The Android ecosystem is all about selection. Whereas iPhone house owners have a smaller pool of recent gadgets to select from when it’s time to improve, there’s a wider vary of decisions on Android. Some Android telephones even fold in half! Think about.
On the flip aspect, all that selection could make for some onerous choices. Right here’s the place I’d like to assist; I’ve examined an entire boatload of current Android telephones, and I feel there are some actual winners within the present batch. It’s all a matter of what you’re searching for, what you’re snug spending, and what your definition of a “moderately sized cellphone” is. (I’ve my very own, personally.)
As you sift by means of the choices, you’ll nearly definitely come throughout tech’s favourite buzzphrase of the second: AI. Usually talking, AI has but to actually impress me on a cellphone. The Pixel 9 sequence has some probably helpful options, like a Screenshots app that makes use of AI to tag related data in metadata, and Galaxy gadgets can translate a cellphone name for you in actual time. This stuff are nothing to sneeze at! However none of it feels just like the platform shift that the massive tech corporations hold promising. Finest to not put an excessive amount of inventory in any firm’s AI claims simply but.
What I’m searching for
There’s no shortcut to correctly testing a cellphone; I put my private SIM card (bodily or in any other case) in every cellphone I evaluate and stay with it for at least one full week. I arrange every cellphone from scratch, load it up with my apps, and go about residing my life — stress testing the battery, utilizing GPS navigation on my bike whereas streaming radio, taking rapid-fire portrait mode images of my child — all the things I can throw at it. Beginning over with a brand new cellphone each week both appears like a dream or your private hell, relying on how Into Telephones you might be. For me, switching has turn into so routine that it’s principally painless.
A fantastic Android cellphone will go the space. I search for indicators that the {hardware} and software program will sustain for a few years to come back, together with a powerful IP ranking for mud and water resistance (IP68 is most popular), sturdy glass panels on the back and front, and a sturdy aluminum body somewhat than plastic. Samsung and Google flagships now provide seven years of OS and safety updates, which as superior. As a naked minimal three years of Android OS model upgrades is most popular, together with a complete of 4 or 5 years of safety updates.
One of the best Android telephones have loads of decision to cowl their massive show space, which suggests 1440p, ideally. A quick refresh fee of at the least 120Hz is most popular — animations and scrolling look tremendous clean at that fee — and even higher if it’s variable right down to 1Hz to avoid wasting on battery life.
Any cellphone can take a good photograph in good lighting, however one of the best cellphone cameras can deal with low gentle and high-contrast scenes properly, too. I search for optical (commonest) or sensor-shift (uncommon) picture stabilization, which helps compensate for hand shake and allow slower shutter speeds in low gentle to assemble extra gentle. A telephoto lens is nice to have too, although high-res sensors are beginning to provide higher lossless crop modes that mimic brief zoom lenses properly.
Most telephones on this listing provide wi-fi charging, although not all do. Lack of wi-fi charging isn’t a whole deal-breaker, nevertheless it’s turning into a necessary function for lots of people because it’s handy for charging many alternative sorts of gadgets.
When you stay within the US, I’ve some dangerous information in regards to the Android market, although. For sophisticated causes having to do with “capitalism” and “geopolitics,” we don’t get practically as most of the choices as you’ll discover in Asia and Europe — manufacturers like Huawei, Xiaomi, Honor, and Oppo simply aren’t accessible right here. I’ve restricted this information to the gadgets I’ve personally examined in depth; thus, it’s a pretty US-centric set of suggestions.
With that in thoughts, it’s additionally value acknowledging that most individuals within the US get their telephones “free of charge” from their wi-fi provider. When you can handle it, shopping for a cellphone unlocked gives you essentially the most flexibility and freedom if you find yourself wanting to vary carriers within the close to future. Telephone producers additionally provide financing and trade-in offers to make cost extra manageable. However when you’re blissful along with your provider and the free cellphone on provide is the one you actually need, by all means, take the free cellphone. Simply ensure you perceive the phrases, particularly if you should change plans to money in on the deal.
