The Android ecosystem is all about choice. While iPhone owners have a smaller pool of new devices to pick from when it’s time to upgrade, there’s a much wider range of choices on Android. You want incredible camera zoom? A built-in stylus? A phone that runs a complete desktop environment when you plug it into a monitor? You can find it on Android. Heck, you can find all of that in a single device.On the flip side, all that choice can make for some hard decisions. Here’s where I’d like to help; I’ve tested a whole boatload of recent Android phones, and I think there are some real winners in the current batch. It’s all a matter of what you’re looking for, what you’re comfortable spending, and what your definition of a “reasonably sized phone” is. (I have my own, personally.) If Samsung’s S24-series launch event is anything to go by, then it’s a safe bet that this year’s mobile tech buzzword will be AI. Generally speaking, AI has yet to really impress me on a phone. Google’s Pixel phones have some neat AI photo editing tricks, and Galaxy devices can translate a phone call for you in real time. These things are nothing to sneeze at! But just keep in mind that you’re always just a few taps away from AI-gone-wrong atrocities like Pillow Arm. Best not to put too much stock in any company’s AI claims just yet.What I’m looking forLongevity A great Android phone will go the distance. I look for signs that the hardware and software will keep up for many years to come, including a strong IP rating for dust and water resistance (IP68 is preferred), durable glass panels on the front and back, and a sturdy aluminum frame rather than plastic. A minimum of three years of Android OS version upgrades is preferred, along with a total of four or five years of security updates.A great screen The best Android phones have plenty of resolution to cover their large display area, which means 1440p, ideally. A fast refresh rate of at least 120Hz is preferred — animations and scrolling look super smooth at that rate — and even better if it’s variable down to 1Hz to save on battery life. Quality cameras Any phone can take a decent photo in good lighting, but the best phone cameras can handle low light and high-contrast scenes well, too. I look for optical (most common) or sensor-shift (rare) image stabilization, which helps compensate for hand shake and enable slower shutter speeds in low light to gather more light. A telephoto lens is great to have too, though high-res sensors are starting to offer better lossless crop modes that mimic short zoom lenses well.Wireless charging Most phones on this list offer wireless charging, though not all do. Lack of wireless charging isn’t a complete deal-breaker, but it’s becoming an essential feature for a lot of people since it’s convenient for charging many different kinds of devices. If you live in the US, I have some bad news about the Android market, though. For complicated reasons having to do with “capitalism” and “geopolitics,” we don’t get nearly as many of the options as you’ll find in Asia and Europe — brands like Huawei, Xiaomi, Honor, and Oppo just aren’t available here. I’ve limited this guide to the devices I’ve personally tested in depth; thus, it is a fairly US-centric set of recommendations. With that in mind, it’s also worth acknowledging that most people in the US get their phones “for free” from their wireless carrier. If you can manage it, buying a phone unlocked will give you the most flexibility and freedom if you end up wanting to change carriers in the near future. Phone manufacturers also offer financing and trade-in deals to make payment more manageable. But if you’re happy with your carrier and the free phone on offer is the one you really want, by all means, take the free phone. Just make sure you understand the terms, especially if you need to change plans to cash in on the deal. However you go about it, you have some fantastic options for your next Android phone.Best Android phone overallUnlike years past, the Galaxy S24 Plus gets the same QHD resolution as the Ultra model. Otherwise, it offers a very similar experience to the base model, only it’s noticeably bigger at 6.7 inches. That makes it roomy enough for a bigger 4,900mAh battery with 45W fast charging, too.Screen: 6.7-inch 1440p 120Hz OLED / Processor: Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 / Cameras: 50-megapixel F1.8 main with OIS, 10-megapixel 3x telephoto with OIS, 12-megapixel ultrawide, 12-megapixel selfie / Battery: 4,900mAh / Charging: 45W wired, 15W wireless / Weather resistance: IP68Samsung’s bigger flagship — but not the big big flagship — is once again the best Android phone for most people. The Galaxy S24 Plus is a crowd-pleaser if the crowds want a big screen, impressive cameras, and good battery life (I think they do). Samsung makes a big deal about its AI features, which are like all AI features on phones right now: hit-and-miss. You can have the phone act as a real-time language translator on phone calls. It works well enough and could really come in handy in a pinch. But the generative AI photo edits? Still very much a work in progress.Samsung’s S-series phone is once again the best option on Android for most people. Photo by Allison Johnson / The VergeOutside of software updates, you won’t find much new hardware here — and that’s fine. The updated Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset is powerful enough for just about anyone, the battery is a little bigger, and the screen gets a resolution bump this year for a crisper image. If these sound like minor updates, it’s because they are. But that’s okay when you’re already giving the people what they want.Best maximalist phone$1300The Galaxy S24 Ultra is the first in the series to use a titanium frame. It also includes an integrated S Pen and upgraded camera suite, along with the biggest display in the S24 line.Screen: 6.8-inch 1440p 120Hz OLED / Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 / Cameras: 200-megapixel main with OIS, 50-megapixel 5x telephoto with OIS, 10-megapixel 3x telephoto with OIS, 12-megapixel ultrawide, 12-megapixel selfie / Battery: 5,000mAh / Charging: 45W wired, 15W wireless / Weather resistance: IP68The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra says it all in the name: Ultra. It has everything you could ask for in a phone — well, at least one that doesn’t fold in half. There’s a stylus, two telephoto cameras, a massive battery, and one of the best ding dang screens on any phone, anywhere. Write your grocery list in style. Photo by Allison Johnson / The VergeSo why am I a little underwhelmed? For starters, Samsung swapped last year’s 10x telephoto camera for a higher-resolution 5x camera that uses in-sensor crop to zoom to 10x. This is a sensible move, and photos at 10x look fine, if not as crisp as they did on the last model. It’s also pricier this time around, and it was already an expensive phone. It’s pretty darn heavy, too, and Samsung’s switch to titanium for the frame hasn’t made it any lighter.Personal feelings about the zoom lens aside, the S24 Ultra is still basically peerless. Its much-touted AI features are fine, but if there’s one thing that makes it worth the upgrade, it’s the screen. Its anti-glare coating and boosted maximum brightness make it so comfortable to use outside it’s almost magic. That’s hardly a fancy new tech feature, but the Galaxy S24 Ultra is hardly any old phone.Best phone if you’re sick of hearing about AIThe OnePlus 12 retails for $100 more than its predecessor, but it comes with upgraded Hasselblad cameras, improved water resistance, and wireless charging. Coupled with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and up to 16GB of RAM, it holds its own against the top smartphones of 2024.Screen: 6.82-inch 1440p 120Hz LTPO OLED / Processor: Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Cameras: 50-megapixel f/1.6 main with OIS, 64-megapixel 3x telephoto with OIS, 48-megapixel f/2.2 ultrawide / Battery: 5400mAh / Charging: 80W wired, 50W wireless / Weather-resistance rating: IP65After a few years and a little soul-searching, OnePlus is back to its roots. The OnePlus 12 is an excellent device with
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