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Selecting one of the best Android cellphone is dependent upon the options you prioritize and your goal worth vary. There are a lot of Android cellphone manufacturers, every with distinct approaches to {hardware} and software program, and worth tags differ broadly.
That will help you kind by way of the Android panorama, we have examined greater than a dozen present telephones to land on a definitive checklist of the seven finest Android telephones you should buy now. For transparency, we do not goal to level out which Android telephones have probably the most options; you possibly can take a look at a publicly accessible specs sheet for that. Fairly, we favor these with the best high quality options based mostly on our testing.
Google’s Pixel telephones dominate our 2024 information for one of the best Android telephones. Our high decide is the Google Pixel 8, a stellar total cellphone that might swimsuit the overwhelming majority of Android customers. If you happen to’re not available in the market for a high-end cellphone, we suggest the Google Pixel 7a as our high price range choice.
Our high picks for one of the best Android telephones
Greatest total: Google Pixel 8 – See at Amazon
Greatest price range: Google Pixel 7a – See at Amazon
Greatest price range different: Google Pixel 6a – See at Amazon
Greatest digicam: Google Pixel 8 Professional – See at Amazon
Greatest battery life: Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely – See at Amazon
Greatest small cellphone: Samsung Galaxy S24 – See at Amazon
Greatest foldable cellphone: OnePlus Open – See at Amazon
Greatest total
Google Pixel 8
The Pixel 8 delivers an excellent steadiness of efficiency, premium options, and digicam high quality for its $699 beginning worth. It’s the primary Android cellphone we’d suggest for most individuals.
We debated closely whether or not Google’s Pixel 8 or Samsung’s Galaxy S24 ought to take the highest spot, and we in the end went with the Google Pixel 8. It has one of the best steadiness of efficiency, digicam high quality, battery life, and options for one of the best worth out of all of the Android telephones we have examined.
It is true that Samsung’s Galaxy S24 has a extra highly effective processor and three cameras in comparison with the Pixel 8’s dual-lens digicam. Nonetheless, the Pixel 8’s efficiency is successfully on par in each day use, greater than sufficient to run any app or recreation easily, and its photograph high quality is best than the Galaxy S24’s.
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Certainly, regardless of solely having two cameras as a substitute of three, the Pixel 8’s cameras have a decrease tendency to overexpose pictures, the place some brilliant patches may be so brilliant that they are void of element. The Pixel 8’s cameras additionally confirmed they’ll higher deal with less-than-ideal lighting with sharper and clearer photos than the Galaxy S24 produces.
The Pixel 8 has a 6.2-inch OLED show that helps 120Hz and 1080p decision. It is lacking the Galaxy S24 show’s 1-120Hz variable refresh charge designed to cut back energy consumption. Nonetheless, the Pixel 8 nonetheless managed to beat the Galaxy S24 in our battery take a look at with a 61% outcome in comparison with 59%, even when the always-on show function was enabled.
Google additionally dramatically improved its help for the finest Google Pixel cellphone fashions; the Pixel 8 sequence provides seven years of Android and safety updates, which is on par with Samsung’s newest flagship sequence and an enormous enchancment from the 5 or fewer years of help Google supplied for earlier generations.
We might suggest the Galaxy S24 as a substitute in the event you usually use your cellphone’s zoom lens or want you had a zoom lens to take higher pictures of topics additional away, because it has a devoted 3x zoom digicam that’s extra succesful with zoomed pictures than the Pixel 8.
See our information to the finest Google Pixel 8 circumstances to guard the cellphone.
Greatest price range
Google Pixel 7a
Google’s Pixel 7a is sort of a premium cellphone at a serious low cost with its 90Hz show, flagship Tensor G2 processor from the earlier Pixel 7 technology, and two cameras that take beautiful pictures with pure colours and delightful lighting and depth.
Google’s Pixel 7a is basically a premium system with high-end efficiency, options, and digicam high quality that is wearing considerably less-premium supplies. In return for the marginally diminished aesthetic of thick show borders and plastic again, the Pixel 7a usually prices $499.
The Pixel 7a’s MSRP is on the excessive aspect for a price range decide, particularly in comparison with the $349 Pixel 6a. However not like the Pixel 6a, the Pixel 7a comes with a number of worthwhile premium options, like a newer flagship processor (Google’s Tensor G2), wi-fi charging, a smoother excessive refresh-rate show, and the choice of quick mmWave 5G connectivity, all of which mix to make the Pixel 7a our high decide among the many finest price range Android telephones.
