What's the Best Android Phone? (May 2020)

[Rob]

What do you think is the BEST ANDROID PHONE available to purchase right now?

• Best Overall Android Phone
• Best Value Android Phone
• Best Cheap Android Phone
  
• Best Android Camera

Share your picks and explain why!

If you completely agree with someone click BEST ANSWER!
If you like their response click LIKE!

 

[Trom]

What do you think is the BEST ANDROID PHONE available to purchase right now?

• Best Overall Android Phone
• Best Value Android Phone
• Best Cheap Android Phone
  
• Best Android Camera

Share your picks and explain why!

Well, my vote for best value is oneplus 7 which I purchased new about a year ago for under $500, specs are outstanding for the cost:

 

[WaxysDargle]

pretty happy with my Oneplus 7T Pro Mclaren. I think the Mclaren branding is pointless, but overall it has everything i could want. Full screen with NO HOLES, good speakers, good battery, great camera (with help of GCam), great software etc... only thing missing is wireless charging.

wouldn't dare pay extra for a sammy ever again.

 

[jungleexplorer]

I think they are a bunch of hype. If the best upgrade they got going for them is a better camera, the price tag puts them over a pro quality mirrorless or dslr which will run circles around the best camera in a smart, so that is NOT a selling point.
I got no use for any of them. They are just the same thing as the last several generations of the same phone, with a few minute changes that they slapped a new name on with a $1000+ price tag. Wait two years and you can buy it for $100 on eBay.

Stop being donkeys and chasing the digital carrot.

 

[Rob]

I think they are a bunch of hype.

That still begs the question- what do you consider the "Best"? You basically just said that all the new camera features are hype but never answered the question!

 

[jungleexplorer]

That still begs the question- what do you consider the "Best"? You basically just said that all the new camera features are hype but never answered the question!

Best what? Best camera? Buy a Sony A6600 if you want a great camera. It will cost you hundreds less than the S20.

A smartphone is a smartphone is a smartphone. They all do about the same thing as they have for the last 15 years. They really have not released anything truly revolutionary. And any brand new smartphone is really just the same thing with a few tweaks and somebiver hyped bells and whistles they have had very little serious R&D done, which may or may not work as expected. In about two years, that is when you can really see phone has stood the test of time and was better than the rest. People who do reviews on brand new tech are either bought, fanboys, or just keeping up with trends for SEO purposes. People listen to those reviews are sheeple. In two years, I will tell you which is best. And that will be a REAL review.

Now if they would release something truly revolutionary, such a smartphone that was powered by ambient light using nano technology embedded into the screen and case. That would be something to stand up and take notice of. But is still would not be a new idea. Digital devices have been powered ambient light for 40 years.

 

[Brian Masinick]

I'm fortunate to own a phone that was highly rated in 2018 as a new phone.

I checked out renews, refurbished units and excellent condition used phones and I also checked out resellers in order to find a safe and worthwhile store to pick.my selection.

I chose the Pixel 3.

I'm really pleased with the phone.

 

[billsnice]

Some Android phones only have 2 years of Android OS updates. Google phones only has 3 years of guaranteed updates. Iphones come with 5+ years of OS updates. What does 2 years of updates mean? It could mean if Google updates apps that require a new version of OS you would not be able to use the new functionality or maybe lose the use of the apps.

 

[pequeajim]

Well, my vote for best value is oneplus 7 which I purchased new about a year ago for under $500, specs are outstanding for the cost:
View attachment 150049

I like my OnePlus 7 pro very much. It's the first phone that I have had and have no desire to upgrade. Ripping fast and regular updates. Camera is ok, but I don't carry an SLR around in my pocket ether so when a good photo op comes around for me to snap a pic or take a video, I'm ready. Love the screen, bright and 90hz refresh makes things buttery smooth.

No wish to update just yet. Oh, and I got mine used for half the price...

 

[greegom]

Hello all!
Just joined the forum today and look forward to be active on the forum.

For me, the best overall android phone, I'd have to say the Galaxy Note 10+. I've been using Android since 2009 with the Motorola Droid and then switched to the Samsung S3. From the S3 went to the Note 3,4,5,7 (short time as we all know what happened, got an S7 as a replacement),8,9,10+. I've always been with Samsung, especially the Note series and the reason is that while it is a flagship phone, the S Pen is what I am dependent on. I'm not an avid artist, but having the S Pen that I use very frequently made me quite dependent on it. I can't imagine switching to another phone brand that does not have the pen to replace it with. There is no other brand or model that matches the Note series with a pen. It's a niche market, but I assume there are loyalists because of the pen.

