Best Android phones of 2026: tested by our experts

The biggest advantage of the Galaxy S25 that I noticed during testing is that it shares many of the same attributes as its more expensive counterparts, the S25 Plus and S25 Ultra, but it does so for several hundred dollars less. You’ll find features like the AI ​​Select tool, Audio Eraser, and deeper Gemini integration in all of Samsung’s S25 devices, along with a custom Snapdragon 8 Elite processor and 12GB of RAM – making the smallest phone in the bunch still feel pretty powerful.

And while the Galaxy S25 may look incredibly similar to the S24 and share many of the same specs, consistency isn’t so bad when it means there’s still a good camera and great battery life. Read our full Samsung Galaxy S25 review.

Why we love it

Having a basic phone, like the Galaxy S25, that offers many of the same benefits as more expensive models is a huge advantage in my opinion. And considering the remarkable processing power, exceptional camera, and seamless AI integration in the Galaxy S25 lineup, it’s great to be able to get all of these premium features for $800.

Who is it best for?

If you insist on buying a flagship device, the Galaxy S25 will not disappoint you. but if you have a device that’s two years old or older, you might be enticed to take advantage of all the latest Galaxy AI and Gemini features built-in. Now, $800 isn’t pocket change, and there are certainly other options for those who want to be more budget-conscious, but if you’re willing to spend a little more, the base S25 can be a great all-around choice.

Who shouldn’t have it

You probably don’t need to upgrade if you’re using last year’s S24.

At $799, the Pixel 10 is a basic device that packs many of the same features that make Pro-level phones stand out, like a telephoto lens, long-lasting battery, and intuitive AI features. It’s a nice, simplified option for someone who just wants a reliable phone, backed by seven years of software and security updates.

Who is it best for?

If you want a phone with a solid camera for more casual photography, the base Pixel 10 should be just fine. It’s also a great choice for someone who just wants a phone that can last all day and is equipped with all the latest Gemini features.

Who shouldn’t have it

If you consider yourself more of a professional photographer, the Pixel 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL may be more attractive options. Plus, if you own a Pixel 8 or 9, you’ll probably be able to keep your device for a few more years, as there aren’t any major differences between these older devices and Google’s latest benchmark.

Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Ultra has plenty of AI features, the best of which are interesting and the worst of which are unreliable. Fortunately, Samsung gets a lot of other stuff on the S25 Ultra, which has a new Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, a high-resolution ultra-wide camera, and superb professional video tools that rival the iPhone 16 Pro. Samsung wisely kept all the best parts of last year’s Galaxy S24 Ultra (basically the entire phone, including that anti-glare screen), but also some of its worst parts, like the $1,300 price tag.
If you want the best screen you can find on any phone, get the S25 Ultra. If you want the most versatile phone cameras, get the S25 Ultra. If you want a stylus, get the S25 Ultra. But if your needs diminish on any of these fronts, the more affordable S25 options, or even last year’s S24 Ultra, might be worth considering. Read our full Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra review.

Why we love it

The reason the Ultra is preferred over its S25 siblings is its screen, which is seriously the best I’ve seen on any phone, and the cameras, which are a cut above what the S25 and S25 Plus have. Added video features, such as the ability to record in Log format, make the Ultra as close to the iPhone as ever in terms of professional video capture.

Who is it best for?

If you own a Galaxy S22 Ultra or earlier, the S25 Ultra will seem like a significant upgrade. It’s harder to make this point for S23 Ultra owners, who, unless their phone’s battery is low or they can get an incredible discount, should otherwise pass on this one. And for you S24 Ultra owners, you don’t need this phone. Save your money and treat yourself to a nice steak dinner and a movie.

Who shouldn’t have it

The Galaxy S25 Ultra’s appeal is muddied by its $1,300 price tag. The standard Galaxy S25 has the same features, power and longevity, and costs $500 less. Want a bigger screen? Consider the Galaxy S25 Plus. For the majority of people, the regular Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus will be a better fit.

The Motorola Razr Ultra is a beefed-up version of last year’s Razr Plus, which won a CNET Editor’s Choice Award. It’s like the Razr Plus hired a trainer and a nutritionist and then got completely ripped apart, which justifies its name: Ultra. After testing, I came to love the Razr Ultra. It does all the “normal” non-foldable phone things I want and gives me a truly unique experience, thanks to its cover screen. I feel like the coolest kid in the coffee shop when Google Pay-ing for my cortado with my Razr Ultra is closed. Read our Motorola Razr Ultra review.

But by pushing almost every aspect of the phone to the extreme, Motorola has lost one of the most important elements of recent Razrs: incredible value for money. The catch to all this ultra-ness: The Motorola Razr Ultra costs $1,300.

Why we love it

This is the best-built foldable flip phone I’ve ever used. Motorola took the best parts of the Razr Plus and improved almost everything else. The battery life is exceptional: it can easily last a day on a single charge and can even last you a second day. The screens are brighter. The main 7-inch foldable screen is larger and has more resolution than the Razr Plus and the cameras are improved. The fabric backing is lovely.

