The best Android phones of 2024 are always quite diverse. However, we can assure you that every gadget on this list is a winner; it all depends on personal preference and price range.
In our opinion, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra's AI-powered features, great cameras, and best-in-class performance make it stand out from other Android phones. However, if the S24 Ultra's starting price of $1,299 is too much for you, you can opt for more affordable phones like the Google Pixel 8a and OnePlus 12R. Or a mid-range option like the Google Pixel 8.
There will be a few more announcements before the year is over, with the Made by Google event on August 13 being the next big day for Android phone news. (We expect to see an updated Pixel 9 lineup at that event.) Here are the top Android phones we've tested and evaluated while we wait for those phones to arrive.
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra focuses primarily on new AI-powered features, rather than major hardware changes from previous Samsung flagships. These features are both useful and easy to use, enabling you to do things like automatically summarize and organize your notes, find items by simply circling them, and get real-time translations on phone calls where someone speaks another language.
Although the hardware hasn't changed much, we still like it because the phone's new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset outperforms the iPhone 15 Pro Max in some speed tests - a first for us. The power management features of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 also help the Galaxy S24 Ultra's great battery life, as tested, the phone lasts about 17 hours on a single charge.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra's cameras continue to take great photos overall, but we tested their performance in our Galaxy S24 Ultra vs iPhone 15 Pro Max, S24 Ultra vs OnePlus 12, and S24 Ultra vs Pixel 8 Pro photo shootouts. The Galaxy S24 Ultra replaces one of its telephoto lenses with a higher resolution sensor with less optical zoom, and that feels like a step backward. In fact, we think Apple's iPhone 15 Pro Max wins the title of best camera phone.
The most important factor is the $100 price hike implemented by Samsung. Although not everyone can afford a smartphone priced at $1,299, those who choose to buy the Galaxy S24 Ultra will be rewarded with a high-end gadget. This device is clearly built to last, as evidenced by the seven years of software and security support offered by Samsung.
Best Alternative Android Phones
2. Google Pixel 8 Pro
Before the Galaxy S24 Ultra arrived, the Google Pixel 8 Pro was at the forefront of showing how artificial intelligence (AI) could be incorporated into everyday smartphone experiences. The enhanced machine learning capabilities of the Pixel 8 Pro's new Tensor G3 silicon also benefit proofreading and summary tools. Call screening features now include a more lifelike voice assistant that answers incoming calls and also tells you what the call is about so you can decide whether or not to answer.
The AI can clearly be seen in the cameras, however, a department where Pixel phones have always excelled. With just a few touches, the Magic Editor allows you to change any aspect of your photo, including lighting, composition, and even the location of the subject. The Best Tech function, which replaces faces, guarantees that no one will ever blink in a group photo again. Additionally, the Audio Magic Eraser removes unwanted background noise from the recordings you make. This is a powerful photography phone when you combine those AI features with updated camera hardware, such as upgrades to each back lens on the Pixel 8 Pro.
Because the Pixel 8 Pro is more expensive than its predecessor, Google's price advantage is gone. Plus, the best Android phones using Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 technology still perform worse overall. But all things considered, the Pixel 8 Pro is one of Google's best phones to date and a good option if you're considering a phone other than Samsung, especially because Google is giving seven years of software maintenance to the Pixel 8 family. We've also reviewed the entire bundle of the Pixel 8 Pro after six months of use.
If money is tight, the Google Pixel 8a is a great device to buy. You can get a phone with a number of premium features, including a 120Hz display, wireless charging compatibility, and the same Tensor G3 processor found in the Pixel 8 flagship, for just $499 (the same price as its predecessor).
It's almost hard to tell the difference between the lower-priced Pixel 8a and the higher-priced Pixel 8. The fact that the Pixel 8a is offered with the same seven years of service as the Pixel 8The Pixel 8a has a 64MP primary camera and a 13MP ultrawide lens, so the camera hasn't changed much. The era is changing. However, the AI functions are far more important because they are useful. For example, it has the Pixel 8's magic editor and best tech capabilities. We also appreciate that the Pixel 8a has a much longer battery life than its predecessor, even when the fast-refreshing display feature isn't enabled.
The OnePlus 12 is a great example of why it's time to mention OnePlus alongside Google and Samsung when discussing the best Android phone manufacturers. This phone includes all the features that its competitors offer, including a powerful processor, a unique design, and powerful cameras. This last section is the result of years of work and collaboration with lens specialist Hasselblad to strengthen what was previously the weakest point of the OnePlus flagship. The OnePlus 12 has made the cameras even stronger.
