We test a ton of Android phones. We like the ones below, but you’ll be better off with one of the options above. If you haven’t already, check out our Best Cheap Phones and Best Folding Phones guides for more.
Google Pixel 9 for $785: The Pixel 9 is a very good smartphone (9/10, WIRED Recommended), but between the Pixel 8A and Pixel 9 Pro series, it struggles to stand out. It shares many features with its more expensive siblings, but you can get very similar experience to the Pixel 8A, while saving hundreds of dollars. If you like the design and you like the new smart software features, don’t let me stop you! But there’s a good chance the Pixel 8A will get many of the same perks through a software update in the coming months.
Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro for $600 and $900: The Pixel 8 or Pixel 8 Pro (7/10, WIRED Recommend) from 2023 are still available to buy and they’re great devices with life left in them. Just make sure you don’t spend more than $500 or $700. Anything else and you should just buy from the new Pixel 9 series.
Honor Magic V3 for £1,799: If you’re outside the US, the Magic V3 might be the best folding phone right now; it’s definitely the thinnest folding phone in the world (8/10, Recommended by WIRED). It has great battery life, a wide outer screen that looks like a normal phone, and a wide inner screen when opened. Although the cameras are versatile, even the ultrawide isn’t great, and the phone’s general software can cause some annoyances.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 for $1,900: The Fold6 (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is an excellent big-screen folding smartphone. If you are concerned about durability and repairability when buying a fold, Samsung is your best bet as it has been making these devices for the longest time. The cameras take great pictures, the displays are surprisingly bright, and Samsung promises long software support. The Fold6’s exterior screen is slightly wider and more user-friendly than previous iterations, but otherwise, there aren’t a ton of new changes outside of AI advancements. You can still get last year’s Galaxy Z Fold5 to save some dough.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 for $1,100: The Flip6 (7/10, WIRED Recommends) has some perks over Motorola’s new Razr+, like a better hinge mechanism, better build quality, stronger cameras, and longer software support. But I still prefer the overall Motorola flip experience, mostly because of the larger external screen. However, the Flip6’s 3.4-inch cover screen is handy for glancing at widgets, and you can flip it open to get a big-screen Android phone experience. The Galaxy Z Flip5 is a worthy option to consider if you don’t mind buying last year’s technology at a lower price.
Motorola Moto G Play 2024 for $130: On a tight budget? This Motorola phone does not have NFC for contactless payments, nor does it support 5G. It will also only get an Android OS upgrade. That said, performance was pretty good during my time testing it, and the 6.5-inch LCD screen was legible in sunny conditions.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Series ($700+): The Galaxy S23 range (9/10, WIRED Recommended) consists of the 6.1-inch Galaxy S23, the 6.6-inch S23+, and the massive 6.8-inch S23 Ultra packed with high-end features, from the powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen. 2 chipset that keeps even the most demanding games running beautifully on smooth and bright 120-Hz AMOLED displays. Battery life has improved across the board, with the S23 comfortably lasting more than a day and the S23 Ultra coming in at nearly two full days with typical use. Triple camera systems are the highlight, delivering impressive results day or night. The S23 Ultra has a special 10X optical zoom camera, which is no longer available in the latest S24 Ultra, and I miss it. It’s nice to take sharp pictures of objects in the distance. It’s the only phone in the trio with an embedded S Pen stylus if you like to doodle. Try to avoid MSRP because they are a year old; sometimes these prices match the latest models, which is a bad deal.
Xiaomi Poco X6 for £319 and X6 Pro for £369: Not in the US? You should check out the Poxo X6 or Poco X6 Pro (7/10, Recommended by WIRED). These are fast phones considering the low price, great displays, and decent battery life, and the X6 even has a headphone jack! Shame there’s a lot of bloatware and limited water resistance, and the cameras are lackluster.
