Other Phones to Consider
Google Pixel 9.
Photograph: Julian ChokkattuWe test a ton of Android phones. We like the ones below, but you’ll be better off with one of the options above. If you haven’t yet done so, check out our Best Cheap Phones and Best Folding Phones guides for more.
Google Pixel 9 for $799: The Pixel 9 is a really great smartphone (9/10, WIRED Recommends), but between the Pixel 8A and the Pixel 9 Pro series, it struggles to stand out. It shares many features with its pricier siblings, but you can get a very similar experience with the Pixel 8A, all while saving hundreds of dollars. If you love the design and want the new smart software features, don’t let me stop you! But there’s a good chance the Pixel 8A will get many of the same perks via a software update soon.
Samsung Galaxy S24 FE for $650: Samsung’s Galaxy S24 FE is in a similar boat as the Pixel 9. It’s too close in price to the flagship Galaxy S24 series, which you can find on sale for not much more, and there are cheaper phones that are just better value. It’s a perfectly capable smartphone with a triple-camera array (including a 3X telephoto camera), and it delivers good performance. It has wireless charging, is IP68 water resistant, and has solid day-long battery life. It’s a shame the design’s a bit drab.
Google Pixel 8 for $499 and Pixel 8 Pro for $719: The Pixel 8 or Pixel 8 Pro (7/10, WIRED Recommends) from 2023 are still available to buy and they’re great devices with lots of life left in them. Just make sure you don’t spend more than $500 or $700. Anything more and you should just buy from the new Pixel 9 series.
Honor Magic V3 for £1,799: If you’re outside the US, the Magic V3 might be the best folding phone right now; it’s certainly the world’s thinnest folding phone (8/10, WIRED Recommends). It has great battery life, a wide external screen that feels like a normal phone, and an expansive inner screen when unfolded. Even the cameras are versatile, though the ultrawide isn’t great, and the phone’s overall software can induce some annoyances.
Photograph: Julian Chokkattu
OnePlus 12 for $650: Now that OnePlus has launched the OnePlus 13 in China, the only reason to buy the OnePlus 12 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is if you can find it at a good discount. I would say anything under $600 makes it a solid buy, though it should dip even lower than that in the coming months. OnePlus worked closely with Qualcomm to synergize the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset inside with the software, crafting an incredibly polished experience that’s buttery smooth and fast. As usual, you can recharge the phone very quickly (the charger is included in the box). OnePlus has brought wireless charging support back, and you can also recharge it fast if you use the company’s proprietary wireless charger (a separate purchase). What sets it back is the curved glass display, which is dated and not as nice to use as a flat display. It’s also only IP65 water-resistant, and while it’ll get four Android OS upgrades and five years of security updates, that’s not as good as the seven years of support from Samsung and Google.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 for $1,900: The Fold6 (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is an excellent big-screen folding smartphone. If you’re worried about durability and repairability when purchasing a fold, Samsung is your best bet as it has been producing these devices for the longest time. The cameras snap great photos, the displays get shockingly bright, and Samsung promises lengthy software support. The Fold6’s exterior screen is slightly wider and much nicer to use than previous iterations, but otherwise, there are not a ton of new changes outside of AI advancements. You can still snag last year’s Galaxy Z Fold5 to save some dough.
Photograph: Julian Chokkattu
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 for $1,100: The Flip6 (7/10, WIRED Recommends) has some perks over Motorola’s new Razr+, like a nicer hinge mechanism, better build quality, stronger cameras, and longer software support. But I still preferred the overall experience on Motorola’s flip, mostly due to the larger external screen. Still, the Flip6’s 3.4-inch cover screen is handy for glancing through widgets, and you can open it up to get a big-screen Android phone experience. The Galaxy Z Flip5 is a worthy option if you don’t mind buying last year’s tech at a lower price.
Xiaomi Poco X6 for £319 and X6 Pro for £369: Not in the US? You should take a look at the Poxo X6 or Poco X6 Pro (7/10, WIRED Recommends). These are speedy phones considering the low prices, great displays, and decent battery life, plus the X6 even has a headphone jack! It’s a shame there’s a lot of bloatware and limited water resistance, and the cameras are lackluster.
Motorola Moto G Play 2024 for $150: On a tight budget? This Motorola phone doesn’t have NFC for contactless payments, nor does it support 5G. It’ll also only get one Android OS upgrade. That said, performance was pretty good in my time testing it, and the 6.5-inch LCD screen was readable in sunny conditions.
Mobile Accessories You Might Need
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We have case recommendations for a few popular devices, like Samsung’s Galaxy S24, Galaxy S23, and S22 range or Google’s Pixel 9 series. It’s smart to slap a case on these glass sandwiches and even a screen protector to keep the display free of scuffs and scratches. Here are a few other noteworthy accessories, including charging adapters, which many phones don’t include anymore. Read our Best USB-C Cables guide for other recommendations.
Anker 45-Watt Charger for $20: This tiny charger will be all most people need to charge most smartphones. It’s compact, reliable, and cheap, plus the prongs fold up. More smartphones than ever can go up to 45-watt charging speeds, so take advantage with a 45-watt charger.
Peak Design Samsung and Pixel Everyday Case for $50: If you have a Samsung or Pixel phone and you frequently mount your phone to a bike or scooter, you owe it to yourself to snag this case and Peak Design’s bike mount. The case snaps perfectly into the mount, is dead simple to release, and has yet to fall off after years of riding. Peak Design also sells several other accessories you can attach to the back of these cases, bringing Android into Apple’s MagSafe ecosystem.
Nimble Champ Portable Charger 10,000 mAh for $60: This portable battery is small enough to leave in a bag but has enough power to fully recharge your phone once or twice. There’s a USB-C and USB-A port, it delivers 18 watts of power, so it can recharge your tablet or phone, and it’s housed in 73 percent post-consumer plastic with plastic-free packaging.
Nomad ChargeKey for $25: When your phone dies, it’s almost always when you forget to bring a charger or battery pack. The ChargeKey is a nifty solution—it’s like clipping a tiny USB-C charging cable to your keychain. Just plug one end into your phone and the other into any kind of power source (a friend’s phone or a charging adapter if you manage to find one), and you can top up your phone. Native Union also has a similar item that’s cuter but just as capable.
Choose a Wireless Charger: Our guide to the best wireless chargers includes dozens of models in varying colors, shapes, and materials, and even some designed for specific phones. Not every Android phone supports wireless charging, but it’s a luxury you’ll want to take advantage of. Take a gander at our guide for our favorites.
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