Best Android Phones (Updated 2020)
Android is the most popular mobile operating system in the world, and for good reason. Google's open source operating system is used by practically every phone manufacturer on the planet, with the exception of Apple, of course.
With so many different options with unique UIs, features, and specs, it is pretty simple to find a device that is perfect for you.
Some of the best Android phones are made by top manufacturers like Samsung, however, smaller firms have quickly risen to the top tier over the past several years. Companies like OnePlus pride themselves on providing flagship experiences without the premium price tag. Even on the budget side of things, the best Android phones are significantly improving. Now it is possible to have a quality smartphone without breaking the bank.
Samsung is the largest Android phone maker on the market. It overshadows even Google itself in sheer output, and its largest competition is Apple's iPhone. Samsung has also always pushed the limit of features in their Galaxy lineup of smartphones, and they are often the first to have industry innovations. They were one of the first companies to waterproof their flagship devices, one of the first to have a large screen device, and now they are one of the first to introduce 5G on their devices.
The Galaxy S20 5G is a beautiful device with a vivid 6.2-inch display. It sports 128GB of storage, which is more than enough for most users. It also has a 4,000mAh battery that gets users nine to ten hours of battery life. That all adds up to a device that is perfect for any user, especially if you want the best viewing experience possible on a mobile device.
The Galaxy S20 5G also has a triple camera setup, including a wide-angle lens and a 64MP telephoto lens. That means you can capture just about anything on the S20 5G and make it look beautiful.
The most notable thing about the phone, though is its 5G capability. %G isn't available everywhere yet, so many users won't be able to experience the performance boost. However, if you live in a metro area you will likely see a speed boost. The S20 5G does not support mmWave, which is the real game-changer for 5G. If you want that, you will have to look to the more luxurious S20 Ultra.
Read More Key FeaturesOppo has been on the rise in Asian markets for several years, and now they are finally starting to turn heads in North America. If you are looking to get your hands on a premium Android smartphone without jumping on the Samsung bandwagon, the Oppo Find X2 Pro might just be the phone for you.
One distinctive thing about the Find X2 Pro is its vegan leather backing. It feels great to the touch and gives the phone a distinctive and eye-catching look. It is also cruelty-free, so you can feel good about your choice while you use it.
Under the hood, things are on par with other smartphones in the premium bracket. It has a powerful Snapdragon 865, 256GB of storage, a 120Hz refresh rate, and an in-screen fingerprint scanner. It all adds up to a luxurious and enjoyable experience.The only real drawback comes with the battery and charging.
The Find X2 Pro has a slightly smaller battery than its competitors, which means your mileage may vary in terms of performance. It also doesn't have wireless charging, which is a bummer. However, it does have lightning quick fast-charging. Plugging it in will give you a full battery in 40 minutes.All things considered, Oppo has made a phone with very little compromises. If you still charge your phone via cable, you won't miss the wireless charging, and you are getting a beautiful screen, powerful performance, and a luxurious design in exchange. Oppo has certainly propelled itself into the premium handset space with the Find X2 Pro.
Read More Key FeaturesMotorola has absolutely dominated the budget phone space the past several years. Their excellent Moto G lineup has offered up the specs that count at a price point accessible to most consumers. Now, as processors become more powerful and capable, Motorola can turn its attention to the spec that most consumers want more of: battery power.
Introducing the Moto G Power. In all the other specs, the Moto G Power is just another well-rounded budget smartphone, but it offers mind-boggling battery life. Motorola promotes that the G Power can get three days of battery life, with some reporting even long life times than that. That's thanks to its massive 5,000 mAh battery and efficient Snapdragon 655 processor.
The display isn't top of the line, but it is more than enough for everyday users. It has a hole punch selfie camera, which matches the current aesthetic of premium smartphones. The back of the phone has a triple camera set up, though none of them are really comparable to more premium handsets. Yet, the big appeal of this device isn't the picture quality.
The Snapdragon 655 is paired with 4GB of RAM, which is more than enough to handle most games and apps. However, if you are playing something more graphically intense, you may notice some performance issues. However, for the savvy shopper who wants the absolute most battery power, the Moto G Power has everything you need. It's a sleek modern looking phone that offers literally days of battery life without breaking the bank.
Read More Key FeaturesOnePlus made a splash in the mobile industry a few years ago. When the OnePlus One came on the scene, it offered robust specs and features that were nearly on par with flagship devices from other manufacturers. The difference was OnePlus's devices were notably cheaper. While that price difference has shrunk over the years, OnePlus is still delivering some of the best phones on the market.
With the OnePlus 8, the company has put quality displays front and center, with all of their devices supporting at least a 90hZ display. A few years ago, mobile displays were locked at 60hZ. However, after Razer introduced the first 90hZ display, every manufacturer has been clamoring to up their refresh rate.
