Best Android Phones
Check out the Android phones that we recommend in our list below.
What is an Android phone?
Android phones are high-tech smartphones, that run on the highly customisable, open-source Android operating system (OS). While the Android OS was developed by Google, it powers the majority of handsets from some of the biggest mobile brands including Samsung, Xiaomi and Google, so there’s a wide variety of devices to choose from. With frequent software updates, Android makes sure you always have the latest features from Google, whether that’s privacy and protection updates to keep you safe, or messaging and entertainment updates to keep you better connected.
How to choose the best Android smartphone for me
The best Android smartphone for you will depend on what you use your phone for, and what your price range is. You can choose from a wide range of devices, from the latest Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra to a mid-price range Google Pixel 6 that offers all the fundamentals at a great price. Other things to consider are: camera, display, storage, battery life, and performance.
Camera
Both the megapixels of the lenses and the software behind the camera are important to consider when looking at camera specs. If you love to edit your photos and videos to get the perfect shot, consider a Google phone, with Magic Eraser, Photo Unblur and Real Tone. If ultra-wide shots and Macro Photography are your thing, then an HONOR phone could be right for you. For more information, explore our best camera phones
Display
This encompasses screen resolution, brightness, refresh rate, and screen size. Most Android phones have Full HD LCD screens, with top of the range devices like Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra having clearer, brighter QHD+ AMOLED screens. Refresh rate is the number of times a second your display can output a new image – this might be important if your activities need a high refresh rate and fluidity, like gaming. If screen size is important to you, many Android phones have large screens of 6-inches or more . If you love the idea of a large screen but want your phone to fit easily in your pocket, a folding phone or a flip phone has the best of both worlds – compact when folded and over 7-inches when unfolded.
Performance
If you multi-task a lot, you might want a phone that has a higher RAM storage. Most recent Android releases have between 6GB and 12GB of RAM, which should cater to most demands. The processor can also impact performance: flagship processors like the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 are perfect for powering 8K video and gaming, with apps feeling faster in general. Other great processors include Google’s Tensor 2 and Samsung’s Exynos chip.
Battery
This can be one of the most important things to consider when buying a new phone. Phones with a large battery, like Google Pixel 8 Pro's 5,050mAh battery, are a great choice, but also consider how well your Android phone can optimise and use battery saving techniques or modes when it needs to. For more information, explore our pick of phones with the best battery life
Storage
Most Android smartphones have anywhere from 64GB to 512GB of storage. If you use a lot of photos and videos, or use your phone to download large files, you might be best going for a higher storage capacity.
The best Android phones of 2024
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Get yourself a phone at the forefront of innovation. The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra benefits from a quad telephoto zoom camera (including a 200MP main camera), Galaxy AI, and the most powerful processor in any S series phone - secure yours now.
Google Pixel 8 Pro
With a 72-hour battery life¹, the best Pixel Camera yet², and the brightest screen on a Pixel³, Google’s Pixel 8 Pro certainly establishes itself as a powerful and competitive flagship phone. Its upgraded camera system offers improvements in focus, clarity, zoom and the addition of pro-level manual controls like shutter speed and ISO adjustments. AI in phones means there’s no end to editing capabilities: Google AI remove subjects, edit backgrounds and even reduce distracting background noise with Audio Magic Eraser⁴. It also supports in other ways: Live Translate lets you transcribe messages and translate in real time⁵, Call Screen filters out spam calls and can gives you a summary of webpages. Powered by Google’s own Tensor G3 chip, it rivals other processors like Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 - with similar high speeds and performance you can rely on.
HONOR 90 Smart 5G
Share your vibe with HONOR 90 Smart 5G. Enhance your experience with the innovative features of the MagicOS 7.2 operating system, powered by Android 13. Protect your eyes with dark mode, eye protection mode, and Circadian Night Display, which filters blue light for better sleep. With 850 nits peak brightness¹, you can read your favourite ebooks, watch videos, or reply to messages, even if you’re out sunbathing. Immerse yourself in the newest hit songs with the dual speakers, 200% high volume and stereo sound².
