Android phones, iPhones, these are all smartphones, but the world of Android is different from the world of iPhones. In the world of iOS, you only have the iPhone but when you get into the world of Android, you get over hundreds of different phone makers running the same operating system. In most cases, having different phone makers using the same operating system is better than being in a world of your own. This is because, the end user gets different varieties to choose from. Another reason is that it gives room for competition which also benefits the end user at the end of it all.
Truly, competition is good for the end user but if there is a lot of options to choose from, it becomes quite difficult to select the best choice for yourself. We at Gizchina are end users as well so we know how difficult this can be at times. What we have done is to put together the best 5 Android smartphones to buy based on your budget. So, in this list, we will have the overall best smartphone, the best premium phone, best midrange phone, best entry-level and best foldable phone.
Features to Consider When Buying a New Android Smartphone
With different varieties to choose from, there are certain features or factors you need to consider before purchasing a new Android smartphone. Keeping this in mind helps you break things down and conclude on your final choice.
Performance (Best Android Phones)
The performance of a smartphone is one of the things everyone must consider before making the final decision. All phones come with their own Benchmark scores and performance grades. So, it is vital to consider the performance of the phone depending on your budget. If your plan is to go in for an entry-level device, you would have to make sure you are going in for the best performing phone in that category. You can also watch some review videos to see how the device performs in terms of handling games, app opening speed and many more.
Display (Best Android Phones)
Display of smartphones have developed really quick in recent years. Going in for a new device, you are advised to get an OLED display. This is because such displays produce rich saturated colors and are mostly brighter. Depending on your choice or budget, make sure your new device has a minimum of 600 nits in brightness. Most of the higher midrange and flagship phones actually cross this mark.
Design
When it comes to choosing the best design, it truly comes down to personal preferences but there are few things to consider in this category. For example, how comfortable the phone feels in the palm depends on its design. The button arrangements as well as the camera island also comes to play in determining the best design for you. Other factors such as dust and water resistance, screen durability and built quality cannot be overlooked in determining the most suitable design.
Cameras
Does anyone ever buy a smartphone without considering the camera? I don’t think so. You just cannot take the camera out of the discussion when considering which phone to buy. It is advisable to consider the sharpness of the photos, color accuracy, night shot, dynamic range, edge detection in portrait mode, just to mention few. You may also consider video recording with smooth image stabilization and great dynamic range. you cannot also ignore the sound quality of recorded videos. Extra camera lenses for night mode, ultrawide and zoom will be a plus.
Battery Life and Software
Another very important factor to keep in mind is the battery endurance of the smartphone. I mean, there is no point in buying a powerful smartphone with bad battery life. You may have to consider getting a device that can hold you throughout the day on a single charge. For the software department, you might want to consider getting a device that has a longer software support. We advise a time frame of at least 3 years of software update.
Best Android smartphones
Now that you know some of the important factors to consider before making an Android smartphone choice, let us go ahead and list our top 5 best Android phones. Like we stated earlier, we listed the best in each level according to our own research and analysis.
Best Budget Smartphone: Google Pixel 6a (Best Android Phones)
With a starting price of just $449, the Google Pixel 6a comes clearly on top as the best budget Android smartphone to buy in 2023. This smartphone comes with almost all the checkmarks of a flagship level device. It features a 6.1-inch OLED display and runs on the Google Tensor chip. this device comes with a 6GB RAM and internal storage of 128GB.
The Google Pixel 6a is a beautiful looking form-factor device but the camera is the main talking point. Thanks to Google’s great AI image processing, the Pixel 6a has a camera quality which is on par with the very top flagship devices. Also, you get 3 years of software updates on this device and 5 years of security patches. The only thing that makes the Google Pixel 6a an entry-level device is its price. Otherwise, it is supposed to be a top-level midrange device.
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Best Midrange Smartphone: OnePlus 11 (Best Android Phones)
The OnePlus 11 smartphone comes out as the best midrange smartphone to buy today. This phone was made for those who need an actual flagship device with the price of a midrange phone. That is what the OnePlus 11 represents. Featuring the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip coupled with a large 5,000mAh battery, you just can’t go wrong with this device. It also features a large 6.7-inch OLED display with 120Hz refresh rate.
The OnePlus 11 comes with a 100W charger out of the box but lacks a wireless charger which seem to be the only downside. Also, the camera of this phone ticks all the checkboxes thanks to the company’s collaboration with Hasselblad. With this device, you are also getting up to 4 years of software update and 5 years of security patches. You may also try to keep this device away from dust and water due to the lack of IP68 rating.
Best Premium Smartphone: Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (Best Android Phones)
The Galaxy S23 Ultra defines real premium smartphone. It brings a lot to the table yet, lacks nothing. From design, camera, software, performance and battery life. You just can’t overlook this device if you really want it all from an Android device. It features a 6.8-inch AMOLED LTPO display with 120Hz refresh rate. It also has 5 camera lenses to provide you with all b your camera needs. You get the main lens, 3x optical zoom lens, 10x optical zoom lens ultrawide lens and of course, a selfie camera.
This device currently leads the Android world when it comes to battery endurance. No phone beats the Samsung S23 Ultra in this department. It also comes with the S-Pen to help keep your hands off the screen when drawing or performing other related tasks. You can boldly keep this phone for over 5 years without any problem. This is because Samsung will give you up to 4 years of software update and 5 years of security updates on this device.
Best Foldable Phone: Samsung Galaxy Fold 4
Almost every phone maker is now getting involved in the foldable business now. There are a lot of foldable smartphones out there with different designs and features. However, all of these brands are finding it very difficult to beat Samsung in this field. Samsung has come a long way with its foldable smartphones and the Fold 4 seems to correct all the mistakes of the previous editions.
The Samsung Galaxy Fold 4 also has support for Samsung S-Pen which gives it an edge over its competitors. It has IP68 rating which makes it resistant to dust and water. The $1,800 price tag does not look cheap, but no other foldable device comes cheaper either. From software to hardware, this device is just enough to handle any smartphone and tablet tasks.
Overall Best Android Smartphone: Google Pixel 7 Pro
The Google Pixel 7 Pro leads the pack in all departments of the Android smartphones world. It may lag behind in a few areas like charging speed and battery life but rating the overall performance, no phone can beat the Google Pixel 7 Pro on the market. The Tensor G2 chip has powerful AI and Machine Learning capabilities that gives it a jump over any other phone. Putting the on-device language learning and real-time translation feature aside, the Pixel 7 Pro currently stands out as the best camera phone on the market today.
The Google Pixel 7 Pro features a 6.7-inch OLED display with 120Hz refresh rate with beautiful curves at the edges. It also features triple camera setup on the back which includes a 3x optical zoom lens. With a starting price of $899, the Google Pixel 7 Pro should be the easiest phone to think of when going in for a smartphone.
Conclusion (Top 5 Best Android Phones)
With this list, we did a careful selection of each phone in each department. While it was quite easy to select some devices in certain categories, it was very difficult concluding on the best midrange and premium phone. However, we finally gathered the best Android phone in each department. We compiled this list to help make it easier for anyone who finds it difficult selecting a phone to make a choice. However, it still comes down to your own choice and of course, your budget. But if you ask me, I will suggest you consider one of these 5 smartphones.