The Android operating system (OS) has come an awfully long way since the first version rolled out back in 2008. While early releases lacked the polish of iOS – Apple’s slick OS for iPhones and iPads – it soon caught up, adding features, security, and massive improvements in usability. Today more than 70% of the world’s phones run Android. But with so much choice, how do you pick a winner? Read on and we’ll guide you through the Best Android phones.
A brief guide to Android
Before you buy an Android phone, it pays to bone up on what’s new in the operating system, and what you can expect from the latest phones. It’s also worth understanding the key differences from iOS.
Who owns Android?
While Apple owns iOS, and generally offers free updates for at least seven years, Android is different. Google is the project’s main sponsor and is usually seen as its owner, but technically it’s an open-source project, meaning it’s updated by a community. When you buy an Android phone it’s up to its manufacturer to offer updates – some are quicker than others at rolling them out.
Do all Android phones have the same user experience?
Buy an iPhone, update it to the latest version of iOS, and you’ll get an almost identical experience to any other iPhone. That’s not true of Android, which is often customised by phone makers with their own tweaks. While that can add model-specific features, it’s not always a good thing: some non-standard features work better than others.
When do new Android versions launch?
Each new version of Android generally lands around September each year. You’ll find it first on Google’s Pixel phones. Android 12 – the latest release – launched on the Google Pixel 6 range in October 2021, and older Pixels got the update just a couple of weeks later. Other devices get updates more slowly, as their manufacturers tweak and test the OS for their own phones.
Android devices also get a combined bug fix and security update. Again, Google devices get this every month, while some other phones get a cumulative patch a little less often.
How long will my Android phone get updates?
Android phones don’t receive updates for as long as iPhones, although the situation is improving. Again, Google is among the leaders here, backing up earlier Pixel phones with three years of Android updates and security patches. With the Pixel 6 range, this has increased to three years of OS updates, with five years of security.
When do new Android versions launch?
Each new version of Android generally lands around September each year. You’ll find it first on Google’s Pixel phones. Android 12 – the latest release – launched on the Google Pixel 6 range in October 2021, and older Pixels got the update just a couple of weeks later. Other devices get updates more slowly, as their manufacturers tweak and test the OS for their own phones.
Android devices also get a combined bug fix and security update. Again, Google devices get this every month, while some other phones get a cumulative patch a little less often.
How long will my Android phone get updates?
Android phones don’t receive updates for as long as iPhones, although the situation is improving. Again, Google is among the leaders here, backing up earlier Pixel phones with three years of Android updates and security patches. With the Pixel 6 range, this has increased to three years of OS updates, with five years of security.
To sum up, Android is a similarly slick and much more open alternative to iOS. You can choose from a wider range of phones, and get more apps from a range of sources – not just one ‘official’ store. The flipside is that there’s a wider range of quality on offer, too. Android is generally at least a match for iOS in terms of ease of use, quality and stability, but Apple is the clear winner when it comes to length of support.
Boil that all down and the important message is that Android is a great operating system, spanning a greater range of phones – from those which can’t hold a candle to an iPhone, to serious rivals. So which are the best Android phones, and why?
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?As powerful and classy as Android phones get
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 will extend 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 iPhone 13 Pro is faster and has a better camera overall, but otherwise this phone is a worthwhile alternative. If you want a fast, loaded Android phone with an unrivalled zoom, buy a new or refurbished Samsung S21 Ultra 5G.
Google Pixel 6 Pro
Price £849 (from Google) – get Pixel 6 Pro deals on Mozillion
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Why buy?Great features, pure Android, quick updates for a long time
Nearest iPhone? Priced between the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro
Pixel phones are known for offering a strong set of features at a mid-range price, but with the Pixel 6 Pro, Google is taking aim at Apple. It’s a faster, slicker, sexier Pixel than ever before, with a price that places it midway between the iPhone 13 and Phone 13 Pro. This is a well-specced phone with some cool features – including the latest and best version of Android.
The Pixel 6 range were the first phones to launch with Android 12. Like all Pixels, they’ll receive three years of OS updates, but Google has also promised five years of regular security updates. While that’s not quite up to iOS standards, it’s as future-proof as Android phones get. Pixel phones are the first to get new versions of the operating system, and they benefit from a near-stock version of Android, enhanced with well chosen Pixel-only features.
This pure Android experience is a big part of the draw, but there’s plenty more to enjoy in the Pixel 6 Pro. It’s powered by Google’s own Tensor processor, giving it much more poke than previous Pixels – it’s one of the fastest Android phones in 3D benchmarks. More importantly, Tensor powers exciting new AI-enhanced features, such as Magic Eraser – which can automatically touch photobombers out of your selfies.
The Pixel 6 Pro looks and feels different. While it’s not quite a match for the iPhone 13 Pro, it’s a genuinely distinctive alternative. If you’re looking for an Android phone that will hold its value – and your attention – this is a great iPhone alternative.
