The best Android phones
The Android ecosystem is all about choice. While iPhone owners have a smaller pool of new devices to pick from when it's time to upgrade, there's a wider range of choices on Android. Some Android phones even fold in half! Imagine.
On the flip side, all that choice can make for some hard decisions. Here's where I'd like to help; I've tested a whole boatload of recent Android phones, and I think there are some real winners in the current batch. It's all a matter of what you're looking for, what you're comfortable spending, and what your definition of a reasonably sized phone" is. (I have my own, personally.)
As you sift through the options, you'll almost certainly come across tech's favorite buzzphrase of the moment: AI. Generally speaking, AI has yet to really impress me on a phone. The Pixel 9 series has some potentially useful features, like a Screenshots app that uses AI to tag relevant info in metadata, and Galaxy devices can translate a phone call for you in real time. These things are nothing to sneeze at! But none of it feels like the platform shift that the big tech companies keep promising. Best not to put too much stock in any company's AI claims just yet.
If you live in the US, I have some bad news about the Android market, though. For complicated reasons having to do with capitalism" and geopolitics," we don't get nearly as many of the options as you'll find in Asia and Europe - brands like Huawei, Xiaomi, Honor, and Oppo just aren't available here. I've limited this guide to the devices I've personally tested in depth; thus, it is a fairly US-centric set of recommendations.
With that in mind, it's also worth acknowledging that most people in the US get their phones for free" from their wireless carrier. If you can manage it, buying a phone unlocked will give you the most flexibility and freedom if you end up wanting to change carriers in the near future. Phone manufacturers also offer financing and trade-in deals to make payment more manageable. But if you're happy with your carrier and the free phone on offer is the one you really want, by all means, take the free phone. Just make sure you understand the terms, especially if you need to change plans to cash in on the deal.
However you go about it, you have some fantastic options for your next Android phone.
- The best Android phone overall
- The best maximalist phone
- The best Android phone that isn't huge
- The best lightweight big phone
- The best phone if you hate waiting for your phone to charge
- The best foldable phone
- Other Android phones worth considering
- What's coming next
Score: 8| Pros | Cons |
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Screen: 6.3-inch 1080p 120Hz OLED / Processor: Tensor G4 / Cameras: 50-megapixel f/1.7 main with OIS, 48-megapixel ultrawide, 10.5-megapixel selfie / Battery: 4,700mAh / Charging: 27W wired, 15W wireless (with Pixel Stand 2) / Weather resistance: IP68
Google's hardware is better than ever, and the whole Pixel 9 lineup feels just as polished as anything you'd get from Samsung or Apple. But at $799 (and often less than that), the basic Pixel 9 is in a particularly appealing position, and if you don't need a telephoto camera or the biggest screen, then this is the Android phone to get.
The Pixel 9 comes with some significant quality-of-life improvements like a faster fingerprint scanner for unlocking the phone. The camera is as reliable as ever, and if you're into AI photo editing tricks, boy does this phone have em. There's a new Screenshots app that acts as a place to store all of the information that would otherwise be lost at sea in your camera roll, and it uses AI to parse information out and make it searchable. Kinda handy.
Even without AI, this is an excellent phone. It's also designed to go the distance, with seven years of promised OS updates, which very likely means you'll outgrow the phone before Google stops supporting it. Its potential for long-term value and the quality of the hardware make it an easy recommendation for anyone who just wants a nice Android phone that works.
Read my full Google Pixel 9 review.The best maximalist phoneSamsung Galaxy S25 UltraThe Galaxy S25 Ultra is still one of the best phones you can buy, even if its Ultra"-ness is a little diminished. Two telephotos, a built-in stylus, and a big screen are the main attractions. Read our review.
