The Best Android Phones
(Image credit: SleekMart)
If you’re in the market for one of the best Android phones, the breadth of options can be overwhelming. But choice is one of the greatest things about Google’s mobile OS. Android provides a similar user experience across many makes and models of phones, while letting you prioritize the features that matter most to you.
- Best phones overall: Our top picks right now
- Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra review: Meet the ultimate big-screen phone
Those on a tight budget can get a good-enough Android phone for under $200. Step up to the $400 range, and the choices get considerably better, especially when it comes to camera quality. And you can get flagship-level performance starting at under $700, so long as you’re willing to live without some bells and whistles.
The most premium Android flagship phones offer the sharpest and brightest displays, the most advanced photography and cutting edge features like reverse wireless charging and 120Hz screens. For now, 5G remains a mostly premium feature, but more affordable 5G Android phones with faster download speeds are steadily arriving from the likes of Samsung, TCL and Motorola.
Read on to find the best Android phone for your needs and budget.
We’ve tested all of the most popular Android phones in all shapes, sizes and prices here at SleekMart, and our current top pick is none other than Google’s new Pixel 4a. The Pixel 4a is a modest device on paper, but the value it offers — from its camera ripped straight out of Google’s premium Pixels, to its impressive display and quality design.
If you’re on the hunt for a more premium Android experience, though, there’s no better options than the recently-launched Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra and OnePlus 8 Pro. The Note 20 Ultra dazzles with the finest cameras of any phone on this list, as well as a big, 6.9-inch, dynamic 120Hz display. Meanwhile, the OnePlus 8 Pro delivers blistering performance, long-lasting battery life, and wicked-fast charging for a reasonable price.
All that said, Samsung’s other flagships still demand your attention. The regular Note 20 keeps the Ultra variant’s amazing productivity software suite but ditches bells and whistles for a lower price, while the Galaxy S20 Plus slides right in between the two Note models and should satisfy anyone who wants a high end phone but doesn’t expect to use the S Pen much.
Android purists who like the Pixel 4a but desire peak performance should still consider the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL. These phones offer a faster Google Assistant, quick and secure face unlock and air gesture controls — though the outstanding cameras remain the Pixels’ big selling point. However, they’ll soon be discontinued, likely in favor of something cheaper and less powerful, so grab them while you still can.
And of course, there are exciting new devices on the horizon, too. Samsung may have released a slew of handsets in 2020, but it’s not done yet, as the Galaxy Z Fold 2 has launched. This could be the foldable everyone’s been waiting for, so it’s certainly one to watch. Keep an eye on our Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 hands-on review in progress for our impressions.
The best Android phones you can buy today
1. Google Pixel 4a
The best Android phone is also one of the most affordable
Display: 5.81-inch OLED (2340×1080) | Android version: 10 | CPU: Snapdragon 730G | RAM: 6GB | Storage / Expandable: 128GB / No | Rear camera: 12.2MP (ƒ/1.7) | Front camera: 8MP (ƒ/2.0) | Battery life (Hrs:Mins): 8:55
Best-in-class camera
Bright OLED display
128GB storage
Low price
Battery life could be better
You might be surprised to find Google’s latest midrange Pixel, the Pixel 4a, at the top of our list of the best Android phones. Pixel 4a is a remarkably complete smartphone, the likes of which we’ve never before seen at this price.
For less than half the price of the flagship Pixel 4, or a third of what Samsung and Apple charge for their top models, the Pixel 4a offers a flagship-caliber camera, good-enough performance, impeccable software, a pocketable, well-built design, 128GB of built-in storage and a dazzling and bright 5.8-inch OLED display.
