Google might essentially own the Android operating system, but Samsung is its undisputed king. It’s the single biggest smartphone brand – selling around a fifth of all the world’s handsets – and has been shipping Android since the first Galaxy phone launched all the way back in 2009. Since then, the South Korean giant has produced some of the all-time finest Android phones, but what are the best ones you can buy today? Find out in our best Samsung phones guide.
A guide to Samsung model ranges
Samsung has made a lot of phones, and its different ranges and model names can be confusing. Most often you’ll encounter one of four series:
- Galaxy S – these are Samsung’s premium phones, generally going head to head with the iPhones of the day
- Galaxy Z – high-end, foldable phones
- Galaxy Note – larger, ‘phablet’ phones that come with a pen
- Galaxy A – mid-range smartphones
Most of the excitement centres on the flagship Galaxy S range. The current S21 lineup launched in January 2021, and comprises the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+ 5G, and the range-topping Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G. But which Samsung phones are best? Here’s our list.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
Price £1,049 (from Samsung) – buy a Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G for less on Mozillion
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Why buy?The best Samsung phone
Nearest iPhone?Get a 256GB iPhone 13 Pro for the same money
The Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G is the top-of-the-line model in Samsung’s flagship S21 range. And with a recommended price north of £1,000, it’s about as expensive as Android phones get. Fortunately it’s got the specification to justify it. its giant 6.8” OLED has a 1,440×3,200 resolution – more than you’ll find on any iPhone. At the back there’s a quad-camera setup featuring a market-leading 108MP wide camera and 10x periscope zoom. With digital enhancement, this extends to a crazy 100x.
This phone is designed and built to feel as special as an iPhone and, despite its size, it carries it off. It’s powered by Samsung’s Exynos 2100 processor, which is among the fastest you’ll find on an Android phone. Although it won’t keep pace with a recent iPhone on most benchmarks, it’ll still plough through any real life test you care to throw at it.
Samsung hasn’t always been best at rushing out Android updates, but the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G is expected to get Android 12 in December 2021 – just a couple of months after the Google Pixel line. It’s also slated to get updates as far as Android 14 in 2023, helping to give it some long-term appeal.
The Samsung S21 Ultra 5G is undoubtedly the best Samsung phone yet. While the iPhone 13 Pro is faster and has a better camera overall, this phone runs it close or beats it in every other area. If you want a fast, loaded Samsung phone with a huge screen and an unrivalled zoom, buy a new or refurbished Samsung S21 Ultra 5G.
Samsung Galaxy S21 5G
Price £769 (from Samsung) – view Galaxy S21 5G deals on Mozillion
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Why buy? A smaller and more affordable flagship
Nearest iPhone?Get an iPhone 13 for the same money
If the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G is just a bit too ultra, consider the Galaxy S21 5G – which costs about £280 less. It’s a smaller, much lighter phone, with a lower 1,080×2,400 screen resolution and less memory – although it still has 8GB. There’s a de-specified camera system, too, but it’s hardly what you’d call basic: its 12MP wide and ultra-wide cameras are partnered with a superb 64MP telephoto lens.
This phone misses out on the Ultra’s mind-melting 100x zoom, but it’s otherwise full of cool features, backed up with great performance. Powered by the same Exynos 2100 chip, it’s among the best-performing Android phones, particularly on 3D benchmarks. Its screen might have a slightly lower resolution than the iPhone 13, but it offers a 120Hz variable refresh rate – the standard iPhone sticks with 60Hz. As with the range-topping S21 Ultra 5G, this phone is due to get Android 12 by the end of 2021, and to go as far as Android 14 before support ends.
Samsung has been careful not to make this phone too basic – it still performs and looks like a high-end device. It’s worth mentioning, though, that its plastic back spoils the party somewhat – an iPhone feels much more classy. All the same this is a great way to get a high-end Samsung phone for less – and you could save even more if you buy a Samsung Galaxy S21 5G through Mozillion.
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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 5G
Price £1,599 (from Samsung) – view Samsung Galaxy deals on Mozillion
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Why buy?Huge foldable, writable screen
Nearest iPhone?Tape two iPhone 13s together?