One area where the OnePlus 12 still shines is power management. We're still testing the battery, but we expect it to deliver great results thanks to the powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip and a large 5,400 mAh battery that lasts 17+ hours. Fast-charging technology is still available for the OnePlus 12, which supports 80W wired charging in the US. (Elsewhere, it's even faster.) This model now supports wireless charging, which shows that OnePlus pays attention to user input.
The OnePlus 12 costs $100 more than its predecessor, but you can get rid of the difference using OnePlus' trade-in program. With these savings, OnePlus becomes an affordable flagship alongside the Pixel 8, and its entry-level flagship comes with OnePlus' telephoto lens. We only wish OnePlus matched the four years of service offered by the OnePlus 12, while Samsung and Google offer seven years of service with their flagships.
Most affordable Android flagship phones
5. Google Pixel 8
The $699 Pixel 8 has all the AI features of the $999 Pixel Pro 8, including powerful photo-editing tools like Magic Editor and Best Take. However, this is no surprise as the Pixel 8 also has the Tensor G3 technology found in Google's top smartphones.
With the Pixel 8, you get more than just a more advanced phone. Google has replaced the old display with a brighter one and the main camera now has a wider aperture to improve low-light performance. While the Pixel 8's battery life isn't as long as other phones in this price range, it's still much better than the Pixel 7. The Tensor processor, despite its excellent AI capabilities, isn't as performant as the latest Snapdragon silicon, so the Pixel 8 won't outperform other top Android phones.
On the price front, Google has raised the price of every Pixel model by $100. Still, the Pixel 8 is still cheaper than the iPhone 15 and Galaxy S24, and it comes with seven years of software support.
Best budget Android phone alternatives
6. OnePlus 12R
You don't have to pay flagship prices to get a great Android phone. At $499, the OnePlus 12R redefines what it takes to get an Android phone under $500 with its excellent battery life. With a bright display and surprisingly good-looking cameras for a low-cost phone, the OnePlus 12R lives up to every aspect of its reputation as one of the best Android phones on a budget.
Although it's not exactly a powerhouse, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 inside the OnePlus 12R can manage most mobile apps with ease. You'll also love the OnePlus 12R's 6.78-inch screen and its ability to increase the refresh rate to 120Hz when on-screen action requires smooth scrolling. For a phone that won't break the bank, that's an incredible amount of amazing features. The relatively affordable three years of software and security updates guaranteed with the phone by OnePlus are a small drawback to its otherwise unremarkable price.
What's most surprising is its battery life. In our ranking of the best phone battery life, it comes in second place with a duration of 18 hours and 42 minutes.
Most affordable Samsung flagships
7. Samsung Galaxy S24
The best thing about the Galaxy S24 is that despite being outpaced by its bigger, more expensive brothers, it has a lot of power in a small package.
Notably, the Galaxy S24 is powered by the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy chipset that's in the more expensive S24 variant. Not only does this deliver better performance than earlier Galaxy S phones, but it also enables the S24 to outperform other smartphones in our battery test.
The Galaxy S24 has a telephoto lens, which is unusual for a phone of this price. Furthermore, all of the cameras on the Galaxy S24 are impressive thanks to Samsung's efforts to improve low-light shooting. But some of the Galaxy AI features on the S24 are the main draw to choose it over other phones. ThoseSome of the features are useful and easy to use, giving you more time for other activities. Plus, Samsung's flagship series has been bested in a more reasonably priced package with the Galaxy S24.
Best Foldable
8. OnePlus Open
The foldable phone market is getting more competitive, but the OnePlus Open stands out by taking a bold approach. It has the largest internal screen and cover display in a notebook-style foldable, and the longest battery life of any foldable. The 512GB of built-in storage may also seem like overkill. Compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 5's excellent photo output, the phone's cameras are the weakest component. Although the Galaxy Z Fold 6 closes the gap, we still think the OnePlus Open is a better foldable smartphone than Samsung.
The Open's price is almost the only thing OnePlus hasn't increased. It costs $1,699, which is $200 less than the Pixel Fold and $100 less than the Galaxy Z Fold 6. That might not be a huge difference, but it does give the OnePlus Open an edge that benefits from its impressive specs and feature set. Four years of software support and another year of security updates will help keep your OnePlus Open up-to-date.
