Best Android phones (September 2017): our picks, plus a giveaway

With Android thoroughly dominating the mobile industry, picking the best Android smartphones is almost synonymous with choosing the best smartphones, period. But while Android phones have few real opponents on other platforms, internal competition is incredibly fierce.

From sleek devices that impress with premium design, to powerhouses brimming with features, to all-around great devices, and affordable phones that punch above their weight, the Android ecosystem is populated by a staggering variety of attractive phones.

But “greatness” is subjective, and sometimes spec sheets and feature lists are not enough to make an idea of how good a phone really is. In this roundup, we’re looking at the absolute best – the Android phones you can’t go wrong with.

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Editor’s note: We will be updating this list regularly as new devices launch.

Upcoming: LG V30

The V30 is the latest flagship phone from LG, which has been struggling to compete, at least in sales, with its biggest Android rival Samsung. It is also the successor to 2016’s LG V20, which included a secondary 2.1-inch screen on top for showing app shortcuts, media controls, and more. The V30 does away with that secondary display, and instead has one nearly bezel-free 6-inch screen, using LG’s new Plastic-OLED (POLED) panel. LG offers a slide-out menu on the phone’s display (called the Floating Bar) that floats around the screen as a substitute (sort for) for folks who might miss the secondary display.

In terms of hardware specs, the LG V30 has everything you would expect from a flagship phone in 2017. It has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 with 4 GB RAM, along with 64 GB of onboard storage, a 3,300 mAh battery, and a IP68 dust and water resistance rating. LG is heavily promoting the advanced camera and photography features on the V30m too. It has a dual rear camera that includes a 16 MP sensor with a f/1.6 aperture, along with a 13 MP sensor with a f/1.9 aperture. The rear camera has a Crystal Clear Lens instead of plastic, which should mean you should get more realistic looking photos with the V30. Video creators should have fun with software features like Cine Video, which allows users to quickly put in video effects, along with Point Zoom, which will let owners zoom into any point in a video.

Audiophiles should also be happy with the LG V30, as it has support for Hi-Fi Quad DAC tuned by B&O Play. It is also the first smartphone to support MQA, which is supposed to let users stream high-res audio, but with a smaller file size and no loss in quality.

We’re still working on our full review, but we’re sure the V30 will make its way on this list one way or another.

Specs

6.0-inch P-OLED FullVision display 2,880 x 1,440 resolution, 538 ppi
Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Mobile Platform
4 GB of RAM
64 (V30) / 128 (V30 Plus) GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 2 TB
Dual 16 and 13 MP rear cameras, 5 MP front camera
Non-removable 3,300 mAh battery
Android 7.1.2 Nougat
151.7 x 75.4 x 7.3 mm, 158 g

Where to buy the LG V30

Samsung Galaxy Note 8

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After a controversial 2016, Samsung’s Galaxy Note line is back in full force. With top-of-the-line specs, a stunning design, an all-new dual-camera setup, and new software features, the Galaxy Note 8 is the best Android phone you can buy right now.

The Note 8’s near-bezel-less 6.3-inch QuadHD+ Infinity Display with an 18.5:9 aspect ratio is one of our favorite parts about this phone. DisplayMate agrees with us too. It’s big, maybe too big for some people, but at least the company puts that screen to good use. There’s a new App Pairing feature that allows you to open up two favorited apps in multi-window at the same time, and there are a few new S Pen features that will satisfy the stylus users out there.

What’s more, the new dual-camera setup on the back performs incredibly well. While picture quality isn’t a huge step up from what we saw on the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus, the extra 12 MP sensor with OIS allows you to take clear, concise photos and impressive bokeh shots in just about any situation.

No, it’s not perfect, but no phone is. Samsung’s fingerprint sensor placement is still super annoying, and this phone is expensive. If those things don’t matter to you though, the Note 8 might be the right phone for you. Check out our full review below!

