AT&T and Verizon have been engaged in a bit of a cold war for the top carrier spot in the United States for some time now. While both carriers have a great selection of phones, many folks claim AT&T's selection is a bit broader. AT&T has everything from the best flagship devices to midrange phones, all the way down to budget friendly options.
Below you'll find our list of the best Android phones available on AT&T's network. We've also added a couple unlocked options at the bottom of the post if you're interested in going off-contract. Without any further ado, let's get started!
Samsung Galaxy Note 7
Samsung's Galaxy Note 7 stands out from the competition in more ways than one. Not only is it the best big-screened smartphone out there, it might be the best smartphone on the market right now.
It sports a big, bright 5.7-inch Dual-edge Super AMOLED Quad HD display, a powerful Snapdragon 820 processor, plenty of RAM and on-board storage, an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance, and microSD expansion. It also comes with the same great rear- and front-facing cameras that are present on the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge. The camera package isn't the only thing the Note 7 borrows form the Galaxy S line. It also features a Dual-edge display, so all of the handy Edge display features found on the S7 Edge are present here, too.
The Note 7's S Pen has gotten a lot more useful as well. Now you can record pretty much anything on your screen and make it into a GIF, and you can also translate text from other languages, magnify certain parts of your screen, and much, much more.
This is a very pricey device, though, so be sure to weigh your options before spending over $800 on a smartphone.
Specs
- 5.7-inch Dual-edge Super AMOLED display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, 518ppi
- Quad-core 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 or Octa-core Samsung Exynos 8890 processor
- 4GB of RAM
- 64GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 256GB
- 12MP rear camera, 5MP front camera
- Non-removable 3,500mAh battery
- Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow
- 153.5 x 73.9 x 7.9mm, 169g
Read more
- Samsung Galaxy Note 7 review
- Samsung Galaxy Note 7 specs, pricing, release date, and everything else you should know
- Samsung Galaxy Note 7 hands-on and first impressions
- Samsung Galaxy Note 7 color comparison
- Samsung Galaxy Note 7 iris scanner: here's how it works
- Samsung Galaxy Note 7 vs Nexus 6P first look
- Samsung Galaxy Note 7 vs Galaxy Note 5 first look
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, 577 ppi
- Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor
- 4 GB of RAM
- 32 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 6.0.1 Marshmallow
- 142.4 x 69.6 x 7.9 mm, 152 g
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
- 5.5-inch Super AMOLED display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, 534 ppi
- Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor
- 4 GB of RAM
- 32 GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 200 GB
- 12 MP rear camera, 5 MP front camera
- Non-removable 3600 mAh battery
- Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow
- 150.9 x 72.6 x 7.7 mm, 157 g
Read more
- Samsung Galaxy S7 review
- Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review
- Samsung Galaxy S7 unboxing and first 48 hours
- Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge unboxing and first 48 hours
- Samsung Galaxy S7 camera: feature focus
- Best Galaxy S7 cases
- Best Galaxy S7 Edge cases
Samsung Galaxy S7 Active
You're constantly dropping your phone. You always use one of those indestructible phone cases. Your phone has taken a swim more than you have this summer.
Does this sound like you? If so, you should probably pick up the Galaxy S7 Active.
It has mostly all the same specifications as the standard Galaxy S7, but this one comes with a handful of improvements for those who need a more rugged device. It's IP68 certified for dust proofing and water resistance, and also comes with a MIL-STD-810G certification for salt, dust, humidity, rain, vibration, solar radiation, transport and thermal shock resistance. Oh, and it comes with a massive 4,000mAh battery that's extremely difficult to kill in a single day.
Specs
- 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, 577 ppi
- Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor
- 4 GB of RAM
- 32 GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 256 GB
- 12 MP rear camera, 5 MP front camera
- Non-removable 4000 mAh battery
- Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow
- 148.8 x 74.9 x 9.9 mm, 185 g
Read more
- Samsung Galaxy S7 Active review
- Samsung Galaxy S7 Active officially announced
- AT&T begins selling the Galaxy S7 Active
- Samsung Galaxy S7 Active vs Galaxy S7 quick look
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, 554 ppi
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor
- 4 GB of RAM
- 32 GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 200 GB
- 16 and 8 MP dual rear cameras, 8 MP front camera
- Removable 2800 mAh battery
- Android 6.0 Marshmallow
- 149.4 x 73.9 x 7.7 mm, 159 g
Read more
- LG G5 review
- Best LG G5 cases
- LG G5: specs, features, price and availability
- LG G5 vs iPhone 6s
- LG G5 vs Nexus 6P hands-on
- LG G5 vs LG G4 hands-on
- Samsung Galaxy S7 vs LG G5 hands-on
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.
Specs
- Main display: 5.7-inch IPS Quantum Display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, 513 ppi
- Secondary display: 2.1-inch IPS Quantum Display with 160 x 1040 resolution, 513 ppi
- Hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor
- 4 GB of RAM
- 64 GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 2 TB
- 16 MP rear camera, 5 MP Dual Lens front camera
- Removable 3000 mAh battery
- Android 6.0 Marshmallow
- 159.6 x 79.3 x 8.6 mm, 192 g
Read more
Going off-contract?
If you're not keen on spending $600+ on one of the off-contract smartphones listed above, there are certainly some other smartphones out there that are worth your hard-earned money. The top two off-contract smartphones that we'd recommend can't be purchased from any carrier, which is why they didn't make our initial list. So if you're looking for a great off-contract smartphone, you can't go wrong with the Nexus 6P or Motorola Moto X Pure Edition.
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 $499!
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, 518 ppi
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor
- 3 GB of RAM
- 32/64/128 GB of on-board storage, no microSD card expansion
- 12 MP rear camera, 8 MP front camera
- Non-removable 3450 mAh battery
- Android 6.0 Marshmallow
- 159.3 x 77.8 x 7.3 mm, 178 g
Read more
- Nexus 6P Review
- Nexus 6P vs Samsung Galaxy Note 5
- Nexus 6P vs iPhone 6S Plus
- Nenus 6P vs Nexus 5X
- Best Nexus 6P cases
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.
By Style we are mostly referring customization capabilities, a factor which has been an integral part of the Moto X experience since day one. Customers can use Moto Maker to manipulate their devices' aesthetics to their will. You can change the color of the metal areas, engrave the back and even choose from a plethora of back options, including materials leather, wood, rubber and other materials.
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 $399.99.
Specs
- 5.7-inch IPS LCD display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, 520 ppi
- 1.8GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor
- 3 GB of RAM
- 16/32/64 GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 128 GB
- 21 MP rear camera, 5 MP front camera
- Non-removable 3000 mAh battery
- Android 6.0 Marshmallow
- 153.9 x 76.2 x 11.06 mm, 179 g
Read more
- Motorola Moto X Style (aka Pure Edition) Review
- Best cases for the Moto X Style/Pure Edition
- Moto X Style (aka Pure Edition) – second opinion
- Moto X Style (aka Pure Edition) vs Samsung Galaxy S6
- Nexus 5X vs Moto X Style (aka Pure Edition)
- Moto X Style (aka Pure Edition) vs iPhone 6S Plus
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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