Best flip-phone foldable
9. Motorola Razr Plus (2024)
The biggest highlight of the Motorola Razr Plus 2024 Edition is its price, which remained the same as last year. While the price of the competing Galaxy Z Flip 6 rose to $1,099, the Motorola Razr Plus (2024) still cost $999. With that in mind, Motorola may have an edge over these two remarkably similar folding flip phones.
However, the Razr Plus also has better rear cameras, among other features. Sharper zoom for the Razr Plus (2024) will come with the ultrawide lens being replaced with a specialized telephoto lens, though not everyone will enjoy this change.
The main 6.9-inch display is twice as bright as its predecessor, while the external screen has extra functionality thanks to the larger cover display. The latest Razr has the longest battery life of any foldable we've tested, so battery life keeps getting better.
Best small Android phone
10. Asus Zenfone 10
One of the few remaining Android phone makers, Asus is bringing its latest model, the Zenfone 10, which is slightly smaller than phones at similar price points, but packs a powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset that allows for excellent battery life and comparable performance. We also appreciate the software Asus has developed, which takes Android and gives you quick access to settings and apps.
If you buy the Zenfone 10, you'll have to deal with the problem that it will only get Android upgrades for two years, which could mean it won't last as long as other flagship Android phones. Although we would have preferred a telephoto camera, the Zenfone 10 is still a great phone for the price, both for what you have now and how well it's built overall.
The best Android phones under $200
11. Moto G 5G (2024)
When buying a smartphone on the cheap, you usually get what you pay for, but sometimes, lower-priced models can surprise you. The Moto G 5G (2024) has so many great surprises that it more than makes up for the trade-offs needed to keep the price under $200.
The Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 chipset isn't going to break any speed records, and the screen can be a little dull. However, the Moto G 5G is a good phone overall, with a stylish vegan leather cover that feels good in the hand and on the eyes. The other thing we liked about the Moto G 5G is how long its battery lasted during our testing. While it would be great if Motorola offered more than just one year of software upgrades for its low-cost smartphones, $199 isn’t enough to get everything.
How to choose the best Android phone for you
When looking for the best Android phone for you, start by considering your budget. In short, there are a few levels to it. The cheapest Android phone costs around $200 and has all the features you need to use apps, take photos, and stay connected. The best cheap phones under $300 are listed here, but honestly, you’ll have to sacrifice a lot to get a phone this cheap.
You can find more attractive phones with a bigger CPU, better materials, and more camera lenses for less than $450. So far, the OnePlus 12R and Pixel 8A are the best value phones on our list. We go into more detail about these phones in our detailed guide to the top cheap phones under $500.
When you get to the $700 and up price range, the best phones have capabilities like cutting-edge computational photography and flagship-level performance. At this phone level, you'll start to see features like telephoto lenses.
The most expensive Android phones come with big price tags and foldable designs. With a starting price of $999, the Motorola Razr+ becomes one of the most affordable foldable phones alongside the Galaxy Z Flip 5.Quest for the best folding phoneCompetition has heated up, with both the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Pixel Fold priced at the same $1,799.
What you plan to use your phone for will also determine what features you should look for in a great Android phone. With that in mind,
When buying a phone for gaming on the go, make sure it has a high-performance processor. This would be the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 as of this writing, although any system-on-a-chip from the current Snapdragon 8 series will work. A display that bumps the refresh rate up to at least 120Hz for smooth graphics is another characteristic of a good gaming phone, as well as a large amount of RAM (at least 8GB). Phones that last a long time won’t work as well for you when playing games.
Just like gaming, having a fast processor and large storage space is beneficial for mobile productivity. For working on the go, larger screens are usually more useful, which is why foldable phones and their larger screens are interesting in this context. Additionally, folding phones have special multitasking capabilities that enable you to use multiple apps simultaneously.
About mobile photography: Nearly all phones come with a primary camera in addition to an ultrawide camera; however, more expensive phones typically have telephoto lenses. Consider what computational photography features a phone can offer. Software is just as important as camera hardware. (In this regard, the Google Pixels are excellent.)
How we test the best Android phones
We test about a dozen Android phones a year using the same methodology as our best phone tests. All smartphones that Tom's Guide tests are put through several days of real-world testing and compared with a variety of performance-measuring apps. To assess overall speed and graphics performance, we used Geekbench 5 and 3DMark Wild Life, respectively.
