The Best Android Phones [Updated September 2020]

[Karlston]

The Best Android Phones

Shopping for a new phone can be an ordeal. Let us take some of the pain out of it with these picks and tips.

 

 

Finding the best Android phone for your needs is hard work. It's easy to get swayed by a pretty handset design or a convincing price. Carriers might tempt you with an affordable 24-month payment plan. But before you make a rash impulse buy, read up. From the bottomless pit of phone choices, we bring you our favorites—including our top pick, the Pixel 4A.

 

All the phones we've selected here have their own advantages, and we've laid them out as honestly as we can based on our own extensive testing. Be sure to check our Best iPhones and Best Cheap Phones guides for more recommendations. You can find all of our latest buying guides here.

 

Updated September 2020: We've replaced the Galaxy Note 10 with the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.

 

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  Photograph: Samsung

  First, Some Advice

  Buy Your Phone Unlocked (and Ignore 5G!)

   

  We recommend unlocked phones in this guide. When a phone is sold as "unlocked," it means the phone can be used on multiple wireless carriers/networks. When you buy a phone directly from your wireless carrier, usually on a payment plan, it often comes locked to that network. Carriers are legally required to unlock a phone upon request so you can switch networks, but that's a big hassle. Try to pay full price for your phone, or make sure it specifically says it's unlocked. If you feel it's too expensive to buy outright, that's a good sign you should find a cheaper model, buy it from the manufacturer directly, or investigate your carrier's policies for unlocking phones if they're bought on a payment plan that locks you onto their network.

   

  Verizon tips: Buying an unlocked phone is smart (it is!), but even if you do the smart thing, networks like Verizon will put up hoops for you to jump through. If you insert your SIM card but still have trouble receiving text messages or something else, contact customer service and have them enable "CDMA-Less roaming." This OnePlus 6T guide may help. The steps should be similar for other phones.

   

  Why we don't care about 5G: You'll see lots of ads encouraging you to upgrade to a 5G plan and buy a 5G phone. Yes, you do need a new phone that supports 5G to make use of a 5G network (we have a guide that explains it all), but at the moment 5G coverage is still sparse. It's available only in certain areas of a handful of cities in the US, and it's often not even all that much faster than standard service. Our advice? Think about 5G for the phone you buy next time, in two years (or more). For now, you don't need it.

   

   

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  Photograph: Google

  Best Overall (We Love This Phone)

  Google Pixel 4A

   

  The Pixel 4A (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is many things: It's the best cheap phone, the best small phone, the best camera phone, and the best Android phone, period.

   

  What does all of that cost you? Only $350. Yep. The successor to our previous favorite Android phone is now $50 cheaper and better in every way. It has the same great main camera from the flagship Pixel 4, so you can snap excellent photos even at night with Google's Night Sight mode. It runs very smoothly, the battery lasts a full day, and the 5.8-inch OLED screen looks fantastic—especially since Google shaved off the bezels around it. It feels ultra-compact in the hand.

   

  The polycarbonate body feels a little cheaper than glass, but it's much more durable. Plus, there's a headphone jack! The Pixel 4A also gets monthly security updates and Android version upgrades directly from Google for three years (most phones don't). The only downsides: It's not water-resistant, it has no wireless charging, and it has no MicroSD card slot, so you'll have to make do with the rather generous 128 gigabytes of internal storage.

   

  Works on all three major US networks

   

  $350 at Amazon

  $350 at Best Buy

  $350 at Google Store

   

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  Photograph: OnePlus

  Best Luxury Phone

  OnePlus 8 Pro

   

  OnePlus' newest flagship phone goes against the company's original ethos of selling high-end phones at an affordable price. The 8 Pro (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is a flagship phone with a flagship price tag to match, but it's excellent, and worth the cost—even with its higher price, it still undercuts Samsung's Galaxy S20 by $100. It has a brilliantly sharp and colorful display with a 120-Hz refresh rate, making it one of the smoothest screens to stare at for hours on end. You also finally get proper water-resistance and wireless charging (it recharges superfast if you use OnePlus' wireless charger). And OnePlus is quicker than most at issuing software updates, not to mention that its user interface is heavily customizable.

   

  The triple-camera system (normal, wide-angle, and zoom) can snap some great photos, though the camera quality still sits a rung below the Google Pixel 4 or 4A, especially in low light and with portrait mode. Battery life will get you through a day, even if the battery isn't as powerful as the ones in other phones. And the screen can be a bit finicky, because it curves into the edges, making it difficult for it to register your taps when holding the phone one-handed. Still, this is one of the best Android experiences you can get, if you don't mind the price. A case comes included in the box.