Read our full Google Pixel 4a review
2. Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra
The best premium Android phone
Display: 6.9-inch AMOLED (3088×1440) | Android version: 10 with Samsung One UI 2.5 | CPU: Snapdragon 865 Plus | RAM: 12GB | Storage / Expandable: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB / Yes | Rear camera: 108MP wide (ƒ/1.8); 12MP telephoto with 5x optical zoom (ƒ/3.0); 12MP ultrawide (ƒ/2.2) | Front camera: 10MP (ƒ/2.2) | Battery life (Hrs:Mins): 10:15
Dynamic 6.9-inch 120Hz display
Smoother S Pen performance
Powerful 50x zoom camera and laser autofocus
Very good battery life
Expensive
The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra takes the crown as the best Android phone for those willing to pay an ultra-premium price. And that’s because this device is much more than a phone. It’s a powerful note-taking tool with lots of S Pen upgrades; it’s a pro-level camera with a 108MP sensor and 50x zoom; and it’s a mini game console with the ability to stream Xbox games.
The Note 20 Ultra also boasts the best display on a phone yet, as its huge 6.9-inch OLED screen has a dynamic 120Hz refresh rate. So it’s smart enough to dial things up or down based on what’s being displayed, which saves battery life. The 4,500 mAh battery lasts a long time on a charge, and you get quick 25-watt charging out of the box. Overall, the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra more than lives up to its name.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra review.
3. OnePlus 8 Pro
An affordable Android flagship option
Display: 6.78-inch OLED (3168×1440) | Android version: 10 with Oxygen OS | CPU: Snapdragon 865 | RAM: 8GB, 12GB | Storage / Expandable: 128GB, 256GB / No | Rear camera: 48MP wide (ƒ/1.78); 48MP ultrawide (ƒ/2.2); 8MP 3X telephoto (ƒ/2.4); 5MP color filter | Front camera: 16MP (ƒ/2.5) | Battery life (Hrs:Mins): 11:05
Bright and beautiful 120Hz display
Long battery life
Strong performance
Super fast wired and wireless charging
Curved display causes accidental taps
The OnePlus 8 Pro may seem like a departure from previous OnePlus handsets. After all, this is one of the most expensive phones OnePlus has ever made. But the OnePlus 8 Pro is the best flagship Android phone because it packs as many high-end features as possible for an incomparable value.
In the case of the OnePlus 8 Pro, those features include a 120Hz refresh rate for its 6.78-inch OLED screen and a top-of-the-line Snapdragon 865 CPU. The OnePlus 8 Pro is the first OnePlus device to support wireless charging, and in the grand tradition of OnePlus pushing the battery envelope, its wireless charging standard is actually faster than many wired options.
Read our full OnePlus 8 Pro review.
For that money, you get quite a lot. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 765G chipset may not quite be at the level of the more premium 865 chipset, but its still plenty fast, and supports sub-6GHz 5G connectivity to boot. 12GB of RAM ensures unencumbered multitasking, while a quad-camera system at the back offers a ton of shooting versatility, from stunning landscapes to detailed macro images. And the Nord’s battery life is impressive as well, lasting 11 hours and 18 minutes in our custom battery test.
5. Samsung Galaxy Note 20
Samsung’s best Galaxy under $1,000
Display Size: 6.7-inch AMOLED (2400×1080) | Android version: 10 with Samsung One UI 2.5 | CPU: Snapdragon 865 Plus | RAM: 8GB | Storage / Expandable: 128GB / No | Rear camera: 12MP wide (ƒ/1.8); 64MP telephoto with 3x lossless zoom (ƒ/1.8); 12MP ultrawide (ƒ/2.2) | Front camera: 10MP (ƒ/2.2) | Battery life (Hrs:Mins): 9:26
Useful note-taking features
Excellent performance
Battery life just okay
Display only 60Hz
The Galaxy Note 20 is an interesting proposition. It’s actually cheaper than Samsung’s Galaxy S20 Plus and the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, and for that you lose a couple noteworthy features. The regular Note 20 has a 6.7-inch AMOLED display, but no 120Hz fast refresh rate. It has a triple-lens rear camera, but no 108MP main sensor or 5x folded optical zoom lens.
However, you still get a lot for what you’ll spend on the Note 20, including a powerful Snapdragon 865 Plus chipset, Samsung’s signature S Pen with new air gestures for navigation and very useful note-taking enhancements, cameras that still take fantastic pictures (even if they’re a shade behind what the Note 20 Ultra can pull off) and support for wireless DeX projection to TVs and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate streaming. The Note 20 can really do it all, so long as you’re willing to part with some buzzwordy features you may not necessarily need to begin with.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy Note 20 review.
6. Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus
The all-around premier Android flagship
Display: 6.7-inch OLED (3200×1440) | Android version: 10 with OneUI | CPU: Snapdragon 865 | RAM: 12GB | Storage / Expandable: 128GB, 512GB / Yes | Rear camera: 12MP wide (ƒ/1.8); 12MP ultrawide (ƒ/2.2); 64MP 3X telephoto (ƒ/2.0); time-of-flight VGA | Front camera: 10MP (ƒ/2.2) | Battery life (Hrs:Mins): 10:31
Expansive 6.7-inch display with 120Hz refresh rate
Long-lasting battery
Impressive cameras
Faster refresh rate can impact battery life
Expensive
Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus is pricey, though you get a lot in return. For starters, the camera setup on the back of the S20 Plus impresses us with four lenses that produce great pictures, especially when you put that 64MP telephoto lens to work. You won’t be able to zoom in like you can with the S20 Ultra’s Space Zoom feature, but the shots that the S20 Plus yields still contain a lot of detail.
All of the other top Galaxy S20 features are available in the S20 Plus, including 5G connectivity, a Snapdragon 865 chipset that produces the best performance of any Android phone and a vibrant 6.7-inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate, which you won’t find in the slightly cheaper Galaxy Note 20.
A 4,500-mAh battery keeps things up and running, and the Galaxy S20 Plus offered better-than-average longevity in our testing. Ultimately, the S20 Plus’ price will put it out of reach of most phone shoppers, though those who can afford it shouldn’t think twice about snapping one up.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus review.
7. Moto G Power
The longest-lasting Android phone
Display: 6.4-inch LCD (2300×1080) | Android version: 10 | CPU: Snapdragon 665 | RAM: 4GB | Storage / Expandable: 64GB / Yes | Rear camera: 16MP wide (ƒ/1.7), 8MP ultrawide (ƒ/2.2); 2MP macro (ƒ/2.2) | Front camera: 16MP (ƒ/2.0) | Battery life (Hrs:Mins): 16:10
Low price tag
Good performance and photos for the price
Screen isn’t very colorful
No optical zoom
Two things stand out about the Moto G Power — its giant battery and its affordable price. The former allows Motorola’s budget phone to post the best time ever on our battery test, while the latter makes the Moto G Power a compelling purchase when compared to other midrange Android models.
On the battery front, the Moto G Power lasted 16 hours and 10 minutes on our battery test, in which phones continuously surf the web over LTE until they run out of power. That’s more than 30 minutes better than our previous champ for best phone battery life. (Coincidentally, that was the Moto G Power’s predecessor, the Moto G7 Power.) If you’re willing to accept less battery life for a phone with a stylus, the Moto G Stylus is essentially a carbon copy of the Moto G Power, though it does cost more.
Speaking of price, you can get the Moto G Power for less than the Pixel 3a, and you won’t make many trade-offs for that lower price. The Snapdragon 665 chipset inside the Moto G Power turns in comparable performance, and while the Pixel still has a better camera, the Moto G Power’s triple lens array still produces decent shots for what you’ll spend.
Read our full Moto G Power review.
8. Google Pixel 4 XL
The smartest camera around
Display: 6.4 inch OLED (3040×1440) | Android version: 10 | CPU: Snapdragon 855 | RAM: 6GB | Storage / Expandable: 64GB, 128GB / Yes | Rear camera: 12MP wide (ƒ/1.78); 16MP ultrawide (ƒ/2.4) | Front camera: 8MP (ƒ/2.0) | Battery life (Hrs:Mins): 9:42
Screen has a dynamic 90-Hz refresh rate
Real-time Live Caption and recording transcription
Screen is a bit dim
No more unlimited photo storage at original quality
The latest flagship phones from Google continue to stand out, thanks to their cameras. Both the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL add a telephoto lens to go alongside the main rear camera, delivering a 2x optical zoom. But Google didn’t stop with just new hardware — updated camera software lets you tweak brightness and shadows on images, get a live HDR+ preview on your phone’s viewfinder and even snap photos of the night sky in an improved Night Sight mode.
