The world of Android smartphones is very different to what’s offered by Apple.
While Apple aims to give you a similar experience across its devices, Android embraces variety and offers phones from different manufacturers. The result is plenty of distinct personalities and features to pick between.
That means personal brand preference plays a big part, aside from the core Android experience. Pricing is hugely competitive, too, which presents you with a lot of choices.
We’re continuously reviewing all the top options, so here’s our rundown of the very best Android phones you can buy - and the reasons why they deserve your attention.
Best Android phones: Our top pick
For
- Great camera performance Clean software experience Display is fab Competitive price point
Against
- HDR sharing is limited Face unlock is limited Not many changes from Pixel 6 Pro
There’s a lot to like about the Pixel 7 Pro, and it more than justified its place as runner-up in the best smartphone category in the Pocket-lint Awards for 2022. It’s a stunning phone.
Ultimately there’s not a huge change from the Pixel 6 Pro, but it does have a more refined design, a great big display and a clean software experience which brings all the Pixel goodness to the surface without any bloat or needless additions.
The camera is still what defines this phone, taking it a step further than previous Pixel devices by extending the zoom range and giving access to closer macro shots too. The additions to the video don’t quite realise their potential, especially when it comes to sharing that HDR video.
However, it delivers an excellent all-round experience and doesn’t cost over a grand.
- Google Pixel 7 Pro review: It’s still all about the camera
Android phones we also recommend
While the Google Pixel 7 Pro is at the top of our list, we know it won’t be the right phone for everyone. We all look for different things in a smartphone. Maybe you need top gaming performance, or maybe your top priority is camera quality. With that in mind, we’ve also selected the following devices for you to consider.
Bright, punchy screen with adaptive refresh Integrated S Pen stylus is great Great camera performance
Pricey Software not exactly bug-free Battery life should be stronger
There aren’t many handsets on the market with the S22’s unique combination of all the top features and specifications. Plus, with the addition of the S Pen this year, it takes over the position once held by the Note series.
It’s got one of the best displays we’ve ever seen on a smartphone, and it’s packed into a really neatly designed - albeit quite large - body. There’s something quite unique about the squared corner, flat top and bottom edge combined with the rounded sides. It’s distinctive, and the camera design is fantastic too.
It does everything you’d expect from an ultra-premium flagship. It is - however - a little on the expensive side, plus its battery doesn’t perform as well under load as you’d hope from the supposed ‘king of the smartphones.
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra review: Ultimate reinvention?
Stunning design Great display Battery life is market-leading
Expensive Slippery and attracts fingerprints easily Ultrawide camera is inconsistent
We love Oppo’s approach to the ultra-premium tier, offering a design that sets it apart from everyone else.
Not only does it ditch glass in favour of the harder, more durable ceramic, but has made the rear of the phone completely seamless. It’s moulded and compressed into one surface, including the camera protrusion that ramps up from the back.
Add to that a stunning display, fantastic battery life and strong cameras, and you have one of the best phones on the market. Plus, it comes equipped with fast wired and wireless charging.
There are some question marks over the software still, but - on the whole - it’s a phone we think will make anyone looking for a top flagship really happy.
Oppo Find X5 Pro review: The ultimate underdog
Great price point Proper Pixel performance and cameras Looks great and has great updates policy
Storage limited to 128GB Display only 60Hz
The Google Pixel 6a is a nice-looking compact phone that offers considerable power for the price. There’s great overall build quality, and a decent display that’s nice and vibrant, only really let down by sticking to 60Hz, but the addition of an IP67 rating on a phone at this price will be welcomed.
Many are likely to be drawn to the Pixel 6a because of the camera. This is similar to the Pixel 5 camera arrangement so it doesn’t have all the advantages of the more expensive Pixel 7 phones, but still delivers great results thanks to Google’s AI approach to the cameras. It’s certainly one of the most straightforward cameras, producing the best results, that you’ll find at this price point.
Overall, the Pixel 6a is great value for money, delivering flagship power and camera performance at mid-range prices. There have been a few compromises to pull things in at this price, but there’s something of a no-nonsense approach from Google here, with the Pixel 6a hitting important performance and spec points to be a great all-rounder.
Google Pixel 6a review: Mid-range magic
Huge power Unrivalled sound and great display Great display
Only IPX4 rated Quite expensive Cheaper ROG Phone 6 might be more attractive
Don’t dismiss a gaming phone out of hand just because it’s billed as a gaming phone. Asus has struck a great balance with the ROG Phone 6 Pro.
It’s got a fantastic big display with fast refresh rates, and its speedy gaming ability is powered by some top-tier processing and cooling components. Plus, it can’t be overstated how good the sound is on this phone. Its two individually-powered speakers deliver sound that’s so much better than any other phone we’ve tested.
If it had better camera performance, better water resistance and better software support it would be an absolutely unbeatable phone.
ROG Phone 6 Pro review: Get-cha head in the game
Premium, attractive design IPX8 water resistance Lots of customisation options
Charging not the fastest No zoom camera Display durability remains a problem
The Z Flip virtually stands alone in the flexible smartphone market. It’s got that undeniably cute form factor, bespoke colour options and a design that allows you to fold a big, bright display into a small, pocketable size. Its charm is irresistible.
The design is solid too, strengthened by impact and scratch-resistant glass on the outside, held in place by Samsung’s ‘Armour Aluminium’, and comes with IPX8 water resistance, so it can even cope with being rained on or dropped in water.
