There’s one clear perk that Android has over iOS and that’s selection relating to the telephones you need to select from. Apple has made the iPhone is the one recreation on the town for iOS, however with Google’s working system, there are dozens of selections on the market from producers like Samsung, Motorola, OnePlus and others. However that additionally means it may be tough to resolve which system is finest for you when it comes time to improve, or if you wish to swap from iPhone to Android within the new yr. If you happen to’re on the lookout for a brand new telephone and don’t know the place to start out, we’ve bought you coated with a choice of one of the best Android telephones for each funds.
Editor’s be aware (5/7/24): Google has introduced the Pixel 8a, its newest midrange smartphone. The 6.1-inch handset begins at $499 and, as anticipated, takes lots of its cues from final yr’s flagship Pixel 8 collection. We’ll have a full assessment within the coming days and can replace this information accordingly. For now, you may take a look at our hands-on preview for extra particulars on what to anticipate. Google says it’ll proceed to promote the Pixel 7a, our present funds choose, at a lowered worth, so it could proceed to be worthwhile. Most ought to maintain off till we put the brand new Pixel via its paces, although.
What to search for in a brand new Android telephone
Efficiency
In the case of choosing our favourite Android telephones, the principle issues we search for are fairly simple: good efficiency (each compute and AI), a pleasant show, stable design, sharp cameras, lengthy battery life and a major dedication to ongoing software program help. For efficiency, not solely will we take a look at benchmarks and different metrics, however we additionally consider telephones based mostly on responsiveness. No matter whether or not you’re studying, textual content messaging, scrolling via social media or taking part in a recreation, nobody needs a gadget that feels sluggish.
Show
In the case of shows, we usually choose OLED panels that may produce wealthy, saturated colours with at the least 600 nits of brightness, although lots of our prime mid-range and high-end telephones can hit 1,000 nits or extra. And extra not too long ago, most of our favourite gadgets additionally help screens with quick refresh charges of 90Hz or 120Hz, which provides an additional degree of smoothness and fluidity.
Design
Now we’ll admit there’s a little bit of subjectivity when deciding which telephones look one of the best, however there are different design features like mud and water resistance or display sturdiness that may make an enormous distinction to long-term survival. It’s additionally vital to think about issues like help for wi-fi charging, energy sharing (aka reverse wi-fi charging) and UWB connectivity, which may have an effect on how your telephone interacts along with your different gadgets.
Cameras
Clearly, for pictures we’re on the lookout for sharp, colourful photographs in each shiny and low-light situations. And we would like video clips with excessive dynamic vary, wealthy audio and clean picture stabilization. Further cameras for ultra-wide and telephoto lenses are a plus. One of the best cameras also needs to embody options like devoted night time modes, help for numerous video recording resolutions, and extra picture modes like timelapse, sluggish movement and extra.
Battery and software program
Lastly, when it comes to longevity, we’re on the lookout for all-day battery life on gadgets that additionally delivered nice outcomes on our native video rundown take a look at (at the least 16 hours on a cost, however extra is clearly higher). Wi-fi charging capabilities have change into virtually ubiquitous over the previous few years, and most of our prime picks have this further perk. Quick-charging is out there on some Android telephones, too. Lastly, with individuals holding onto their telephones longer than ever, we prefer to see firms decide to at the least three years of software program help, upgrades and common safety updates.
