With Android thoroughly dominating the mobile industry, picking the best Android smartphones is almost synonymous with choosing the best smartphones, period. But while Android phones have few real opponents on other platforms, internal competition is incredibly fierce.
From sleek devices that impress with premium design, to powerhouses brimming with features, to all-around great devices, and affordable phones that punch above their weight, the Android ecosystem is populated by a staggering variety of attractive phones.
But “greatness” is subjective, and sometimes spec sheets and feature lists are not enough to make an idea of how good a phone really is. In this roundup, we’re looking at the absolute best – the Android phones you can’t go wrong with.
Editor’s note – We will be updating this list as more devices hit the market.
Update, June 2016: This month we added the HTC 10 to our list.
Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge
Samsung did a killer job with their 2015 flagship smartphones, the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. Design-wise, many would say those two phones were close to perfect. The company forwent a plastic design and instead included glass front and back panels with an aluminum frame. They weren’t without their flaws, though. The S6 and S6 Edge didn’t offer expandable storage or removable batteries — two features Samsung has been known to include in all its smartphones for years.
Now the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge have made their way to the masses, and they fix many of the problems the S6 line introduced last year. While they don’t offer removable batteries, Samsung included expandable storage on both handsets in case the 32GB of on-board storage isn’t enough. Samsung mostly stuck to the same design this time around, though they did shrink down the camera bumps on the back and made the devices a little thicker to make room for larger batteries.
In terms of specs, these are top-of-the-line smartphones. They come with Quad HD Super AMOLED displays, Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processors, 4GB of RAM, great 12MP rear-facing cameras and run the latest version of Android. Instead of featuring the same screen sizes this time around though, Samsung kept the S7 at a smaller 5.1 inches, while the S7 Edge has been bumped up to a larger 5.5-inch panel.
Seriously, these are some incredible smartphones. They are a little pricey, but all in all, we think the high asking price is worth it.
Specs
Samsung Galaxy S7
- 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, 577ppi
- Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor
- 4GB of RAM
- 32GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 200GB
- 12MP rear camera, 5MP front camera
- Non-removable 3000mAh battery
- Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow
- 142.4 x 69.6 x 7.9mm, 152g
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
- 5.5-inch Super AMOLED display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, 534ppi
- Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor
- 4GB of RAM
- 32GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 200GB
- 12MP rear camera, 5MP front camera
- Non-removable 3600mAh battery
- Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow
- 150.9 x 72.6 x 7.7mm, 157g
HTC 10
HTC needed a saving grace this year, and the 10 just may be it. The Taiwanese company finally designed a phone that’s different enough from its predecessor yet still sports a familiar design language. With an all-metal chassis, front-mounted fingerprint sensor and a new-and-improved speaker setup, the HTC 10 easily made its way to our best Android phones list.
Under the hood, the 10 comes with some killer specs. A 5.2-inch Quad HD display, Snapdragon 820 processor and 4 GB of RAM are in line with most other flagships this year, and it also comes with expandable storage up to 200 GB and a 3000 mAh battery that will have no problems lasting an entire day on a single charge. HTC also improved the camera this time around, which was a big flaw in last year’s One M9 flagship.
All in all, the HTC 10 is an awesome device. Great specs and a solid build quality are what you’ll get here… what more could you ask for?
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Specs
- 5.2-inch Super LCD5 display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, 565 ppi
- 2.15 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor
- 4 GB of RAM
- 32/64 GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 200 GB
- 12 MP rear camera, 5 MP front camera
- Non-removable 3000 mAh battery
- Android 6.0 Marshmallow
- 145.9 x 71.9 x 9 mm, 161 g
LG G5
While the Galaxy S7 series is a minor refresh in terms of design, the LG G5 sees a massive departure from the design language used in the G series, ditching the rear volume/power setup that first debuted with the LG G2. The G5 also adopts a unibody metallic design that has a removable cap for access to the removable battery and a port for modules that allow users to expand the phone’s capabilities by adding a camera grip and other special accessories.
The distinctly different design of the LG G5 may not be for everyone, but there’s little denying that LG has went out of its way to try and innovate in a market where big changes like this aren’t all that common.
Spec wise, we’re looking at a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 with 4GB RAM, a 5.3-inch display, and 32GB storage with microSD for expansion. The specs here are certainly impressive all across the board. It’s also worth mentioning that LG has revamped its software, making it faster and less bloated. One controversial move with the software, however, is the removal of the app drawer in favor of what LG says is a “simplified experience.”
Specs
- 5.3-inch IPS LCD display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, 554ppi
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor
- 4GB of RAM
- 32GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 200GB
- 16 and 8MP dual rear cameras, 8MP front camera
- Removable 2800mAh battery
- Android 6.0 Marshmallow
- 149.4 x 73.9 x 7.7mm, 159g
Nexus 6P
As the successor to last year’s Motorola Nexus 6, Google recently unveiled the Huawei-made Nexus 6P. This device is the higher-end of the two Nexus phones announced at Google’s event, and that’s incredibly apparent when looking at the spec sheet.