OnePlus's 8 Pro sports a 120Hz display, but now, even its entry model device has a 90Hz one. This means that moving between apps and even scrolling feels smoother, providing a notably more fluid experience.
However, it isn't just the display that is great on the OnePlus 8. Battery life is also notably higher than the top competition, with an average run time of 11 hours. That means the OnePlus 8 can last all day for most users. Combine that with its powerful Snapdragon 865 processor, and you have a device that really is on par with the competition.
The only place OnePlus falls short, as usual, is the camera. It isn't bad, but it just isn't on par with its top tier competitors. Still, if pictures aren't your main priority, the OnePlus 8 is a perfect choice when looking for the best Android phone.
Read More Key FeaturesFor power users, it is hard to find anything better than the Galaxy Note 10+. Samsung's Note series of phones is designed for people with a lot to do and need a lot of phone to do it. The Note 10+ has a massive 6.8 inch display, making it easily the largest phone available. The S Pen has also seen some notable upgrades over the years, including a selfie button.
Samsung has been fumbling the Note series ever since the Note 7, but the Galaxy Note 10+ is truly a return to form. That is exemplified by the remarkable camera system of the Note 10+. In particular, the night mode helps boost clarity and reduce glare from bright light sources. There is also a baked in video editor to make simple videos by trimming, adding audio, and overlaying text.
The Snapdragon 855 is a bit older than the 865, but it still has plenty of power and performance for the toughest of users. Combined with the Note 10+'s insane battery life, it will get just about anyone through nearly a full day of use.
Even if the battery didn't last you for some reason, the Note 10+ also has impressive fast charging. The massive phone can reach a full charge in just over an hour.
For a no-compromise phone that delivers everything you could possibly want and more, there isn't anything quite like the Galaxy Note 1o+.
Read More Key FeaturesIt shouldn't come as any surprise that Google makes some of the best phones for Android. With Google's Pixel devices, users are getting a stock Android experience that they are free to tweak and customize to their heart's content. The Pixel 4 XL is Google's latest and largest flagship phone, and it offers plenty of features to earn its place as one of the best Android smartphones.
The Pixel devices have led the industry with their mobile cameras since the Pixel 2, and the Pixel 4 XL offers the same story as usual. It offers the best daytime photos, the best color balance, and the most robust nighttime mode. If you are a shutterbug or just love taking a good photo on trips, the Pixel 4 XL is a must have. The Pixel 4 XL also has a smooth 90Hz display, which makes things crisp and smooth. That's better than the 60Hz displays that are on other devices.
The only thing really holding the Pixel 4 XL back is its massive notch. With so many flagship devices offering slimmer or non-existent notches, it is sad to see such a quality phone have such a dated aesthetic. However, that notch does hold an infrared camera that offers some of the fastest response time in the industry. It's just a shame it takes up so much screen real estate.
Still, if having the latest look isn't important, the Pixel 4 XL offers a powerful and extraordinary device that will please most users.
Read More Key FeaturesThe technology behind foldable screens has been around for a while, but it is only in this past year that we are seeing that technology be put into action. There were a few fumbles right out of the gate for tech, including Samsung's full recall of the original Galaxy Fold. However, most of the kinks have been ironed out, and Samsung has introduced the Galaxy Flip, a folding smartphone that is reasonably appealing to average consumers.
Tech-wise, the Galaxy Flip isn't too different from the S20. It has the same gorgeous camera, impressive display, and futuristic multi-colored coating. It does have a slightly weaker 855+ (as opposed to the 865 in the S20 series). The difference between the two chips is negligible, though.
The real feature of the Galaxy Flip, of course, is its folding ability. The smartphone folds in half horizontally like the flip phone days of old. That makes it notably different than the Galaxy Fold, which folded vertically. It is more akin to the new Motorola Razr, but unlike that phone the Flip doesn't have a clear gap between the screen and the body. However, foldable phones are still really prone to damage.
However, if you're looking for something more comfortable to carry around or just show off to your friends, the Galaxy Flip is hands down the best foldable phone you can get your hands on at the moment.
Read More Key FeaturesMobile gaming has moved well beyond the days of Angry Birds. As processors become more capable, smartphones are quickly improving their graphics quality in games, nearing console levels. And with popular games like PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds and Fortnite available on Android and iOS devices, mobile gaming is more viable than ever.
Since that is the case, having a smartphone centered around gaming isn't an entirely crazy idea anymore. In fact, as the RoG Phone 2 proves, it is actually a perfect market to appeal to with high end specs. The RoG Phone 2 has an eye-catching design reminiscent of Asus's line of RoG gaming laptops. Plus, it has two USB-C ports, one for portrait mode and the other for landscape. This makes charging more convenient while gaming, plus it allows users to attach RoG accessories like the cooling fan.
