One of the great things about the Android market is the diversity of features, prices, and even software. There are a ton of Android phones out there, but what’s the best in 2019?
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Spec sheets and feature lists aren’t always enough to get an idea of how good a phone really is. In this roundup, we’re looking at the absolute best — the Android phones of 2019 you can’t go wrong with. We picked based on a combination of internal testing and subjective reviewing. Phones are judged by four main criteria: the best overall, best camera, best battery, and best value. Without further delay, here are the best Android phones!
Best Android phones update: July 1, 2019, 12:00 am
This month, we removed the best upcoming Android phones section.
Before we dive in, here’s a quick overview of the best Android phones for each category:
Wondering why each of these Android phones came out on top in each of their respective categories? Read on to find out why we chose these Android phones for our list.
In the U.K.? Check out our best Android phones in the U.K. list!
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus and Galaxy S10e
Samsung’s Galaxy S line reaches near perfection with the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus. There’s little this phone can’t do. Featuring the Snapdragon 855 (or the Exynos 9820, depending on market), up to a massive 12GB of RAM, and a 6.4-inch AMOLED panel with the new Infinity-O punch hole, this is an attractive powerhouse. Its high-performance ethos continues on to the rest of the components including storage, which goes as high as 1TB, and a 4,100mAh battery that’s more than capable of making it through the day.
The only weak link is the camera. The new camera package isn’t bad, but it doesn’t hold a candle to devices like the Pixel 3 or even Samsung’s own Galaxy Note 9. Still, if you can look past that, the rest of the phone is amazing and there are few other phones out that that come close to offering this much under the hood.
If you don’t need a giant phone and still want a similar Galaxy S10 experience, you should absolutely check out the Samsung Galaxy S10e. It’s smaller, cheaper, and has a better fingerprint sensor!
What makes it “the best”
- The S10 Plus is one of the best Android phones overall thanks to a great mix of features, performance, and beautiful design.
- It’s also one of the best phones for battery life with its massive 4,100mAh battery that’s able to keep on going.
Why you should buy
- It has high-end hardware, a long-lasting battery, and a rich feature set.
- It has the best display you can get on any smartphone.
Why you should pass
- It’s expensive.
- The camera isn’t quite as impressive as some of the other options on this list.
Learn more
Google Pixel 3 and Google Pixel 3 XL
While they may not rival the Galaxy S10 in terms of specs, the Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL improve on the very aspect that made the Pixel 2 so great — the camera. They still sport the same single rear cameras as the Pixel 2, but there are a ton of camera software improvements here. Top Shot mode will take multiple pictures of your subject and recommend the best one. Night Sight also brings next-level low-light photography thanks to computational photography. Finally, there’s a mode called Motion Auto Focus that lets the Pixel 3 focus on a subject in a video, no matter how much they move around.
They both have 18:9 screens (well, 18.5:9 for the XL), yet they still look very different from one another. The Pixel 3 has a 5.5-inch Full HD+ screen that makes it look like a smaller Pixel 2 XL, while the Pixel 3 XL has a big ol’ notch at the top of its screen. Both phones also come with Qi wireless charging support, no headphone jack (womp womp), and still manage to squeeze in front-facing speakers.
The Pixel 3 could be considered the Android iPhone. But is there anything wrong with that?
What makes it “the best”
- One of the best Android phones overall thanks to snappy and responsive stock software, paired with the very best Android camera.
- One of the best Android camera phones thanks to a combination of great camera software and a quality camera sensor. That’s even more impressive considering its one of the few single-camera setups left on the market.
Why you should get it
- It takes great photos in all lighting conditions.
- Speedy software updates come straight from Google.
Any reasons to pass?
- They’re both pricey.
- Neither phone has a headphone jack.
Learn more
Huawei P30 Pro
Note: We don’t recommend buying a Huawei phone right now, at least not until the Huawei-U.S. debacle is cleared up. Read more here.
The Google Pixel 3 might be the photography king, but not if Huawei has anything to say about it. The new Huawei P30 Pro packs a triple-camera setup — complete with a time-of-flight sensor — and brings one of the most versatile camera experiences out there. The 40MP main sensor, coupled with the 20MP wide-angle and 8MP telephoto lenses, aim to offer a solid photography experience whether you’re shooting landscape or portrait photos.