Google Pixel 6
Price £599 (from Google) get Pixel 6 deals on Mozillion
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Why buy?Great features, pure Android, quick updates for a long time
Nearest iPhone?About the price of a new iPhone 12
The Pixel 6 launched alongside the Pixel 6 Pro in October 2021. It’s a de-specced version of the flagship handset, with a smaller, more basic OLED screen, a less impressive selfie camera, and no telephoto lens on the main camera. In most other respects it’s a match for its pro-level sibling.
This phone is powered by Google’s Tensor processor, which supports neat features such as live on-phone translations, along with a range of exciting photo features. Like other Pixels, it’ll be one of the first phones to get the latest, purest version of Android – it already has 12, and will probably go all the way to 15 before updates end in 2023.
The Pixel 6 undercuts the entry-level iPhone 13 by almost £200 – it’s about the price of a new iPhone 12. Despite this it offers unique tools you won’t yet find on iOS. Among these, Google’s Personal Safety app offers features including car crash detection – where the phone can contact emergency services if you fail to respond after a big impact.
Serious photographers and filmmakers should probably look elsewhere, but if you want a mid-range phone balancing features and performance with a pure Android experience, the Pixel 6 has you covered. It’s a great choice for iOS converts who want a painless Android introduction. But if you want a similar experience on the cheap, snap up a new Pixel 4a while you still can.
OnePlus 9 Pro
Price £829 (from OnePlus) – get OnePlus phone deals on Mozillion
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Why buy? Pro features at a lower price
Nearest iPhone?iPhone 13 Pro features, but nearer the iPhone 13 on price
OnePlus has something of a history of making phones that punch well above their price, and the OnePlus 9 Pro is the best example yet. Sure, it’s more expensive than anything the brand has offered before, but with a top-end spec and a seriously upgraded camera, it still offers great value.
This phone is built around a 6.7” display offering a greater resolution than anything you’ll find on an iPhone. At the back, a quad-camera setup offers a 48MP wide camera, an 8MP telephoto camera, and an unusual 2MP dedicated mono camera. There’s also a 50MP ultra-wide. Co-developed by photography legends Hasselblad, this is one of the best cameras you’ll find on a phone – the ultra-wide lens in particular is unrivalled.
The OnePlus 9 Pro lags behind the latest iPhones for performance, but it’s just about the fastest Android phone on Geekbench 5, which assesses number-crunching power. It’s not quite the fastest for 3D graphics, but it’s in the top handful of handsets.
If there’s a downside, it’s that this phone doesn’t offer a particularly pure Android experience. OnePlus phones run OxygenOS, a bespoke version of Android offering extra features such as Private Safe secured storage, and the OnePlus Shelf for shortcuts. The extra features aren’t to everyone’s taste, and OnePlus has previously been criticised for slow updates that don’t continue for as long as they might. This seems to be changing – the OnePlus 9 Pro will get three years of Android support and four years of security updates. Meanwhile OxygenOS 12 – based on Android 12 – entered beta stage in October 2021.
If you can live with OxygenOS – and some people love it – this is a fantastic flagship phone at a truly competitive price. If you want features to rival the iPhone 13 Pro, but the flexibility of Android, you can do a lot worse than seek out one of our OnePlus deals.
Want to choose from a wider range? Browse cheap Android phones on the Mozillion marketplace
Google Pixel 4a
Price £349 (from Google) – get Google Pixel 4a deals on Mozillion
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Why buy?The best small Android phone
Nearest iPhone?iPhone SE (2020)
It probably seems rude for us to add yet another Google Pixel to the list – especially one that’s more than a year old – but the Pixel 4a is here for good reason. Its 5.8” screen makes it one of the smallest Android phones out there – an important choice for people who value portability above big-screen movies and games. It’s also reasonably cheap.
Released in August 2020, the Pixel 4a was always a mid-range phone, and with age it’s slipped further down the order. It’s missing 5G or waterproofing, and it’s got a comparatively basic single 12MP camera on the back. Its biggest weakness is probably its Snapdragon 730G processor, which is well behind the best Android competition – let alone an iPhone.
Despite all this, the Pixel 4a remains a great Android phone. It’s already on Android 12, and should live to see at least Android 13 before support runs out in August 2023. Like all Pixels, it offers a pure Android experience, enhanced with a few well-chosen Pixel-only features. These include Google’s Recorder app, which automatically transposes speech, and Cinematic Pan for ultra-smooth handheld panning videos.
This phone’s OLED screen is only 1,080×2,340, but that’s a massive improvement over the 4.7” LCD you’d get in an iPhone SE (2020) – which costs more and isn’t that much smaller. An iPhone 12 mini is both smaller and better than the Pixel 4a, but it costs £230 more – at least if you go by Google and Apple’s prices.
All told then, the Pixel 4a is a good value small-rounder. While it can’t match any iPhone for processing power, it’s better overall – and cheaper – than an iPhone SE (2020). If you want pure Android and a good feature set on a compact phone, a new or refurbished Google Pixel 4a is ideal.