Best Android phones to buy for 2021

Phone technology moves fast, with today’s top manufacturers pushing out innovations faster than ever. Features such as super fast 5G connectivity and Super AMOLED displays are commonplace, with more futuristic tech like foldable displays available for those who want the cutting edge (and who have the deep pockets to pay for them). Samsung’s Galaxy line dominates the Android category, and that probably won’t stop anytime soon. But other companies are gunning for the honor of being the best Android phone — and you, the potential customer, benefit from all this competition.

There are now a number of fantastic Android phones options available at a variety of prices, ranging from high-end flagship phones to budget devices. We took a look at the best Android options and rounded up our favorites, which we keep up to date. These phones have generally great battery life, screens, cameras or all of the above. We also took into consideration features such as a fingerprint sensor, wireless charging and expandable storage. Read on to see our top picks for the best Android phones and check out our tips on how to buy a new phone, too.

Read more: Best phones of 2021

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Sarah Tew/CNET

As Samsung’s elite flagship phone for 2021, the Galaxy S21 Ultra features a brilliant 6.8-inch AMOLED display with an ultrasmooth 120Hz refresh rate that also supports Samsung’s S-Pen stylus, an awesome rear camera with incredible zoom skills and 5G connectivity for super speedy data. This is the best in mobile technology that Samsung has to offer, and it’s the Android phone to go for if you’re keen to put cutting-edge tech in your pocket.

Read our Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G review.

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If you want a 5G phone that doesn’t cost too much, the Pixel 4A 5G is one of our top Android mobile phone picks. The handset has a solid battery life, fantastic dual rear cameras and robust software support from Google. There’s also the Pixel 5, which has a great 90Hz display, but it costs more at $699 (£599, AU$999).

Read our Google Pixel 4A 5G review.

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Angela Lang/CNET

Pixel phones have a loyal following and with good reason. Without considering its price, Google’s Pixel 4A Android phone has top-notch camera performance that takes brilliant photos. But this Android device is an even better deal as the budget smartphone costs $349 (£349, AU$599). The 5.81-inch handset also features a headphone jack, 128GB of storage out of the box and better battery life than the previous year’s Pixel 4.

Read our Google Pixel 4A review.

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Andrew Hoyle/CNET

While OnePlus isn’t as well-known as Apple or Samsung, the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro offer a premium experience at a relatively more affordable budget phone price than rivals. Both phones are 5G-enabled, run the most powerful Qualcomm processor and have multilens cameras. The OnePlus 9 is our favorite of the two, with all of the features we love from the series but at the more affordable price and with better battery life. It’s a solid option if the lofty prices of the Galaxy S21 Ultra are out of your reach.

Juan Garzon/CNET

Samsung’s Galaxy S20 FE packs much of what we’ve come to expect from its premium S range of phones, including multiple rear cameras, great performance and 5G connectivity, but wrapped it in cheaper materials and brought the price down to a more affordable phone. This Android phone won a coveted CNET Editors’ Choice award, and it’s the phone to go for if you want a great Samsung phone but don’t want to empty your bank account to get it.

Read our Samsung Galaxy S20 Fan Edition review.

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Angela Lang/CNET

Foldable phones have yet to hit the mainstream, remaining instead only in the reach of those willing to spend top dollar on the latest in mobile innovation. Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 2 is the best folding phone around, offering top-notch performance, a great camera setup and a variety of tweaks to its folding technology that make this mobile phone more durable than its predecessor.

Read our Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 review.

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The Motorola Edge Plus has pretty much everything you’d hope for in a premium 5G phone: A Snapdragon 865 chipset, a giant battery, an OLED display screen with a high refresh rate, and multiple rear cameras with heavy-duty specs. Motorola took features found on other top-of-the-line Android phones, put its own Moto spin on them and built them all into one of our favorite Android phones of the year.

Read our Motorola Edge Plus review.

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