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Finding the best Android smartphones can be tough. Even tougher to narrow that list down to the one you want, or should buy. That’s where we come in. Throughout the year, a lot of Android smartphones come across our desk, making it easier to find which ones are the “best”. It also makes it easier to find out which ones are not worth your attention.
This list has the best smartphones in different areas like battery life, camera experience, 5G, etc. So no matter what you’re looking for, you’ll find the right smartphone for you. If you are looking for something a bit cheaper, you can check out our Top 10 Best Value Smartphones.
Best Android Smartphones 2023
We are on the cusp of a new crop of smartphones, running on Qualcomm’s latest chipsets. But those won’t be available until the end of January at the earliest. So these are the best smartphones available right now, and many of them are discounted now.
If you’re in the market for a new smartphone right now, you really can’t do wrong going with any of the ten smartphones listed below. And they range from $349 up to $1449, so there’s something for everyone’s budget.
Best Overall Smartphone
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
- Price: $1,199
- Buy: Amazon
The Galaxy S23 Ultra is no surprise as our pick for the best overall smartphone right now. It checks literally every box out there, including having a stylus. Samsung basically took its Galaxy S Ultra smartphone and the Galaxy Note Ultra and merged them into a single device, giving us the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
Samsung has outfitted the Galaxy S23 Ultra with a massive 6.8-inch QHD+ 120Hz AMOLED display, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy processor, starting at 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. It does go up to 12GB of RAM and 1TB of storage though, for additional costs. It also has some nice upgrades to the camera, including a new 200MP camera on the backside, which offers some really incredibly detailed photos.
Best Battery Life Smartphone
Google Pixel 7
- Price: $599
- Buy: Amazon
It’s incredible that Google was able to keep the Pixel 7 at the same $599 price as the Pixel 6, despite the rising inflation. But here it is. Now if you’re on Verizon, it’ll be $699 due to the mmWave antennas being added. The Pixel 7 is the best battery life smartphone we have tested this year. Coming in at well over 8 hours of on-screen time multiple times.
The Pixel 7 also features a 6.3-inch FHD+ 90Hz display, the Tensor G2 processor, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. There’s a pretty large 4355mAh capacity battery inside too.
Best Camera Smartphone
Google Pixel 7 Pro
- Price: $899
- Buy: Amazon
The Pixel 7 Pro is likely not a surprise for our pick as the best camera phone right now. The Pixel 6 Pro was our previous pick and with the upgrades to the Pixel 7 Pro camera, it fits in well. With the Pixel 7 Pro, Google added a few new features to the camera like macro on the ultrawide lens, and the ability to use 5x optical zoom on the telephoto. It can actually zoom in at up to 30X without any issues.
Other specs of the Pixel 7 Pro include a 6.7-inch QHD+ 120Hz display, Tensor G2 processor, 12GB of RAM, 128GB of storage and a 5000mAh capacity battery. It’ll also get three years of updates to Android and four years of security updates.
Best Compact Smartphone
Samsung Galaxy S23
- Price: $799
- Buy: Amazon
The Galaxy S23 is the smallest version of the Galaxy S23 family this year. It comes in with a 6.1-inch display, which is actually smaller than the Galaxy S22 was last year. That might still sound like it’s a pretty large phone still, and yeah 6-inches is still large. But it’s smaller than most other phones.
As mentioned, it sports a 6.1-inch FHD+ 120Hz AMOLED display, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy processor inside, along with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. It’s pretty competitive at $799, considering Apple is selling its regular iPhone 13 at that price.
Best 5G Smartphone
Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus
- Price: $999
- Buy: Amazon
The best 5G smartphone is a bit of a tough one to really do these days, as all smartphones are 5G smartphones now. But the Galaxy S23 Plus is a really great, all-around smartphone. And supports mmWave, C-Band and Sub-6 5G networks.
The Galaxy S23 Plus has a 6.6-inch FHD+ 120Hz AMOLED display, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy processor inside, with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. There is also a 4500mAh capacity battery inside, which should keep it going all-day long and then some. It’s a very solid smartphone for the cash. And it is no longer made of plastic like its predecessor, it’s back to being glass and metal.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus - Samsung.com
Best Gaming Smartphone
REDMAGIC 7
- Price: $794
- Buy: Amazon
The REDMAGIC 7 is an impressive gaming-focused smartphone. This is made by ZTE’s Nubia brand. It came out in February 2022, so it’s pretty new.
REDMAGIC 7 sports the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Although you can get up to 18GB of RAM which is insane for a smartphone. It also has a 4500mAh capacity battery inside, that should keep you going all-day long.
There’s three cameras on the back. A main 64-megapixel sensor, with a 8-megapixel ultrawide and a 2-megapixel macro. Along with a 8-megapixel front-facing sensor.
Best smartphone with stock Android
ASUS ZenFone 10
- Price: $799
- Buy: Amazon
The ASUS Zenfone 10 is one of the best smartphones to come out in 2023, and it’s a great follow up to the Zenfone 9 from last year. It still has a pretty small footprint, and makes it a really great option for those that want a smaller phone.
The Zenfone 9 has a 5.9-inch FHD+ 120Hz OLED display, the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, 8GB or 16GB of RAM and 128GB or 256GB of storage. There is also a 4300mAh capacity battery inside.
Best Flagship Value
OnePlus 11
- Price: $699
- Buy: Amazon
The OnePlus 11 is the latest flagship smartphone from the company that tells us to “Never Settle”. This smartphone has a 6.7-inch QHD+ display with a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. It also has the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor inside, along with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Or 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage on-board. And it starts at $699, making it our pick for the best flagship value here.
Cameras were also nicely upgraded here, with a 50-megapixel main sensor, a 32-megapixel telephoto and a 48-megapixel ultrawide which is also used for macro shots. So it’s a pretty good device at this price point.
Best smartphone with a stylus
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5
- Price: $1799
- Buy: Samsung.com
The new Galaxy Z Fold 5 is a pretty iterative update over the Galaxy Z Fold 4, but the big update here is the new hinge. The hinge is now a bit slimmer which shaves about 4% of its weight off of this phone. It also allows the phone to fold completely flat. Something that was not available on any previous Galaxy Z Fold model.
Speaking of specs, there is the same 7.6-inch main display, and 6.2-inch cover display. Though the phone is a bit wider now, so that cover display is a bit easier to use. Additionally, it has 12GB of RAM with 256GB, 512GB or 1TB of storage available. And there’s still a 4400mAh capacity battery inside.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 - Samsung.com
Best foldable smartphone
Google Pixel Fold
- Price: $1,799
- Buy: Amazon
Google’s first foldable is finally out – the Pixel Fold. It’s a really great foldable, and one that I keep going back to, even after having the Galaxy Z Fold 5. That’s mainly due to the wider outer display. Google has included a 5.8-inch 17.4:9 aspect ratio front display. Which makes it a lot more usable than Samsung’s option, and it makes it so you don’t open the phone as much.
Internally, there is a 7.6-inch display, and both are 120Hz. So there’s no skimping here. Google is using the Tensor G2 processor inside with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. There’s also a 512GB model, but it’s pretty tough to come by, actually. And, inside, there is a 4800mAh capacity battery, the largest of any foldable so far. So the battery does last quite some time.