Selecting one of the best Android cellphone can really feel overwhelming as there are such a lot of choices from so many manufacturers, it’s laborious to know the place to start out. In contrast to Apple, which sticks to its modern lineup of iPhones, Android provides a world of selection. Whether or not you are eyeing the newest flagship from Samsung, a budget-friendly smartphone from Motorola or one thing distinctive with a foldable design, there’s an Android system on the market to fit your wants.
The great thing about Android is its flexibility. You’ll discover telephones with completely different display screen sizes, digicam setups, battery life and even quirky extras like stylus assist or rugged builds. Plus, Android helps you to customise your system to your coronary heart’s content material – one thing Apple followers would possibly envy. We’ve examined and researched the highest Android telephones that will help you discover the suitable one in your price range, life-style, and tech preferences.
Finest Android telephones for 2025
Learn our full Google Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL review
Processor: Google Tensor G4 | Show: 6.3-inch Tremendous Actua, as much as 120Hz | Cameras: Rear array (50MP broad, 48MP ultrawide with Macro Focus, 48MP 5x telephoto lens), 42MP twin PD selfie entrance digicam with autofocus | Battery: 4,700mAh
Lastly, a smaller Pixel Professional. Google’s Pixel sequence has lengthy been among the best Android telephones round, with the Professional mannequin being the superior model. But it surely was at all times slightly too huge and too cumbersome for these of us who’ve smaller arms or need our telephones to slot in our pockets. Cue the Pixel 9 Pro, which is the littler model of the Pixel 9 Professional XL. As a substitute of a comparatively massive 6.8-inch display screen like that on its greater sibling, the usual Professional has a 6.3-inch show that’s straightforward to maneuver. No extra worrying about dropping your Pixel Professional simply since you fumbled whereas making an attempt to achieve the highest of the display screen!
Higher but, with the Pixel 9 Professional, Google hasn’t sacrificed any key function to get to the smaller dimension, which means you may discover the identical digicam setup and efficiency in each handsets. The one actual variations are the display screen dimension, battery and charging speeds, because the non-XL mannequin recharges at a barely slower fee. However the Pixel 9 Professional can also be a lot longer-lasting than the XL, notching virtually 25 hours on our battery check.
These distinctions apart, the Pixel 9 Professional lineup is our favourite Android cellphone due to its top-notch digicam efficiency, intriguing AI options and a common grown-up vibe. Whereas earlier Pixel flagships had a colourful, blocky design that felt contemporary, this yr’s gadgets really feel stable and refined. And, dare we are saying it, virtually like iPhones. With out the digicam bars, they might be fairly laborious to inform other than Apple’s telephones.
Presumably as a result of it is grown up a lot over time, however the Pixel telephones now value the identical as iPhones. The Pixel 9 Professional and iPhone 15 Professional each begin at $999, and although a few of us have come to think about Google’s handsets because the extra competitively priced choice, this yr’s mannequin is perhaps adequate to justify a premium value. If you happen to nonetheless need one thing from the Pixel 9 household however do not wish to pay $1,000, the bottom Pixel 9 continues to be a stable handset for most individuals. However because it stands, the Pixel 9 Professional is one of the best Android handset cash should buy. — Cherlynn Low, Deputy Editor
- Nice digicam options and improved telephoto digicam
- A yr of Gemini Superior at no cost
- Unimaginable battery life
- A wonderful, brilliant display screen that’s straightforward to make use of open air
- Tensor G4 runs cooler than its predecessor
- Slower charging speeds than the XL
- Not one of the best cellphone for gaming
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
Learn our full Google Pixel 9a review
Processor: Google Tensor G4 | Show: 6.3-inch 1,080 x 2,424 pOLED, as much as 120Hz | Cameras: Rear array (48MP broad, 13MP ultrawide), 13MP entrance digicam | Battery: 5,100mAh
The Pixel 9a is not particularly flashy and it would not have any particular options that are not already accessible on its costlier siblings. In truth, it really has slower charging and it is lacking assist for a few of Google’s homegrown software program just like the Screenshots app. However for everybody who simply needs a easy cellphone with a stable design, a pleasant display screen, glorious cameras and robust battery life, the Pixel 9a is de facto laborious to beat. So whereas it isn’t tremendous fancy, the cellphone has all of its most vital bases lined (after which some). However most significantly, beginning at simply $499, this cellphone seems like an unimaginable deal that punches nicely above its value. — Sam Rutherford, Senior Reporter
- Glossy design
- Superior battery life
- Good show
- Nice cameras
- IP68 score for mud and water resistance
- Charging could possibly be quicker
- No Pixel Screenshot app
- Macro Focus mode is usually a bit finicky
Photograph by Sam Rutherford / Engadget
Learn our full Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra review
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite | Show: 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2x QHD+, as much as 120Hz | Cameras: Rear array (200MP, Twin Pixel AF, Digital Zoom 100x, 50MP Macro, 50MP UW), 12MP entrance digicam | Battery: 5,000mAh
The S25 Ultra is a do-anything cellphone. It has a variety of cameras together with a 5x telephoto lens and a brand new 50-megapixel sensor for its ultra-wide shooter, a beautiful 6.9-inch AMOLED show (which is 0.1 inches greater than final yr) and naturally, Samsung’s signature S Pen. That mentioned, for 2025, Samsung’s primary focus was on its improved Galaxy AI options akin to Now Temporary, which creates a personalised feed of stories, occasions and extra. There’s additionally Drawing Help that makes it simpler to create AI-generated artwork, or you’ll be able to flip to AI Choose for assist with taking screenshots, turning movies into GIFs or summarizing tales.