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In our intensive battery take a look at, the 6.1-inch Pixel 7a’s 60% result’s astonishingly good for a cellphone of this dimension; it matches some premium telephones with greater screens, just like the 6.7-inch Galaxy S24 Plus (60%).
Whereas the Pixel 7a’s 64MP essential digicam and 13MP ultrawide digicam are ostensibly a big improve from the Pixel 6a’s 12MP cameras, in our testing, we discovered little discernible distinction between the wonderful pictures the 2 price range telephones produce. We additionally discovered little distinction in digicam high quality between the Pixel 7a and a few high-end units, lots of which price twice as a lot.
Learn our full Google Pixel 7a assessment, and see our information to the finest Google Pixel 7a circumstances to guard the cellphone.
Greatest price range different
Google Pixel 6a
Google’s Pixel 6a provides super worth with efficiency and digicam high quality that punch far above its price ticket.
We notice the Pixel 7a’s worth stretches the definition of “price range.” With that in thoughts, Google’s Pixel 6a is the following price range Android cellphone we would suggest, due to its efficiency and beautiful digicam high quality for its $349 worth.
The Pixel 6a runs on Google’s Tensor processor from the flagship Pixel 6 sequence launched in 2021. By costly premium requirements, the Tensor processor could also be getting on with age, nevertheless it’s a powerhouse for the Pixel 6a’s worth.
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The Pixel 6a additionally contains two 12MP cameras, one essential and one ultrawide, that ship beautiful outcomes for the value. The truth is, we would be hard-pressed to inform a Pixel 6a photograph from a Pixel 8 Professional photograph with out pixel peeping and analyzing carefully.
With a 60Hz show, the Pixel 6a lags behind different price range Android telephones with larger refresh charges, however we predict it is a straightforward compromise to make, contemplating its efficiency and cameras.
Learn our full Google Pixel 6a assessment, and see our information to the finest Google Pixel 6a circumstances to guard the cellphone.
Greatest digicam
Google Pixel 8 Professional
The Pixel 8 Professional provides one of the best Android digicam system we have examined, robust battery life and efficiency, and Google’s Pixel-exclusive AI options.
The Android cellphone with one of the best digicam is Google’s Pixel 8 Professional as a result of, fairly merely, it takes one of the best pictures out of all of the Android telephones we have examined up to now.
The Pixel 8 Professional’s cameras seize reminiscences in superbly pure colours whereas sustaining one of the best steadiness of brightness and distinction. The result’s pictures which are much less susceptible to overexposure and lovely depth due to superior dynamic vary.
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We additionally discovered that the Pixel 8 Professional is not as depending on optimum lighting circumstances as Samsung’s Galaxy S24 Extremely to seize sharp pictures of transferring topics, like children and pets. Certainly, pictures taken in much less ultimate lighting circumstances with the Galaxy S24 Extremely can seem considerably blurry and grainy.
The Pixel 8 Professional’s three cameras embody a 50MP essential digicam, a 48MP 5x zoom digicam, and a 48MP ultrawide digicam, and so they provide loads of versatility.
The Pixel 8 Professional makes use of a extremely efficient digital zoom when going between its essential and 5x lenses, combining the primary and ultrawide cameras to provide a photograph practically as sharp as a devoted optical lens at 3x zoom, for instance.
Nonetheless, Google’s answer for digital zoom is not fairly as top quality as a devoted zoom lens, just like the Galaxy S24 Extremely’s 3x zoom lens. And Samsung’s Galaxy S24 Extremely takes barely higher pictures at 10x zoom, too. With that stated, we stand by our decide for the Pixel 8 Professional, as total photograph high quality remains to be higher and extra balanced on the Pixel 8 Professional.
The Pixel 8 Professional additionally takes high-quality movies with equally wonderful shade, brightness, and distinction as its pictures.
Learn our full Google Pixel 8 Professional assessment, and see our information to the finest Google Pixel 8 Professional circumstances to guard the cellphone.
Greatest battery life
Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely
The Galaxy S24 Extremely is Samsung’s top-end cellphone in 2024. It is in a league of its personal among the many competitors, even towards Apple’s iPhone 15 Professional telephones, with its 4 cameras, big 6.8-inch show, beautiful battery life, and included S Pen stylus.