Folding phones are a bit of a mixed bag, with manufacturers still working to perfect the recipe. Samsung can sell you a phone that folds in one of two ways. While its Galaxy Z Flip3 flips shut like clamshell phones of old, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 5G has a 7.6” screen that folds down the middle. Open it works like a tablet; closed the 6.2” external display makes it more like a phone.
The Galaxy Z Fold 3 5G phone has little in the way of competition, and it does many things very well. Its 2,208×1,768 resolution main screen provides a huge workspace for split-screen apps, games, or detailed multimedia or spreadsheet work. Close it up and its 832×2,268 resolution outer screen is great for checking notifications, or just relaxing with a film.
Happily Samsung hasn’t dropped the ball elsewhere. Inside there’s a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chip – among the most powerful you can get on an Android phone. The 12MP triple-camera system at the rear comprises wide, ultra-wide and telephoto lenses. There’s also a 10MP front camera and a 4MP one hidden under the display. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 5G will make a good job of everything a normal smartphone does.
But it does it at a price: this is one of the most expensive phones you can buy. Given this, Samsung has been roundly criticised for not including an S Pen in the box – it is now part of a free starter kit. If you’ve got the money for a phone that doubles as a tablet, this is the best you can buy. But if you’d rather shop around for other flippers and folders, check out the great folding phone deals on Mozillion.
Samsung Galaxy A32 5G
Price £249 (from Samsung) view Samsung Galaxy deals on Mozillion
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Why buy?One of the cheapest 5G phones
Nearest iPhone?At this price, try a refurbished iPhone XS
From the sublimely expensive, to the ridiculously affordable: the Galaxy S32 5G is towards the cheaper end of the Android market. For about a third the price of a new iPhone 13, it offers a 6.5” display, an eight-core processor, and a quad-camera setup at the back. Oh, and you get 5G too.
Admittedly, the Galaxy A32 5G does force you to compromise. Its big screen uses older LCD technology, so it’s nothing like as sharp or colourful as some rivals at this price. At just 720×1,600, it also has a low resolution for its size – you get about 2.5 times as many pixels on the iPhone 13 Pro Max.
Still, if you’re not fussed about optimal image quality, this phone offers a lot. Its cameras include a wide 48MP main unit, an 8MP ultra-wide, and a 5MP camera dedicated to macro photography – there’s also a depth camera that gives you more control over focus. You’ll even find a 13MP selfie camera, and you can shoot 4K video at 30 frames per second front or rear. While the Galaxy A32 5G has only 64GB of storage, you can expand that with a microSD card up to 1TB big.
This bulky phone hides a huge 5,000mAh battery, giving it impressive battery life – even if its 15-watt, wired-only recharging could be faster. It may not win any prizes for performance, either, but its MediaTek Dimensity 720 processor is good enough for everyday Android use. Talking of which, Samsung is backing it up with three years of Android updates and a further year of security patches – conspicuously good for a budget phone.
If you’re after a 5G phone with hallmark Samsung quality, but you’re not bothered about the latest and greatest specs elsewhere, the Galaxy A32 is the budget choice.
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Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G
Price Discontinued – buy a Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G through Mozillion
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Why buy?A huge, high spec phablet for less
Nearest iPhone?A refurbished iPhone 11 Pro Max
If you like compact phones, look away now. The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G has nothing less than a 6.9” display, making it one of the biggest smartphones you can buy. Or at least, you could, until Samsung discontinued the Note lineup. Now if you fancy one, you’ll need to look for a refurbished Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G. So why would you want to?
Well, there’s no getting away from that screen. It’s a beautiful OLED panel offering a 1,440×3,088 resolution, and up to a 120Hz refresh rate. But more than that, it works with the supplied S Pen to support a whole range of inputs. From note-taking, through drawing, documenting or just scribbling, this is a great way to capture your thoughts.
At the back there’s a three-camera setup featuring a mighty 108MP wide lens and a 5x optical zoom. Processing power comes from Samsung’s Exynos 990 chip which, while not the best, still gives plenty of grunt. And the phone’s big 4,500mAh battery ensures you can make the most of the phone all day long.
This isn’t the newest device. Launched in August 2020, it shipped with Android 10 and is currently upgraded to Android 11 – Android 12 is expected around the end of 2021, and Samsung has pledged to include a further update to Android 13, along with security updates until around August 2024. All this, together with 5G, makes this a flagship phablet with truly long-term appeal.