Who is it best for
This phone is for someone who wants a fun, unique, and sturdy foldable phone. You’re willing to pay top dollar to get the best processor, battery, design, and cameras Motorola has ever made.

Who shouldn’t have it
If you’re unsure about foldables, this may not be the best solution. If you find yourself in places filled with sand, dirt, and other fine particles, the Razr Ultra (like all foldable phones) isn’t worth the risk. The Razr Ultra has the same industry-leading IP rating for dust and water resistance, but dust resistance is only for particles 1mm or larger.

With the Galaxy Z Fold 7, Samsung has finally fixed some of the key issues with its previous book-style foldables. The incredibly thin build and wider 6.5-inch cover screen feel like a standard phone when closed, and that wider 8-inch inner screen is ideal for multitasking, with the ability to run up to three apps simultaneously. Perhaps most notably, the camera gets a major upgrade with the addition of a 200-megapixel main camera, which takes photos on par with the high-end S25 Ultra.

Overall, it’s a great choice if you want a larger, tablet-like screen without the bulk or compromises. Omit on the quality of the camera.

Why we love it

The Z Fold 7 does a solid job of combining what’s great about standard slate phones and what’s great about foldables. It feels wonderfully normal to hold once closed, thanks to its sleek design and lightweight construction. It also packs great cameras and has a large main screen that’s 11% larger than last year’s Z Fold 6.

Fortunately, a thinner build doesn’t force the battery to take a hit; the Z Fold 7 retains the same 4,400mAh battery as last year’s foldable. This is nothing compared to the batteries of Chinese competitors, but at least it is not a downgrade. The Z Fold 7 also packs a Snapdragon 8 Elite processor to power the many AI features you’ll integrate, from Galaxy AI photo and audio editing tools to Gemini Live and Google’s Circle to Search. The phone also supports seven years of software and security updates.

Who is it best for?

If you’re tired of standard slate phones and want something a little more exciting, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is a great choice. The slim design and wider cover screen make it feel as normal as possible when closed, with the added benefit of an expansive main screen, ideal for multitasking and watching videos. The cameras are also impressive for such a thin foldable.

Who shouldn’t have it

The Z Fold 7’s $2,000 price tag is perhaps its biggest caveat. Plus, if you don’t need a bigger screen, it might not be worth it. Ironically, the cover screen is so convenient that you’ll rarely need to open the phone – unless you’re watching movies or multitasking, in which case a phone like the Galaxy S25 Ultra might be better suited.

For $499, Google’s Pixel 9A really feels like you’re getting what you pay for. It comes with several significant improvements over last year’s Pixel 8A: a new design, a new screen, a larger battery, a slightly more powerful chip, increased durability, and improved software features.

But make no mistake, it’s not a perfect phone. There are places where Google had to make compromises to keep the price below $500, like the lack of emergency satellite connectivity available on the $799 Pixel 9. Overall, though, I think the compromises Google made were smart and the Pixel 9A is worth every penny. Read our Google Pixel 9A review.

Why we love it
The Pixel 9A is proof that you don’t need to spend more than $500 to get a great phone. It can handle all your daily tasks, from scrolling through social media and news feeds, watching TikTok videos, to taking a beautiful photo, and lasts for a day on a single charge.

Who is it best for?
In theory: anyone. The Pixel 9A is for anyone who wants 95% of what a $1,000 phone can do at half the price.

Who shouldn’t have it
Anyone looking for the fastest processor or the most advanced cameras.

If you like the base Galaxy S25 but would prefer to have a larger screen and higher battery capacity – without completely upgrading to the Ultra – the S25 Plus may be the phone for you. The entire S25 line shares many features, from AI capabilities to processing power to memory, so the Plus may be a viable choice if you’re looking for something in between.

That said, the Plus’s minimal improvements over the base S25 may not justify the $200 price difference. But if a bigger phone is nicer to hold and you’d rather have a 4,900 mAh battery (compared to the S25’s 4,000 mAh), then that $1,000 starting price could ultimately be worth every penny. Read CNET’s full Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus review.

Why we love it

While the base S25 ticks all the key boxes, the S25 Plus may just seem like a more comfortable device to use, especially if you’re another member of the larger hands club. As well as sharing many of the same features as the more expensive S25 Ultra, the S25 Plus has a higher battery capacity than the base model – although in CNET’s testing there were no major differences in the real-world performance of the two batteries. Still, sometimes you just want to live a little larger, and this phone may be the perfect solution.

Who is it best for?

If you like having a larger screen for watching movies or playing games, the S25 Plus may be a great choice. While the S25 Ultra might be a top choice for someone who wants both a bigger phone and the most premium features, the S25 Plus can be that Goldilocks device that hits you right in the middle — without you having to spend $1,300 for the Ultra.