Other highlights include a 90Hz refresh rate that makes for smoother scrolling and better gaming, a new Motion Sense feature for gesture controls and a fast face unlocking. A new Recorder app provides real-time transcription of your audio recordings.
Overall, the Pixel 4 XL is the better of Google’s latest flagships because of its larger screen and far better battery life. That said, the Pixel 4a offers so much of what makes the Pixel 4 series great for far cheaper, that the 4 XL is recommended only for those who need the absolute best performance and highest-quality display.
It should also be said that the more midrange-targeted Pixel 5, which has been rumored to bow in October, is not expected to come with a larger XL model. That means the Pixel 4 XL may be your last chance to nab a truly big-screen Google flagship.
Read our full Pixel 4 XL review.
9. OnePlus 8
The iPhone 11 of Android phones
Display: 6.55-inch OLED (2400×1080) | Android version: 10 with Oxygen OS | CPU: Snapdragon 865 | RAM: 8GB, 12GB | Storage / Expandable: 128GB, 256GB / No | Rear camera: 48MP wide (ƒ/1.7); 16MP ultrawide (ƒ/2.2); 2MP macro | Front camera: 16MP (ƒ/2.0) | Battery life (Hrs:Mins): 11:04
Excellent display
Very good battery life
Powerful processor
Good low-light photos
No optical zoom
Middling photos overall
Curved screen is prone to accidental touches
The OnePlus 8 might not have the wicked-fast wireless charging or 120 Hz animations of its pricier sibling, the OnePlus 8 Pro — though it is a good Android alternative to the iPhone 11, for exactly the same price.
In fact, the OnePlus 8 bests Apple’s hardware in a few areas: Buyers get a generous 128GB of storage out of the box, a higher-resolution 6.55-inch AMOLED display with a 90 Hz refresh rate compared to the iPhone 11’s 60 Hz LCD panel, 5G connectivity and faster wired charging out of the box, thanks to OnePlus’ industry-leading Warp Charge 30T technology.
Read our full OnePlus 8 review.
With the TCL 10 Pro, you’re not sacrificing all that much to get a premium design, great display and solid performance. With 128GB of onboard storage as well as a slot for a microSD card, this handset doesn’t shortchange you in terms of capacity. Its 4,500-mAh battery also lasts long on a charge, clocking just shy of 11 hours in Tom’s Guide’s custom battery test.
Unfortunately, the TCL 10 Pro’s not-so-great quad-lens rear camera keeps this phone from appearing higher up on our list. Also, while the Snapdragon 675 is quite a capable midrange chip, it takes a step back with respect to graphics performance and gaming when compared with its predecessor.
The Pixel 4a and second-generation Apple iPhone SE are definitely better choices overall for a modest phone within this price range, but the TCL 10 Pro packs a lot of value and compares very favorably against the somewhat disappointing Samsung Galaxy A51.
How to choose the best Android phone for you
The first place to start when shopping for the best Android phone for you is your budget. And there are essentially a few tiers, The cheapest Android phones cost under $200 and offer mostly the basics for using apps, taking pictures and staying connected.
As you move up to under $400, you’ll find more compelling handsets, touting better processors, higher-grade materials and more camera lenses. Progress into the premium range, and the best phones offer flagship-caliber performance along with cutting-edge computational photography and special features.
The most premium Android phones offer foldable designs, but in general we don’t feel like these types of devices are worth the splurge yet — save, perhaps, for the new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip, which rights the Galaxy Fold’s design quirks and isn’t egregiously expensive.
How we test smartphones
Every smartphone Tom’s Guide evaluates is tested for several days in real-world use cases and benchmarked with a gamut of performance-measuring apps. In terms of performance, we used Geekbench 5 to measure overall speed and GFXBench to measure graphics performance.
We also use our own video editing test in the Adobe Premiere Rush app to see how long it takes to transcode a clip, which we run on both Android phones and iPhone to compare performance.
Lastly, we explore the software, test gaming performance and conduct live camera comparisons with rival handsets — and each of these factors play a part in our comprehensive verdict.