One of the perfect benefits Android has all the time provided over Apple’s iOS is selection. Android telephones are available all totally different sizes and costs from quite a lot of producers, together with Samsung, OnePlus, Google and Motorola, amongst others. And lots of these telephones include the most recent, biggest bits of cellular expertise. Features like quick 5G connectivity, vivid Super AMOLED shows and 120Hz refresh fee screens at the moment are commonplace, and people with deeper pockets can entry futuristic, cutting-edge tech like foldable shows. But that may additionally make the buying expertise overwhelming or complicated, which is why we have rounded up our favourite picks. These telephones all have usually nice cameras, screens, battery life or all the above. We additionally thought of options comparable to 5G and wi-fi charging. Read on to see our prime picks for the perfect Android telephones and take a look at our tips about how you can purchase a brand new telephone, too. We’ll replace this listing periodically as we assessment new merchandise.
Now taking part in:
Watch this:
What to Look for When Buying a Phone
2:09
Lisa Eadicicco/CNET
The $1,200 Galaxy S22 Ultra is without doubt one of the costliest Android telephones on the market, however for good motive. It has a large 6.8-inch show, an S Pen stylus you’ll be able to retailer contained in the telephone (identical to the Galaxy Note), and a four-lens digital camera with a zoom vary that is exhausting to beat. Samsung additionally improved the way in which all of its new Galaxy telephones take images in low mild, which is very essential on a photography-oriented telephone just like the Ultra. The solely downsides? The S22 Ultra’s sky-high worth and comparatively quick battery life. Still, the Galaxy S22 Ultra is the perfect telephone for individuals who need the largest display screen and top-of-the-line cameras accessible in a smartphone. You simply should be keen to pay the next worth for these perks.
Read our Galaxy S22 Ultra assessment.
Lisa Eadicicco/CNET
The $1,000 Galaxy S22 Plus has the correct stability of dimension, efficiency and digital camera efficiency for most individuals. The 6.6-inch display screen gives loads of area for individuals who choose larger-sized telephones however really feel just like the Ultra is likely to be too overwhelming (and costly). The improve to a 50-megapixel digital camera additionally makes an enormous distinction in comparison with final yr’s Galaxy S21 lineup, particularly in relation to colour and distinction in images. My greatest grievance is that the battery life was simply mediocre, though it did outlast the common Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Ultra throughout CNET’s battery take a look at. It additionally would have been good to see new options that make the most of the S22’s improved digital camera, particularly for the reason that S22 Plus is costlier than a number of telephones on this listing. Still, the Galaxy S22 Plus has the whole lot most individuals want in a brand new telephone.
Read our Galaxy S22 Plus assessment.
Andrew Hoyle/CNET
Google stayed out of the flagship section for a few years and spent the time making its personal chip that specialised in machine studying and synthetic intelligence. The Pixel 6 Pro packs all of it with a images prowess that is exhausting to beat. Google’s $899 higher-end telephone nonetheless undercuts rivals on worth whereas together with a lot worth. It is an enormous telephone, with a 6.7-inch display screen, which is pin-sharp due to its 3,120×1,440-pixel decision. It has an adaptive refresh fee that may go as much as 120Hz once you’re taking part in fast-paced video games, but additionally slows right down to solely 10Hz when the telephone is mainly sitting idle. The 5,003-mAh battery ought to be good for a full day of combined utilization.
Patrick Holland/CNET
Google’s Pixel 6 is the smartphone to get in order for you an enormous display screen, flagship efficiency, among the finest cameras in the marketplace and a glance that distinguishes it from the competitors. Google prolonged its three years of OS and safety updates to 5, so it will final. In the US, the Pixel 6 is on the market each via Google and all main carriers. The Pixel 6 has a 6.4-inch, 1080p display screen. It may be set to routinely swap from 60Hz to 90Hz relying on the content material onscreen. However, the fingerprint sensor is on the slower aspect. It comes with two rear cameras: the principle digital camera with a wide-angle lens and a second digital camera with an ultrawide-angle lens. If you might have $599 and are in search of a brand new telephone, the Pixel 6 is our suggestion.
Lisa Eadicicco/CNET
Finding a smaller-sized Android telephone isn’t any straightforward job nowadays. Most telephones include screens which might be a minimum of 6.4 inches or bigger, leaving individuals who choose petite telephones with few choices. The $800 Galaxy S22 checks that field. It has the whole lot we cherished concerning the Galaxy S22 Plus — an attention-grabbing design, a superb digital camera system with a 50-megapixel most important lens and a pointy display screen — however in a extra pocket-friendly dimension. Still, the Galaxy S22 falls quick in the identical space as its pricier siblings: battery life. I used to be in a position to get via a full day with the S22’s refresh fee set to adaptive, which cranks it as much as 120Hz for smoother scrolling, however solely barely. That stated, the S22’s battery life is likely to be sufficient for some folks, particularly those that spend most of their day at residence or within the workplace with a charger close by. The Galaxy S22 is in any other case a strong selection for any Android person, however particularly these in search of a smaller-sized telephone.
Read our Galaxy S22 assessment.
While the next-gen Pixel 6 is on the market now, in order for you 5G on a budget the Pixel 5A 5G continues to be a strong selection. This Pixel telephone has good battery life and nice rear cameras, and at $449 it is top-of-the-line, least expensive methods of getting 5G.
Read our Google Pixel 5A assessment.
Andrew Hoyle/CNET
While OnePlus is not as well-known as Apple or Samsung, the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro supply a premium expertise at a comparatively extra inexpensive worth than their rivals. Both telephones are 5G-enabled, assist wi-fi charging, run probably the most highly effective Qualcomm processor and have multilens cameras. The OnePlus 9 is our favourite of the 2, with all the options we love from the sequence however at a extra inexpensive worth and with higher battery life. It’s a strong possibility if the lofty price ticket of the Galaxy S22 Ultra is out of your attain.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Foldable telephones have not actually hit the mainstream, remaining as a substitute solely within the attain of these keen to spend prime greenback on the most recent in cellular innovation. Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 3 is the perfect folding telephone round, providing top-notch efficiency, an excellent digital camera setup and quite a lot of tweaks to its folding expertise that make this Android smartphone extra fascinating than its predecessor.
Read our Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 assessment.
Sarah Tew/CNET
The Motorola Edge Plus has just about the whole lot you’d hope for in a premium 5G telephone: A Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chipset, a large battery, an OLED display screen with a excessive refresh fee, and a number of rear cameras with heavy-duty specs. Motorola took options discovered on different top-of-the-line Android telephones, put its personal Moto spin on them and constructed all of them into one in every of our favourite Android telephones. The firm simply introduced a brand new model of the Edge Plus that has a 60-megapixel selfie digital camera, Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, which we look ahead to testing quickly.
Read our Motorola Edge Plus assessment.
More telephone and Android suggestions