Motorola Edge 50 Pro
With a curved endless edge design and aluminium frame, the Motorola Edge 50 Pro is a masterpiece in your pocket. Unlock your full potential with the powerful Snapdragon® 7 Gen 3 processor and 144Hz refresh rate. The durable 4,500mAh battery provides up to 40 hours of power¹, and with 125W TurboPower™ charging, the phone is fully charged in just 18 minutes².
Take mesmerising photos with the 50-megapixel high-resolution camera, the 10-megapixel 3x telephoto camera, the 13-megapixel ultrawide camera, and the 50-megapixel selfie camera. Embrace your creativity with innovative Moto AI-powered features, such as Photo Enhancement Engine, Adaptive Stabilization, Auto Focus Tracking, and Style Sync.
Samsung Galaxy S23 FE
Turn up your android experience to epic with Samsung Galaxy S23 FE. With a brilliant triple camera system and a 6.4-inch AMOLED display, the S23 FE enables you to not only capture life's most intricate moments, but view them in awesome detail. Leave your anxiety about battery life behind, with an all-day battery¹ powering your every move, keeping things stress-free throughout the day. Plus, PowerShare turns your phone into a wireless charger for other Galaxy devices, like Watch6 and Buds FE. Enjoy seamless gaming with Galaxy S23's lightning-fast chipset, giving uninterrupted gaming with real-time light reflections and shadows, making streaming your favourite online content a much smoother experience.
Google Pixel 7a
Smooth and sleek looking with a powerful Google Tensor G2 processor, the Google Pixel 7a ticks a lot of boxes. It has an upgraded 64MP camera and a 13MP ultra-wide camera so you can still snap high-quality pics, plus it has all the AI support of other Pixel phones including Photo Unblur, Magic Eraser and more. Its 6.1-inch OLED display with 90Hz refresh rate means smooth and vibrant scrolling, and with wireless charging and IP67 protection, there isn’t much this phone can’t do.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5
The latest device in Galaxy’s revolutionary folding range, the Galaxy Z Fold5 ensures you get the best of both worlds: a large 7.6-inch screen when open, and just 13.4mm thick when shut. With a QXGA+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, this is Galaxy’s brightest foldable screen ever¹ - enjoy your favourite TV shows, films and games in crisp detail. Like the Galaxy S23 Ultra, the Galaxy Z Fold5 also has the Qualcomm Snapdragon® 8 Gen 2 Processor, making it ideal for fuelling your high-powered gameplay or multitasking. In fact, the large screen means you can have up to three windows open simultaneously, with the task bar holding up to twelve apps at once. The Galaxy Z Fold5 has a large battery too - coming in just under the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s battery at 4,400mAh - and it can power 73 hours listening time and 21 hours of watch time². Though it doesn’t have as many lenses as the S Series, the Galaxy Z Fold5 still boasts some impressive camera features like 30x Space Zoom³ and Dual Preview⁴, so your subject can see exactly what you’re seeing when you snap them.
Compare Android phone features
Screen size | Rear camera | Processor | Battery | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | 6.8-inch QHD + Dynamic AMOLED | 12MP + 200MP + 10MP + 50MP | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 | 5,000 mAh |
Google Pixel 8 Pro | 6.7-inch LTPO OLED | 50 MP + 48MP telephoto lens | Google Tensor G3 | 5,050 mAh |
Honor 90 Smart 5G | 6.8-inch TFT LCD | 108MP + 2MP + 2MP | Mediatek Dimensity 6020 | 5330 mAh |
Motorola Edge 50 Pro | 6.7-inch pOLED | 50MP + 13MP + 10MP | Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 | 4500 mAh |
Samsung Galaxy S23 FE | 6.4-inch AMOLED | 50 MP + 8MP + 12MP | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 | 4,500 mAh |
Google Pixel 7a | 6.1-inch FHD+ OLED Smooth Display | 64MP + 13MP | Google Tensor G2 | 4,300 mAh |
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 | 7.6-inch (open), 6.2-inch (closed) | 50MP + 12MP + 10MP | Octa-Core | 4,400mAh |
Frequently asked questions
There are a lot of high-quality flagship devices out there right now.
The most recent, top-of-the-range releases are:
The best Android smartphone to buy depends on what's most important to you - be that camera quality, price, or processing power.
