The 7 Best Android Phones

2022-07-31 16:00:11 By : Ms. Helen Lee

Want to buy a new Android phone but can't choose from the never-ending list? Here are the top picks to help in selecting the best one.

Since Android phones are produced by a wide range of manufacturers, there is plenty of choice when it comes to choosing the type of Android phone you want.

But with them all competing against each other to boast the best camera, brightest displays, and long-lasting batteries, it can be difficult to find the right Android phone.

Here are the best Android phones available right now.

The S lineup from Samsung has always been a series of best-in-class premium phones, and the S22 Ultra is no different. It boasts a spectacular display, powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, improved cameras with stunning low-light performance, and 8K video recording capabilities.

With 1750 nits of peak brightness the S22 Ultra has one of the brightest displays. It has a Wide Quad HD+ (WQHD+) resolution that makes the content look crisp and clear on the screen. WQHD+ is also an upgrade from the FHD resolution found on most Android phones. The super-smooth 120Hz refresh rate ensures your interaction is always sublime with the phone, whether you’re browsing through apps or playing games.

The bigger 5000mAh battery with fast charging support keeps the phone running all day long with just a full charge in the morning. The device also has reverse wireless charging support, allowing you to charge accessories like wireless earbuds by simply placing them on the back of the smartphone.

The Sony Xperia 1 III offers everything to gratify an Android enthusiast. It sports a 120Hz 6.5-inch OLED display with 4K UHD resolution while displaying colors more accurately using a 10-bit panel. This produces more colors than the 8-bit panel found on most Android phones. The high refresh rate, color-accurate 4K display, stereo speakers, and the gamer's favorite 3.5mm headphone jack ensure your multimedia and gaming experience on the device is top-notch.

The Xperia 1 III packs a triple-camera setup calibrated by the renowned Zeiss Optics. Each of the three 12MP sensors has dual-pixel PDAF that helps in accurately setting the focus on objects, and the smartphone can record super-stabilized videos up to 4K 120 fps, thanks to the OIS and EIS. In the camera app, you can find a Professional mode to tweak settings like ISO, shutter speed, and aperture, which is pretty much everything a photography lover could want in a smartphone.

On the downside, the battery life is average, but given the resource-intensive 4K display that comes with the device, it's justified. Unlike the S22 Ultra, this smartphone comes with a 30W charger in the box that can charge it to 50 percent in roughly 30 minutes. Lastly, the fingerprint scanner is side-mounted, which can be another con for those who prefer an in-display reader.

The Pixel 6 is an affordable flagship that packs a 6.4-inch FHD+ OLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate, ensuring smoother gameplay and animations, precise color accuracy, and better viewing angles. The outdoor display visibility is significant as it has a peak brightness of 800 nits, which can be attained by enabling the High-Brightness Mode.

On the chipset front, things have changed since the Pixel 6 now comes with Google's Tensor chipset, which can deliver a lag-free gameplay experience with a variable refresh rate, despite being not as powerful as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. It can handle everything smoothly, from casual browsing to moderate gaming.

The camera is where you'll notice a significant upgrade from the Pixel 5 though. The Pixel 6 packs a dual-camera setup with a 50MP sensor that can shoot detailed low-light photos and super smooth videos and a secondary 12MP sensor for clicking ultra-wide shots. The battery capacity on the Pixel 6 is 4614mAh, a small upgrade from the Pixel 5. It supports wireless fast charging and can be charged at 21W using the Pixel Stand.

Additionally, Google has pledged two significant OS upgrades and four years of security patch updates for the Pixel 6. It can be a drawback given that other manufacturers like Samsung offer four major OS upgrades even on inexpensive smartphones like the A53.

The Pixel 6 Pro is the upgraded version of the Pixel 6. It packs a bigger 6.71-inch LTPO AMOLED display that is more power-efficient when compared to normal AMOLED displays. The display is protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus and has a Quad HD+(QHD+) resolution to make the content on-screen look more lively.

The performance of this device is slightly better than the Pixel 6 despite both having the same Tensor chip. From long-term camera usage to graphic-intensive games, it can handle anything you throw at it.

Cameras are an upgrade over the Pixel 6 as this one has an extra 48MP telephoto lens, which can easily capture distant objects in high quality, thanks to the powerful 4x optical zoom. The selfie camera can record videos up to 30 fps in 4K resolution, which is a definite upgrade compared to the 1080p resolution cap in the Pixel 6.

Moreover, it packs a 5003mAh battery that supports fast-charging up to 30W wired and 23W wirelessly. With the battery-efficient LTPO panel and optimized stock Android running under the hood, you can get through an entire day or a day and a half with a full top-up in the morning.

