Apple’s iPhone is not the one selection in the event you’re out there for a brand new telephone. Android has a number of benefits over iOS, and one of many greatest is the sheer number of units you’ll be able to select from. From the supersize Galaxy S23 Extremely to the extra modest and reasonably priced Pixel 6A, Android telephones can be found in an enormous vary of sizes and costs. However this sprawling number of telephones could make it tough to know which of them are value your hard-earned cash. In the event you aren’t certain the place to start out, you are in the correct place: We have examined and researched all the perfect Android telephones you should buy in 2023.
A terrific telephone ought to have high-quality cameras, lengthy battery life, compelling software program options and 5G assist. We thought-about these elements when placing collectively our record of the perfect Android telephones in 2023, which you’ll be able to take a look at beneath. CNET’s crew updates this record periodically as we evaluate new merchandise.
What’s the finest Android telephone?
The Google Pixel 7 Professional sits on the high of our record of finest Android telephones, largely as a result of it has among the finest cameras discovered on any telephone offered right now and represents probably the greatest values to your greenback on this record. The Pixel 7 Professional additionally packs a variety of handy options which can be distinctive to it. There are calling instruments like the flexibility to attend on maintain and notify you when a consultant turns into out there. You may as well sharpen previous images which can be out of focus to make the topic look clearer. After which there’s the flexibility to mechanically caption movies, podcasts, telephone calls and extra.
There are many different glorious decisions on the market, nonetheless, although the Pixel 7 Professional is our present favourite.
Finest Android telephones of 2023
Like:
• Refreshed design appears to be like nice
• Very good cameras
• Clear and pleasurable interface
Do not like:
• Battery life may very well be higher
Google’s newest flagship telephone, the Pixel 7 Professional, is not an enormous overhaul from the already glorious Pixel 6 Professional Google launched final 12 months. But it surely’s taken that profitable formulation and made some key tweaks to nearly each aspect, leading to an excellent telephone that is bliss to make use of. The refreshed digital camera can take beautiful photographs too, incomes its spot among the many finest flagship telephones round. It usually sells for $899, however Google at present has it on sale for $150 off.
Learn our Google Pixel 7 Professional evaluate.
Like:
- Quick efficiency
- Glorious foremost digital camera
- Vivid display
- Included stylus
- Double the storage within the base mannequin
- 4 generations of Android OS updates
Do not like:
- Excessive worth
- Photographs do not all the time look pure
- No enhancements to quick charging
The Galaxy S23 is so much, however in a great way. It is greater than most individuals want in a telephone, however that does not make it any much less spectacular. Samsung made enhancements to the digital camera’s decision (200 megapixels in contrast with 108 megapixels), colour tones and dynamic vary, whereas retaining the identical edgy design and big 6.8-inch display as its predecessor. There’s additionally a brand new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor that is been optimized particularly for Samsung’s telephones, which brings quicker efficiency in contrast with the Galaxy S22 Extremely.
It could be an understatement to name this telephone costly: It begins at $1,200. However folks keen to pay extra for a large display and a high-quality, versatile digital camera will not be dissatisfied. Learn our Samsung Galaxy S23 Extremely evaluate.
Like:
• Modern design
• Nice worth
• Predominant digital camera is Google’s finest
Do not like:
• Battery life is nice however not nice
• Not as a lot Android model assist as Samsung
At round $600, the Google Pixel 7 presents a good way to place a few of Google’s finest tech in your pocket with out emptying your financial institution steadiness within the course of. It undercuts the totally specced 7 Professional mannequin by a way, however nonetheless packs the identical Tensor G2 processor, an excellent display and a terrific foremost digital camera.
Just like the 7 Professional, its refreshed design appears to be like elegant and classy, whereas its Android 13 software program is clutter-free and simple to make use of. The battery life may very well be higher, however with cautious use you may get by way of a day on a cost. It lacks the telephoto zoom and a few the opposite bells and whistles of the 7 Professional, however in the event you’re after a stable on a regular basis telephone at a good worth, the bottom Pixel 7 is a superb choice.
Like:
- Longer battery life
- Enticing design
- 4 generations of Android OS updates
- Quick efficiency
Do not like:
- Cameras are mainly the identical as final 12 months
- Costly
- No enhancements to quick charging
- No improve to base storage
Android followers on the lookout for a petite telephone do not have a lot to select from. However the 6.1-inch Galaxy S23 offers a compelling choice for many who need a telephone that feels compact however nonetheless offers sufficient display area. The Galaxy S23 comes with routine upgrades like a recent processor (a model of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 that is been optimized for Samsung’s telephones), a barely new design and a higher-resolution selfie digital camera. But it surely’s the Galaxy S23’s bigger battery that makes it value recommending. Learn our Samsung Galaxy S23 evaluate.
Like:
- Good display
- Speedy efficiency
- IP67 waterproof
- Inexpensive worth
Do not like:
The following-gen Pixel 6A is a stable selection in order for you 5G on a budget. This Pixel telephone has a high-end chipset, nice rear cameras, show and common battery life. It is one of many most cost-effective good 5G smartphones you should buy proper now.