To assess performance, we also run our own video editing test in the Adobe Premiere Rush app on both Android and iPhone devices to see how long it takes to convert a clip. (Due to app compatibility difficulties, this test may not always be available for all phones we test.)
Performance benchmarks
Row 0 – Cell 0
Geekbench 5 (single-core / multicore)
3DMark Wild Life Unlimited (FPS)
Galaxy S24 Ultra
2300 / 7249
123.5
Google Pixel 8 Pro
1699 / 3666
52
Pixel 8a
1581 / 4093
53.7
OnePlus 12
943/4859
117.2
Google Pixel 8
1569 / 3744
54
OnePlus 12R
1553/5135
84.4
Galaxy S24
2235 / 6922
120.4
OnePlus Open
1087 / 4203
84.8
Motorola Razr Plus
1834 / 4848
73.7
Zenfone 10
1451 / 5027
84.4
Moto G 5G (2024)
841 / 1791
6.2
We perform lab tests to measure each screen's panel brightness (in nits) and color gamut (DCI-P3) to assess the quality of the phone's display. In some situations, larger values are better. In addition, we rate each panel's color accuracy using the Delta-E system, where 0 represents perfect color and lower values indicate better performance.
Display benchmarks
Row 0 – Cell 0
sRGB (%)
DCI-P3 (%)
Delta-E
Galaxy S24 Ultra
139 (Vivid) / 119 (Natural)
98.5 (Vivid) / 84.9 (Natural)
0.25 (Vivid) / 0.23 (Natural)
Google Pixel 8 Pro
127.7 (Adaptive), 110.7 (Natural)
90.4 (Adaptive), 78.4 (Natural)
0.23 (Adaptive), 0.16 (Natural)
Pixel 8a
126.5 (Adaptive), 108.9 (Natural
89.6 (Adaptive), 77.2 (Natural)
0.24 (Adaptive), 0.29 (Natural)
OnePlus 12
111.3 (Natural)
78.9 (Natural)
0.20 (Natural)
Google Pixel 8
126.7 (Adaptive) /108.3 (Natural)
89.7 (Adaptive) / 76.7 (Natural)
0.26 (Adaptive) / 0.15 (Natural)
OnePlus 12R
113.2 (Natural) / 160.7 (Vivid)
80.2 (Natural) / 113.8 (Vivid)
0.21 (Natural) / 0.39 (Vivid)
Galaxy S24
137.5 (Vivid) / 120.8 (Natural)
97.4 (Vivid) / 85.5 (Natural)
0.22 (Vivid) / 0.24 (Natural)
OnePlus Open
111.8 (Natural) / 169.7 (Vivid)
79.2 (Natural) / 120.2 (Vivid)
0.14 (Natural) / 0.29 (Vivid)
Motorola Razr Plus (2024)
98.1% (Natural)
69.5% (Natural)
0.23 (Natural)
Zenfone 10
148.8 (Optimal) / 175.4 (Natural)
105.4 (Optimal) / 124.2 (Natural)
0.35 (Optimal / 0.39 (Natural)
Moto G 5G (2024)
103.2 (Saturated), 108.5 (Natural)
73.1 (Saturated), 76.8 (Natural)
0.23 (Saturated),0.23 (Natural)
The Tom's Guide battery test is one of the most important tests we perform. We test web surfing on 5G (or 4G if the phone isn't 5G compatible) at 150 nits of screen brightness until the battery runs out. Anything that lasts more than 10 hours is considered good, and phones that last more than 11 hours make our list of best phone battery life.
Battery Life Benchmarks
Row 0 – Cell 0
Battery life (Hrs:Mins)
Galaxy S24 Ultra
16:45 (adaptive)
Google Pixel 8 Pro
10:03 (60Hz)
Pixel 8a
11:21
OnePlus 12
17:41
Google Pixel 8
9:50 (60Hz)
OnePlus 12R
18:42
Galaxy S24
13:28
OnePlus Open
11:45
Motorola Razr Plus (2024)
14:13
Zenfone 10
12:34 (Auto)
Moto G 5G (2024)
14:36
Needless to say, we test the top phones in this space by taking pictures in low light, indoors and outdoors, to compare their performance to their closest rivals. In addition to taking pictures of food, scenery, portraits and other subjects, we let you be the judge by comparing images in our reviews.
2 thoughts on “The Best Android Phones of 2024”