refresh rate of 120Hz and a resolution of 2400 x 1080p. This is exceptionally nice for the price, has a large enough screen for most people, and will even be nice for gaming, assuming the chipset can handle the game.
• The camera setup includes a 64MP main rear camera paired with a 12MP ultrawide, a 5MP macro camera, and a 5MP depth camera. The front camera is 32 MP. It isn’t perfect, and you might notice a difference in picture quality compared to the other phones on this list, but that’s only because the other phones on this list are the best of the best or built specifically with taking photos in mind.
• Battery life is a bit lacking, only lasting about 10 hours of normal usage, and it will take some time to charge compared to other phones. This is another phone you might want to have a charge pack or extra charger handy for if you’re going to be out all day and using your phone constantly.
• While the hardware might be built for budget, the software is nice, with Samsung putting in extra effort to maximize the user experience and make the phone easier to manage.
• As of this writing, the general price for the A53 5G is about $450. You will likely be able to find it for a bit cheaper if you do some comparison shopping or get a deal with a phone plan.
We recommend the Samsung Galaxy A53 5G if:
• You generally like the Android phones Samsung offers, but their flagship phones are too expensive for your taste or your bank account.
• You do not expect to do too much gaming or use too many apps simultaneously with this phone.
• You are not someone who constantly uses your smartphone and needs something reliable that will last you the next few years of occasional usage.
One of the more recent trends in smartphones is the emergence (or reemergence, depending on your definition) of the flip or foldable phone. Once the standard design for all phones, they fell out of favor, and the main design became the single-screen rectangle you might be reading this article on now. However, that has changed with the development of screens and UIs that can make the most of multiple flat screens or a combined larger screen, depending on the phone in question. For anyone interested in such a phone, we recommend the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, which has fantastic general specs but also has a foldable screen that, when unfolded, gives you a lot of space to work with.
Also, it is a good idea to differentiate this from the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra we mentioned before. Both are great phones, but their builds and priorities are dramatically different.
However, we would like to note that the phone isn’t perfect and has some disadvantages, especially regarding its price point. We’ll go into them below but keep them heavily in mind before taking the plunge. This isn’t a phone for everyone.
Note that if you’re looking for something slightly different, or want more of a flip phone than a foldable one, then the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 might be more your speed.
Notable specifications and features include:
• Foldability. It’s naturally the selling point for the phone, but it’s worth discussing in more depth. There is a noticeable crease between the screens when the phone is unfolded, but it is an improvement over previous models, and you don’t notice it all the time. However, note that the extra screen space and the design make the phone much thicker and much heavier than the average phone. That is, unfortunately, just the tradeoff of having more phones to work with.
• The phone uses a Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chipset and has 12GB of RAM, which put it on par with some of the best phones available today. You can get this much power for cheaper, but remember you’re paying for the folding screen on this phone. Internal storage options are 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB.
• Talking about the displays, there is technically an inner and outer display. The inner display is a 7.6” AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and a 2176 x 1812p resolution. The outer display is a 6.2” AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and a 2316 x 904p resolution. Naturally, you can unfold the phone to combine the screen spaces effectively, and the device does so well. However, you can keep the phone unfolded for quick tasks if you just want to check something or send a message. In this way, it is quite convenient.
• The camera array includes a 50MP wide camera, a 12MP ultra-wide camera, a 10MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom and 30x space zoom, a 10MP cover camera, and a 4MP under-display camera.
• It has a 4,400 battery and a 25W charging setup (it will charge from 0 percent to full in about an hour plugged in). Overall, the battery and charging are a weakness for a phone of this size, and you might want to pack extra charging options wherever you go. Yet perhaps it is an understandable weakness given all else that phone can do.
• As of this writing, the phone cost is about $1800, making it a luxury item.
We recommend the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 if:
• You are interested in a foldable phone or new technologies that might be a little pricier than most other Android smartphones on the market.
• You are willing to pay a premium for innovation and understand that you might be getting a product design that has not been perfected yet.
• You like the idea of the extra screen space this phone can provide.
As we mentioned, the smartphone is a camera and everything else afterward for some people. For those people, we recommend the Pixel 6 Pro. It comes in a long line of phones that are known for how great their cameras are despite the cost, easily competing with the top models on the market. The pro version is closer to a flagship than it isn’t, but when recommending phones, we err on the side of excellence, knowing that prices will eventually fall and value matters.