Specs

6.3-inch Super AMOLED Infinity Display with 2960 x 1440 resolution, 521 ppi
Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 or Octa-core Samsung Exynos 8895 processor (depending on region)
6 GB of RAM
64/128/256 GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 256 GB
Dual 12 MP rear cameras, 8 MP front camera
Non-removable 3,300 mAh battery
Android 7.1.1 Nougat
162.5 x 74.8 x 8.6 mm, 195 g

Pre-order now from Samsung

Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus

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Following a successful launch of the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, Samsung seemed to have a pretty good idea as to what users want in a smartphone. Solid battery life, high-res screens, impressive camera performance and more were all things the company achieved with the 2016 flagships. And while the Note 7 seemed to improve even more in those areas, overheating problems caused the device to enter total recall mode.

Now we get to see what Samsung has in store for us in 2017. It should come as no surprise that the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus feature top-of-the-line specifications, great cameras and an all-new design that’s truly futuristic.

Specs

Samsung Galaxy S8

5.8-inch Super AMOLED Infinity Display with 2960 x 1440 resolution, 570 ppi
Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 or Octa-core Samsung Exynos 8895 processor (depending on region)
4 GB of RAM
64 GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 256 GB
12 MP rear camera, 8 MP front camera
Non-removable 3,000 mAh battery
Android 7.0 Nougat
148.9 x 68.1 x 8 mm, 155 g

Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus

6.2-inch Super AMOLED display with 2960 x 1440 resolution, 529 ppi
Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 or Octa-core Samsung Exynos 8895 processor (depending on region)
4 GB of RAM
64 GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 256 GB
12 MP rear camera, 8 MP front camera
Non-removable 3,000 mAh battery
Android 7.0 Nougat
159.5 x 73.4 x 8.1 mm, 173 g

Buy Galaxy s8

Buy Galaxy S8 Plus

LG G6

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Throughout 2016, the LG G5 struggled to take on the Galaxy S7, HTC 10 and all the other flagships released that year. It’s not a bad phone, per se, it just lacks the level of polish we normally expect from top-tier smartphones nowadays. The phone would have been more widely accepted if it nailed the modular implementation, but unfortunately the whole module-swapping process was wonky and the three “Friends” that launched with the G5 weren’t all that appealing. With the G6, LG has gone back to the basics.

Certainly the most standout feature on the G6 is its 5.7-inch Quad HD LCD display, with its interesting aspect ratio of 18:9 and rounded corners. It also comes with a Snapdragon 821 processor, 4 GB of RAM, plenty of on-board storage, an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance and dual 13 MP rear cameras. It’s worth noting that not all LG G6s are created equal. For example, the G6 that’s coming to the U.S. is the only variant that supports wireless charging, while the Hi-Fi Quad DAC is exclusive to South Korea and certain markets in Asia. What’s more, the G6 with 64 GB of storage is only available in a handful of markets.

This isn’t a phone that introduces a bunch of gimmicky features that you’ll never use. It’s simply a solid, well-built smartphone that nails the main areas users care most about.

Specs

5.7-inch IPS LCD display with 2880 x 1440 resolution, 564 ppi
Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor
4 GB of RAM
32/64 GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 256 GB
Dual 13 MP rear cameras, 5 MP front camera
Non-removable 3,300 mAh battery
Android 7.0 Nougat
148.9 x 71.9 x 7.9 mm, 163 g

Buy LG G6

HTC U11

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The HTC 10 was one of our favorite Android phones of 2016, and for good reason. The Taiwanese company absolutely nailed the design of the 10, and it worked hard at scaling back the software to make it feel like the bare-bones Android experience we all know and love. And while it didn’t have a bunch of gimmicky extras, that was okay. The HTC 10 was a solid Android phone that nailed the basics.

Now HTC is back with the 10’s successor, the HTC U11. With an eye-catching, glossy design, all-day battery life, and a smooth and snappy software experience, the U11 competes toe-to-toe with the Galaxy S8 and LG G6 when it comes to performance. It also has one of the best smartphone cameras on the market, according to DxOMark.

The standout feature on the U11 is something HTC calls Edge Sense. The sides of the phone are pressure sensitive, and this allows you to physically squeeze the phone to activate a specific function or open an app like the camera or web browser. Having to squeeze your phone to make it do something does sound a bit odd, but we’ve really found this feature to come in handy.