Photograph by Sam Rutherford / Engadget
Processor: Google Tensor G3 | Show: 6.7-inch Tremendous Actua, as much as 120Hz | Cameras: Rear array (50MP large, 12MP ultrawide, 48MP telephoto), 10.5MP entrance digicam | Battery: 5,050mAh
Learn our full assessment of the Google Pixel 8 Professional
Because of the Tensor G3 chip, up to date sensors and a number of latest AI-powered options, the Google Pixel 8 and eight Professional have much more to supply for each pictures and on a regular basis use. The brand new Magic Editor on Pixel telephones makes it astonishingly simple to take away distracting objects out of your pics, whereas the Audio Magic Eraser cuts down on annoying ambient sound in movies. And for all these group pictures, Finest Take ensures that everybody seems their finest, even when they weren’t smiling in the course of the first shot. On prime of that, Google’s Name Display has gotten smarter whereas Assistant options, like having the ability to summarize or actual articles aloud make it simple to remain on prime of stories nonetheless you need. Add to {that a} extra refined design, brighter shows, higher battery life and improved efficiency, and Google’s newest flagship telephones is likely to be essentially the most well-rounded Android telephones in the marketplace.
$900 at Amazon
Photograph by Sam Rutherford / Engadget
Processor: Google Tensor G2 | Show: 6.1-inch FHD+, as much as 90Hz | Cameras: Rear array (64MP large, 13MP ultrawide), 13MP entrance digicam | Battery: 4,385mAh
Learn our full assessment of the Google Pixel 7a
The $500 Pixel 7a delivers every little thing we search for in an important, inexpensive Android telephone (when you have much less cash to spend, take a look at our greatest low cost telephones information). New options embody a sooner Tensor G2 chip, a smoother 90Hz show and for the primary time on one among Google’s A-series telephones: help for wi-fi charging. And with a refreshed design with IP67 water resistance, it seems and seems like the usual Pixel 7 however for $100 much less. You additionally get nice help thanks to 5 years of safety updates and at the least three years of software program updates. The Pixel 7a’s solely shortcomings are fairly small and embody a scarcity of a devoted zoom lens and no help for mmWave 5G (until you buy a barely dearer $550 mannequin from Verizon).
$430 at Amazon
Photograph by Sam Rutherford / Engadget
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 | Show: 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED QHD+, as much as 120Hz | Cameras: Rear array (200MP, Twin Pixel AF, Digital Zoom 100x, 50MP Macro, 12MP UW), 12MP entrance digicam | Battery: 5,000mAh
Learn our full assessment of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely
For its newest super-premium telephone, Samsung gave the S24 Extremely a extra sturdy titanium body, sooner efficiency because of a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip and a for much longer battery life. The corporate additionally tweaked its longest telephoto lens with a 5x optical zoom so it is extra usable in a wider vary of conditions. However the greatest improve is a brand new full suite of AI instruments, which incorporates the power to proofread texts, edit pictures and transcribe recordings. And while you tack on one of the best show accessible on a telephone in the present day and a built-in stylus, you’ve a really compelling flagship handset. Sadly, beginning at $1,300, the S24 Extremely is a bit too costly to advocate to anybody with out deep pockets.
$1,300 at Amazon
Photograph by Sam Rutherford / Engadget
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 | Show: 6.2-inch HD+ entrance show (as much as 120Hz), 7.6-inch QXGA+ fundamental show (as much as 120Hz) | Cameras: Rear array (50MP large, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP telephoto), 10MP (Cowl) + 4MP UDC (Predominant) entrance digicam | Battery: 4,400mAh
Learn our full assessment of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5
Regardless of elevated competitors from the Pixel Fold, for individuals who wish to maximize their cell productiveness, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 continues to be one of the best massive foldable telephone in the marketplace. On the newest mannequin, not solely has Samsung added two new gestures for launching into side-by-side multitasking or switching from a full display to a windowed app, it has additionally elevated the variety of current apps you may see on the taskbar from two to 4. The Z Fold 5’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset additionally delivers sooner efficiency than on the Pixel Fold, and regardless that this Samsung telephone has a smaller energy cell (4,400 mAh vs 4,800 mAh), it has higher battery life, too. However the greatest change for this era is Samsung’s new Flex Hinge, which permits the telephone to shut utterly flat and makes it thinner in addition. Sadly, its digicam system is basically unchanged from final yr, and with costs beginning at $1,800, the Z Fold 5 isn’t even remotely near being inexpensive.
$1,920 at Amazon