Table of Contents
If you're in the market for a new phone, you'll find far more variety in size, shape, price, and capabilities from Android devices than you will from Apple's iPhones. PCMag can help you narrow down the options if you aren't quite sure where to start. We've been writing about cell phones for at least three decades, so you can trust our analysis and that our selections are all worth your attention. Among our Editors' Choice winners are the Google Pixel 8a with its competitive all-around performance, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra with its built-in S Pen, and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 with its expansive, fold-out screen. But read our in-depth reviews of each pick below to find which best meets your needs and scroll to the end for some useful buying advice about all things Android.
Our Top Tested Picks
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6
Samsung Galaxy A15 5G
Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro Edition
OnePlus 12
Best Black Friday Android Phone Deals This Week*
- Google Pixel 9 Pro 256GB Unlocked Phone (Obsidian) — $899.00 (List Price $1,099)
- Samsung Galaxy S24 FE 128GB Unlocked AI Phone (Graphite) — $474.99 (List Price $649.99)
- Google Pixel 8 5G 128GB Unlocked Phone (Obsidian) — $449.00 (List Price $699)
- Samsung Galaxy A35 5G 128GB Unlocked Phone (Navy) — $299.99 (List Price $399.99)
- Samsung Galaxy S23 5G 128GB (Verified Refurbished by Back Market) — From $357.52
- Motorola Razr 256GB Unlocked Phone (2024 Model, Koala Gray) — $448.99 (List Price $699.99)
- Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra 256GB Unlocked Phone — $949.99 (List Price $1,299.99)
*Deals are selected by our commerce team
- RELATED:
- Best Phones
- Best 5G Phones
- Best Camera Phones
- Best Cheap Phones
- Best Unlocked Phones
- Best Folding Phones
Best for Artists and Notetakers
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
- Speedy performance
- Beautiful screen
- Terrific cameras
- Useful AI features
- Comes with S Pen stylus
- Long support commitment
- Big
- Expensive
The Galaxy S24 Ultra is one of the most premium phones you can buy, but it fully justifies its high price. In addition to an ultra-high-quality display, it delivers top-notch performance, has an excellent array of cameras, includes powerful productivity software, and lasts a long time per charge. It's also quite tough and fully waterproof.
The S24 Ultra has every feature you could want in an Android phone and includes a stylus for drawing and taking notes. It's just as suitable for mobile professionals as for artists and creators.
Best Midrange Phone
Google Pixel 8a
- Excellent cameras
- Powerful performance
- Useful AI features
- Long battery life
- Seven-year software support
- Older protective glass on the front
- Relatively slow charging
The Google Pixel 8a wraps up the most compelling features of other Pixel phones at a more affordable midrange price. You get excellent photos thanks to a combination of quality hardware and Google's computational photography algorithms. Its beautiful 6.1-inch OLED display is visible even in bright sunlight thanks to its maximum brightness of 2,000 nits. And it has the same Tensor G3 processor as its pricier Pixel 8 siblings for swift AI performance.
If you want the most recent phone tech from Google at the lowest price, the Pixel 8a is your best bet. It's attractive, highly capable, and is set to receive OS and security updates for seven years.
Best Foldable Phone
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6
- Improved, more durable design
- Wider cover screen
- Excellent cameras
- Blazing performance
- Bright displays
- Long software support window
- Very expensive
- Lagging charging speeds
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 improves on the already excellent Z Fold 5 in several key ways. With a lighter and more compact design, for instance, this powerful productivity machine is easier to carry around than ever. Its larger cover screen is more useful than before, too. The phone is pricey, but Samsung justifies the cost with excellent multitasking features, S Pen stylus support, the latest 5G and Wi-Fi radios, and speedy performance.
If you are looking for one device to replace your phone, tablet, and maybe even your laptop, the Z Fold 6 is what you should get. Moreover, you'll be able to hold onto it for a long time thanks to its seven years of software support.
Best Android Phone for Most People
Google Pixel 9
- Excellent cameras
- Useful and fun AI features
- Good performance
- Competitively priced
- Limited storage
- Doesn't include Gemini Live subscription
The Google Pixel 9 strikes a compelling balance of power, connectivity, and price among Android phones. With an excellent dual-camera setup that supports tons of AI-enhanced editing features, a bright 6.3-inch OLED screen, and a capable Tensor G4 processor, it's the mainstream leader. It also exudes class thanks to its compact aluminum frame and inviting color options.
This is the no-brainer choice if you want a high-quality Android phone for around $800. And it's a particularly good option if you like to keep your phone for a long time, given that Google is committing to seven years of OS and security updates.
