The Best Android Phones

Yes. All the major smartphone makers have released their devices for the year. Prices will dip during major sale events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, so those are often the best times to upgrade if you're hunting for a bargain.

We recommend unlocked phones in this guide. When a phone is sold unlocked, it means you can use it on multiple wireless carriers and networks. When you go into a carrier store and buy a phone, usually on a payment plan, it often comes locked to that network, and they'll try to get you to pay for a host of unnecessary accessories and features.

Carriers are legally required to unlock a phone upon request so you can switch networks, but it's a big hassle, and they may have terms about how long you have to wait to ask. Try to pay full price for your phone, or make sure it specifically says it's unlocked. Buy it from the manufacturer or an authorized third-party retailer, or check your carrier's unlocking policy if you bought a device on a payment plan that requires you to use its network. An unlocked phone is also less of a hassle when you travel and want to switch to an international SIM card or eSIM.

If none of the smartphones in this guide strike your fancy and you want to continue searching, keep these specs in mind.

Display: Gone are the days of shoddy phone displays—almost every smartphone uses an OLED panel now. Cheaper phones still use LCD, which won't have as deep blacks and poppy colors, but even phones under $300 can sport OLED. You'll see some variations, like AMOLED or Dynamic AMOLED 2X, but that's mostly marketing jargon.

Screen size: You hold a smartphone all the time, so make sure whatever you pick fits your palms. Most small Android phones are around 6.1 to 6.3 inches (measured diagonally), whereas larger phones typically top out at 6.8 or 6.9 inches. Foldable phones will have a smaller outer screen and a larger display when opened. For example, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 we recommend has a 5.5-inch screen when closed and a 7.6-inch display when unfolded, but sizes vary by manufacturer.

Processor: Most smartphones use a Qualcomm or MediaTek processor. Google phones use the company's in-house Tensor chip, and some Samsung phones utilize Samsung's Exynos processor in select markets. It's hard to say how reliably a processor will perform without looking at reviews and benchmark results, so do your research. For reliable performance, try to stick to Qualcomm's Snapdragon 7 series or higher, or MediaTek's Dimensity 7000 series or higher. The 2026 flagship chip is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.

RAM: You'll want at least 8 GB of RAM, though 12 GB is better. This lets you juggle multiple apps more seamlessly and run more intensive AI tasks.

Cooling: High-performing phones can be ruined if they get too hot because the processor throttles, causing slowdowns. This mostly applies to folks who game a lot, but it's worth checking whether the phone has a dedicated cooling system. You'll want to look for language like “heat pipes” or “vapor chamber cooling.”

Refresh rate: Most phones used to come with 60-Hz refresh rates, meaning the display refreshes at 60 frames per second. Nowadays, even cheap phones offer 90- or 120-Hz screens. The more frames refreshed in a second, the more fluid everything looks and feels. It might sound small, but it can make a big difference in whether your smartphone feels buttery smooth. We have a broader guide that explains this technology. Flagship phones have screens with variable refresh rates ranging from 1 to 120 Hz, which often makes them more battery-efficient (look for LTPO or LTPS).

Battery capacity: Smartphone batteries are measured in milliampere-hours (mAh). A big battery doesn't necessarily mean better battery life, because it depends on screen size and other technologies the phone is powering. Most phones should have 4,000-mAh cells or higher, and you typically won't see much above 5,500 mAh. Some phones now use silicon-carbon batteries, a new technology that allows them to be denser but thinner.

Charging speeds: Most Android smartphones can charge fast, but certain companies offer shockingly fast recharge times. That's usually because they require a proprietary charging brick. You can find charging speed information on a phone's product spec page. Just remember that these days, most smartphones do not come with a charging brick, just a cable. We have more details in this fast-charging guide.

Software updates: Software support is crucial. Your phone stays secure longer, and you'll get new features over time. Even if you trade in your phone, it may end up in someone else's hands, and a long update policy means the phone will continue to be supported. The gold standard in Android is seven years right now, thanks to Samsung and Google. However, if you replace your phone every two or three years, the shorter update policies of other Android makers might not be a deal-breaker.

Cameras: Camera specs are very misleading. A phone with a 108-megapixel (MP) sensor doesn't mean it will take better photos than a phone with a 50-MP sensor. The only way to know for sure is to read reviews. If the camera matters to you, check whether it has a versatile system. The best camera phones offer a primary wide camera, an ultrawide, and a telephoto zoom (usually 5X). Cheap phones tend to come with a lot of cameras, many of which are useless.

Extra features: Don't overlook the secondary features. Does the phone have a near-field communication sensor (NFC) so you can make contactless payments? Does it have a good IP rating that can survive a drop in the pool? (You'll want IP67 or IP68!) What about wireless charging (Qi2 or Qi)? Or a microSD card slot, dual-SIM tray, or headphone jack? Vet the phone's specs if you're after something specific.

5G service: Nearly all smartphones support 5G, the current generation of network connectivity. 4G LTE isn't disappearing, and you may still fall back to LTE when 5G isn't available. Avoid smartphones that don't offer 5G at all.

The best way to switch phones is to follow the setup prompts when you first boot up your new device. Make sure you transfer data from an old phone via a cable. It's much faster than doing it wirelessly, though that's an option too. Some manufacturers, like Samsung, will suggest you download a proprietary data transfer app on your old device, like Smart Switch, and you should. It means less work for you—whether it's fewer apps you need to sign into or fewer icons you need to rearrange. If you're coming from an iPhone, you can use Google's official Android Switch app, though Apple and Google have improved the transfer process to make things smoother.

Check out our tips on setting up your new Android phone, and our steps on backing up an Android and how to factory reset it.

I put my personal SIM card in every smartphone I test and use it for at least a week, if not two or three. I stress-test performance by playing mobile games and running benchmark tests, like Geekbench and Antutu, while also monitoring thermals. I make calls to test the smartphone's microphone quality, since, you know, it's still a phone.

I often test the cameras by bringing a competing phone along and analyzing photos side by side on a larger, more color-accurate screen. I've been reviewing smartphones for close to a decade—not just flagship devices either. I'm always testing cheap phones to see what innovations are trickling down.