A selection of the best Android smartphones available ranging from favourites such as the Samsung Galaxy S7, the HTC 10, plus Google’s Pixel and LG’s modular G5.
Choose from a wide range of top class smartphones using Google’s OS
If you’re already an Android smartphone user, or thinking of switching to this popular platform from its main rival iOS that powers Apple’s iPhone, you can select from a wide choice of phones from major players such as Samsung, Sony and LG amongst others. With phones at various price points and bristling with innovative features, the challenge is in deciding which is the best one to go for.
What to choose?
Some of the highly-regarded phones on Android:
-
Google Pixel
You can’t go far wrong with a smartphone from the very creator of the Android operating system for mobiles. One of the key advantages of choosing the Pixel is you get an ‘unadulterated’ version of Android with no manufacturer tweaks or overlays such as with Samsung’s TouchWiz interface, and this smartphone is bound to feature the very latest version of the software.
The Pixel’s stylish, uncomplicated design, top class HD display and legendary smooth performance makes it a winner as does its camera. Many reviewers class it as one of the best cameras available on a smartphone, especially for low light photography. Battery life is not a strong point, however.
-
Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge
While the electronics giant experienced well documented recent problems with its Note range, the S-series continues to command huge customer loyalty and win over many new users. The S7 and its larger screened stablemate the S7 Edge are commonly regarded as among the very best smartphones available with the Edge version in particular gaining many plaudits.
Along with a good look and pleasing, high quality feel it boasts a fine camera and a waterproof design along with a pin sharp display with excellent colour rendition on both the S7’s 5.1 inch and the Edge’s 5.5 inch screens.
Its flaws are in the high price and relative lack of standard storage at only 32GB, although this can be easily increased with an extra microSD card. The successor to the S7, the S8, is likely to appear later in the spring. One way of overcoming the high purchase price of the Samsung S7 is to buy used.
-
LG G5
The Korean company provides a novel take on the smartphone with their modular designed G5. You can ‘swap out’ certain parts and plug in others as and when you require different standards of performance.
So if you’re concentrating on photography for example, you can add a module giving an easier to grip camera or, if you’re planning to listen to a lot of music, add a module to provide improved sound quality.
The G5 is well specified with a 5.3 inch display and standard storage of 32GB and offers fast and smooth performance along with a decent quality, wide angle lens camera.
The drawbacks of the LG are its lack of modules available since launch so negating (at least for now) the flexibility of a modular design, and its styling which won’t impress everyone. Recent price reductions do make it a good value option.
-
HTC 10
The HTC range has won many friends with its clean and stylish design and the 10, while given a design overhaul, still retains the styling elements that make these phones a popular choice.
It offers the performance to back up such an attractive look including a generous 4GB of RAM and a crystal clear 5.2 inch display that makes watching video highly enjoyable. The camera, while only 12MP, takes very good images and there’s a 5MP front facing camera for decent quality selfies.
Its only real weakness is perhaps that it isn’t considered to offer much innovation over and above its immediate predecessors.
-
OnePlus 3T
A highly thought of smartphone from the Chinese maker offering some high-end Android phone capability at prices significantly below other makes such as Samsung and HTC.
The 3T is a cleanly designed smartphone with a premium product feel about it and features a larger battery, faster processor and a beefed up camera compared to its predecessor. The 5.5 inch display is bright and vibrant, and storage options range from 64 to 128GB although there’s no facility for expansion as there isn’t a microSD card slot.
Battery life is still on the short side compared to certain other smartphones, but the 3T is a very capable phone for reasonable money.
More to choose from
The above are five of the best Android smartphones, but there are many more worth considering such as the popular Sony Xperia range, the excellent value for money Lenovo L2 offering class leading battery life, and the innovative Motorola Moto Z Play with its range of clip on accessories to name a few.
Watch out too for offerings in the pipeline from makes you might have thought defunct; Nokia and Blackberry are very much alive and kicking and have new Android smartphones due later in the year.