Best Android phones for 2017 (July edition)
Samsung Galaxy S8/S8 Plus
The king of kings when it comes to Android smartphones.
- 5.8-inch (6.2-inch for the S8 Plus) 1440 x 2960 pixel 4K resolution Super AMOLED display
- Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chip for US market (Exynos 8895 chip for international market)
- Adreno 540 GPU
- Android 7.0 Nougat
- 4GB RAM
- 64GB/128GB storage
- 3,000mAh (3,500mAh for S8 Plus) battery
- 12-megapixel f/1.7 rear camera
- 8-megapixel front-facing camera
- Rear-mounted fingerprint sensor
- Front-mounted iris scanner
- Bluetooth 5.0
- Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
- IP68 certification
- Corning Gorilla Glass 5 back panel
- 3.5mm headphone jack
- USB-C charging
- Fast wireless charging (15W output)
- microSD card slot (supporting up to 256GB)
- Samsung DeX HDMI dock (optional)
Google Pixel/Pixel XL
Pure Android. No bloatware or junkware.
No one knows Android better than Google, and as such the Pixel or Pixel XL are well worth taking a look at.
- 5-inch or 5.5-inch high-definition AMOLED display
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 package
- Quad-core CPU with two cores running at 2.15GHz and two low-power cores running at 1.6GHz
- Adreno 530 GPU
- 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM
- 12.3-megapixel rear-camera with f2.0 aperture, 1.55-micron pixels, and gyroscope-based video stabilization
- 8-megapixel front-facing camera
- 32GB or 128GB storage
- USB-C connector
- Headphone jack
- Bluetooth 4.2
- Fingerprint sensor
- 2,770 or 3,450 mAh battery (depending on screen size)
- Fast-charge (7 hours of battery life for a 15-minute charge)
- VR ready
- Android Nougat 7.1
- Three finishes: Quite Black, Very Silver and limited edition Really Blue
The Pixel starts at $649 (128GB version costs $749) and is available for preorder today, with the Pixel XL starting at $769 (128GB version costs $869).
LG G6
A solid, streamlined, water-resistant handset that just doesn't disappoint.
However, be aware if you are a long-time LG fan, as this model does not have a user-replaceable battery.
- 5.7-inch 1440 x 2880 pixels IPS LCD display
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 quad-core CPU
- 4GB RAM
- Dual 13-megapixel (f/1.8, OIS, 3-axis, phase detection AF) and 13-megapixel (f/2.4, no AF), with dual-LED flash
- 32/64 GB storage
- SD card slot
- 3300 mAh battery
- IP68 certified
Motorola Moto G5 Plus
Motorola Moto G5 Plus a robust and well-specced handset for only $230 that features an octa-core processor, 12-megapixel camera, and a beefy battery that offers 6 hours of runtime from a 15 minute charge.
- 5.2-inch 1080 x 1920 pixels display
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 octa-core CPU
- 2/4GB RAM
- 12-megapixel, f/1.7 rear-facing camera with dual-LED color-balancing flash
- 32/64 GB storage
- SD card slot
- 3000 mAh battery
OnePlus 3T
The OnePlus 3T has hardware specs similar to high-end smartphones such as the Samsung Galaxy S7 or the latest iPhone, but it comes with a dramatically smaller price tag ($439).
- OxygenOS 4.0.2 based on Android Marshmallow
- 5.5-inch 1080p Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) display
- 16-megapixel rear camera with improved electronic image stabilization, 'Intelligent Pixel Technology'
- 16-megapixel front camera
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 quad-core CPU
- 6GB LPDDR4 RAM
- USB-C connector
- 3,400 mAh battery
- Fingerprint reader
Samsung Galaxy S7/S7 Edge
OK, the Galaxy S8 is out, but if your budget doesn't go that far then you can pick up some awesome deals for this handset now.
- Android 6.0 (Marshmallow)
- 5.1-inch quad HD Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 2,560 x 1,440 pixels (576 pixels-per-inch)
- Snapdragon 820 processor (the Samsung Exynos chipset is used in some regions)
- 4GB of RAM
- Non-removable Li-Ion 3,000 mAh battery
- MicroSD card slot
- 12-megapixel rear-facing camera
- 8-megapixel front-facing camera
- Fingerprint sensor
- Wireless charging support
- Water- and dust-resistant to IP68
- Color options: Gold Platinum and Black Onyx