We test a ton of Android phones. We like the following ones, but you’ll be better off with one of the options above. If you haven’t yet done so, check out our Best Cheap Phones guide for more.
OnePlus 9 for $659 and OnePlus 9 Pro for $969: These are the most expensive OnePlus phones yet (8/10, WIRED Recommends), but they finally improve a component that has long plagued the company’s predecessors: the camera. The rest of the hardware is excellent as usual, however, neither phone has a real standout feature. OnePlus also only promises three Android OS upgrades and 4 years of security updates.
Sony Xperia 1 III for $1,298: Sony’s latest Xperia is great for anyone who loves to tinker with the settings in the camera app, or prefers shooting photos or videos in manual mode. The camera experience is fun, but it still doesn’t deliver results that are better than some of our top picks above. You do get top-of-the-line performance, a beautiful 4K OLED 120-Hz screen, loud stereo speakers, wireless charging, and a headphone jack! It’s just so darn expensive. And the 5G here is just sub-6, which shouldn’t be the case on a $1,300 phone (5G also doesn’t work on AT&T).
Asus Zenfone 8 for $630: If you’re after the smallest, most powerful Android phone around, then look no further than the Zenfone 8. The 5.9-inch screen is tiny next to most flagship phones—and this is a flagship, thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 inside. You also get a 120-Hz AMOLED screen, a headphone jack, and a full day of battery life. It doesn’t work on Verizon, though, and the camera system is just OK. Our review has more details.
Samsung Galaxy A52 5G for $400: It’s not the most exciting phone, but the A52 5G (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is reliable. It performs decently well, has a reliable camera system, and has a 120-Hz AMOLED screen. It’ll get three OS upgrades and four years of security updates too. It’s frequently on sale for around $400.
Motorola One 5G Ace for $330: Motorola phones have some of the best battery life around, and the Ace is no different. It has two-day battery life, and you get good performance, 5G connectivity, NFC for contactless payments (rare on a cheap Moto), plus a large 1080p display. Unsurprisingly, the cameras suffer in low light. The Moto G Stylus 5G is also a similarly great option if you want a stylus, but it doesn’t have NFC.
Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra for $1,180 ($1,200 at Samsung<…….