Samsung Galaxy phones are so popular they have a category in this guide, but they aren’t our top picks.
If money is no object, the Galaxy S20 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) has everything you want in a phone and then some. There’s wireless charging, a MicroSD card slot, water resistance, long battery life, booming speakers, a nice screen size that fits your palm, and beautifully made hardware. Not to mention it’s powerful with the Snapdragon 865 inside, and the triple-camera setup is fantastic too, allowing you to snap great photos at a variety of zoom levels. Other perks include a bright 120-Hz OLED screen that’s bested only by the OnePlus 8 Pro.
Samsung does go overboard offering 8K video recording and 5G, which can’t really be utilized to their fullest potential at the moment, so don’t let those additional features influence your buying decision. Sadly, there’s no headphone jack, but you do get decent USB-C earbuds in the box.
Why We Chose the Standard S20: There are three flagship Samsung phones this year: the Galaxy S20, S20 Plus, and S20 Ultra. The Plus is $200 pricier but isn’t worth the extra cash, and the $1,400 Galaxy S20 Ultra (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is an excellent phone with even better cameras and a much bigger screen—if you want to pay a huge premium for it.
Works on all three major US networks