This is all backed by a fantastic spec sheet, a striking design, and new hardware features that give other 2019 flagships a run for their money.
What makes it “the best”
- One of the best Android phones overall thanks to powerful hardware, solid cameras, and a long-lasting battery.
- The triple-camera setup is truly great.
Why you should get it
- It has three extremely versatile cameras that rival the best out there.
- The fast-charging battery also lasts a long time on a single charge.
Any reasons to pass?
- It’s expensive.
- If you live in the U.S., you’ll have to import one.
- Huawei’s software UI is not the best.
Read more
OnePlus 7 Pro
OnePlus pulled out all the stops with its new flagship, the OnePlus 7 Pro. It may not be the best value out there, but it actually might be in the running as one of the best Android phones of the year.
The phone features top-tier specs, a fantastic 90Hz OLED display, and even a pop-up selfie camera in place of a display notch. Not only is it a big step up from the OnePlus 6T and vanilla OnePlus 7, it even has some of us thinking of ditching the Pixel for it.
What makes it “the best”
- The OnePlus 7 Pro is the most premium phone the company has ever built. The cameras are a step up from the 6T, and this is one of the most beautiful phones you can buy right now. Plus, it’s available from T-Mobile.
Why you should get it
- You’re getting a truly beautiful smartphone with fantastic software.
Any reasons to pass?
- It’s pricier than OnePlus’ other smartphones, and better values can be had elsewhere.
- It doesn’t have a headphone jack and battery life isn’t as good as the OnePlus 6T.
Learn more
Google Pixel 3a and Google Pixel 3a XL
Ever since the Nexus 5X days, Google has pretty much exclusively focused on top-tier smartphones. The original Pixel, Pixel 2, and Pixel 3 were all very pricey at launch, leaving those of us wanting a cheaper Google-made phone out to dry.
Finally, Google is back to its more affordable roots with the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL. The Google Pixel 3a XL has many of the same internals as the Pixel 3, but at a much lower price. It comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 670 SoC, 4GB of RAM, squeezy sides to access Google Assistant, and a nice OLED display. Oh, and a headphone jack!
The most important aspect brought over from the Pixel 3 is the camera — the Pixel 3a and 3a XL have the exact same rear camera sensors as the Pixel 3 line. That means you’re getting one of the best smartphone cameras on the market.
What makes it “the best”
- The Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL provide about 85 percent of the Pixel 3 experience without the big price tags. They have the same wonderful cameras, similar designs, and a headphone jack!
Why you should get it
- If you want that fantastic Pixel 3 camera but don’t want to spend the money for it, buy the Pixel 3a or 3a XL.
- There’s no notch on the Pixel 3a XL!
Any reasons to pass?
- If you’re a heavy gamer, you may notice a step down in performance from flagships like the Pixel 3.
Learn more
OnePlus 6T
What if you could get nearly every feature you’d expect from a high-end flagship phone, but without having to shell out $1,000? You can, thanks to the OnePlus 6T. You get a fast processor — the Snapdragon 845 — plenty of RAM, lots of storage, and a large 6.41-inch Super AMOLED display with a small waterdrop notch.
You even get something not all smartphones have: an in-display fingerprint sensor.
The 3,700mAh battery lasts over a day, and it’s backed up by the company’s fast charging technology, which will fully charge it up in less than 90 minutes. All that and it starts at just $549.
What makes it “the best”
- One of the best value Android phones thanks to a reasonably low price tag while still featuring specs and a premium body that normally are found on high-end flagship phones that cost around $1,000.
Why you should get it
Any reasons to pass?
- Cameras are not the best.
- No headphone jack, which is a step backwards from the OnePlus 6.
Learn more
That’s it for our list of the best Android phones you can buy, but it’s only a fraction of what’s out there. If you’re a gamer you might want to consider a gaming phone. Budget shoppers will want to check out our guide to the best cheap Android phones. Want to know what your carrier is offering? Check out our guides to the best Verizon phones, best AT&T phones, best Sprint, and best T-Mobile Android phones.
That’s all, folks. What are your thoughts? Be sure to leave a comment below if you feel strongly about any one of these phones?
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