Samsung, Google Pixel, and more

For those in search of the Android phone that tops all the rest, look no further than the Galaxy S24 Ultra. While its $1,299.99 starting price understandably puts it out of reach for some, those who can afford it will have a phone at their disposal that excels in just about every way you could ask for such a device.

As you’d expect from a 2024 flagship, the Galaxy S24 Ultra comes equipped with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset backed by 12GB of RAM. This pairing naturally provides chart-topping performance, making for an excellent user experience whether you’re browsing your phone or getting in a few minutes of gaming. The camera hardware has received an upgrade too, with a new 50MP periscope telephoto lens that supports up to 5x optical zoom.

With the Galaxy S24 Ultra, Samsung has finally bid adieu to curved screens. This change is understandably somewhat divisive, but something all users can benefit from is the phone’s new peak brightness of 2,600nits (up from 1,750nits on the S23 Ultra). Such a boost greatly assists with outdoor viewing and, more importantly, lets both SDR and HDR content truly pop. The screen is also coated with Corning Gorilla Armor glass for added protection.

Samsung, like its competitors, is leaning heavily into AI with its phones now and the Galaxy S24 Ultra is no exception. However, it’s important to note that much of what the company is offering here isn’t exclusive to this phone and can be found elsewhere. More importantly, though, is that you’ll need to pay to access some features from 2026 onwards. For more on this one, read our Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra review.

You don’t need to pay copious amounts of cash to get a great phone, with the Pixel 7a serving as a prime example. For $499.99, cheaper still in places since the release of the Pixel 8a, you’re getting the lion’s share of what makes the more-expensive Pixel 7 such a great phone to this day.

Camera quality is suitably high on the Pixel 7a, coming close enough to the best Google Pixel phones that most folks should find little to nothing to complain about photos taken with it. This is the first A-series phone to feature new sensors, with a new 64MP main lens taking up primary duties and a 13MP ultrawide that are a cut above predecessors like the Pixel 6a.

As with all Pixel phones, you can expect a stock Android launcher that runs smoothly on the Tensor G2 chipset and is devoid of duplicate applications that clutter up its admittedly limited 128GB of storage. Be sure to dive into its settings menu, though, as you’ll annoyingly need to enable the 90Hz refresh rate of its display, as its OLED panel runs at 60Hz by default.

Playing games on the Pixel 7a is a decent experience but the phone can become noticeably warm if its Tensor G2 chipset is under stress for a prolonged period. This, naturally, leads to some thermal throttling, but it never gets so hot that you have to put it down. For more details, see our Google Pixel 7a review.

While the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 performs well in other Android flagships and the best gaming tablets, the chipset doesn’t shine quite as brightly in those devices as it does in the ROG Phone 8 Pro Edition. For those that demand the highest frame rates from their phone, at the cost of other features, this is the undisputed champ.

Peak performance naturally demands a lofty price and you can expect to pay $1,499.99 for the ROG Phone 8 Pro Edition. This includes the otherwise optional AeroActive Cooler X accessory ($99) but the major differences compared to the standard 8 Pro are in storage and RAM, which jumps to 1TB and 24GB, respectively.

A redesigned chassis makes the ROG Phone 8 Pro Edition a more subtle smartphone to carry around, with far less aggressive stylings typical of a ROG gaming product. Nonetheless, Asus has included an AniMe Vision Mini LED display on the back of the phone which is a novel and surprisingly useful addition, providing you with notification information, the time, or just a cool way to personalize your phone further.

Using the phone for games or more generally is silky smooth thanks to its 165Hz display, but you will need to be a little more conscious of battery life given that the ROG Phone 8 Pro Edition comes with a smaller 5,500mAh battery (down from 6,000mAh in the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate). Bear in mind, as well, that you shouldn’t expect flagship-level photography from its camera array, despite its price. ASUS has made improvements here, but there’s only so much it can do with the midrange IMX890 sensor. For the full lowdown, check out our Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro Edition review.

Point-and-shoot photography doesn’t get any better on Android phones than it does with the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL. That said, Google’s latest flagship has much more to offer than just a fantastic camera array, with a fantastic OLED screen, a specs boost, and seven years of updates all helping to justify the price tag.

