Top 5 Best Android Phones of 2025

We’ve already chosen a new favorite for the greatest phone on the market just one month into the new year. As the new standard-bearer, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra demonstrates that phone manufacturers will need to be at the top of their game if they want to compete with our most recent top pick.

The main hardware enhancement in Samsung’s latest high-end device is an amazing new processor. Although many of the Galaxy AI additions to this year’s flagship put more power in your palm, it’s AI that really makes the Galaxy S25 Ultra stand out. Additionally, the Samsung Galaxy S25 offers those same AI features for less money if you don’t want to spend on your next phone.

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Last update on 2025-02-09 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.

Top 5 Best Android Phones of 2025

1.Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

Last update on 2025-02-11 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.

When comparing the Galaxy S25 Ultra to the model from the previous year, don’t expect significant hardware changes. Rather, Samsung has focused on enhancing its Galaxy AI features to great effect. It’s safe to say that the Galaxy S25 Ultra takes mobile AI to the next level.

This is because Samsung has included significant features like cross-app actions, which allow you to interact with apps on your phone using the on-board digital assistant. Initially, you can use the digital assistant to interact with Google and Samsung apps, as well as Whatsapp and Spotify. Better yet, you can issue a single command that initiates several actions, such as finding an event’s date, adding it to your calendar, and texting a friend the details.

Your preferences, interests, and activities are learned by the phone’s Personal Data Engine, which then populates a new Now Brief screen with pertinent information about forthcoming appointments, weather forecasts, and other topics. Even though Brief is currently fairly basic, it promises to learn more about you over time and modify its suggestions accordingly. We’ll check to see if that’s the case after utilizing the Galaxy S25 Ultra.

New features like the Now Bar, which functions as Samsung’s take on Live Activities on the iPhone and lets you monitor ongoing notifications from your lock screen, give other AI favorites like Circle to Search new capabilities. This does not lessen the hardware modifications made to the Galaxy S25 Ultra.

One drawback of the Galaxy S25 Ultra is that it still costs more than competing flagship phones. This phone costs

, which is more than the most costly flagship models from Google and Apple. However, Samsung at least avoided raising prices this year, and the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s base model comes with 256GB of storage. Deals on the Galaxy S25 Ultra allow you to slightly reduce the phone’s price.

The most significant hardware modification to the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s camera setup is the addition of a 50MP ultrawide sensor, which allows for sharper macros and more detailed photos. However, this year’s Galaxy devices have benefited greatly from improvements to the ProVisual Engine that handles photos, and the S25 Ultra reaps the rewards.

In an 11-round photo face-off between the S25 Ultra and the iPhone 16 Pro Max, my colleague Mark Spoonauer’s S25 Ultra ended up winning more rounds. Samsung phones are especially good at taking selfies, zooming in, and taking pictures in low light. Although there are still certain areas where the iPhone 16 Pro Max captures better images, the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s photo output has advanced to the point where I believe it to be the greatest camera phone available right now.

This year’s model outlasted its predecessor by 45 minutes on our battery test, despite Samsung not increasing the battery size from the Galaxy S24 Ultra. The Galaxy S25 Ultra had a 17-hour and 14-hour cellular internet browsing time.

2.OnePlus 13

Last update on 2025-02-11 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.

The OnePlus 13 is a fortunate newcomer to the Android phone market, though some people may find it to be an unlucky number. Although the OnePlus 13’s price increase may not seem like a good idea at first, it performs exceptionally well in areas like screen quality, battery life, and charging speed, and it also has the image quality required to rank among the best phones available.

Granted, the OnePlus 13 launched in the first week of 2025, giving it a first-mover advantage. It’s also one of the few phones that already has the newest Snapdragon chipset for powerful performance and AI features that match those of its competitors. Nevertheless, new models from Google and Samsung will be released in 2025 — the Galaxy S25 should be here very quickly, in fact — and those phones could offer improvements of their own that the OnePlus 13 can’t match. Not without software updates, at any rate.

Continue reading this OnePlus 13 review to find out more about the advantages and disadvantages of this new device. Additionally, don’t pass up the OnePlus 13R, which is the less expensive variant of the OnePlus 13 that is also coming out.The 13 is another stunningly designed phone from OnePlus. However, there are a few changes that affect more than just the phone’s appearance.

First of all, it’s simple to see that the phone’s sides are flatter this time around to follow the current trend of phones with less curved sides. Regardless of whether you’re holding the phone in portrait or landscape mode, the quad-curved display still helps it fit comfortably in your hand.

OnePlus has reduced the amount of metal that surrounds the camera block on the rear. There aren’t many changes from the previous year’s model, aside from the relocation of the Hasselblad “H” branding and a new glossy strip across the back of the phone. This is particularly true for the edges, where the OnePlus alert slider is once more located.

