Not taken with the iPhone X? These are the top Android smartphones money can buy right now.
There’s one key way in which Android is massively different from its Apple-branded smartphone competition – the number of phones out there running Google’s hot mobile OS.
The big names are all here; Samsung, Sony, LG and Google are at the fore. The many variations in screen size, processor power, software features and design makes finding the best Android phone for you extremely tough.
2018 promises to bring us a new fleet of high-powered, highly attractive and showstopping handsets, with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S9, HTC U12, LG G7, Huawei P11 and OnePlus 6 all rumored – but for now that’s all they are, rumors.
To help find the most fitting Android phone for you, we’ve rounded up the best Android handsets out there today, rating the phones on hardware performance, OS upgrade potential and, of course, how shiny and nice they are to have and boast about to work colleagues.
So here they are – the best Android phones money can buy today. For many, many different reasons.
Biometrics aside, this is the best Android phone
Samsung has once again taken the top spot of the best Android phone in the world right now.
Samsung’s latest Galaxy S8 is in the top position of this list thanks to an incredible design, amazing display and some truly great power packed into the phone.
Everything that has made Samsung phones great over the last few years has been packed into this 5.8-inch device – that’s almost bezeless too – and comes with top of the range hardware and some easy to use Android software.
There’s a new iris scanner to allow you to unlock the phone with just your eyes and Samsung has also included a new voice assistant called Bixby. It’s not the perfect device some had hoped for, but it’s the best Android phone you can buy at the moment.
Samsung still owns second place too
Second place goes to the Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus. We’ve loved both the Galaxy S6 Edge and the Galaxy S7 Edge, but this year we prefer the smaller device of the flagship pairing.
The size of the Galaxy S8 Plus may put some people off at 6.2-inches, but we found the device easy to use and the main reason the Plus sits in second place is its higher price.
Everything we love about the Galaxy S8 is available here as Samsung has decided to only really changed the sizes of the screens rather than fiddling with the spec inside the device.
That same powerful 12MP camera and top of the range power setup is here to do everything you want it to as well as the new biometric tech that may allow you to unlock your phone faster than ever before.
The perfect phone for small-handed Android fans
A big-screen handset isn’t for everyone though, and for those looking for a palm-friendly phone which still boasts the power and performance of a flagship will like the look of the Google Pixel 2.
It’s bezel heavy design won’t exactly dazzle, but this is a phone you can comfortably use one-handed, with a crisp, clear full HD display and stock Android 8 Oreo at your fingertips.
Like its bigger brother, the Pixel 2 XL, the Pixel 2 also boasts Google’s stunning 12MP camera which takes seriously impressive snaps.
The smaller size does mean the Pixel 2 carries a smaller price tag, but it’s still far from cheap and when it comes to spending this amount we’d recommend plumping for the Pixel 2 XL if its size doesn’t put you off.
A battery warrior with a great camera
Huawei is getting really good at making competitive, high-end flagships these days and the Mate 10 Pro is its best handset to date.
The standout feature is battery life, toppling pretty much every other phone on this list, but it’s also got a decent slug of power under the hood to handle any task you can chuck at it.
For those looking for a strong camera performance from their phone need to take a look at the Mate 10 Pro as well. Phones higher up in this list offer better auto modes, but for camera enthusiasts the Mate 10 Pro provides a great selection of modes and settings.
When it comes to being the biggest, Note 8 is the best
Three Samsung phones in the top five?! It may seem extreme, but there’s a very good reason why – they’re all really, really good.
The Galaxy Note 8 doesn’t quite hit the heights of its S8 siblings thanks to its lofty price tag and number of similarities to the S8 Plus, but it’s a triumphant return to form for a series that was potentially in trouble after the Note 7 debacle .
But enough about other handsets, what makes the Galaxy Note 8 worthy of its fifth place birth? There’s no question the phablet is more of a niche device, but its iconic S Pen stylus is now even better, with higher accuracy and more levels of pressure sensitivity making it great for sketching and drawing.
Then there’s the massive 6.3-inch QHD Infinity Display which is superb for movies and games, and with a display this big using apps side-by-side isn’t just possible, it makes sense!
A confident step forward and a boat-load of features
Just when you think it’s a Samsung landslide in the best Android phones list, the LG V30 appears!
Building on the G6 from earlier in 2016, the V30 improves in a number of ways including an improved design, larger, more colorful display and an update-to-date chipset under the hood.
In short what you get is a super smartphone absolutely bursting with features, making it great for gaming, movies, photography and music.
Its design isn’t quite as jaw-dropping as the Samsung’s that rank higher than it, nor are its dual-cameras quite the all-round super snappers, but this is a seriously impressive smartphone.
The LG G6 is a top Android smartphone, with an excellent premium design, lovely QHD display and clever dual camera setup round the back giving you plenty to play with and enjoy.
However, some odd choices to go with lower-spec performance and not upgrade the camera in a meaningful way, but with more recent price drops the LG G6 is still more than good enough for our best Android phone list.
That doesn’t mean the G6 isn’t innovative – the screen looks great and there’s raw power, from the camera to the battery to the general snappiness of the handset, rippling through this phone.
The best low-cost flagship around
The OnePlus 5T offers a pleasing array of upgrades that keeps fans of the brand happy without reinventing the wheel or upping the price.
It’s the best phone the brand has ever made, and one that can mix it with the best handsets around without looking out of place
While there are a few small compromises to consider – no QHD display, stereo speakers, expandable storage or standout camera – the OnePlus 5T represents some of the best value for money in the market.