While the camera performance is strong, it is lacking that third zoom lens, and the charging could be quicker. However, it’s available at a not-too-expensive price and has software that really makes the most of that flexible display. It’s a brilliant phone.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 review: Flippin’ great
Great price for a premium phone Fast and responsive performance Sharp, bright display with adaptive refresh
Battery life could be better Camera performance could improve
Now that OnePlus and Oppo are officially the same company, the OnePlus 10 Pro is a sort-of Oppo Find X5 Pro ’lite’. It offers many of the same features, and even very similar software, but it costs less.
With its QuadHD+ resolution display - complete with 120Hz adaptive refresh and great adaptive brightness - it has one of the best displays on the market. And with OnePlus’ focus on delivering a fast and smooth experience, it’s really speedy and responsive too.
We were surprised the battery life wasn’t as strong as the Find X5 Pro, and the cameras aren’t quite as good, but it’s still a very complete all-round device and one that comes with the guarantee of software support for the next 4 years.
OnePlus 10 Pro review: Business as usual?
Compact and palm-friendly design 3.5mm headphone port and waterproofing Great performance
No telephoto zoom camera Only two years of software support Software bloat gets in the way
Despite its palm-friendly size, the ZenFone 9 offers a mostly compromise-free flagship experience. It has a great display and performance that equals the big-name premium phones on the market.
Its design gives it the feel of something that’s designed to be held one-handed, and it’s so much more comfortable to hold than most other phones on this list. For that reason alone it stands apart.
It could definitely improve on the camera front - it’s lacking a telephoto zoom lens - and the software bloatware is irksome, but it’s still a phone we’ve enjoyed using and one that’s well worth considering, especially at this price point.
- Asus Zenfone 9 review: The small phone of choice
How to choose the right Android phone
There’s a lot more to choosing an Android phone than there is to choosing an iPhone: Apple’s divisions are mostly around size, with all models offering a similar experience and few unique features.
Android phones are entirely different: there are many manufacturers, some well-known and some more niche, there is a wide range of prices, designs, features - including phones with some specificity, like gaming phones, for example.
Stock Android vs. ‘skinned’ devices
One of the considerations is how close to stock Android you want your phone to be. While all Android voices have the same underlying experience, the alterations that the manufacturer makes can bring character, it can also bring duplication and bloat.
Google offers its own phones - the Pixel phones - while only a few offer a “pure” experience. Those phones running Android One are as close to stock as you’ll get - included those from Nokia and a couple from other manufacturers, although they are rare.
Motorola also offers a near-stock experience on its devices, although Lenovo offers a completely different experience (Lenovo owns Motorola).
Brands have generally been drifting towards Google in the last few years: there’s wider use of Google’s stock apps instead of duplicated alternatives, as well as the use of features like Google Discover on the home screen to enhance the experience.
The skin and the manufacturer will define the experience, with Sony often regarded as light touch, through to Samsung’s highly evolved reworking that’s packed with features. Brands like Oppo. OnePlus, Vivo and Xiaomi (and formerly Huawei) are often seen as slightly less advanced with software - but often offer better value for money.
Hardware considerations
Android phones cover all aspects of hardware, but there are really two areas that get the most discussion: flagship and not a flagship.
This gap has narrowed recently, with mid-range devices offering an experience closer to a flagship, meaning the many day-to-day experiences are just as good on an affordable device as they are on a flagship phone.
Qualcomm dominates these devices, with Snapdragon 8 series at the top level and 7 series in a tier just beneath this. We’re now seeing new versions of older 800-series hardware reappearing for newer devices as a sub-flagship - while some devices will use slightly older hardware to make them better value for money.
Samsung is the big outsider here, often using its own Exynos hardware, but often have a mixture of Qualcomm and Exynos too. Plus, we’ve seen something of a surge in devices powered by MediaTek’s Dimensity platforms at varying price points too.
RAM runs to the ridiculous - up to 18GB on some gaming devices, while storage matches the pricing, with microSD expansion included on some devices - but not all.
Display dictates the size
One of the big decisions is choosing the size of the device. Smaller devices will fit your hand better, larger devices give a more immersive media and gaming experience - but can draw more power.
High-quality displays that were once the preserve of flagship devices are now common in the more affordable devices, where you can get an AMOLED display without paying top prices. Samsung Display is often considered the market leader, with many brands declaring a Samsung display to convince you to buy.
Refresh rate is the latest battleground, from the typical 60 frames a second to 144fps on some gaming phones. Many phones are settling around 90 or 120Hz, with lower refresh rates now being reserved for lower-positioned devices.
Curves are common, although they are slowly becoming the preserve of flagship phones, with some offering a flat display in a “normal” device and curved in a “pro” device. Although curved looks nice, some might find the touch response across the panel better from a flat device.
Cameras
The camera is the most often talked about aspect of a modern smartphone and there’s no end of comparison between different devices, all claiming to be the best.
The most important thing is having the main camera that will take a good photo in all conditions - that’s the one you’ll use the most, so that’s the one that needs to work. There’s a lot of overselling: high resolutions, supporting sensors, fancy functions. The most important thing is point-and-shoot performance - which is why the Pixel phones often do so well.
Camera performance is a big differentiator too, with flagship phones having better-performing cameras and mid-range devices often having secondary or tertiary sensors that aren’t good quality or not really needed.
Pick the phone that’s right for you
The best thing about Android is that Google underpins the same thing, so you can move from one brand to the next and almost immediately you know where things are, you can have seamless access to your emails and contacts but still have plenty to choose from.
Picking a phone that fits your budget is important, but also consider that you might not need all those flagship features. If you just use your phone for messaging and browsing social media, do you need four cameras on the back and all the power in the world?
If you spend your whole time gaming, is a gaming phone better for you?
The best phone is going to be the phone that fits your requirements the best - and while we test and evaluate all the Android phones we recommend, you have to make the decision and the phone that’s right for you.