To prevent cracks and scratches, the screen is covered in a material called Ceramic Guard. This is not the same as Apple’s Ceramic Shield, Gorilla Glass Armor, or Victus 2, which are materials found in many flagships. More significantly, though, OnePlus has joined other Chinese phone manufacturers in giving its flagship model IP68 and IP69 water/dust resistance ratings. Thus, the OnePlus 13 should survive both immersion in water and being sprayed by a high-pressure jet, should you accidentally cross paths with a pressure washer with the phone in your pocket.

This year, OnePlus has deviated from its typical black/green color scheme by offering a new trio of choices. My favorite OnePlus 13 design is the Arctic Dawn model, which is whitish-silver and has a matte anti-fingerprint texture. You can see it in this review. Other options include the vegan leather Midnight Ocean Blue, which makes the phone lighter but thicker than a glass phone, and Black Eclipse, which is said to feel like wood to the touch.

3.Google Pixel 8a

Last update on 2025-02-11 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.

When you don’t want to spend more than on a phone, Google’s Pixel 8a is the best option, just like the Pixel 7a it replaced. Along with the AI features found on current Pixel flagships, you will receive one of the best camera phones available for the price. The Tensor G4 chipset and the more advanced AI features of the Pixel 9 series are the only reasons to pass on the Pixel 8a at this time. Nevertheless, the Pixel 8a is still a fantastic choice for those looking for a deal without having to shell out the additional for a Pixel 9.

The Pixel 8a can be a phone you keep for a long time in addition to saving you money in the short term. As with the standard Pixel 8 phones, Google provides seven years of software and security updates. Google is demonstrating to other phone manufacturers what a midrange device ought to look like with the Pixel 8a. Although the Pixel 8a has some performance advantages, Samsung does undercut the price of the Pixel 8a by $100 with its midrange model, the Galaxy A35.

The cameras and photo processing features of the Pixel 8a are identical to those of the Pixel 7a from 2023. Although we would prefer more significant advancements, you can’t knock the camera performance of the Pixel 8a, especially compared to other camera phones in this price range. For instance, in our 200-photo face-off between the Pixel 8a and Galaxy A35, Google’s phone really showed how it excels in photo processing and handling low-light images. People with the Pixel 7a won’t need to upgrade, but if you have an older midrange model, you’ll definitely see an uptick in photo quality with the Pixel 8a.

Similar to the Pixel 9 mentioned above, the Pixel 8a performs better on our battery test than the typical smartphone, albeit not as significantly. Before its battery died, the Pixel 8a could browse the internet for 11 hours and 21 minutes. In comparison, the duration of that result is an hour and sixteen minutes longer than that of the Pixel 7a. Low-cost phones or not, wired charging speeds could be faster; however, Google has included wireless charging on the Pixel 8a after introducing it on the Pixel 7a.

The Tensor core on Google’s silicon powers the AI features of Pixel phones, as is always the case. The Pixel 8a has the same feature set as Pixel 8 flagships, including Magic Editor, and is powered by a Tensor G3.(The latter is particularly impressive, giving you the ability to edit group shots so that everyone is putting their best face forward.) But don’t sleep on the phone’s call management features, either, as I think they’re some of the best AI features on the Pixel and unique to Google’s phones. Forget about blazing speeds, though, as that’s not in the Tensor chips’ locker. That said, the Pixel 8a does handily out-perform the Galaxy A35, which uses older Exynos silicon.

4.Google Pixel 9 Pro

Last update on 2025-02-11 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.

Since both Apple and Samsung invested 2024 in incorporating AI-powered features into their phones, AI is currently the most popular feature on smartphones. However, with the Pixel 6, Google made the switch to the AI-focused Tensor chipset, so they are an old hand at this. We’re now using Tensor G4 on the Google Pixel 9 Pro, and after utilizing Google’s AI tools, Apple Intelligence, and Galaxy AI, I believe Google has the best AI available. Several of my favorite AI phone features were undoubtedly added to the Pixel 9 phones, including the 9 Pro, within the past year.

According to Google, consumers desired a smaller Pro model to complement the large-screen model. The Pixel 9 Pro XL, which has the same features as the standard Pro but a 6.7-inch display and a larger battery, is a good option if you want more screen space. In my experience, using it with one hand is also more difficult.)

Google charged for the Pixel 8 Pro, and the same price is charged for the Pixel 9 Pro. However, the screen on that older phone was larger, so I feel like I’m getting a worse deal for a smaller phone. Nevertheless, you can’t really say that Google is letting you down given the advancements in AI features, battery life, and display brightness.