   

  Works on all three major US networks

   

  $899 at Amazon

  $899 at OnePlus

  $900 at B&H Photo and Video

 

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  Photograph: Google

  Best Camera

  Google Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL

   

  Google's Pixel series are regarded as the best camera phones on the market (though the iPhone 11 Pro is also very impressive). The Pixel 4 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is Google's most recent flagship, and its dual-camera system is excellent. Portrait Mode lets you effectively blur out the background of a subject, which adds some drama to the photo. The 2X-zoom telephoto lens is handy for close-ups, and Night Sight mode lights up the darkest scenes—you can even use it to capture starry skies. It packs great performance, with a 90-Hz screen refresh rate that smooths out video game action, scrolling in apps, and animations. Similar to other high-end models, you can use your face to unlock the phone. (We should note that Google finally issued a fix so the Pixel doesn't unlock when your eyes are closed.)

   

  That's without mentioning all the software smarts that put it a rung above the rest. For example, Call Screen will monitor robocalls for you so you don't have to answer them, and Now Playing uses on-device machine learning to show you songs playing in your surroundings, so you don't need to go look them up. The biggest downside is battery life, which barely lasts a full day if you're a heavy user. If you're going to buy one, opt for the bigger Pixel 4 XL, since it has a beefier battery.

   

  The camera experience on the Pixel 4A is very similar to the Pixel 4, but if you want extras like wireless charging, a nicer 90-Hz fluid screen, better performance, and a telephoto camera, then go for the flagship. Google has officially discontinued the Pixel 4 and 4 XL, but you can still nab it from other retailers. However, if you want the high-end Pixel, wait until October. That's when we expect Google to launch a successor, the Pixel 5, as well as a Pixel 4A with 5G.

   

  Works on all three major US networks

   

  $899 $625 at Amazon

  $900 $650 at B&H Photo Video

   

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  Photograph: Motorola 

  Best for $200 or Less

  Motorola Moto G Fast

   

  We normally don't recommend phones this cheap, but the new Moto G Fast is a good bargain if your budget is tight. You get the same processor as in the Moto G Stylus (the Snapdragon 665), though a little less RAM, so multitasking won't be as smooth. It still delivers enough power to run all my usual apps and games without an unreasonable amount of stuttering or lag. You also get a headphone jack, more than a full day of battery life, a plastic body for durability, plus a fingerprint reader and expandable storage.

   

  The low price does come with many compromises, though. The cameras are only decent in the sunniest of conditions. Any less light and you'll get a blurry image. The Moto G Fast will also only get one Android version upgrade and minimal security updates, so you are not likely to get software updates after 2020. There's also no NFC, meaning you can't make contactless payments with Google Pay. If these compromises aren't deal breakers for you, and you just need a cheap phone to run a few apps, this will do the trick.

   

  Works on all three major US networks

   

  $200 at Amazon

  $200 at Best Buy

   

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  Photograph: Motorola

  Multiday Battery Life for Cheap

  Motorola Moto G Power

   

  If you want a reliable phone that you don't need to plug in every day, get the Moto G Power. Its 5,000-mAh battery is huge, and it lasts three full days before you'll need to juice it back up. It has a Snapdragon 665 processor for satisfactory performance and shares the same basic features found in other Moto G phones, like a headphone jack and MicroSD card slot. You get 64 gigabytes of built-in storage.

   

  The cameras aren't the same as the other G-model phones, and this is where the G Power falters (and matches the G Fast a little more). It can snap some good photos during the day, but unlike the Moto G Stylus it doesn't have a Night mode, which uses a long-exposure technique for better low-light images. Its absence means the photos it takes at night look pretty poor, just like on the Moto G Fast. This Moto phone will also get only one Android version upgrade, which is a stark contrast to some similarly priced budget phones from Nokia, which offer two version upgrades.

   

  Works on all three major US networks

   

  $250 at Amazon

  $250 at Best Buy

   

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  Photograph: Nokia

  Pure Android for Cheap

  Nokia 7.2

   

  This Nokia phone can't match the Pixel 4A, but it's not bad.

   

  As mentioned above, Motorola offers very limited software support—usually, you get one Android version upgrade, and then your phone is left to languish. HMD, the maker of Nokia phones, is different. Most of its phones are part of the Android One program, meaning the company makes a commitment not only to ship the phones without bloatware, but also to deliver two years of Android version and security updates. The Nokia 7.2 is no exception; it already has been updated to Android 10.

   

  You also get a great 6.3-inch LCD screen (with HDR support, rare in a phone of this price), 128 gigabytes of storage, a decent midrange processor, day-long battery life, all in a body that has the benefit of not looking like a budget phone. The triple-camera experience is solid too, though the Nokia can't match the Pixel 4A in image quality. Downsides: The back is made of glass, so a case is a good idea; and it's only slightly water-resistant, so be careful around the toilet!