Score: 8| Pros | Cons |
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Screen:6.9-inch 1440p 120Hz OLED /Processor:Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite /Cameras:200-megapixel main with OIS, 50-megapixel 5x telephoto with OIS, 10-megapixel 3x telephoto with OIS, 50-megapixel ultrawide, 12-megapixel selfie /Battery:5,000mAh /Charging:45W wired, 15W wireless (Qi2 Ready) /Weather resistance:IP68
There's still no phone quite like the Ultra. The Galaxy S25 Ultra is Samsung's latest answer to the question, What if your phone had all of the features?" It's equipped with two telephoto cameras, a built-in stylus, and a big, bright screen. Good luck finding that combination in another phone. Related: this is one of the most expensive slab-style phones you can buy.
The newest edition of the Ultra comes with rounded corners and flat edges, making it more comfortable in your hand. But if you're looking for significant year-over-year improvements to the Ultra formula outside of that, well, you won't find much. Samsung's focus has been on software features, which is to say AI features. But AI on Galaxy phones remains a mixed bag - it's certainly not the paradigm shift Samsung wants us to think the S25 series represents.
All of that puts the Ultra in a place of slightly less distinction than previous versions. The biggest updates are software features available to the rest of the S25 series. The Ultra looks and feels more like other Galaxy phones this time around, too. More than ever, it's hard to understand what Samsung means when it calls this phone Ultra." Still, it's your best choice for a feature-packed Android phone - even if it's not quite as ultra as it once was.
Read my full Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra review.The best Android phone that isn't hugeSamsung Galaxy S25 (128GB)The 6.2-inch Galaxy S25 is the smallest phone in the S25 lineup. It comes with 12GB of RAM, up from 8GB.
Score: 8| Pros | Cons |
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Screen:6.2-inch 2340 x 1080 120Hz OLED /Processor:Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite/Cameras:50-megapixel main with OIS, 12-megapixel ultrawide, 10-megapixel 3x telephoto with OIS, 12-megapixel selfie / Battery: 4,000mAh / Charging: 25W wired, 15W wireless (Qi2 Ready) / Weather-resistance rating: IP68
Most people like a big phone, and I get that. I do. If you want a big Android phone, you have plenty of options in front of you. But some of us like a smaller phone - something that (kind of) fits in your pocket, or feels more comfortable in your hand. For us, there is but one option on Android: the Samsung Galaxy S25.
That's the regular S25, not the Plus, which is a fine big phone. But the standard S25 is basically the last of its kind: a full-featured phone with a 6.2-inch screen. It's not small, but it's not huge, and we'll have to take what we can get. And it's a darn good phone that keeps up with the bigger devices in all the important ways: the battery goes all day, it comes with plenty of RAM, and it even has a real telephoto lens - not something you get on a basic, 6.1-inch phone on, say, iOS.
The Galaxy S25 isn't just a good, small-ish phone by default. It's reliable, durable, and comes with the promise of seven years of OS updates. It's not my pick for the overall best Android phone because Samsung software can be a bit much, but if you're comfortable in the Samsung ecosystem and you just want a phone that fits in your dang pocket, then this is the one to go with.
Read my full Samsung Galaxy S25 review.The best lightweight big phoneSamsung Galaxy S25 Edge
Score: 8| Pros | Cons |
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- $1099.99 $919.99 at Amazon (512GB)
- $1219.99 $949.99 at Amazon (256GB)
- $1099.99 $999.99 at Best Buy (512GB)
Screen:6.7-inch 1440p 120Hz LTPO OLED /Processor:Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite/Cameras:200-megapixel f/1.7 main camera with OIS, 12-megapixel f/2.2 ultrawide, 12-megapixel f/2.2 selfie / Battery: 3,900mAh / Charging: 25W wired, 15W wireless (Qi2 Ready)/ Weather-resistance rating: IP68
Big phones have a tendency to, well, look and feel big. The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, on the other hand, is different. Thanks to its slim, lightweight design, the device provides a welcome reprieve from the countless chunky, heavy alternatives. It's thinner and lighter than the Galaxy S25 Plus, making it the big phone you can actually slide into your pocket or evening bag without it protruding out.