Nonetheless you go about it, you’ve some implausible choices to your subsequent Android cellphone.
One of the best Android cellphone general
$599
The Good
- Up to date design feels safer in hand
- Quick fingerprint sensor
- Seven years of software program and OS updates
The Dangerous
- No telephoto digital camera
- AI options are inconsistent
- What is a photograph?
Display screen: 6.3-inch 1080p 120Hz OLED / Processor: Tensor G4 / Cameras: 50-megapixel f/1.7 important with OIS, 48-megapixel ultrawide, 10.5-megapixel selfie / Battery: 4,700mAh / Charging: 27W wired, 15W wi-fi (with Pixel Stand 2) / Climate resistance: IP68
Google’s {hardware} is best than ever, and the entire Pixel 9 lineup feels simply as polished as something you’d get from Samsung or Apple. However at $799 (and sometimes lower than that), the essential Pixel 9 is in a very interesting place, and when you don’t want a telephoto digital camera or the largest display, then that is the Android cellphone to get.
The Pixel 9 comes with some vital quality-of-life enhancements like a sooner fingerprint scanner for unlocking the cellphone. The digital camera is as dependable as ever, and when you’re into AI photograph enhancing methods, boy does this cellphone have ‘em. There’s a brand new Screenshots app that acts as a spot to retailer the entire info that might in any other case be misplaced at sea in your digital camera roll, and it makes use of AI to parse info out and make it searchable. Kinda useful.
Even with out AI, this is a wonderful cellphone. It’s additionally designed to go the space, with seven years of promised OS updates, which very doubtless means you’ll outgrow the cellphone earlier than Google stops supporting it. Its potential for long-term worth and the standard of the {hardware} make it a straightforward suggestion for anybody who simply needs a pleasant Android cellphone that works.
One of the best maximalist cellphone
$1000
The Good
- Wonderful display
- Improved ultrawide digital camera
- Rounded corners are comfier
The Dangerous
- Costly
- Cumbersome
- AI is (nonetheless) hit and miss
Display screen: 6.9-inch 1440p 120Hz OLED / Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite / Cameras: 200-megapixel important 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 wi-fi (Qi2 Prepared) / Climate resistance: IP68
There’s nonetheless no cellphone fairly just like the Extremely. The Galaxy S25 Extremely is Samsung’s newest reply to the query, “What in case your cellphone had the entire options?” It’s outfitted with two telephoto cameras, a built-in stylus, and a giant, vivid display. Good luck discovering that mixture in one other cellphone. Associated: this is without doubt one of the costliest slab-style telephones you should purchase.
The most recent version of the Extremely comes with rounded corners and flat edges, making it extra snug in your hand. However when you’re searching for vital year-over-year enhancements to the Extremely components outdoors of that, properly, you gained’t discover a lot. Samsung’s focus has been on software program options, which is to say AI options. However AI on Galaxy telephones stays a blended bag — it’s definitely not the paradigm shift Samsung needs us to assume the S25 sequence represents.
Photograph: Allison Johnson / The Verge
All of that places the Extremely in a spot of barely much less distinction than earlier variations. The most important updates are software program options accessible to the remainder of the S25 sequence. The Extremely seems and feels extra like different Galaxy telephones this time round, too. Greater than ever, it’s onerous to grasp what Samsung means when it calls this cellphone “Extremely.” Nonetheless, it’s your best option for a feature-packed Android cellphone — even when it’s not fairly as extremely because it as soon as was.