Also, I think Samsung's launcher/interface has come a long way since Touchwiz, and I'm very satisfied with One UI 2. Couple it with a custom launcher and I have and use it the way I want.

If I had to choose another brand, or if Samsung did away with their Note series, I would probably like to try the OnePlus. The 8 looks very promising, only wish they had more storage or options, or even a microSD tray.

 

[OkeeChloe]

I'm giving the Pixel 3 another vote, best phone for me so far. I've recently used Lg, Motorola, Nokia & Samsung. I still have all those phones but find myself sticking with the pixel 3. I really like the smaller size and fantastic camera. My son has a one plus 7 t, that's a great phone for him but too big for me. It's all subjective tho as to what your idea of a great phone is. For me it's the smaller size, great camera and timely updates.

 

[Trom]

What do you think is the BEST ANDROID PHONE available to purchase right now?

• Best Overall Android Phone
• Best Value Android Phone
• Best Cheap Android Phone
  
• Best Android Camera

Share your picks and explain why!

If you completely agree with someone click BEST ANSWER!
If you like their response click LIKE!

I would give my vote for best cheap phone to Huawei's Honor series, I used to have an Honor 8 that was an outstanding phone, and you can buy a new Honor 20 right now for under $300. What they do is just use the processors and hardware that they produced for the Mate two years ago, and yes, Huawei does produce their own processors, which drives the international spy industry nuts. Unless you're into high end gaming on a telephone, you'll never see the difference, and because it's Huawei, you know the camera is nice.

 

[Hadron]

Now if they would release something truly revolutionary, such a smartphone that was powered by ambient light using nano technology embedded into the screen and case. That would be something to stand up and take notice of.

Unless they dramatically reduce the power consumption of the phones that would also be literally magical. By my quick calculation if I leave my phone in the sunlight all day, using the year-average outdoor intensity in Southern England, it would need the entire phone to be covered in photovoltaic material with twice the efficiency of current technology to give me the equivalent of one charge per day. And as that's an annual average it will not suffice even for that for half of the year, and doesn't include the efficiency of the charging process itself. Of course if you spend any time indoors, or keep the phone in a pocket, the required efficiency goes up as the exposure goes down. In reality 100% efficiency would not suffice, and hence magic would be needed.

The trouble with the original questions is that I don't really accept the idea of "best" in phones. We have different criteria, so best for one person may be of no interest to another. This also applies to the "value" question (a phone is of no value if it fails someone's minimum requirements in even one area, even if it is excellent for someone else) and the camera question (no phone camera is "best" in all circumstances, and different people have different tastes in things like colours). Plus of course I'm not buying a phone this year unless my current one fails, so I'm not watching the market as closely as I would be if I were, so I don't think I can answer the question as stated, even filtered through my preferences.

But personally the development that's been of most interest to me recently is the release or rumours of phones based on the Snapdragon 765 (near-flagship performance without the inefficiency of an external "modem" chip that comes with the 865) with decent storage and other specs but without the inflated prices of current "flagships". None is perfect yet: the Motorola Edge is only promised 1 year of OS updates, the Nokia 8.3 is too big, the LG Velvet is slightly smaller but still too big (plus LG has a poor record for updates), the 5G Pixel 4a (or perhaps more likely a "mid-range" Pixel 5) is still just a rumour. But as someone who only buys phones which I expect to last me a while but doesn't think that current flagship prices offer good value for what is really a commodity product, the emergence of a cluster of competent "upper mid-range" devices like this is probably the most promising trend of the year.

 

[Jon Crosby]

This is buggy for me rn

 

[SDMF74]

Prize goes to the A50 for the WORST phone!

 

[Jon Crosby]

Prize goes to the A50 for the WORST phone!

Really? Why do you say? I liked it in the store, but I opted for the Moto g7 at the last minute.

 

[Brian Masinick]

I'm giving the Pixel 3 another vote, best phone for me so far. I've recently used Lg, Motorola, Nokia & Samsung. I still have all those phones but find myself sticking with the pixel 3. I really like the smaller size and fantastic camera. My son has a one plus 7 t, that's a great phone for him but too big for me. It's all subjective tho as to what your idea of a great phone is. For me it's the smaller size, great camera and timely updates.