So, what's the catch? The S25 Edge's battery life is fine. Not great, not terrible, but somewhere straight down the middle. To be fair, it held up admirably during a particularly strenuous workday, one complete with hours of screen time, mobile hotspotting, and live blogging, making it to bedtime with battery to spare. It also lacks a dedicated telephoto lens, though it does feature the same 200-megapixel main camera found in the S25 Ultra.
Even with those compromises, the S25 Edge is a very capable phone that offers similar performance and durability to other devices in the S25 lineup. You'll just have to be a little more aware of battery life as the day goes on; however, unless you're frequently streaming video or playing graphics-intensive games throughout the day, the noticeably thinner, lighter design offers a nice change of pace.
Read our Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge review.The best phone if you hate waiting for your phone to chargeOnePlus 13The OnePlus 13 comes with improved water resistance, support from all three major US wireless carriers, and a strong software policy. Coupled with a Snapdragon 8 Elite processor and multi-day battery life, it's an impressive high-end Android phone.
Score: 8| Pros | Cons |
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- $899.99 $829.99 at Amazon (12GB RAM / 256GB ROM)
- $999.99 $829.99 at Amazon (16GB RAM / 512GB ROM)
- $999.99 $849.99 at Best Buy (16GB RAM / 512GB ROM)
Screen: 6.82-inch 1440p 120Hz LTPO OLED / Processor: Snapdragon 8 Elite / Cameras: 50-megapixel f/1.6 main with OIS, 50-megapixel 3x telephoto with OIS, 50-megapixel f/2.0 ultrawide, 32-megapixel selfie / Battery: 6,000mAh / Charging: 80W wired, 50W wireless / Weather-resistance rating: IP68 and IP69
There are plenty of good reasons to consider the OnePlus 13. It has a big, beautiful screen, and costs a hundred bucks less than the Galaxy S25 Plus. Its dust and water resistance is so strong you could practically use the phone in a hurricane without consequences. And its camera system is much improved year over year, particularly when it comes to low-light portraiture. But there's one standout reason to consider the 13: impatience.
The OnePlus 13 offers enough battery stamina to get through two days of moderate use on a single charge- and that's with plenty of power-draining features enabled, including the always-on display. If you're thriftier with your charge, it could even go beyond that. Forgot to charge overnight? No big deal; you can probably just charge it up on night two. Charging is also relatively fast, and in the US, the phone comes with an 80W wired charger in the box. So even if you do need a midday top-off, you'll be able to get hours of charge in a matter of minutes. No other flagship phone offers that kind of charging (or not charging) flexibility.
Read my full OnePlus 13 review.The best foldable phoneGoogle Pixel 9 Pro FoldThe Pixel 9 Pro Fold features a 6.3-inch outer screen and an 8-inch inner screen once it's unfolded - both of which are larger than the original Pixel Fold. The new foldable also lays flat when opened, sports IPX8 weather resistance, and offers a thinner design than the last-gen model.
Score: 8| Pros | Cons |
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Screen: 8.0-inch 2076p 120Hz OLED inner screen, 6.3-inch 1080p 120Hz OLED cover screen / Processor: Tensor G4 / Cameras: 48-megapixel f/1.7 main with OIS, 10.8-megapixel 5x telephoto with OIS, 10.5-megapixel ultrawide, 10-megapixel selfie (cover screen), 10-megapixel inner selfie camera / Battery: 4,650mAh / Charging: 21W wired, 7.5W wireless / Weather resistance: IPX8
Does anyone truly need a folding phone? Probably not. But using one is awfully nice, and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is the nicest book-style foldable I've used to date. It's pricey, it's still bulkier than a slab-style phone, and its cameras aren't quite as nice as the other Pixel 9 Pro phones. But it's a joy to use, both as a regular phone with the cover screen and when you unfold the big inner screen.