The RoG Phone 2 also has a smooth 120Hz display to make performance even smoother than the competition. Asus has also packed in tons of customizable features for the RoG Phone 2 to get the image quality just right.
All of that power and performance comes with some drawbacks, though. For one, the phone is absolutely massive and a bit unwieldy for every day use. And despite having a 48MP camera, phones in a similar price point deliver better quality and performance.
However, if your main goal is to have a beefy phone to give you the upper hand in Call of Duty: Mobile, the RoG Phone 2 is definitely the phone for you.
Read More Key FeaturesSamsung has never really been known for its midrange devices. However, as more competitors offer good enough experience at far lower costs, the company has had to shake up its price structures and put more effort into its lower and midrange devices. That focus gave consumers the excellent A50 last year, followed up by the A51. The A51 is similar to the A50 in many ways, but with some modest improvements.The A51 proves you can get premium enough specs in phones that aren't flagship devices. The A51 has a 1080p AMOLED display, which means the colors are vibrant and pop off the screen. It doesn't have the same pixel density as higher end devices, but it still looks great. Battery life is also excellent on the A51. It's 4,000mAh battery is enough for a full work day even when playing video. That's also impressive given the size of the A51's display. The camera is also pretty solid, at least for the price range. Users get a five camera setup, including a 48MP shooter that gets in a lot of detail and color accuracy. There is also a Focus Mode that blurs out the background for portrait shots.
If you're looking for a solid display and good cameras without going top-tier, the Samsung Galaxy A51 is an excellent choice.
Read More Key FeaturesIf your main focus is getting a high quality mobile phone camera without breaking the bank, the Google Pixel 3a is the phone for you. It has the same standout shooter as the original Pixel 3 but comes at a lower price. That price cut has caveats, such as a weaker processor and no wireless charging, but you still get one of the best Android experiences around.
The Pixel 3a is made of plastic instead of glass, but it still manages to have a premium look and feel. It is also comfortable in the hand unlike some of the more unwieldy phones in the premium space. The Pixel 3a certainly has a premium look to it. Pixel devices also have one benefit over Android phones from other manufacturers. Pixel devices are guaranteed the latest Android OS updates immediately, whereas other phones usually have to wait for their manufacturers or carriers' approval to get the update. With the Pixel 3a, users are still entitled to the latest and greatest Android updates.
The battery life is also impressive on the 3a. With a smaller screen and an efficient 670 processor, the 3a gets an average of 15 hours of use. That's more than enough for a full day and is well ahead of other phones in this price range.
For solid battery life and high quality photos, look no further than the Pixel 3a.
Read More Key FeaturesShopping for an Android device is a little different than buying one from Apple Apple's iPhones are the only option you have if you want an iOS device, but that isn't the case with Android. You can buy a phone directly through Google with stock Android if you prefer, or you can get devices from Samsung, LG, Motorola, and more with their own unique features and specifications.
What to Look for in an AndroidWith so many options in 2020, there are a few things that should come standard on the best Android phones. Android phones are known for having beautiful screens, lots of customizable features, and tons of performance power. With that in mind, here are some things to consider when shopping for the best Android phones.
Screen Size and ResolutionPhones are getting bigger every year now, and that's largely because of Android phones. Devices like the Samsung Galaxy Note made people realize that bigger really is better. Screen size is measured diagonally from edge to edge. Nowadays, most smartphones are at least five inches, with the largest smartphones being between six and six and a half inches.
Resolution is also important, especially as your phone size gets bigger. 1440p is a pretty common resolution on higher-end smartphones, though you should look more into the PPI (pixels per inch) than actual resolution. Generally, anything under 300ppi is going to look lower-quality. High-end android phones like the Galaxy S20 have PPIs over 500.
Battery LifeThis is the most important thing for most users. Phones can have beautiful displays and tons of power, but that doesn't mean anything if it can't make it through a full workday. Batter life ranges on all devices, though generally you will want something with at least six hours of battery life.
ProcessorPretty much everything your smartphone is capable of is determined by its processor. If you are looking to game or use AR with your smartphone, you will certainly want a device with the latest and most powerful processor. Qualcomm is the reigning champ of mobile processors, though there are some other variants out there. For the most power, look for Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800 series. The 600 chips are also plenty powerful on the budget end of things for the less intense user.
CameraIn 2020, cameras on smartphones are more capable than they ever have been. They can go toe-to-toe with even the best DSLR cameras have to offer. If you are a shutterbug, you will want to make sure your Android smartphone has a quality camera, or in many cases, multiple lenses. 12MP is generally the lowest quality you will want to go for the standard shooter, though 16MP is the average. If you want to take a variety of shots, make sure the phone has multiple camera apertures, such as a wide-angle lens.
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