Androids come in various flavors, and at every price point. Each manufacturer throws its own skin on and bundles in exclusive features. Here’s five.
Samsung is the world’s largest smartphone vendor, according to Statista, and it’s likely that you have heard nothing but praise for its devices in recent years, especially the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. However, a benefit of not being as constrained as iOS is the fact that Android comes in various flavors, from different manufacturers, and at every price point. Each manufacturer throws its own skin on top of Android and bundles in exclusive features.
While Samsung itself boasts a wide catalog of devices, some people might not enjoy the One UI skin, or could find the designs of most current-gen Samsung phones uninspiring and similar. Thankfully, worthwhile competition from brands like OnePlus, Google, Asus, and others means options go far beyond a Samsung Galaxy.
For this list, we’ve stuck with smartphones that feature premium specifications — but don’t worry, there is a healthy selection of budget friendly Android phones as well. From a device that folds in half, to a smartphone geared towards gaming, here are some of the best Android phones you can buy that aren’t made by Samsung. We’ve based our list on reviews from experts in the industry, and you can find out more about our methodology at the end of this read.Google Pixel 9 Pro
Amidst countless forgotten Google products that tend to get shelved, the Pixel lineup of devices has surprisingly stuck around. Being manufactured by the same company that develops Android has its benefits, including day one software updates and an experience devoid of any bloatware. The Pixel 9 Pro rivals the likes of the iPhone and Galaxy S24 Ultra, and features a 6.3-inch 120 Hz OLED display, capable of soaring way up to 3,000 nits of peak brightness.
Our review of the Google Pixel 9 Pro talks about its excellent and reliable-as-ever camera setup, and how the suite of AI features hopes to add value to an already mature operating system. For big phone lovers, the 6.8-inch screen of the Pixel 9 Pro XL, and its bigger battery, should bring an enjoyable media consumption experience. Both phones are powered by Google’s in-house Tensor G4 chip, which, while not known for the highest of numbers in synthetic benchmarks, still offers one of the smoothest ways to enjoy Android.
Google promises up to seven years of Android updates for its Pixel 9 series, which, alongside 16GB of RAM, should help with future-proofing. The smaller Pixel 9 Pro starts at $999, and you can max these devices up to a terabyte of storage. You also get access to a year’s worth of Gemini Advanced for free, so at least you get to experience all the AI features before handing out a separate subscription fee to Google.OnePlus 12
Since the brand’s inception in 2014, OnePlus phones have never skimped out on their internals. The OnePlus 12 is a similar story, and packs in performance that matches flagships from Samsung and Apple — all the while undercutting most premium smartphones by a decent margin. Pricing starts at $799, for which you get 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, with an option to double the internal capacity and bump the RAM to 16GB.