It comes with a big 5.7-inch Quad HD AMOLED display, super fast Snapdragon 810 processor, a giant 3450mAh battery and an impressive 12MP rear-facing camera. Want to get your hands on one? The Nexus 6P is pretty cheap, considering the specs and build quality. You can purchase it from the Google Store starting at just $419!
This is really one of the best Android handsets we’ve ever seen. If you have a few hundred dollars to spend and aren’t keen on the best from Samsung or LG, get the Nexus 6P.
Specs
- 5.7-inch AMOLED display with 1440 x 2560 resolution, 518ppi
- Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor
- 3GB of RAM
- 32/64/128GB of on-board storage, no microSD card expansion
- 12MP rear camera, 8MP front camera
- Non-removable 3450mAh battery
- Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow
- 159.3 x 77.8 x 7.3mm, 178g
Samsung Galaxy Note 5
It’s hard denying that Samsung has always been the king of large-screened smartphones, and that still holds true today. With its crystal clear 5.7-inch display, powerful Exynos 7420 CPU and killer 16MP rear-facing camera, the Galaxy Note 5 is one of the best Android phones available on the market right now.
It’s an all-around solid device, boasting an all-glass chassis that’s similar to that of the Galaxy S7. It comes with an improved S Pen and some great multitasking features that will make it easy to get work done. The software is much more clean and simple than we’ve seen from the company in the past, too.
With all of that said, though, this device doesn’t come without its caveats. Samsung’s decision to omit the microSD card slot and removable battery has been a controversial one over the past few weeks, especially among Samsung die-hards. Even with these notable omissions, the Note 5 can still be considered one of the best out there.
Specs
- 5.7-inch Super AMOLED display with 1440 x 2560 resolution, 518ppi
- Samsung Exynos 7420 processor
- 4GB of RAM
- 32/64GB of on-board storage, no microSD card expansion
- 16MP rear camera, 5MP front camera
- Non-removable 3000mAh battery
- Android 6.0 Marshmallow
- 153.2 x 76.1 x 7.6mm, 171g
LG V10
If you aren’t completely satisfied with the LG G4, perhaps the V10 will suit your needs. It has the same powerful Snapdragon 808 processor and 16MP rear-facing camera as the G4, but with a few extra features included. Most notably, the V10 sports a secondary “ticker” display LG calls the Second Screen. This extra display aims to provide its users useful information without the need to turn on the main screen. It will display app shortcuts, notifications, and even weather and battery percentage information. Although the placement is a bit wonky, we’re sure you’ll be pretty happy with the added benefit of having a secondary display.
The V10 also has two front-facing cameras for wide-angle selfies, a fingerprint scanner that’s actually really reliable, a MIL-STD-810G Transit Drop Compliant rating for shock absorption, and a 32-bit Hi-Fi DAC electronic processor with support for Qualcomm’s QFE2550 closed-loop antenna tuning solution. It’s also the first smartphone ever to come with a manual mode for taking video.
Both the V10 and the G4 are great smartphones. If you aren’t concerned with spending a bit more money, though, you should buy the V10. It’s available now from Amazon for $490.01.
Specs
- Main display: 5.7-inch IPS Quantum Display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, 513ppi
- Secondary display: 2.1-inch IPS Quantum Display with 160 x 1040 resolution, 513ppi
- Hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor
- 4GB of RAM
- 64GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 2TB
- 16MP rear camera, 5MP Dual Lens front camera
- Removable 3000mAh battery
- Android 6.0 Marshmallow
- 159.6 x 79.3 x 8.6mm, 192g
Motorola Moto X Pure Edition (aka Moto X Style)
With the original Moto X, Motorola proved you don’t need to have the latest specs to get a great user experience. With the second generation, the Lenovo-owned company took no chances and double-downed on the spec side as well, packing the new Moto X (2014) with a dense 5.2-inch AMOLED screen, a beefy processor, and a capable 13MP camera. But with the Moto X Style, Motorola reaches the perfect balance between performance, simplicity, price and… well, style.
The device is not a bad contender in terms of hardware, either. The larger screen puts the phone up with contenders like the OnePlus 2, Nexus 6, LG G4 and the Galaxy Note series. It may not sport the “best” processor in the market, but the Snapdragon 808 is pretty close to the 810, and Motorola has proven time and again they can make a super fast phone without the greatest chipset.
It’s worth noting that the phone will be sold in most markets under the Style branding, though in the United States it will be sold as the Moto X Pure Edition, an unlocked model that will play nice with all U.S. carriers. You can purchase the Moto X Pure Edition from Motorola or Amazon for only $299.00.
Specs
- 5.7-inch IPS LCD display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, 520ppi
- 1.8GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor
- 3GB of RAM
- 16/32/64GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 128GB
- 21MP rear camera, 5MP front camera
- Non-removable 3000mAh battery
- Android 6.0 Marshmallow
- 153.9 x 76.2 x 11.06mm, 179g
How did you like our list? Do you have any other suggestions? If so, feel free to voice your opinion in the comments below!
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