Best Android Phone Under $200
Samsung Galaxy A15 5G
- Affordable
- Long battery life
- Competent cameras
- Excellent software upgrade policy
- No IP rating
- Plastic build
Despite its affordable price, the Samsung Galaxy A15 5G features a vivid 6.6-inch display with a 90Hz refresh rate, a quality processor, an expandable storage slot, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and an above-average camera stack. We also like Samsung's promise to deliver four years of OS upgrades to the phone.
If you need to stick to a tight budget or want something inexpensive for your kids, the Galaxy A15 is one of your top choices. It covers all the basics for a reasonable price.
Best Android Phone Under $300
Samsung Galaxy A25 5G
- Affordable
- Vibrant OLED display
- Good performance
- Quality cameras
- Long battery life
- No mmWave 5G
- No wireless charging
Lower-cost phones typically don't have great cameras, but the Samsung Galaxy A25 5G's 50MP main imager captures photos with plenty of detail and good color. Otherwise, the phone is powerful enough for everyday use and some light gaming thanks to its Exynos 1280 processor and 6GB of RAM. It's not a flagship Samsung device but will receive four years of OS updates and five years of security fixes.
If you like the look of Samsung's Galaxy phones and want a quality camera, the Galaxy A25 covers both bases for a reasonable price.
Best Phone for Gaming
Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro Edition
- Excellent performance
- Solid battery life
- Included accessory fan
- Competitive cameras
- Dustproof and waterproof
- Expensive
- No mmWave 5G
- Limited update policy
Asus has announced the ROG Phone 9 Pro Edition, our new Editors' Choice for gaming phones. However, it isn't available for preorder yet and will not go on sale until January 2025. In the meantime, the ROG Phone 8 is still available.
Asus charges a lofty $1,499.99 for the ROG Phone 8 Pro Edition, but the handset manages to justify that price with its Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 system on a chip, 24GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage. Meanwhile, the 6.8-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate is superb for gaming. There's even a secondary display on the rear with 341 programmable mini-LEDs. The Pro Edition comes with an external cooler too, so you can game without worrying about heat.
The Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro Edition is built from the ground up to satisfy mobile gamers. No other Android phone we've tested compares for that purpose.
Best Alternative to Google and Samsung
OnePlus 12
- Bright, crisp display
- Excellent battery life
- Rapid wired and wireless charging
- Powerful processor
- Lacks mmWave 5G
- Not as waterproof as competing phones
- No special AI features
OnePlus phones aren't as common as those from Google and Samsung, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't consider one. The company's latest flagship goes spec-for-spec with more mainstream options in terms of its display, battery life, performance, and more. It also supports wired charging speeds of up to 80W via OnePlus' proprietary power block.
The OnePlus 12 is for those who want something a little off the beaten path. OnePlus makes consistently good phones with genuinely useful software, while a revised update policy makes this model viable for longer than its predecessors. And for the budget-conscious, the OnePlus 12 undercuts comparable options from Google and Samsung in price.
Best Flip Phone
Motorola Razr+ (2024)
- Top-notch display
- Helpful outer screen
- Waterproof
- Stylish and easy to use
- Cameras are only average
- Limited AI features at launch
The Motorola Razr+ takes full advantage of both of its outer and inner screens in a way competitors just don't. The 4.0-inch outer display is large and bright, while the 6.9-inch inner screen gives you plenty of space for entertainment and productivity. Motorola's approach to software means you can accomplish virtually anything you want on either display; there's no need to open the device if you don't want to, which can help. you reduce screen time. This version also has an IPX8 waterproof rating, which is a huge improvement over previous models.
Get the Razr+ if you want a flip phone that can do it all, regardless of whether it is open or closed. It's also quite stylish, in case you aim to make a fashion statement with your phone.
Best Small Phone
Samsung Galaxy S24
- Compact, premium build
- Flagship performance
- Useful AI features
- Seven-year software support commitment
- Limited RAM and storage offerings
- Can get warm while gaming
The base Samsung Galaxy S24 hits many of the same high notes as its larger, more expensive siblings, including fast performance, Galaxy AI tools, excellent cameras, and reliable cellular reception. This model just gives up a bit of battery life and charges more slowly over a wired connection.
If you have trouble operating a big phone, this is one of the best compact Android models on the market with high-end specs. It isn't a truly small phone, but it's still your best bet if you want something pocketable and powerful.
When Is the Best Time to Buy a New Android Phone?
