With Android thoroughly dominating the mobile industry, picking the best Android smartphones is almost synonymous with choosing the best smartphones, period. But while Android phones have few real opponents on other platforms, internal competition is incredibly fierce.
From sleek devices that impress with premium design, to powerhouses brimming with features, to all-around great devices, and affordable phones that punch above their weight, the Android ecosystem is populated by a staggering variety of attractive phones.
But "greatness" is subjective, and sometimes spec sheets and feature lists are not enough to make an idea of how good a phone really is. In this roundup, we're looking at the absolute best – the Android phones you can't go wrong with.
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 Galaxy Note 5
- Samsung Galaxy Note 7 vs Nexus 6P first look
- Samsung Galaxy Note 7 – The Beginner's Guide
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 32 GB 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, 4 GB of RAM, great 12 MP 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
- HTC 10 vs Samsung Galaxy S7 / Edge vs LG G5
Moto Z and Moto Z Force (Droid Editions)
Motorola (well, Lenovo actually) is doing something different with their flagship phones this year. Instead of releasing just one flagship under the Moto X moniker, they've decided to release two new smartphones that do things a bit out of the ordinary. The Moto Z and Moto Z Force not only bring flagship-level specs, but also support for modules.
These modules, called Moto Mods, attach to the back of both phones via magnets. There are only a few available right now, but they actually bring some handy features to the phones. You can purchase an external battery module, a powerful speaker, and even a projector!
They both have killer specs, too. Both devices come with a 5.5-inch Quad HD AMOLED display, a Snapdragon 820 processor, 4GB of RAM, plenty of on-board storage, expandable memory, and run Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box. You might be wondering – what's the difference between these two phones? The standard Moto Z is super thin at only 5.2mm in thickness, but it only comes with a 2600mAh battery. The Moto Z Force is thicker, has a 3500mAh battery, and also has a shatterproof display.
These aren't the cheapest phones on the market, but they're certainly some of the best.
Specs
Moto Z
- 5.5-inch AMOLED display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, 535ppi
- Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor
- 4GB of RAM
- 32/64GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 256GB
- 13MP rear camera, 5MP front camera
- Non-removable 2600mAh battery
- Android 6.0 Marshmallow
- 153.3 x 75.3 x 5.2mm, 136g
Moto Z Force
- 5.5-inch AMOLED display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, 535ppi
- Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor
- 4GB of RAM
- 32/64GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 256GB
- 21MP rear camera, 5MP front camera
- Non-removable 3500mAh battery
- Android 6.0 Marshmallow
- 155.9 x 75.8 x 7mm, 163g
Read more
- Moto Z and Moto Z Force (Droid) review
- Moto Mods review: blast, power and project in a snap
- Just add Mods: Moto Z and Z Force (Droid Edition) unboxing
- Moto Z and Moto Z Force hands-on
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 3450 mAh 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!
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-facing camera, 8 MP front-facing camera
- Non-removable 3450 mAh battery
- Android 7.0 Nougat
- 159.3 x 77.8 x 7.3 mm, 178 g
Read more
- Nexus 6P Review
- Samsung Galaxy S7 / Edge vs Nexus 6P
- Huawei Mate 8 vs Nexus 6P
- Nexus 6P vs iPhone 6S Plus
- Nexus 6P vs Nexus 5X
- Best Nexus 6P cases
ZTE Axon 7
ZTE's Axon Pro from 2015 was a good phone, but it fell short in a few key areas. It came to market with only one storage option, no expandable memory, and the dual camera setup on the back of the device felt a bit gimmicky. Not only does the company's latest flagship fix all of those problems, it brings much more to the table.
It has a big 5.5-inch Quad HD AMOLED display, the latest Snapdragon processor, plenty of RAM, multiple storage options, and yes, expandable memory up to 256GB. It also sports some killer front-facing speakers, all-day battery life, a great camera, and a sleek, attractive design. While certain parts of the software could use a little more polish, the ZTE Axon 7 goes toe-to-toe with the best in the Android market. It's also inexpensive at only $400, making this an even more attractive option for folks looking to score a solid flagship device.
Specs
- 5.5-inch AMOLED display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, 538ppi
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor
- 4/6GB of RAM
- 64/128GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 256GB
- 20MP front camera, 8MP rear camera
- Non-removable 3250mAh battery
- Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow
- 151.7 x 75 x 7.9mm, 175g
Read more
- ZTE Axon 7 review
- ZTE Axon 7 officially announced
- ZTE Axon 7 vs Samsung Galaxy S7 – first look
- ZTE Axon 7 vs LG G5 – first look
- ZTE Axon 7 hands-on and first impressions
HTC 10
HTC needed a saving grace this year, and the 10 just may be it. The Taiwanese company finally designed a phone that's different enough from its predecessor yet still sports a familiar design language. With an all-metal chassis, front-mounted fingerprint sensor and a new-and-improved speaker setup, the HTC 10 easily made its way to our best Android phones list.
Under the hood, the 10 comes with some killer specs. A 5.2-inch Quad HD display, Snapdragon 820 processor and 4 GB of RAM are in line with most other flagships this year, and it also comes with expandable storage up to 200 GB and a 3000 mAh battery that will have no problems lasting an entire day on a single charge. HTC also improved the camera this time around, which was a big flaw in last year's One M9 flagship.
All in all, the HTC 10 is an awesome device. Great specs and a solid build quality are what you'll get here… what more could you ask for?
Specs
- 5.2-inch Super LCD5 display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, 565 ppi
- 2.15 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor
- 4 GB of RAM
- 32/64 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 Marshmallow
- 145.9 x 71.9 x 9 mm, 161 g
Read more
- HTC 10 review
- Best HTC 10 cases
- HTC 10 vs HTC One M9
- HTC 10 vs Nexus 6P
- HTC 10 – The Beginner's Guide
- A closer look at the HTC 10's powerful theme engine
- HTC 10 officially announced
- Problems with the HTC 10 and how to fix them
- HTC 10 Forums
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 4 GB RAM, a 5.3-inch display, and 32 GB 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
- Moto Z Force vs LG G5
- LG G5 vs LG V10
- LG G5 vs LG G4
Cast your vote, and participate in our giveaway!
There you have it – our picks from the best Android has to offer right now. Out of those listed, which do you feel is the very best? Be sure to sound off in the poll below. Each month we will also be conducting a giveaway, giving our readers a chance to win the phone with the most votes.
Congratulations to Sannara L. from the United States, the winner of our September 2016 giveaway!
Best Android Phones (October 2016)
Check out our related best lists:
- Best cheap Android phones
- Dual sim Android phones
- Verizon Android phones | Verizon Prepaid phones
- AT&T Android phones | AT&T Prepaid phones
- T-Mobile Android phones | T-Mobile prepaid phones
- Sprint Android phones
- Cricket Android phones
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