Now that an increasing amount of smartphone manufacturers are selling their phones at cheaper price points, it's much easier for consumers to afford an off-contract device rather than purchasing one with a two-year contract. At least in the United States, the way smartphones are priced has changed dramatically, and that's a good thing.
So, what are the best smartphones out there for those who'd like to forgo the standard contract and buy unlocked? We're here to take you through the best unlocked Android smartphones for under $250, under $500 and over $500. As always, if you have anything you'd like to suggest, be sure to speak up in the comment section at the bottom of the post.
Best phones under $250
Motorola Moto G4 Plus
Instead of announcing just one Moto G variant this year, Lenovo brought us three different devices – the Moto G4 Plus, Moto G4 and Moto G4 Play.
The highest-end of the bunch is the Moto G4 Plus, and it brings a handful of notable improvements to the Moto G range. It has a big 1080p display, capable processor, expandable storage, and even a fingerprint sensor this time around. While we had a slight problem with the volume/power buttons and the camera in low light, we can honestly say this is one of the best budget offerings in 2016.
Right now you can buy it in the U.S. for $249.99 through Amazon or Motorola.com.
Specs
- 5.5-inch IPS LCD display with 1920 x 1080 resolution, 401ppi
- Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 processor
- 2/3/4GB of RAM
- 16/32/64GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 256GB
- 16MP rear camera, 5MP front camera
- Non-removable 3000mAh battery
- Android 6.0 Marshmallow
- 153 x 76.6 x 9.8mm, 155g
Read more
- Motorola Moto G4 Plus review
- Hands-on with the Moto G4 and Moto G4 Plus
- Moto G4 and Moto G4 Plus officially announced
Honor 5X
Huawei has finally announced its plans to break into the US market with the Honor 5X. The Honor 5X was announced a number of months ago, but it was just recently revealed that the dual-SIM budget handset would be coming to the United States for only $200.
Featuring an all-metal build and a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, the 5X absolutely comes to market with a few features that we don't normally see on sub-$200 smartphones. It comes with a big 5.5-inch Full HD display, Snapdragon 616 processor, 16GB of storage and microSD expansion up to 128GB. It also comes with a 13MP rear camera, a pretty sizable 3000 mAh battery, and runs Huawei's EMUI atop Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box.
You can buy the Honor 5X from Amazon in Dark Grey, Daybreak Silver or Sunset Gold color options for less than $150.
Specs
- 5.5-inch IPS LCD display with 1920 x 1080 resolution, 401ppi
- 1.5GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 processor
- 2GB of RAM
- 16GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 128GB
- 13MP rear camera, 5MP front camera
- Non-removable 3000mAh battery
- Android 6.0 Marshmallow
- 151.3 x 76.3 x 8.2mm, 158g
Read more
Moto G4 Play
Lenovo's Moto G4 Play enters the market with a low price tag, solid specifications and a familiar design language we've all grown to love.
It sports a 5.0-inch HD display, solid Snapdragon 410 processor, 2GB of RAM, and an 8MP rear camera that's great for snapping the occasional photo. Plus, you get a removable 2800mAh battery, which is a feature many manufacturers have been leaving out of their phones lately.
Specs
- 5.0-inch IPS LCD display with 1280 x 720 resolution, 294ppi
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor
- 2GB of RAM
- 16GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 256GB
- 8MP rear camera, 5MP front camera
- Removable 2800mAh battery
- Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow
- 144.4 x 72 x 9.9mm, 137g
Read more
Best phones under $500
OnePlus 3T
We weren't expecting OnePlus to release another new flagship in 2016, but it happened. If you were a fan of the OnePlus 3, you'll certainly love the OnePlus 3T.
With its powerful Snapdragon 821 processor backed by 6GB of RAM, the 3T absolutely flies through web browsing, gaming and most other everyday tasks. It also has a bigger battery this time around (3,400mAh to be exact), which is more than enough to get you through a full day of use on a single charge. In addition, the 3T now sports 16MP rear and front-facing camera sensors, a dual-SIM card slot, plenty of on-board storage, and a fast front-facing fingerprint sensor on the front.