The Android release cycle is perpetual, and a new set of flagship phones arrives practically every month. For instance, we've already seen updated Samsung Galaxy S and OnePlus hardware this year, along with fresh options from Motorola and Google. Motorola introduced updated folding phones in June, while Samsung and Google held events in July and August, respectively.
Our point is that there's almost always a new Android phone available, and there is no bad time to buy.
The Best 5G Android Phones
Support for 5G has now become standard on any phone that costs more than $200. Devices below that threshold might not work on every band, but you shouldn't worry too much. 4G networks still offer excellent performance and will continue to do so for years.
Speaking of bands, if you want the best network speeds in the US, look for a phone with C-band (band n77). On AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon, C-band 5G offers several times the speed of 4G. The number of phones with C-band support is growing quickly, but you should confirm that the particular phone you're considering supports it. We detail whether a phone supports C-band in each of our reviews to make the process easier.
For more, check out our favorite 5G handsets.
What Is the Best Cheap Android Phone?
This list includes phones that cost anywhere from $200 to nearly $2,000. On the low end, Motorola, OnePlus, and Samsung models tend to be excellent values for the money. Carrier-branded phones that don't mention the manufacturer's name often aren't very good, and you should avoid them.
Many of the phones available in the US cost $600 or more because most people buy them on monthly payment plans that hide the cost over 24 to 36 months. But there's also a thriving market of phones that cost $300 or less.
For more, see our stories on the best cheap phones, the best cheap phone plans, and our top tips to get the best price on a cell phone.
What Size Android Phone Is Right for You?
Android phones come in a variety of sizes and shapes. You can find them with stated screen sizes from 3 inches (the Unihertz Jelly Star) to over 7 inches (the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6). With the new designs, though, it's important to look at the width of the phone. A tall, narrow phone can be much easier to handle than something wider, but it's also a less common aspect ratio for apps to use.
In the end, don’t discount the value of handling several options in person at your local wireless shop. And check out our roundup of small phones for your best compact options.
Which Is the Best Android Version?
As a general rule, the newest version of Android is the best version of Android. Right now, that means Android 15. Whatever you do, don't buy a phone that comes with anything before Android 13; the older the Android software version, the more likely it is to have security flaws. Also, check how many rounds of full operating system upgrades and security patches the manufacturer promises. Google offers seven years of software updates for the Pixel 8a and the Pixel 9 series, and Samsung does the same for its Galaxy S24 and latest Z devices. Other competing phone makers are still catching up.
Last, remember that not all Android versions are the same. If you want Android as Google intends it, opt for a Pixel device—they're the models that get upgrades first. Motorola and Nokia (HMD Global) offer a mostly clean Android interface, though the companies lag on long-term software support. Samsung, OnePlus, TCL, and other phone makers ship their phones with skins that change the look and functionality of Android to some degree.
What About Honor, Oppo, Vivo, and Xiaomi?
We don't cover some of the world's biggest smartphone makers (Honor, Oppo, Vivo, and Xiaomi) because they don't sell phones in the US (at least via carriers), and we primarily serve US consumers. In the cases of Oppo and Vivo, it's because they've ceded the US market to their sibling brand, OnePlus (Oppo and OnePlus merged). Xiaomi has said several times that its business model, which relies heavily on advertising revenue and subscription services baked into its phones, won't work in the US. Honor is working hard to make up ground in Asia and Europe but has largely still avoided selling in the US. The same is mostly true for ZTE, once a mainstay of US prepaid carriers.
We don't recommend importing foreign phones for use in the US because they often perform poorly on US carrier networks—if they work at all.
Is It Better to Buy an Android Phone Unlocked or Through a Carrier?
Carrier-sold phones still dominate the US market, but buying your phone direct and unlocked gives you more freedom to switch carriers. Unlocked phones don't feature carrier bloatware and are purchasable up-front, so you don't have to worry about monthly payments unless you opt into financing.
You can buy every phone on this list directly without any carrier involvement. But most people still buy their phones through carriers, which offer a single point for service and support and monthly payment plans that dramatically lower the up-front price. Many even offer increased trade-in values on older phones, further cutting the price.
You should also make sure your carrier (especially if you're using an MVNO) supports a phone fully before buying it. Although you can always hop between MVNOs without penalty, if you're happy with your current carrier, it's best to make sure the phone you buy works on that network.
With all that in mind, choosing Android as your mobile operating system is only half the battle; you still need to pick the right phone. If you're still on the fence, check out our list of the best phones, regardless of OS.
Dave LeClair and Sascha Segan contributed to this story.