Similar to the Pixel 6, the OnePlus 10 Pro also has a great price-to-performance ratio. It's one of the fastest charging devices around that supports wireless fast charging at 50W. The device goes up to 100 percent in around 30 minutes with the 80W charging brick. Sadly, the North American variant only comes with a 65W charger in the box.

The display on the 10 Pro is LTPO 2.0 AMOLED, which is even more power-efficient than the one on the Pixel 6 Pro. It has a QHD+ resolution, high refresh rate, and color-accurate panel to show the realistic colors possible on the screen. For gaming, it has a 5th-gen 3D Passive Cooling System to minimize thermal throttling, which helps in maintaining higher frame rates.

The OnePlus 10 Pro has a triple rear camera setup. It supports up to 30x digital zoom with the telephoto lens, and despite all the upgrades, low-light performance is still not up to the mark. On the video front, you can record smooth 8K clips at 24fps and 4K up to 120fps. So if you're a videographer or content creator, the video camera performance won't disappoint you.

Lastly, OnePlus offers three major OS upgrades for the OnePlus 10 Pro to ensure its users can enjoy the latest Android experience even in the future.

The Rog 5s is one of the best phones for mobile gamers. It has a bigger and brighter 6.78-inch AMOLED display, an overclocked Snapdragon processor, 16GB of the fastest RAM, and one of the highest refresh rate screens.

The device has pressure-sensitive triggers on the edges that can be configured as the fire button in first-person shooter games to improve the gaming experience. It comes with the Rog Vision Display on the back, providing an overall aesthetic feel to the smartphone.

Considering it's a gaming-centric smartphone, camera performance is decent, and the device can also record videos up to 8K at 30fps with the rear camera. The Rog 5s is the only device on this list with two USB ports. The additional USB 2.0 port is for adding compatible ROG phone accessories like an external cooler or a gamepad.

Last but not least, the 6000mAh battery makes sure your gaming sessions never end until you're actually done with the game. With a 65W charger, the battery takes anywhere from 50 minutes to an hour to fully charge, but sadly, you'll only find a 30W charger in the box. You'll need to purchase the 65W brick separately if you need it.

The Samsung Galaxy A53 is the phone to go for if you're not looking to spend a thousand dollars on a smartphone. From a fantastic AMOLED display with a high refresh rate to fast-charging support and 5G connectivity, this device has every important feature a user would need.

The A53 runs the latest One UI 4.1, based on Android 12. The device features an octa-core Exynos chipset, which is powerful enough for moderate app usage and light gaming. On the camera front, this phone has a rear quad-camera setup that can capture decent low-light shots and record super-stabilized videos in 4K at 30fps, thanks to the OIS.

The battery capacity on this device is 5000mAh, and with a 25W charger, it can charge up to 80 percent in less than an hour. Unfortunately, Samsung doesn't provide any charger in the box, so you have to purchase it separately.

The A53's support for 5G makes it future-proof compared to devices in this price range that only support 4G, and the IP67 certification, meaning it is capable of withstanding up to one meter of water for 30 minutes, is uncommon in this price range.

Nowadays, smartphone manufacturers split the battery into two or more instead of using a single cell. This allows them to reduce battery degradation and improve heat management.

Modern Android phones come with a heat restriction which reduces the charging speed in case the phone is overheating, thus reducing the damage.

To choose the best Android phone, first, decide the budget. Then make a list of features you want in the smartphone like wireless charging, 4K video recording support, in-display fingerprint reader, etc.

After making all these decisions, search for a model that provides the best value for your money. For this, you’ll need to choose a trusted brand.

After choosing the brand, compare models with desired specifications and check if the previous-gen model has everything you need, as sometimes it provides more value for money compared to the newer ones.

Once the model is selected, consider how much RAM and storage will be required, and buy the smartphone with the needed specification.

Maintaining a healthy balance between your life and the screen on time is the first thing you can do to use an Android phone effectively. Set your priorities, and block notifications from the spammy and unwanted app. Even remove the unwanted apps.

If you're too addicted to the screen, try using focusing apps like Digital Wellbeing by Google.

We hope you like the items we recommend and discuss! MUO has affiliate and sponsored partnerships, so we receive a share of the revenue from some of your purchases. This won’t affect the price you pay and helps us offer the best product recommendations.

Ashutosh has been covering tech tutorials and product round-ups for more than four years. If you're looking for someone who's always ready to help you with your Android, he's the guy.

Join our newsletter for tech tips, reviews, free ebooks, and exclusive deals!