Before you go out and spend $650 on this baby, there are a few things you should know. For starters, this phone doesn’t have a 3.5 mm headphone jack, meaning you’ll either need to use Bluetooth headphones or carry around the included headphone adapter everywhere you go. Also, while HTC’s Sense is one of our favorite Android skins out there, it is feeling a bit dated at this point.

If you can get past those few caveats, though, the U11 will certainly not disappoint.

Specs

5.5-inch IPS LCD display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, 534 ppi
Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor
4/6 GB of RAM
64/128 GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 256 GB
12 MP rear camera, 16 MP front camera
3,000 mAh battery
Android 7.1.1 Nougat
153.9 x 75.9 x 7.9 mm, 169 g

Buy now from Amazon

Google Pixel and Pixel XL

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Google’s Pixel and Pixel XL are here, and they truly are some amazing smartphones.

Not only are they the first phones to ship with the Google Assistant on board, they also come with plenty of exclusive software features and some of the best smartphone cameras in existence.

Under the hood, they sport some killer specs, too. Both devices have an AMOLED display, a Snapdragon 821 processor, 4 GB of RAM, plenty of on-board storage and long-lasting batteries. The overall design of these phones may not be the most unique, but they do feel like premium phones through and through.

There are a few things about these phones that will turn some people away, though. For starters, they only sport an IP53 rating for dust and water resistance, meaning they’re not nearly as waterproof as the Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge. There are ways around that, but none that will make the devices truly waterproof. Plus, if you buy the Verizon model, you’ll have to deal with a small amount of bloatware (though you will be able to uninstall it), you won’t be able to unlock the bootloader, and Verizon will be handling all Pixel and Pixel XL software updates (though the company swears it won’t delay them).

If you’re in the market for a new flagship Android phone and don’t mind spending over $650, you should buy the Pixel or Pixel XL… these are two of the best Android phones out there.

Specs

Google Pixel

5.0-inch AMOLED display with 1920 x 1080 resolution, 441 ppi
Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor
4 GB of RAM
32/128 GB of on-board storage, no microSD expansion
12.3 MP rear camera, 8 MP front camera
Non-removable 2,770 mAh battery
Android 7.1 Nougat
143.8 x 69.5 x 8.6 mm, 143 g

Google Pixel XL

5.5-inch AMOLED display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, 534 ppi
Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor
4 GB of RAM
32/128 GB of on-board storage, no microSD expansion
12.3 MP rear camera, 8 MP front camera
Non-removable 3,450 mAh battery
Android 7.1 Nougat
154.7 x 75.7 x 8.6 mm, 168 g

Buy Pixel

Buy Pixel XL

OnePlus 5

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The OnePlus 5 is the latest flagship smartphone from OnePlus, sporting top-of-the-line specifications, smooth and snappy performance, and a wonderful software experience.

This phone is really great. It sports a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, up to 8 GB of RAM, dual 16 and 20 MP cameras, and it’s running a much more refined version of OxygenOS atop Android 7.1.1 Nougat. The battery will also last all day on a single charge.

Even though the device is missing a couple notable features like ingress protection and microSD card expansion, we still think the OnePlus 5 is worth the $479 asking price. Be sure to check out our full review for more details!

Specs

5.5-inch Optic AMOLED display with 1920 x 1080 resolution, 401 ppi
Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 mobile platform
6/8 GB of RAM
64/128 GB of on-board storage, no microSD expansion
Dual 16 and 20 MP rear cameras, 16 MP front camera
Non-removable 3,300 mAh battery
Android 7.1.1 Nougat
154.2 x 74.1 x 7.25 mm, 153 g

Buy OnePlus 5

Cast your vote, and participate in our giveaway!

There you have it – our picks from the best Android has to offer right now. Out of those listed, which do you feel is the very best? Be sure to sound off in the poll below. Each month we will also be conducting a giveaway, giving our readers a chance to win the phone with the most votes.

Winner, August 2017: Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus (12,404 total votes)

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Congratulations to Cristiana F. from Portugal, the winner of our August 2017 giveaway!

Best Android Phones (September 2017) International Giveaway!

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