Who shouldn’t have it

If you want the best in cameras, don’t buy the S25 Plus. For $1,000, phones like the Pixel 9 Pro or iPhone 16 Pro have better cameras. Or if you can afford a $1,300 phone, check out the Galaxy S25 Ultra which has an incredible set of lenses.

The Pixel 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL aren’t a revolution from their predecessors, but almost everything from software to hardware has received some sort of update, resulting in a fresh but familiar phone. The processor isn’t the fastest on the market, but it has more than enough power for everything you’re likely to need it to do, while the cameras performed extremely well in our tests.

Mix in the fun (and potentially very useful) new AI skills and the long period of software support and Google’s new phones do a lot to earn their “flagship” title.

Why we love it

The Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL build on their already superb predecessors, delivering more power and deeper, more useful AI skills. The cameras remain among the best on the market, while the large 6.8-inch screen provides enough space to do justice to YouTube videos and mobile gaming on the go.

Who is it best for?

While some Android competitors offer more linear speed, the Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL offer a truly smooth all-around experience. These phones are easy to use, quick to use, and allow you to take stunning images with little intervention on your part. If you want a “do-it-all” phone that won’t get in the way, you’ll probably do well with these phones.

Who shouldn’t have it

Avid mobile gamers wanting to achieve the highest frame rates for professional-level mobile gaming may find the raw speed of the Tensor G5 processor insufficient.

When I got my hands on Samsung’s new Galaxy Z Flip 7, I was pleased to discover that it had a smaller fold, larger screen cover, slimmer design, and bigger battery compared to last year’s Galaxy Z Flip 6. But while testing the new flip phone, I was fascinated by its interior screen. At 6.9 inches, it’s the largest screen of any Samsung phone except the Galaxy Z Fold 7, which has an 8-inch foldable screen.

The large screen size of the Z Flip 7 makes content more immersive and the colors are beautiful and vivid. This led to epic sessions on TikTok and Instagram, watching widescreen films such as A Working Man and Back to the Future, as well as jumping between two apps stacked vertically on the screen, thanks to One UI 8’s 90:10 splitting tool.

Every time I open the Flip 7, I’m always stunned by how such a large screen can unfold from something the size of a makeup compact. And when closed, there’s a 4.1-inch cover display that’s fantastic in its own way, with clever new animations when you record a video, charge the phone or take a selfie, all making efficient use of the extra display space. In terms of features, however, the cover display’s software is about the same as the Flip 6’s 3.4-inch one.

The Flip 7 impressed me in almost every area except one: battery life. It has a larger battery than the Flip 6, but it doesn’t last longer in daily use. This always got me through a day on a single charge, often with 15-20% left, but there were also a few days where I needed a top-up in the early evening.

Why we love it

The Galaxy Z Flip 7 is the most fully realized version of Samsung’s flip phone ideal since the launch of the original Galaxy Z Flip in 2020. The Flip 7’s appeal is simple: It’s a thin phone with a big, bold screen that folds in half into a square the size of a coaster. The larger cover screen and inner screen make content more immersive. Its design is slim (for a foldable clamshell) and comfortable to hold. Plus, you get twice the storage space this year than last year.

Who is it best for

If you’ve been tempted by a clamshell foldable model, you should definitely consider the Flip 7. If you own a Galaxy Z Flip 4 or earlier, the Flip 7 will be an upgrade in every way. It’s harder to make the same recommendation to Flip 5 owners, unless your phone is showing its age. And if you own a Galaxy Z Flip 6, you can leave this one aside unless you really want those bigger screens.

Who shouldn’t have it

If you spend a lot of time in dirt or sand, this phone is not for you.

Why we love it
The Pixel 10 Pro Fold looks a lot like its predecessor, but what it lacks in design innovation it makes up for in durability, reliability, and performance. It might not be as thin as other book-style foldable phones like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, but it packs a heavier 5,015mAh battery. Perhaps most impressive is the Pixel 10 Pro Fold’s IP68 rating for dust and water resistance – a remarkable feature for a foldable phone.

What ties it all together is the solid triple-camera setup, which includes a 48-megapixel wide-angle, a 10.5-megapixel ultra-wide, and a 10.8-megapixel telephoto lens. There are also 10-megapixel selfie cameras on the interior and cover screens. This is just one example of a foldable phone that doesn’t force you to choose design over functionality.

Who is it best for?

The Pixel 10 Pro Fold can be a great choice for anyone who needs a compact device to multitask. The cover screen is handy for quickly checking texts or scrolling through apps, while the spacious internal screen is ideal for running two apps simultaneously (although three apps would really be ideal). If you like having the option to watch videos on a larger screen, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold might fit the bill.

Who shouldn’t have it

If you’re looking for true pro-level photography, you may want to opt for Google’s non-foldable Pixel 10 Pro or 10 Pro XL. Despite the “Pro” name on the Fold, its cameras are a step down from what you’ll get on these other phones. For example, you can zoom up to 100x with the Pixel 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL and ask the AI ​​to fine-tune the final image; the 10 Pro Fold can only point up to 20x.