One of the best Android cellphone that isn’t large
$625
The Good
- The final moderately sized Android cellphone
- Seven years of OS upgrades
- Excellent digital camera
The Dangerous
- Samsung software program is as cluttered as typical
- AI continues to be a blended bag
Display screen: 6.2-inch 2340 x 1080 120hz OLED / Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Cameras: 50-megapixel important with OIS, 12-megapixel ultrawide, 10-megapixel 3x telephoto with OIS, 12-megapixel selfie Battery: 4000mAh / Charging: 25W wired, 15W wi-fi (Qi2 Prepared) / Climate-resistance ranking: IP68
Most individuals like a giant cellphone, and I get that. I do. If you need a giant Android cellphone, you’ve loads of choices in entrance of you. However a few of us like a smaller cellphone — one thing that (sort of) suits in your pocket, or feels extra snug in your hand. For us, there’s however one choice on Android: the Samsung Galaxy S25.
That’s the common S25, not the Plus, which is a effective large cellphone. However the usual S25 is mainly the final of its sort: a full-featured cellphone with a 6.2-inch display. It’s not small, nevertheless it’s not large, and we’ll need to take what we will get. And it’s a darn good cellphone that retains up with the larger gadgets in all of the necessary methods: the battery goes all day, it comes with loads of RAM, and it even has an actual telephoto lens — not one thing you get on a fundamental, 6.1-inch cellphone on, say, iOS.
Photograph: Allison Johnson / The Verge
The Galaxy S25 isn’t only a good, small-ish cellphone by default. It’s dependable, sturdy, and comes with the promise of seven years of OS updates. It’s not my choose for the general finest Android cellphone as a result of Samsung software program is usually a bit a lot, however when you’re snug within the Samsung ecosystem and also you simply need a cellphone that matches in your dang pocket, then that is the one to go along with.
One of the best cellphone when you hate ready to your cellphone to cost
$850
The Good
- Wonderful battery life
- Six years of safety updates
- Sturdy IP ranking for mud and water resistance
The Dangerous
- Massive cellphone is large
- Not as many OS updates as Google and Samsung provide
Display screen: 6.82-inch 1440p 120Hz LTPO OLED / Processor: Snapdragon 8 Elite / Cameras: 50-megapixel f/1.6 important with OIS, 50-megapixel 3x telephoto with OIS, 50-megapixel f/2.0 ultrawide, 32-megapixel selfie / Battery: 6,000mAh / Charging: 80W wired, 50W wi-fi / Climate-resistance ranking: IP68 and IP69
There are many good causes to think about the OnePlus 13. It has a giant, lovely display, and prices 100 bucks lower than the Galaxy S25 Plus. Its mud and water resistance is so robust you would virtually use the cellphone in a hurricane with out penalties. And its digital camera system is far improved yr over yr, notably in terms of low-light portraiture. However there’s one standout motive to think about the 13: impatience.
The OnePlus 13 affords sufficient battery stamina to get by means of two days of average use on a single cost — and that’s with loads of power-draining options enabled, together with the always-on show. When you’re thriftier along with your cost, it might even transcend that. Forgot to cost in a single day? No large deal; you may in all probability simply cost it up on evening two. Charging can be comparatively quick, and within the US, the cellphone comes with an 80W wired charger within the field. So even when you do want a noon top-off, you’ll be capable of get hours of cost in a matter of minutes. No different flagship cellphone affords that sort of charging (or not charging) flexibility.
$1499
The Good
- Wonderful outer display format
- Internal display is gorgeous to make use of
- Seven years of OS updates
The Dangerous
- Costly
- Principal digital camera isn’t nearly as good as slab telephones
- Lengthy-term sturdiness?