Learn our Google Pixel 6A evaluate.
Like:
- Unbelievable efficiency for gaming
- Slick, refreshed design
- Hyper-fast charging
- 5 years of safety assist
Do not like:
- Cameras are good however not nice
- Higher waterproofing on rivals
The $700 OnePlus 11 is a robust telephone that is nicely geared up to deal with gaming, video streaming and different frequent duties. In typical OnePlus trend, this telephone can be cheaper than the $800 Galaxy S23 and $900 Pixel 7 Professional. The cameras aren’t the perfect, however they’re superb for informal photographers who simply need to seize their subsequent trip or an evening out. What units the OnePlus 11 aside from lots of its rivals is its blazing 100-watt quick charging, which may replenish the battery in simply 25 minutes. (The US model solely helps 80-watt charging, however that is nonetheless an enchancment over the Galaxy S23 Extremely’s 45-watt charging). General, the OnePlus 11 is right for individuals who need a highly effective telephone that prices shortly and will not break the financial institution. Learn our full evaluate of the OnePlus 11.
Like:
- 120Hz cowl display
- Water resistance
- Enhanced pill expertise
- Software program enhancements for multitasking and Flex Mode
Do not like:
- $1,800 remains to be costly
Foldable telephones have not actually hit the mainstream, remaining as a substitute solely within the attain of these keen to spend high greenback on the newest in cellular innovation. Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 4 is the perfect folding telephone round, providing top-notch efficiency, a terrific digital camera setup and a wide range of tweaks to its folding expertise that make this Android smartphone extra fascinating than its predecessor.
Like:
- Higher battery life than earlier than
- Nonetheless the perfect flip telephone to get into foldables
- Water resistance
Do not like:
- Identical cameras because the Galaxy Z Flip 3
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 is an iterative replace nevertheless it packs a punch for the $1,000 price ticket. With a greater battery life due to a extra energy environment friendly processor and an even bigger battery, the Flip is lastly value investing in as a flagship gadget.
Like:
- Skilled stage video monitor options
- Strong utilitarian construct
- Dwell broadcast streaming over 5G
- As a telephone, it is primarily the Sony Xperia 1 II
Do not like:
- Worth is excessive, limiting its slender enchantment
- 2020 specs and Android 10
- Cannot report video by way of HDMI enter
At a whopping $1,800 record worth, the Sony Xperia Professional is not for everybody. However in the event you’re a photographer or videographer on the lookout for professional-level digital camera telephone options, you’ll be able to’t go flawed. The Xperia Professional is basically 4 merchandise in a single: a telephone, a digital camera monitor, a speedy picture file switch gadget and a 5G machine appropriate for broadcasting and livestreaming.
Learn our Sony Xperia Professional evaluate.
Like:
• Flashing design
• Strong efficiency
• Inexpensive worth
Do not like:
• Cameras are solely OK
• Not broadly out there within the US
The Nothing Cellphone 1’s reasonably priced worth, stable efficiency and good-enough digital camera setup already make it a stable choice to contemplate in the event you’re on the lookout for an Android telephone on a funds. However this telephone takes the pizzazz up a notch with its suite of flashing LED lights on the rear, which definitely make it stand out in opposition to its opponents.
It is a terrific telephone, which we loved reviewing, however there’s a draw back: As of proper now, there are not any plans to launch the telephone broadly within the US. You will get it unlocked on Amazon, nevertheless it’s GSM-only so it will not work on Verizon. The corporate’s subsequent telephone, the Nothing Cellphone 2, shall be coming to the US later this 12 months.
How we check telephones
Each telephone on this record has been totally examined by CNET’s professional opinions crew. We truly use the telephone, check the options, play video games and take images. We assess any advertising guarantees that an organization makes about its telephones. And if we discover one thing we do not like, be it battery life or construct high quality, we inform you all about it.
We study each facet of a telephone throughout testing:
- Show
- Design and really feel
- Processor efficiency
- Battery life
- Digicam high quality
- Options
We check all of a telephone’s cameras (each back and front) in a wide range of circumstances: from outdoor below daylight to dimmer indoor locales and night time time scenes (for any out there night time modes). We additionally examine our findings in opposition to equally priced fashions. We’ve got a sequence of real-world battery exams to see how lengthy a telephone lasts below on a regular basis use.
We take into consideration extra telephone options like 5G, fingerprint and face readers, styluses, quick charging, foldable shows and different helpful extras. And we weigh all of our experiences and testing in opposition to the worth so whether or not a telephone represents good worth or not.
Learn extra: How We Check Telephones
Cellphone FAQs
How dependable is an Android telephone?
Android telephones are available all sizes and styles. Costs vary from only a couple hundred {dollars} for a fundamental smartphone to $1,800 for state-of-the-art foldable telephones. All of the telephones on this record are sturdy, have an IP score for water and dirt resistance and years of software program assist.
How lengthy does an Android telephone final?
Whereas each telephone on this record varies in what number of years of software program assist you get and the way lengthy you’ll be able to prolong the guarantee, most ought to final you a number of years if no more.