Basically the OnePlus 3T is a better OnePlus 3, and we're certainly not complaining. You can buy it from OnePlus' website in Gunmetal and Soft Gold color options.
Specs
- 5.5-inch Optic AMOLED display with 1920 x 1080 resolution, 401ppi
- 2.35GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 821
- 6GB of RAM
- 64/128GB of on-board storage, no microSD card expansion
- 16MP rear camera, 16MP front camera
- Non-removable 3,400mAh battery
- Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow
- 152.7 x 74.7 x 7.35mm, 158g
Read more
- OnePlus 3T review
- OnePlus 3T announced: Snapdragon 821, 3,400mAh battery, 16MP rear and front cameras
- OnePlus 3T: pricing and availability
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
Best phones above $500
Google Pixel and Pixel XL
Google's Pixel and Pixel XL are here, and they truly are some amazing smartphones.
Not only are they the first phones to ship with the Google Assistant on board, they also come with plenty of exclusive software features and some of the best smartphone cameras in existence.
Under the hood, they sport some killer specs, too. Both devices have an AMOLED display, a Snapdragon 821 processor, 4GB of RAM, plenty of on-board storage and long-lasting batteries. The overall design of these phones may not be the most unique, but they do feel like premium phones through and through.
There are a few things about these phones that will turn some people away, though. For starters, they only sport an IP53 rating for dust and water resistance, meaning they're not nearly as waterproof as the Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge. There are ways around that, but none that will make the devices truly waterproof. Plus, if you buy the Verizon model, you'll have to deal with a small amount of bloatware (though you will be able to uninstall it), you won't be able to unlock the bootloader, and Verizon will be handling all Pixel and Pixel XL software updates (though the company swears it won't delay them).
If you're in the market for a new flagship Android phone and don't mind spending over $650, you should buy the Pixel or Pixel XL… these are two of the best Android phones out there.
Specs
Google Pixel
- 5.0-inch AMOLED display with 1920 x 1080 resolution, 441ppi
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor
- 4GB of RAM
- 32/128GB of on-board storage, no microSD expansion
- 12.3MP rear camera, 8MP front camera
- Non-removable 2,770mAh battery
- Android 7.1 Nougat
- 143.8 x 69.5 x 8.6mm, 143g
Google Pixel XL
- 5.5-inch AMOLED display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, 534ppi
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor
- 4GB of RAM
- 32/128GB of on-board storage, no microSD expansion
- 12.3MP rear camera, 8MP front camera
- Non-removable 3,450mAh battery
- Android 7.1 Nougat
- 154.7 x 75.7 x 8.6mm, 168g
Read more
- Google Pixel XL review: A Pixel's perspective
- Google Pixel review: a technical deep dive
- Best Google Pixel and Pixel XL cases
- Google Pixel and Pixel XL hands-on
- Google Pixel XL vs Nexus 6P first look
- Google Pixel and Pixel XL vs the competition
- Google Pixel and Pixel XL specs, price, release date and everything else you should know
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, 577ppi
- Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor
- 4GB of RAM
- 32GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 200GB
- 12MP rear camera, 5MP front camera
- Non-removable 3000mAh battery
- Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow
- 142.4 x 69.6 x 7.9mm, 152g
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
- 5.5-inch Super AMOLED display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, 534ppi
- Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor
- 4GB of RAM
- 32GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 200GB
- 12MP rear camera, 5MP front camera
- Non-removable 3600mAh battery
- Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow
- 150.9 x 72.6 x 7.7mm, 157g
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
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 4GB of RAM are in line with most other flagships this year, and it also comes with expandable storage up to 200GB and a 3000mAh 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, 565ppi
- 2.15GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor
- 4GB of RAM
- 32/64GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 200GB
- 12MP rear camera, 5MP front camera
- Non-removable 3000mAh battery
- Android 7.0 Nougat
- 145.9 x 71.9 x 9mm, 161g
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
There you have it – our picks of the best unlocked Android phones you can buy right now. Missed anything? Tell us in the comments!
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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