I have been using MOTO (Motorola) models dating all the way back to the Motorola Droid and I had good results with them.

Motorola has been reasonable with their implementations, though Verizon Wireless often would cram them with their junk. The most reasonable compromise was the affordable MOTO G5S+, but the Pixel models have the basic Android interfere that I prefer.

I do like having 3 years of support and I think that the Pixel 3 will be useful until 2021, but after that, my experiences with previous phones have been that while they still work, by that time even low to mid range current units outperform the old high end units.

Each person is entitled to their own opinion and preferences, so to those who do appreciate iOS and up to five years of support, it's great to have that option available.

I'm glad that we have both the Android and Apple environments to choose from and a lot of different brands and models to choose from. I'm really happy with my Google Pixel 3.

I just want to state that each of us chooses what works best for our preferences, habits and budget. I respect each viewpoint and as we explain our preferences, though they differ, I hope we can enjoy the discussion and value the viewpoints, which helps us understand why there are so many different choices available.

 

[Brian Masinick]

Some Android phones only have 2 years of Android OS updates. Google phones only has 3 years of guaranteed updates. Iphones come with 5+ years of OS updates. What does 2 years of updates mean? It could mean if Google updates apps that require a new version of OS you would not be able to use the new functionality or maybe lose the use of the apps.

Given it choice I would not be keeping any phone over three years old. Too much technology changes by that time and I have able to get affordable phones (even slightly used 1 - 1 1/2 year old units that have more current features and significantly better performance.

Some people prefer getting five years or more out of their products and I am happy that such things with quality are available.

I'm also happy that there are lots of other alternatives too.

 

[Trom]

Motorola has been reasonable with their implementations, though Verizon Wireless often would cram them with their junk.

This is one of the main reasons I buy unlocked phones, they are uncluttered with no third party apps or phone company widgets or Facebook / tweeter etc.

 

[Brian Masinick]

I'm fortunate to own a phone that was highly rated in 2018 as a new phone.

I checked out renews, refurbished units and excellent condition used phones and I also checked out resellers in order to find a safe and worthwhile store to pick.my selection.

I chose the Pixel 3.

I'm really pleased with the phone.

Speed, simplicity of the interface and a pure Android phone were the three primary reasons why I chose the Pixel 3.

 

[Mattman74]

What do you think is the BEST ANDROID PHONE available to purchase right now?

• Best Overall Android Phone
• Best Value Android Phone
• Best Cheap Android Phone
  
• Best Android Camera

Share your picks and explain why!

If you completely agree with someone click BEST ANSWER!
If you like their response click LIKE!

The list of phones I've used thus far include the LG Power, X Power 2, K20+,G4, G5, Samsung Galaxy S5, S6, S8 and an Alcatel AC30. At present, I am thoroughly enjoying the LG G8x ThinQ Dual Screen, which gets my vote for best Android for the money. Blazing fast Snapdragon 855, 6gb RAM, 128gb storage, dual rear cameras... oh and two friggin' screens! All for under $500. 'Nuff said.

 

[gort999]

I have an LG G7 Thinq. It is the PERFECT phone for me. It has an awesome camera. It has awesome sound. It runs appls quickly. Also it has Google Assistant and reads SMS messages when they arrive and tells me who is calling. It's my dream, perfect phone.

 

[dontpanicbobby]

I haven't checked. My LG G7 ThinQ has everything I need.
What are the early 2020 options?

 

[ygoe]

I think that's a stupid question. Everyone has different requirements and habits so for everyone, another device will be the "best".

For me, there is no best device. Currently there is not a single Android phone on the market that I would call "good". They're all so huge that they won't fit in my pocket, so they'd have to stay at home all the time. Not necessarily what these things are intended for. And if there's one that isn't huge, then its massively outdated or extremely weak. Sony's Compact series was good but seems discontinued.

 

[ocnbrze]

i'm a huge fan of big phones. i will never go back to a smaller screen i love playing games and watching videos on a bigger screen.....so i agree with @greegom the note 10+ gets my vote. now when the note 20 gets released later this year that might change as to which i will wait probably till next year for me to upgrade.

but for now i love my note 10+. i can easily get well over 12hrs of battery life. and that is with both playing games and watching movies. of course this does vary depending how much i use it thru the course of a day. and i can't complain about the camera either. its pretty darn good for me. it beats my friends iphone that is for sure.