Telephones with greater shows virtually at all times have one of the best battery life, and the Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely with a 6.8-inch show and 5,000mAh battery obtained one of the best end in our battery stress take a look at amongst flat Android telephones, ending the take a look at with a whopping 66% remaining.
That is an outstanding outcome. The standard Android cellphone with the following finest rating is the Google Pixel 8 Professional with 62%. Certainly, most telephones with giant shows rating between 60% and 62%.
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The battery stress take a look at is designed to simulate a mix of lighter and heavier workloads. It contains 5 runs of the Geekbench 6 app, two runs of the intensive 20-minute 3DMark Wild Life Stress Check, two hours of video streaming, and one hour of music streaming whereas related to a Bluetooth speaker.
When you’re unlikely to vary your charging habits an excessive amount of, the Galaxy S24 Extremely has probably the most potential out of any Android cellphone we have examined to final a few days of sunshine use. The Galaxy S24 Extremely’s battery life additionally provides extra confidence that it will final by way of your typical day.
Learn our full Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely assessment, and see our information to the finest Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely circumstances to guard the cellphone.
Greatest small cellphone
Samsung Galaxy S24
The Galaxy S24 runs on probably the most highly effective processor for Android telephones in 2024. It contains three wonderful cameras, a super-smooth 120Hz show, Samsung’s efficient AI options, and stellar battery life, particularly for a smaller cellphone.
You’d suppose our high decide, the Pixel 8 with a 6.2-inch show, would additionally win one of the best small cellphone class, however technically, one of the best, most compact cellphone we have examined is Samsung’s Galaxy S24. Moreover, we thought the Galaxy S24 deserves a spot on this checklist, as it is a very shut second to the Google Pixel 8.
Certainly, the Galaxy S24 additionally has a 6.2-inch show, nevertheless it’s among the many most compact and lightest Android telephones accessible within the US. It is extremely light-weight at solely 5.9 ounces, whereas the Pixel 8 weighs in at 6.6 ounces.
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Many affiliate giant telephones with probably the most energy, however the Galaxy S24 is a compact powerhouse with the identical processor because the $1,300 Galaxy S24 Extremely. When paired with a supreme OLED show with adaptive 1-120Hz refresh charge, the Galaxy S24 provides a quick and fluid expertise for no matter you are doing.
The Galaxy S24 is among the few telephones within the $800 vary that features a 3x zoom lens along with the primary and ultrawide cameras that almost all telephones within the worth vary include.
To be clear, the Galaxy S24’s cameras are considerably flawed, no less than in comparison with the Pixel 8. The Galaxy S24 can take wonderful pictures when lighting circumstances are good, and topics keep nonetheless, nevertheless it’s susceptible to overexposing brighter particulars. Moreover, when lightning circumstances aren’t optimum, transferring topics like children and pets can seem grainy and sometimes barely blurry.
The Galaxy S24 stunned us with its battery life. It ended our battery take a look at with 59%, which isn’t solely a very good rating for a small cellphone but additionally for a big cellphone. The Galaxy S24 Plus, for instance, scored 60% in the identical take a look at.
See our information to the finest Samsung Galaxy S24 circumstances to guard the cellphone.
Greatest foldable cellphone
OnePlus Open
The OnePlus Open is our favourite foldable cellphone due to its comfortably acquainted cowl show, giant pill show, efficiency, superior construct high quality, and wonderful cameras.
In relation to foldable telephones, we desire the book-style design over clamshell flip-style designs. Ebook-style foldables are considerably dearer, however they provide vastly larger performance with their pill shows, and you do not have to fret as a lot about battery life or efficiency as you do with clamshell foldables.
The primary foldable cellphone we would suggest to anybody who asks is the OnePlus Open, due to its premium, strong design and construct high quality, giant cowl and pill shows, and wonderful efficiency. The OnePlus Open’s cameras are stellar, too, even when they’re just a little depending on ultimate lighting circumstances, and battery life proved strong in our assessments.
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We have examined and regarded different book-style telephones, together with the Google Pixel Fold and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5. Nonetheless, the OnePlus Open’s construct high quality and enormous 7.6-inch pill show units it other than the others with 7.6-inch pill shows. To make sure, the opposite foldables we talked about have nice construct high quality, however the OnePlus Open is just a step above.