Display screen: 8.0-inch 2076p 120Hz OLED inside display, 6.3-inch 1080p 120Hz OLED cowl display / Processor: Tensor G4 / Cameras: 48-megapixel f/1.7 important with OIS, 10.8-megapixel 5x telephoto with OIS, 10.5-megapixel ultrawide, 10-megapixel selfie (cowl display), 10-megapixel inside selfie digital camera / Battery: 4,650mAh / Charging: 21W wired, 7.5W wi-fi / Climate resistance: IPX8
Does anybody really want a folding cellphone? Most likely not. However utilizing one is very good, and the Pixel 9 Professional Fold is the nicest book-style foldable I’ve used thus far. It’s expensive, it’s nonetheless bulkier than a slab-style cellphone, and its cameras aren’t fairly as good as the opposite Pixel 9 Professional telephones. However it’s a pleasure to make use of, each as a daily cellphone with the duvet display and if you unfold the massive inside display.
The 9 Professional Fold is Google’s second folding cellphone, following up the passport-shaped Pixel Fold with a format that feels rather more acquainted. The outer display measures 6.3 inches on the diagonal, however extra importantly, the ratio is identical as Google’s slab telephones. By comparability, Samsung’s Z Fold 6 makes use of a taller, narrower format that feels cramped. Having used them each, I a lot desire the 9 Professional Fold’s method.
That stated, the 9 Professional Fold isn’t with out compromises. The digital camera system isn’t fairly nearly as good as what you get within the different 9 Professional telephones. The outer display isn’t as sharp or vivid because the Pixel 9 Professional’s, both. And it’s not as sturdy as its slab-style counterparts — there’s no mud resistance, and you may’t get it repaired simply wherever. For $1,800, that’s an terrible lot to swallow. For the adventurous early adopter, although, the 9 Professional Fold will probably be very rewarding.
Different Android telephones value contemplating
There are lots of extra nice Android gadgets that weren’t lined right here, and some are value calling out that didn’t fairly make the minimize for a suggestion.
- First off, there’s the Galaxy Z Flip 6, Samsung’s wonderful clamshell-style foldable. It’s not as a lot enjoyable to make use of because the 2025 Razr Extremely — which facilitates utilizing apps on the duvet display extra simply — however Motorola’s monitor file for software program updates isn’t nice, so the Z Flip 6 is a safer wager for a flip cellphone. Learn our evaluate.
- The OnePlus Open can be one other good book-style foldable choice. It’s skinny and light-weight, and the software program contains some considerate approaches to multitasking — a vital a part of the folding cellphone expertise. However it gained’t be supported with software program updates for so long as the Pixel 9 Professional Fold or the Galaxy Z Fold 6. Learn our evaluate.
- Talking of OnePlus, the corporate additionally lately launched the OnePlus 13R, a midrange cellphone with a giant 6.78-inch OLED show and sufficient battery life to hold you thru two full days on a single cost. That stated, the $599 handset lacks wi-fi charging and full water resistance, each of which will be discovered on different budget-friendly telephones for much less. Learn our evaluate.
- We’re at the moment within the midst of testing Samsung’s new Galaxy S25 Edge, which primarily serves as a sleeker S25 Plus that trades battery life and a telephoto lens for sheer compactness. It’s nonetheless obtained a 6.7-inch OLED show and a Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset, however provided that it’s 1.5 millimeters thinner and about an oz. lighter than the Plus, it’s extra snug to tote round. Learn our hands-on impressions.
- Final however not least, there’s the Google Pixel 9A. It comes with some small however necessary updates over the 8A, together with extra sturdy water resistance and a barely larger, brighter display. Higher but, these enhancements don’t include a worth bump. With seven years of OS updates included, that’s a powerful ROI. Learn our evaluate.
- Google’s Pixel 10 sequence — which can doubtless embody a daily Pixel 10, a Professional, a Professional XL, and a Professional Fold — will reportedly launch at a Made by Google occasion on August thirteenth. Google’s next-gen flagships have been closely leaked at this level, and the bottom mannequin is predicted to affix the Professional choices with three cameras (together with a telephoto lens). The Professional fashions, in the meantime, will distinguish themselves with an upgraded Tensor G5 chipset and extra superior AI options whereas retaining a near-identical design.
Replace, June fifth: Up to date pricing / availability and added a point out of Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge.
