With Android thoroughly dominating the mobile industry,
picking the best Android smartphones is almost
synonymous with choosing the best smartphones,
period. But while Android phones have few real
opponents on other platforms, internal competition is
incredibly fierce.
From sleek devices that impress with premium design,
to powerhouses brimming with features, to all-around
great devices, and affordable phones that punch above
their weight, the Android ecosystem is populated by a
staggering variety of attractive phones.
But “greatness” is subjective, and sometimes spec
sheets and feature lists are not enough to make an idea
of how good a phone really is. In this roundup, we’re
looking at the absolute best – the Android phones you
can’t go wrong with.
Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus
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Following a successful launch of the Galaxy S7 and S7
Edge , Samsung seemed to have a pretty good idea as to
what users want in a smartphone. Solid battery life,
high-res screens, impressive camera performance and
more were all things the company achieved with the
2016 flagships. And while the Note 7 seemed to
improve even more in those areas, overheating
problems caused the device to enter total recall mode.
Now we get to see what Samsung has in store for us in
- It should come as no surprise that the Galaxy S8
and S8 Plus feature top-of-the-line specifications, great
cameras and an all-new design that’s truly futuristic.
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This time around, Samsung included a curved screen on
both the S8 and S8 Plus, as well as a unique 18.5:9
aspect ratio that allows for a much more comfortable
in-hand feel. The company even ditched its famous
physical home button and included on-screen navigation
keys ( finally ). Under the hood, these devices come with
the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor (or Exynos
8895, depending on the region), 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB of
on-board storage, and one of the latest versions of
Android, 7.0 Nougat.
Samsung even launched a few extra accessories
alongside the S8 that you should definitely consider
checking out. The new Samsung DeX dock lets you use
your S8 as a desktop computer, and there’s also a new
Gear 360 camera that allows for shooting video in 4K
and live streaming to YouTube. Of course, there’s also
a new Galaxy S8-compatible Gear VR headset ,
complete with a controller for easier navigation.
All in all, the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus are two of the most
promising smartphones launching in 2017.
Specs
Samsung Galaxy S8
Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus
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LG G6
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Throughout 2016, the LG G5 struggled to take on the
Galaxy S7, HTC 10 and all the other flagships released
that year. It’s not a bad phone, per se, it just lacks the
level of polish we normally expect from top-tier
smartphones nowadays. The phone would have been
more widely accepted if it nailed the modular
implementation, but unfortunately the whole module-
swapping process was wonky and the three
“Friends” that launched with the G5 weren’t all that
appealing. With the G6, LG has gone back to the basics.
Certainly the most standout feature on the G6 is its 5.7-
inch Quad HD LCD display, with its interesting aspect
ratio of 18:9 and rounded corners . It also comes with a
Snapdragon 821 processor, 4 GB of RAM, plenty of on-
board storage, an IP68 rating for dust and water
resistance and dual 13 MP rear cameras. It’s worth
noting that not all LG G6s are created equal . For
example, the G6 that’s coming to the U.S. is the only
variant that supports wireless charging, while the Hi-Fi
Quad DAC is exclusive to South Korea and certain
markets in Asia. What’s more, the G6 with 64 GB of
storage is only available in a handful of markets.
This isn’t a phone that introduces a bunch of gimmicky
features that you’ll never use. It’s simply a solid, well-
built smartphone that nails the main areas users care
most about.
Specs
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HTC U11
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The HTC 10 was one of our favorite Android phones of
2016, and for good reason. The Taiwanese company
absolutely nailed the design of the 10, and it worked
hard at scaling back the software to make it feel like the
bare-bones Android experience we all know and love.
And while it didn’t have a bunch of gimmicky extras, that
was okay. The HTC 10 was a solid Android phone that
nailed the basics.
Now HTC is back with the 10’s successor, the HTC
U11. With an eye-catching, glossy design, all-day
battery life, and a smooth and snappy software
experience, the U11 competes toe-to-toe with the
Galaxy S8 and LG G6 when it comes to performance. It
also has one of the best smartphone cameras on the
market, according to DxOMark.
The standout feature on the U11 is something HTC
calls Edge Sense . The sides of the phone are pressure
sensitive, and this allows you to physically squeeze the
phone to activate a specific function or open an app like
the camera or web browser. Having to squeeze your
phone to make it do something does sound a bit odd,
but we’ve really found this feature to come in handy.
Before you go out and spend $650 on this baby, there
are a few things you should know. For starters, this
phone doesn’t have a 3.5 mm headphone jack, meaning
you’ll either need to use Bluetooth headphones or carry
around the included headphone adapter everywhere you
go. Also, while HTC’s Sense is one of our favorite
Android skins out there, it is feeling a bit dated at this
point.
If you can get past those few caveats, though, the U11
will certainly not disappoint.
Specs
Read more
Google Pixel and Pixel XL