   

  Works on AT&T and T-Mobile

   

  $349 at Amazon

  $350 at Best Buy

 

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  Photograph: Samsung 

  Best Samsung Phone

  Samsung Galaxy S20

   

  Samsung Galaxy phones are so popular they have a category in this guide, but they aren't our top picks.

   

  If money is no object, the Galaxy S20 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) has everything you want in an Android phone and then some. You get wireless charging, a MicroSD card slot, water resistance, long battery life, booming speakers, a nice screen size that fits your palm, and beautifully made hardware. Not to mention a powerful Snapdragon 865 processor inside, and a triple-camera setup that's fantastic, allowing you to snap great photos at a variety of zoom levels. Other perks include a bright 120-Hz OLED screen that's bested only by the OnePlus 8 Pro.

   

  Samsung does go overboard with the specs, offering 8K video recording and 5G. Neither can really be utilized to their fullest potential at the moment, so don't let those additional features influence your buying decision. Sadly, there's no headphone jack on the S20, but you do get decent USB-C earbuds in the box.

   

  Why we chose the standard S20: There are three flagship Samsung phones this year: the Galaxy S20, S20 Plus, and S20 Ultra. The Plus is $200 pricier but isn't worth the extra cash, and the $1,400 Galaxy S20 Ultra (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is an excellent phone with even better cameras and a much bigger screen—if you want to pay a huge premium for it.

   

  Works on all three major US networks

   

  $999 $850 at Amazon

  $1,000 at Samsung

   

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  Photograph: Sony 

  Another Great Phone

  Sony Xperia 1 II

   

  Sony's first great phone in years is the Xperia 1 II (8/10, WIRED Recommends). It's pronounced Xperia "One Mark Two"—yes, the name's silly, but it does almost everything really well. The narrow body and the flat edges make it super comfortable to hold despite the large 6.5-inch screen. And you're getting 4K resolution and a 21:9 aspect ratio, which means movies look a fair bit more cinematic. Sony is also using a stripped-down version of Android, so what you get is a fairly simple, stock experience. Plus, the headphone jack is back, it's water-resistant, and there's a MicroSD card slot in case you need more than the 256 gigabytes of storage.

   

  But the surprise hit is the triple-camera array. These cameras can take some really strong photos, even at night (though you really need to stand still). It's not as consistently reliable as the Google Pixel 4 camera, especially with high-contrast scenes, but it's still a great camera system nonetheless. That's without mentioning the two special apps Sony offers that give you more granular control over the camera, putting you firmly in control over the look of your content for both photos and videos. The extra camera controls can get complicated, but if you love tweaking a camera's manual mode, you'll have fun here. The Xperia's cons? The screen is dim outdoors, and it's very, very expensive.

   

  Works on all three major US networks

   

  $1,198 at Amazon

  $1,198 at B&H Photo and Video

   

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  Photograph: LG

  Best for Audiophiles

  LG V60 ThinQ

   

  This is one of the few high-end phones with a headphone jack, and it's paired with a digital-to-analog converter, so music going to your corded headphones sounds fantastic. Bluetooth audio also sounds nice with the Apt:X codec support.

   

  LG's V60 ThinQ isn't the flashiest phone, but it gets the job done. It has the same Snapdragon 865 processor as some of our high-end picks, so you get great performance, the 5,000-mAh battery can hit two days on a single charge, and there's a huge 6.8-inch screen, which is actually a little too big, but the OLED's quality is excellent and bright.

   

  The improved dual-camera system (main, wide-angle) can snap some reliably good photos, though it still can't quite match the likes of the Pixel 4 or the Galaxy S20. The software experience has some quirks, and LG also doesn't have a great track record at consistently delivering updates. There's 5G support, but you can only buy this phone from a carrier—no unlocked version is available. With your purchase, you'll get LG's dual-screen case accessory, which is unique and lets you use two screens at the same time, but the setup is bulky, cumbersome, and not as regularly useful as you'd think.

   

  Works on all three major US networks

   

  $900 at Best Buy (AT&T)

  Buy at LG

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  Photograph: Samsung

  The Phone With a Stylus

  Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

   

  The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is one of the biggest Android phones you can get right now with its ginormous 6.9-inch screen, but it's also the only high-end phone that comes equipped with a Bluetooth stylus. Pull the S Pen out from the bottom and you can use it to take notes, draw, remotely snap photos, and even control your favorite apps by waving it around in the air. Samsung has made the stylus more responsive as a writing implement this time around, so it feels more natural to scribble with it than ever before.

   

  The rest of the phone is equipped with top-notch features, from a beautiful AMOLED screen with a 120-Hz refresh rate and powerful performance to more than a full day of battery life and three extremely capable rear cameras. This is the phone for power users, and it costs a hefty $1,300. We recommend waiting for a discount to arrive over the next few months, or use Samsung's trade-in program to knock several hundred dollars off the price tag.