The 9 Pro Fold is Google's second folding phone, following up the passport-shaped Pixel Fold with a format that feels much more familiar. The outer screen measures 6.3 inches on the diagonal, but more importantly, the ratio is the same as Google's slab phones. By comparison, Samsung's Z Fold 6 uses a taller, narrower format that feels cramped. Having used them both, I much prefer the 9 Pro Fold's approach.
That said, the 9 Pro Fold isn't without compromises. The camera system isn't quite as good as what you get in the other 9 Pro phones. The outer screen isn't as sharp or bright as the Pixel 9 Pro's, either. And it's not as durable as its slab-style counterparts - there's no dust resistance, and you can't get it repaired just anywhere. For $1,800, that's an awful lot to swallow. For the adventurous early adopter, though, the 9 Pro Fold will be very rewarding.
Read my full Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold review.Other Android phones worth consideringThere are many more great Android devices that weren't covered here, and a few are worth calling out that didn't quite make the cut for a recommendation.
- First off, there's theGalaxy Z Flip 6, Samsung's excellent clamshell-style foldable. It's not as much fun to use as the2025 Razr Ultra- which facilitates using apps on the cover screen more easily - but Motorola's track record for software updates isn't great, so the Z Flip 6 is a safer bet for a flip phone.Read our review.
- The OnePlus Open is also another good book-style foldable option. It's thin and light, and the software includes some thoughtful approaches to multitasking - a crucial part of the folding phone experience. But it won't be supported with software updates for as long as the Pixel 9 Pro Fold or the Galaxy Z Fold 6. Read our review.
- Speaking of OnePlus, the company also recently launched the OnePlus 13R, a midrange phone with a big 6.78-inch OLED display and enough battery life to carry you through two full days on a single charge. That said, the $599 handset lacks wireless charging and full water resistance, both of which can be found on other budget-friendly phones for less. Read our review.
- The Google Pixel 9A comes with some small but important updates over the 8A, including more robust water resistance and a slightly bigger, brighter screen. Better yet, those improvements don't come with a price bump. With seven years of OS updates included, that's a strong ROI. Read our review.
- We're currently testing the new Galaxy Z Fold 7, Z Flip 7, and Z Flip FE, which feel like the foldables we've been asking for. The $1,999 Fold 7 sports a book-style design that's thinner and lighter than its predecessor, with larger outer and inner displays. The Flip 7, meanwhile, starts at $1,099 and offers a proper edge-to-edge cover screen. It's thinner than its predecessor, too, with a larger battery. Finally, there's the Flip SE, which is a lower-cost alternative to the Flip 7, with a starting price of $899. Read our impressions.
- The Nothing Phone 3 is billed by the brand as its first true flagship phone," with a $799 starting price that competes directly with the iPhone 16, Galaxy S25, and Pixel 9. It boasts a 6.67-inch OLED display, a generous 5,150mAh capacity battery, and a Snapdragon 8S Gen 4 chipset, which is on the lower end of the flagship spectrum. It also looks different from previous Nothing devices. Instead of the iconic light strips on the back that glow and flash, the Nothing 3 features a small dot-matrix LED display that can show pictures and icons. We'll publish our full review soon, but in the meantime, you can read our initial hands-on impressions.
- Google's Pixel 10 series - which will likely include aregular Pixel 10, a Pro, a Pro XL, and a Pro Fold - is expected to be unveiled at a Made by Google event on August 20th. Google's next-gen flagships have been heavily leaked at this point, and the base model is expected to join the Pro options with three cameras (including a telephoto lens). The Pro models, meanwhile, will distinguish themselves with anupgraded Tensor G5 chipset and more advanced AI features while retaining a near-identical design. Google may also reveal acompletely dustproof Pixel 10 Pro Fold.
Update, July 18th: Updated pricing / availability, added the Galaxy S25 Edge as our pick for the best lightweight big phone," and mentioned details regarding Samsung's upcoming foldables and the Nothing Phone 3. Brandon Russell also contributed to this post.