When looking at which Android phone is best value for money, it's important to consider what you use your phone for - if you're an avid gamer, then you might need to pay a little extra for a phone with high processing power.
We run lots of great deals on our range of Pay monthly phones.
Check out our deals and offers page to see if your ideal phone is at a great price point for you.
One of the most popular small Android phones is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5
At a compact 3.45-inches this is the most recent release in the Z Flip range, and boasts a 6.7-inch screen when unfolded, 120HZ refresh rate, and more.
Lots of Android phones are easy to use because of their customisable UI - you can change things around and download lots of apps from Google Play Store to use your phone in the easiest way possible to you.
If you're looking for an Android phone you can easily make calls and texts on, or a phone that might be suitable for someone with accessibility issues, check out our list of easy to use mobile phones
If you're switching to an Android device and you currently use an iPhone, there are plenty of ways to make sure your contacts, messages, photos and data moves across to your new device.
The method you'll use for transferring your data will depend on which model of Android phone you're moving to - for example, Samsung has its own data-transfer platform called Smart Switch
Here's a guide to moving from iPhone to Android, and you can also choose your new phone's manufacturer and see a step-by-step guide to transferring your data by device.
Terms and conditions
¹Estimated battery life based on testing using a median Pixel user battery usage profile across a mix of talk, data, standby and use of limited other features that are default in Extreme Battery Saver mode (which disables various features including 5G connectivity). Battery testing conducted on a major operator network. Battery testing conducted in California in mid-2022 on pre-production hardware and software using default settings, except that Extreme Battery Saver mode was enabled. Battery life depends upon many factors and usage of certain features will decrease battery life. Actual battery life may be lower.
² Compared to earlier models of Pixel phones.
³ HDR brightness measured at 100% on-pixel ratio. Peak brightness measured at 5% on-pixel ratio.
⁴ Requires Google Photos app. May not work on all image elements.
⁵ Not available in all languages or countries. Not available on all media or apps. See g.co/pixel/livetranslate for more information. Translation may not be instantaneous.
¹Compared against Galaxy Z Fold4.
²Based on internal testing. Actual video and audio playback times vary by network connection, settings, file format, screen brightness, battery condition and other factors.
³30x Space Zoom includes 3x optical zoom and 30x digital zoom with AI Super Resolution technology. Zooming in past 3x may cause some image deterioration.
⁴Dual Preview supported on the native Camera app on devices running One UI 2.1 and above.
¹ The data comes from the HONOR lab. 850 nits refers to the all-screen peak brightness.
² The data comes from the HONOR Lab. The function is only available when turning on the 200% high-volume mode, which comes from comparing with the 15-bar volume of the same model. The mode supports scenarios such as ring tones, calls, media playback, and navigation, but does not support earphone playback or Bluetooth output. For the functional experience of the product, please refer to the actual experience.
¹ Requires Motorola TurboPower 50W Wireless Charging Stand; sold separately. Battery must be substantially depleted; charging rate slows as charging progresses. All battery life claims are approximate and based on the median user tested across a mixed use profile (which includes both usage and standby time) under optimal network conditions. Actual battery performance will vary and depends on many factors including signal strength, network and device settings, temperature, battery condition, and usage patterns.
² Moto Connect wireless connection is supported with TVs that support Android smartphone screen mirroring (Miracast) only. Moto Connect wired connection supported with TVs or monitors that have HDMI port or USB-C video-in port; Video-enabled USB-C cable or USB-C-to-HDMI adaptor required. Bluetooth® accessories sold separately.
¹Based on average use. Actual battery life varies by network environment, apps and functionality used, and other factors. Typical value based on testing under third-party lab conditions. Rated capacity is 4,500mAh.
¹ Estimated battery life based on testing using a median Pixel user battery usage profile across a mix of talk, data, standby and use of limited other features that are default in Extreme Battery Saver mode (which disables various features including 5G connectivity). Battery testing conducted on a major operator network. Battery testing conducted in California in late 2022 on pre-production hardware and software using default settings, Extreme Battery Saver mode was enabled. Battery life depends upon many factors and usage of certain features will decrease battery life. Actual battery life may be lower.