Note that in some ways, it still might not be able to do everything an iPhone can; the iPhone is known for its excellent cameras. iPhone cameras are different and use different software. However, the Pixel 6 Pro can compete and has the specifications that an iPhone doesn’t.
If you want a comparable phone that’s a bit cheaper and is only missing a few of the nice extra features, then you also might want to look into the Google Pixel 6, which shaves a few hundred dollars off the price tag.
Notable specifications and features include:
• The Pixel 6 Pro uses a Tensor chip, the first-generation chip by Google Silicon. It’s generally oriented towards AI compatibility and machine learning, and the phone uses that nicely. Essentially, expect a boost when it comes to AI-related tasks. Otherwise, it might not compare to the major flagships in raw power, but comparing the Tensor chip to Snapdragon sets might be a bit like comparing apples and pears. Regardless, it should work fine for most tasks and has 12GB of RAM. You can also choose between 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB of storage for all your photos and videos.
• The display is a 6.71” OLED screen with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz and a resolution of 3120 x 1440p. This is very nice for the price and in line with most flagship models.
• Then there’s the camera array, which you’re likely most curious about. It has a 50MP main rear camera, complemented by a 12MP ultrawide lens and a very nice 48MP telephoto lens with up to 4x optical zoom. It also has an 11MP front camera.
• If the numbers above don’t impress you, the photo software will. There’s the Magic Eraser which can let you erase unwanted items from the background of photos. There are also extra digital zoom options that can make the images look a lot cleaner. The Tensor chip will also help improve videos and filter unnecessary background audio.
• The main problem with the phone that we could find was the battery life. The phone will only last about 8 hours of regular usage, which is hours shorter than its main competitors. Users will want to keep additional charging options available to them.
• Given that Google makes Android and this phone alike, you can expect the Pixel 6 Pro to get maximum support.
• As of this writing, the phone costs about $800. This cost will fall over time, and you can likely find the phone for cheaper now if you do some searching.
We recommend the Pixel 6 Pro if:
• You use social media often and want a smartphone with a camera that can do almost anything.
• You are looking for a phone with a fantastic camera but don’t need the extra features and power that the more expensive options here offer.
• You prioritize what you do with the camera but still want a decent phone attached to that camera setup.
In truth, the answer is a little complicated, but for some people, Android is absolutely the better choice. It has more options for customization, the phones provide better hardware for the price, and you aren’t locked into the Apple infrastructure and programs. On the other hand, Apple offers a unique user experience and interface, some unique apps and features, and a reputation for being more secure without additional effort on your part. It’s clear that each has its advantages, and each will be better for a subset of people.
In either case, Android or iPhones are your only real options unless you want to try out something experimental that won’t be practical in your daily life. Make your best judgment, and don’t look back.
If you’re set on a phone, that’s fantastic! We wish you the best of luck and are confident you’ll like it. However, to get the most out of it, keep the following tips and notes in mind when you’re setting everything up:
• While all the above are Android phones, they also have their own manufacturers and proprietary programs installed. You’ll want to decide early on if you wish to use them or not, and both options have their advantages. Rarely is there something truly unique in what’s installed, but it might be the best option and will result in less clutter on your phone. At least experiment and compare with the best options on the Google Play Store.
• Speaking of the Google Play Store, it will be one of the first places you frequent when you start up your new phone. Now is a great time to explore, try out new apps, and see what your new phone can use that you couldn’t get the most out of your old phone.
• Transfer everything from your old phone and sign into as many accounts as possible that you know you will use. This will make your phone feel like home and give you a better idea of what the phone might be missing.
• Get a case and whatever other peripherals you might need right away. You’ll have plenty to pick from and don’t try to get the cheapest and worst options here. You want the best experience possible from your phone. If you’re spending $1000 on a phone you’ll use every day, it makes good sense to spend an extra $50 on earbuds you’ll use every day as well and a few extra dollars on an extra charger you can keep with you to use as needed. Do a little bit of product research and consider what you’ll use the most, and you’ll be much happier with your Android phone.
• Read the manual for the phone and perhaps for the latest version of Android. You’ll likely learn more about what it can do, and you might learn something new. If the phone doesn’t come with a physical copy, you can find any necessary resources online with a quick search.
Your ultimate phone choice will come down to personal preference and your personal needs as of this reading. Yet if you know that an Android phone is an option for you, we’re confident you will find your next phone among the six choices listed above. Think about your options and what might serve you best over the next few years, and then move forward confidently. It will be at your side for the foreseeable future, so use it to the fullest and learn more about Android if you can.