   

  Last year's Galaxy Note 10 is still a good buy if you want to spend a little less and still get a phone with a stylus. We've seen deals as low as $730 for it, so try not to pay much more than that. If you don't care for the stylus but still want a Samsung phone, stick with our Galaxy S20 recommendation above.

   

  Works on all three major US networks

   

  $1,300 at Samsung

  $1,299 at Amazon

  $1,300 at Best Buy

 

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  Photograph: Samsung

  Honorable Mentions

  Other Phenomenal Phones

   

  There are a lot of Android phones out there, and most of them are not on this list. Here are a few other standouts to consider.

  • The Samsung Galaxy S10 range (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is still available at a reduced price. These models from last year are excellent and powerful phones, with the S10E ($600) especially offering some great value for the money. They all have headphone jacks too.

  • The OnePlus 7T (9/10, WIRED Recommends) remains a great buy for $449. It was a runner-up on this guide, but we've moved it here as only the T-Mobile version is available now. That's great if you're on T-Mobile (not if you're a former Sprint customer and haven't switched to a T-Mobile plan). You can try unlocking it, but compatibility with Verizon might be wonky, and the unlocking process might just be too much of a hassle. Check out our review for more details.

  • Motorola's Moto Edge and Moto Edge Plus (read our review) are OK high-end phones. The Edge Plus ($1,000) is the flagship with all the bells and whistles, but it's exclusive to Verizon. The unlocked Moto Edge ($700) is a better value with great performance, a nice screen, long battery life, and decent cameras. But if you hate screens with edges that curve around toward the back, you won't enjoy holding either of these phones much.

  • The LG Velvet ($600+) (read our review) is another decent phone, but because it's not available unlocked you can only get it straight from AT&T or Verizon. It takes decent photos, has OK performance, a full day of battery life, and all the other niceties like wireless charging, NFC, water resistance, a MicroSD card slot, and a headphone jack. It looks pretty, but it doesn't impress in any other way, and we think it's a bit overpriced for what you get.

  • Motorola's Moto G Stylus ($300) (read our review) is the successor to the Moto G7 we really liked last year, but this year it doesn't add up. Moto added a gimmicky stylus to it that isn't easy to write with and lacks built-in palm rejection. You get two-day battery life, decent performance, a solid 6.4-inch screen, and an uncluttered Android experience. It also comes with a plastic back that's more durable than glass, a headphone jack, and a MicroSD card slot if you want more than the included 128 gigabytes of storage. The triple-camera system (normal, wide-angle, and macro) can snap some nice photos with good lighting too. But it's only $50 less than the Google Pixel 4A, and we think it's worth saving up for that phone. The 4A has a much better camera, superior performance, NFC for contactless payments, and far better software support. Motorola is only promising one Android version upgrade for this phone, which means you're out of luck after a year.

  • Check out the Asus ROG Phone III coming this September. This is a phone for people who play mobile video games a lot. There's not much reason to get it otherwise. For example, there are two touch-sensitive trigger buttons on the phone's body you can remap to specific controls in any game. It's thick and bulky, but that's necessary to fit the massive 6,000-mAh battery that lasts through several hours of gaming. It's plenty powerful with a nice screen, but unfortunately, the cameras aren't as good as they should be.

  • Get the OnePlus Nord (9/10, WIRED Recommends) if you can. This phone isn't being sold in the US, but if you're in a country where it's available, OnePlus' latest offers nearly unrivaled value.

  • The TCL 10 Pro ($450) and TCL 10L ($250) are worth a look. These are the first two phones to be sold in the US from the popular TV brand, and they're a promising pair. You get good performance, nice screens, headphone jacks, and decent battery life across the board. The cameras are just OK, and TCL is only offering one Android version upgrade for now. But they're affordable at $450 and $250, respectively.

   

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  Photograph: LG

  Avoid These Phones

  Half-Hearted Endorsements

   

  There are many phones we've previously recommended that are right on the edge. They're either getting old (two-plus years) or their internals are too weak. We worry they won't have software support beyond this year, or that the next Android update will render them too sluggish. We've also added to this list some newer phones that we just can't recommend after testing.

   

  The LG G7 ($300), Nokia 7.1 ($209), Samsung Galaxy S9, and Moto G7 are all usable, but we think you're better off with the devices listed here or in our Best Cheap Phones guide.

   

  Other phones we've tested and don't recommend include the Samsung Galaxy A51, which doesn't quite deliver on its $400 price tag, and the $100 Nokia 1.3, which is just too frustratingly slow to use.

 

The Best Android Phones