The Pixel 9 Pro XL has a stellar triple camera set-up consisting of a 50MP wide camera, 48MP ultrawide, and 48MP 5x telephoto lens. In our testing, we found there wasn’t a situation the thing wasn’t ready for, be it epic wide landscape shots or zoomed-in macro snaps. Combine this with the stellar Pixel image editing tools, including the AI-powered Magic Eraser, and there’s no better Android option for amateur photographers.

There are no massive drawbacks to the Pixel 9 Pro XL, though its Tensor G4 chipset is still behind competing Snapdragon options, even if it’s better for gamers than the Tensor G3. It’s also got a higher price point than we’re used to seeing from Pixel devices, but considering the quality of the cameras, we think it’s more than worth it. For more of our thoughts on this one, check out our Google Pixel 9 Pro XL review.

Although the Open is the first foldable phone from OnePlus, the company has deftly managed to craft an excellent device that beats out competing options from manufacturers more seasoned at making this form factor. Open or closed, its user experience is excellent.

Across the board, the Open offers everything you’d want from a phone in addition to its foldable features. All three of its OLED screens are sharp with a 426-431 pixels-per-inch range, pack a smooth 120Hz refresh rate, and are exceptionally bright with a 2,800 nits peak brightness, which is leagues above some of the other folding phones like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5.

The camera bump is large but houses some great lenses for photography and video, with a 48MP wide, ultrawide, and 64MP telephoto lens. Further adding to the Open’s premium feel is the strong quality of its physical build and of its software, with OnePlus providing a seamless experience regardless of how you’re using the phone.

Compromises in service of a foldable design come as no surprise, but the Open’s biggest negatives are actually very easy to live with and may not faze some potential buyers. OnePlus has omitted wireless charging from the Open, likely because of its large camera bump, but its 67W wired charging is plenty fast. The biggest problem affecting the phone, though, is its IPX4 rating, which understandably gives caution to its $1,699.99 price tag.

Sporting a bigger cover screen and a refined hinge design, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 marks the most compelling realization of Samsung’s flip phone design and finds itself ahead of the pack. Make no mistake, it’s as pretty as it is powerful and of course, packs a satisfyingly crisp closing sound that never gets old.

The Galaxy Z Flip 5’s visible hinge may bother some, as will the crease on the internal display, both are quickly forgotten about during normal use. The phone is simply a pleasure to use, open or closed, with Samsung finally changing its hinge design to allow for a practically gapless closed state.

Samsung has also greatly expanded the capabilities and size of the Galaxy Z Flip 5’s Flex screen, replacing the Flip4’s comparatively minute cover display with a 3.4-inch 720p panel. This makes the phone much more useful while closed with a surprising amount of apps optimized for the small form factor, with the option to add unoptimized ones if you’re feeling brave enough.

Battery capacity is on the smaller side (3,700mAh), as you may expect from a flip phone, but Samsung has seemingly missed a trick that would help to prolong the time between charges. Annoyingly, the exterior Flex display is constantly running at 60Hz, when it’d do just as well running at 1Hz with an LTPO panel. If you want to know more, see our Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 review.

The Nubia Z60S Pro is a fantastic addition to the best Android phones. It’s absolutely gorgeous AMOLED display is a real gem amid rivals in the market, with crisp colors, and impressive brightness. Battery life is hard to compete with too, as our testing found that even from 54% charge it could last for another 48 hours. Using the power of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, you’ll find everyday tasks are a breeze for the Z60S Pro, and gaming is as smooth as butter.

Where the Nubia Z60S Pro falters is the phone’s slightly awkward form factor, as it may be a bit bigger than other phones you’ve had in the past. The phone’s fiddly fingerprint recognition features are also lacking.

Nevertheless, this is an ace handset that can compete with the bigger brands out there, and is worthy alternative if you’re after something different.

While the best rugged phones aren’t for everyone, if you spend a lot of time on building sites or you’ve got an adventurous streak, the Doogee S200 is one of the best Android phone options for you. At around $400 at full price, the S200 is safely in the mid-range bracket but comes with tons of specialized features for work and leisure including a fast-charging, long-life battery, 1.5m drop protection, and several useful survival apps.

What it lacks in sleek design and next-generation technology, the Doogee more than makes up for with its durability, usefulness, and versatility. What makes the S200 one of the best in the business in our books is its surprisingly good gaming capabilities. As you might imagine, gaming is often low on the priority list for rugged phone manufacturers, but the S200 offers a smooth and enjoyable gaming experience alongside all of its other benefits.