Though I believe the iPhone 16’s macro images are a bit sharper, the actual camera improvements are minimal: a new ultrawide sensor adds a Macro mode that worked really well when I tested it. (Although they are different phones, John Velasco’s photo comparison of the iPhone 16 Pro Max and Pixel 9 Pro XL shows how much better Apple’s macro images are.) The front camera on the Pixel 9 Pro also has an improved sensor, but I believe Google should lessen the camera’s propensity to make faces appear overly smooth. However, the Pixel 9 Pro’s camera performance really depends on its photo processing, which is still strong. In my tests, the cameras produced well-composed images that highlighted fine details.

Recent Google phones have struggled with battery life, but the Pixel 9 Pro ends that trend. In our web browsing test, the Pixel 9 Pro, equipped with a 4,700 mAh battery and a more efficient Tensor G4 chipset, lasted an average of 13 hours and 30 minutes. This was longer than the 10-hour average for other smartphones, but still behind the similarly sized iPhone 16 and Galaxy S24 models. I’m pleased with the Pixel 9 Pro’s capacity to last the entire day on a single charge because other Pixels had trouble even reaching that threshold.

5.OnePlus Open

Last update on 2025-02-11 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.

The first tablet-foldable phone that feels good is the OnePlus Open. Every previous “Fold,” including the most recent Pixel Fold and the Galaxy Z Fold 5, feels off. When closed, they have odd shapes: the Pixel is too squat, and the Galaxy is too narrow. The most significant form factor enhancement OnePlus could have made is the OnePlus Open, which has the perfect shape. You shouldn’t have to worry about your phone being the wrong size half the time if you’re spending twice as much on it.

The largest, brightest, and most satisfying display of all the large foldable phones greets you when you open the OnePlus Open. The crease is barely perceptible when you touch it, and you have to look closely to see it. This obviously calls for a massive camera hump around the back, and it’s a powerful bubble that’s twice as thick as the largest camera bump you’ve ever seen. Even though it occasionally made the phone feel awkward in my pocket, it’s a worthwhile trade-off.

It’s unfortunate that the best foldable phones to date haven’t had cameras that can match the range of camera angles that these devices can offer. That is largely resolved by the OnePlus Open.

When closed, the OnePlus Open is the thinnest foldable phone I’ve ever seen; when open, it’s no thinner than the Pixel Fold. Despite being lighter than the others, the OnePlus Open somehow manages to provide larger screens and more battery.

When you’re carrying it around, the fact that it’s significantly lighter than the Pixel makes a big difference. The OnePlus Open weighs roughly the same as the iPhone 14 Pro Max from the previous year. It’s a remarkable accomplishment to fit two screens, a larger battery, and the high-end camera into a package that weighs the same as the top iPhone from the previous year. This year’s iPhone 15 Pro Max is marginally lighter thanks to titanium.

The OnePlus Open’s user-friendly software design makes it a pleasure to use. We benefit from this phone’s lack of features compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 5. Without the need for drawn-out tutorials and pop-up reminders to help you find hidden features, OnePlus has made it simple to create a helpful home screen, navigate settings and tools, and open multiple windows at once.

Not all of the news is positive. I’m hesitant to recommend OnePlus phones because they don’t place a high priority on durability and water resistance. Because the OnePlus Open is only IPX4 rated, dust and lint may become an issue in the future. Additionally, the Open can only withstand water splashes; you can’t let it take a serious beating.

FAQ: Finding the best phones

Should I get an Android device or iPhone?

You have more options with Android phones in terms of cost, dimensions, and cutting-edge styles. iPhones, on the other hand, provide better games and apps, faster software updates, and enhanced security and privacy. For additional information on the advantages and disadvantages of the two mobile operating systems, view our iPhone vs. Android comparison.

Is it better to buy an unlocked phone?

The majority of American consumers purchase new phones via their wireless provider. However, you can purchase an unlocked phone without any kind of contract and then take it to the provider of your choice. Additionally, bringing an unlocked phone to any phone carrier these days is not too difficult.

However, some phones are more expensive when purchased unlocked. For instance, Apple charges an additional for an unlocked version of the iPhone 16. When you activate a phone with a particular carrier at the time of purchase, Best Buy usually deducts money from the price.

How big of a phone should I get?

Even though there are still some phones with screens smaller than 6 inches, fans of the best small phones will have a difficult time finding them. Most phones with screens around 6.1 inches are fairly small because of shrinking bezels. A phone with a 6.5 to 6.8-inch screen is what you’ll want if you like large phones. If it’s larger, you’ll probably want to use a foldable phone, which unfolds to reveal a larger screen.