Sadly, except for a brand new Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, the S25 Extremely doesn’t include a ton of latest {hardware} in comparison with its predecessor (or the S23U for that matter). So whereas Samsung’s newest flagship is a superb cellphone, it doesn’t really feel like a necessary improve for individuals with flagship gadgets which can be solely a yr or two previous. — S.R.
- Wonderful display screen
- Nice efficiency and battery life
- Anti-reflective Gorilla Armor 2 panels
- Slimmer bezels
- New 50MP ultra-wide sensor
- S Pen not suppers Air actions
- Identical primary and telephoto cameras as final yr
- Not totally appropriate with magnetic Qi2 equipment
- Costly
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
Learn our full Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 review
Processor: Snapdragon 8 Elite | Show: 8-inch 2184 x 1968QXGA+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X full show, 6.5-inch 2520 x 1080FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X cowl show | Cameras: Rear array (200MP broad, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP telephoto), 10MP entrance digicam | Battery: 4,400mAh
One of many largest points with foldable telephones is the added dimension and weight that usually comes with the inclusion of a versatile show. Samsung has made {that a} factor of the previous on the Galaxy Z Fold 7, which sports activities bigger screens — each in and out — whereas being 26 % thinner than earlier than. And as if that wasn’t sufficient, the Z Fold 7 additionally options improved sturdiness, elevated efficiency and a brand new 200MP primary digicam, matching or exceeding what you get from conventional flagship smartphones. The principle downsides are that at $2,000, it is nonetheless removed from reasonably priced and for long-time Samsung followers, the lack of S Pen assist could also be a dealbreaker. However for many who wish to expertise new heights in foldable cellphone design, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is a masterpiece of contemporary gadget design. — S.R.
- Exquisitely skinny design
- Sleeker hinge
- Massive 200MP primary digicam
- Bigger shows
- High-tier efficiency
- Very costly
- No S Pen assist
- Mediocre charging speeds
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
Learn our full OnePlus 13 review
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite | Show: 6.8-inch OLED, 120Hz, 4,500 nits max brightness | Cameras: Rear array (50MP broad, 50MP ultrawide, 50MP telephoto), 32MP entrance digicam | Battery: 6,000mAh
Whereas the OnePlus 13 options some primary AI options like Google’s Circle to Search and Gemini assistant, it’s actually simply an old style flagship in all one of the best methods. That’s as a result of as an alternative of specializing in machine studying, OnePlus crammed the cellphone with tons of top-notch {hardware}. It sports activities a 6.8-inch OLED show with an unimaginable peak brightness of as much as 4,500 nits. The OP13 additionally provides glorious efficiency due to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, together with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. There are additionally three 50-MP rear cameras together with one with a 3x telephoto zoom and an enormous 6,000 mAh battery that’s greater than what you get in virtually all of its opponents.
OnePlus didn’t skimp on the cellphone’s design both, because the OP13 nonetheless comes with the corporate’s signature Alert Slider. Plus, in case you go for the blue or white variants, you’ll get a sturdy and really touchable vegan leather-based again that helps the cellphone stand out amongst all its glass brick rivals. However one of the best half is that beginning at $900, it prices lower than an equal Galaxy S25+ too.
- Class-leading battery life
- Tremendous-bright show
- Nice efficiency
- Engaging design
- Photograph high quality could possibly be a contact higher
- Solely six years of software program assist as an alternative of seven
- Wants a case to totally assist magnetic Qi2 equipment
What to search for in a brand new Android cellphone
Efficiency
In the case of selecting our favourite Android telephones, the principle issues we search for are fairly easy: good efficiency (each compute and AI), a pleasant show, stable design, sharp cameras, lengthy battery life and a major dedication to ongoing software program assist. For efficiency, not solely can we have a look at benchmarks and different metrics, however we additionally consider telephones primarily based on responsiveness. No matter whether or not you’re studying, textual content messaging, scrolling via social media or enjoying a sport, nobody needs a gadget that feels sluggish.
Show
In the case of shows, we typically choose OLED panels that may produce wealthy, saturated colours with not less than 600 nits of brightness, although lots of our high mid-range and high-end telephones can hit 1,000 nits or extra. And extra lately, most of our favourite gadgets additionally assist screens with quick refresh charges of 90Hz or 120Hz, which provides an additional degree of smoothness and fluidity.
Design
Now we are going to admit there’s a little bit of subjectivity when deciding which telephones look one of the best, however there are different design elements like mud and water resistance or display screen sturdiness that may make a giant distinction to long-term survival. It’s additionally vital to think about issues like assist for wi-fi charging, energy sharing (aka reverse wi-fi charging) and UWB connectivity, which may have an effect on how your cellphone interacts together with your different gadgets.
Cameras
Clearly, for pictures we’re searching for sharp, colourful photographs in each brilliant and low-light situations. And we wish video clips with excessive dynamic vary, wealthy audio and clean picture stabilization. Further cameras for ultra-wide and telephoto lenses are a plus. The very best cameras must also embody options like devoted evening modes, assist for varied video recording resolutions, and extra photograph modes like timelapse, sluggish movement and extra.
Battery and software program
Lastly, when it comes to longevity, we’re searching for all-day battery life on gadgets that additionally delivered nice outcomes on our native video rundown check (not less than 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 high picks have this additional perk. Quick-charging is offered on some Android telephones, too. Lastly, with individuals holding onto their telephones longer than ever, we prefer to see corporations decide to not less than three years of software program assist, upgrades and common safety updates.
