Finding the best Android smartphones can be tough. Even tougher to narrow that list down to the one you want, or should buy. That’s where we come in. Throughout the year, a lot of Android smartphones come across our desk, making it easier to find which ones are the “best”. It also makes it easier to find out which ones are not worth your attention.
This list has the best smartphones in different areas like battery life, camera experience, 5G, etc. So no matter what you’re looking for, you’ll find the right smartphone for you. If you are looking for something a bit cheaper, you can check out our Top 10 Best Value Smartphones.
Top 10 Best Android Smartphones 2021
We are on the cusp of a new crop of smartphones, running on Qualcomm’s latest chipsets. But those won’t be available until the end of January at the earliest. So these are the best smartphones available right now, and many of them are discounted now.
If you’re in the market for a new smartphone right now, you really can’t do wrong going with any of the ten smartphones listed below. And they range from $349 up to $1449, so there’s something for everyone’s budget.
Best Overall Smartphone
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
The Galaxy S22 Ultra is no surprise as our pick for the best overall smartphone right now. It checks literally every box out there, including having a stylus. Samsung basically took its Galaxy S Ultra smartphone and the Galaxy Note Ultra and merged them into a single device, giving us the Galaxy S22 Ultra.
Samsung has outfitted the Galaxy S22 Ultra with a massive 6.8-inch QHD+ 120Hz AMOLED display, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, starting at 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. It does go up to 12GB of RAM and 1TB of storage though, for additional costs. It also has some slightly updated camera sensors compared to the Galaxy S21 Ultra, and the S Pen is no built-in. And no longer an additional purchase.
Galaxy S22 Ultra – Samsung.com
Best Battery Life Smartphone
Google Pixel 6
The Google Pixel 6 is a really great smartphone, coming in at just $599. Which makes the fact that it is the best battery life smartphone even more incredible. But as we found out in our review, the Pixel 6 is a battery life champ.
Google outfitted the Pixel 6 with 6.4-inch FHD+ display, there’s the new Tensor chipset inside with 8GB of RAM included. That also comes with 128GB of storage too.
Best Camera Smartphone
Google Pixel 6 Pro
The Pixel 6 Pro is probably not a surprise for the best camera smartphone, to be quite honest. But it does offer a really great camera, that was finally upgraded in 2021.
Pixel 6 comes with a 6.7-inch QHD+ 120Hz display, powered by Google’s new Tensor chipset, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. There’s also a nice 5003mAh capacity battery inside which will keep your phone going all-day long and then some.
Let’s not forget that it also shipped with Android 12 out of the box and will get at least three years of OS updates. And at least five years of security updates. That’s quite impressive.
Best Compact Smartphone
Samsung Galaxy S22
The Galaxy S22 is the smallest version of the Galaxy S22 family this year. It comes in with a 6.1-inch display, which is actually smaller than the Galaxy S21 was last year. That might still sound like it’s a pretty large phone still, and yeah 6-inches is still large. But it’s smaller than most other phones.
As mentioned, it sports a 6.1-inch FHD+ 120Hz AMOLED display, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor inside, along with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. It’s pretty competitive at $799, considering Apple is selling its regular iPhone 13 at that price.
Best 5G Smartphone
Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus
The best 5G smartphone is a bit of a tough one to really do these days, as all smartphones are 5G smartphones now. But the Galaxy S22 Plus is a really great, all-around smartphone. And supports mmWave, C-Band and Sub-6 5G networks.
The Galaxy S22 Plus has a 6.6-inch FHD+ 120Hz AMOLED display, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor inside, with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. There is also a 4500mAh capacity battery inside, which should keep it going all-day long and then some. It’s a very solid smartphone for the cash. And it is no longer made of plastic like its predecessor, it’s back to being glass and metal.
Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus – Samsung.com
Best Gaming Smartphone
ASUS ROG Phone III
The ASUS ROG Phone III isn’t yet available to buy in the US, but it will be soon. So only the Chinese version is available without a warranty. So do keep that in mind here.
The ROG Phone III is by far the best gaming smartphone available. It kept that huge 6000mAh capacity battery, which will keep you gaming for hours. It also sports a 6.59-inch FHD+ display that has a 120Hz refresh rate. It’s powered by the Snapdragon 865+ chipset, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. There are models that go up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage as well.
This is a monster of a phone, which is what makes it great for gaming. And that battery is going to last all day and then some. Even with some heavy gaming.
Note: As of May 1, 2021, the ASUS ROG Phone 5 is not yet available to purchase in the US and therefore not on our list. You can buy an imported international version, but we don’t recommend that as it may not fully work on US carrier networks nor come with a warranty.
ASUS ROG Phone II – Amazon – $715
Best smartphone with stock Android
ASUS ZenFone 8
Now that the ASUS Zenfone 8 is finally available to purchase, we can add it to this list – replacing the Zenfone 6.
The Zenfone 8 is a mostly stock Android smartphone, but it’s also a compact smartphone. Coming in with a 5.9-inch FHD+ display, the Snapdragon 888 5G chipset, 8GB of RAM with either 128GB or 256GB of storage on board. And a massive 4500mAh capacity battery.
Software-wise, this is mostly stock Android, with a few tweaks here from ASUS. So you’re getting Android 11 here, and it should get updated to Android 12 pretty quickly.
Best Flagship Value
OnePlus 10 Pro
The OnePlus 10 Pro is the latest flagship from the “startup”, it launches on April 14 for $899, which is a pretty good price for a flagship in 2022.
OnePlus 10 Pro sports a 6.7-inch QHD+ 120Hz display, along with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. It also has a 4500mAh capacity battery that is capable of charging at 65W. On top of that, it runs on Android 12 and OxygenOS 12.1. Which is the latest version of its software.
OnePlus 10 Pro – Amazon – $899
Best smartphone with a stylus
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3
For 2021, Samsung is not releasing a Galaxy Note smartphone. Which made our choice for the best smartphone with a stylus a bit tougher. But we arrived on the Galaxy Z Fold 3. The other option would have been the Galaxy S21 Ultra, but we feel that the Fold 3 is a better option due to the larger display.
The Galaxy Z Fold 3 has a 6.7-inch cover display, which unfolds to reveal a 7.6-inch main display. It’s a larger, and almost square display that works really well for those that like to take notes with the S Pen. It also has a Snapdragon 888 5G processor, 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage inside. There’s a 4400mAh capacity battery inside, which is somewhat small by today’s standards.
Fold 3 is really great because it allows you to do a lot more on your phone, and really be productive while you are out and about. Which is really nice.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 – Samsung.com
Best foldable smartphone
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3
With the new Samsung foldables now out, our pick for the best foldable smartphone is the Galaxy Z Flip 3. We feel that it is a better option for most people because of the price and the size. The Galaxy Z Flip 3 is available for $999 – though you can get it much cheaper with trade-ins and other sales.
Essentially, the Galaxy Z Flip 3 is a 6.7-inch phone that folds in half. Making it great for those with smaller pockets. It sports the Snapdragon 888 5G processor, with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. There is a somewhat small 3300mAh capacity battery inside though. However, it is waterproof now.
The Galaxy Z Flip 3 is mostly the same as any other smartphone, but now it folds in half. Which is really cool.
2022-04-02 15:06:04