We additionally love the OnePlus Open’s giant 6.3-inch cowl show, because it’s wider than the Galaxy Z Fold 5’s awkwardly slim cowl show and bigger than the Google Pixel Fold’s stout 5.8-inch cowl show. It provides a snug expertise acquainted to an everyday cellphone’s show, which is necessary, as you do not wish to really feel such as you continuously must unfold the cellphone for fundamental duties, like replying to a message or rapidly looking out the net.
See our information to the finest foldable telephones for different high choices.
What’s the finest Android cellphone?
The perfect Android cellphone we suggest to most individuals is the Google Pixel 8. For its $699 beginning worth, it provides an excellent steadiness of efficiency, digicam high quality, and options. Samsung’s Galaxy S24 is available in at an in depth second.
How we take a look at Android telephones
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We take a look at Android telephones as in the event that they had been our each day drivers for no less than a number of days, usually for much longer. That manner, we will get one of the best anecdotal really feel for his or her efficiency, battery life, cameras, and new options.
We additionally conduct customary assessments on all of the telephones we assessment and embody in our guides.
For efficiency, we put the telephones by way of a gamut of benchmarking apps to examine for efficiency discrepancies between telephones, no less than on paper. These benchmark assessments additionally assist us consider what number of years a cellphone may preserve its efficiency in comparison with different telephones. We have used Geekbench 6 for normal efficiency and the 3DMark Wild Life Stress Check to get a way of prolonged heavy gaming efficiency.
For digicam testing, we {photograph} a set gamut of scenes with each cellphone; you will have seen our barn pictures repeatedly. We take pictures and movies with every lens on every cellphone and examine them to their direct opponents. We even examine premium cellphone cameras to price range choices to guage the distinction.
For battery life, we run every cellphone by way of a stress take a look at that simulates a combination of typical each day workloads, like streaming a video and music, and high-intensity workloads, like enjoying demanding video games. The battery stress take a look at contains 5 runs of the Geekbench 6 app, two runs of the 3DMark Wildlife Stress Check, two hours of video streaming at a set common brightness, and one hour of music streaming with a Bluetooth speaker related. On the finish of the take a look at, we notice the remaining battery proportion on the cellphone.
Different Android telephones we examined
Other than the telephones listed or talked about above, we have examined quite a lot of the most recent Android telephones accessible. From Samsung, we additionally examined the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Galaxy A54, the latter of which is our finest Samsung cellphone for price range worth.
We have additionally examined the most recent OnePlus 12 and OnePlus 12R. We had been satisfied they’d function on this information, however we confronted points when utilizing the Geekbench 6 benchmarking app, which we use to check battery life.
For some purpose, each the OnePlus 12 and OnePlus 12R obtained considerably decrease scores in Geekbench 6 than we would count on from their processors, which put our battery take a look at outcomes for the telephones doubtful. The odd benchmark outcomes additionally questioned whether or not we had been experiencing the supposed efficiency and full potential of each OnePlus units.
We’re speaking with OnePlus to determine the difficulty, and we’ll replace this information as soon as we’re certain we’re getting the proper efficiency from the 2 telephones.
FAQs
Who owns Android?
In easy phrases, Google owns the Android working system. Different firms like Samsung and OnePlus can run Android on their telephones as a result of Google makes it freely accessible as an open-source working system for anybody to make use of on their telephones. Even you, the reader, may construct your personal cellphone that legally runs the Android working system.
The Android working system appears and works in another way on telephones from totally different firms as a result of cellphone makers modify it by including their very own software program layers on high of Android for customers to work together with.
For instance, whereas Samsung telephones run the core Android working system that provides them entry to the Google Play Retailer apps, in addition they run Samsung’s consumer interface (UI) layer referred to as One UI, which provides a particular feel and appear to the corporate’s telephones.
Which Android cellphone will get probably the most updates?
The perfect help window for Android telephones is the seven years of Android working system and safety updates supplied by the Google Pixel 8 telephones and Samsung Galaxy S24 sequence.
Relative to the Pixel 8 telephones, Google provides a smaller help window for 2 of the sooner telephones we have included above, the Pixel 7a and Pixel Fold, each of which can get three years of Android updates and 5 years of safety updates from their respective launch dates.
