Best Android phones 2020: which Google-powered phone should you buy?

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What’s the best Android phone for you? If you want a new smartphone (and don’t want it to be an iPhone), then you’re in the right place with our list of the top devices running Google’s software.

In fact, basically all non-iPhone smartphones run on Android, so this list has a lot of crossover with our list of the best smartphones altogether. And at the time of writing, an Android phone takes the number one spot in that list with other Android handsets taking up all but three of the other 14 slots.

So there are loads of great Android phones to choose from, and that list keeps getting longer all the time. However, the best Android phone for you won’t necessarily be the best for everyone, since budgets and other needs will play a role.

Our selection below mostly consists of fairly pricey Android phones, since they tend to have the best specs and feature. We’ve included all of the Android world’s big hitters like Samsung and Google, as well as newer contenders like OnePlus and Xiaomi. 

The Sony Xperia 1 II, OnePlus 8 Pro, Xiaomi Mi Note 10, and Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra are some of the latest additions. Plus, we’d expect upcoming phones to feature in this list soon with the Samsung Galaxy Note 20, OnePlus 8T and Google Pixel 5 on the horizon.

For now though, these are the 10 greatest Android phones you can buy right now.

(Image credit: Samsung)1. Samsung Galaxy S20 and S20 Plus

These are the very best Android phones

Release date: March 2020 | Weight: 163g/186g | Dimensions: 151.7 x 69.1 x 7.9mm/161.9 x 73.7 x 7.8mm | OS: Android 10 | Screen size: 6.2-inch/6.7-inch | Resolution: 1440 x 3200 | CPU: Snapdragon 865 / Exynos 990 | RAM: 8GB/12GB | Storage: 128GB (S20) or 128GB/256GB/512GB (S20 Plus) | Battery: 4,000mAh/4500mAh | Rear camera: 12MP + 64MP + 12MP | Front camera: 10MP

The best screen around

Excellent cameras

High price

Iterative improvements

The Samsung Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S20 Plus are – along with the Galaxy S20 Ultra – Samsung’s latest and greatest flagship phones, so it’s no wonder they top this list.

While the S20 Plus has a slight specs edge, thanks to a larger 6.7-inch screen, a bigger 4,500mAh battery, a fourth camera lens (for depth-sensing) and optionally more storage, they’re largely very similar phones, so they’re fit to share the top spot.

Both have a highly capable camera array, with 12MP standard, 12MP ultra-wide, and 64MP telephoto sensors, and both also have top-end power, thanks to a Snapdragon 865 or Exynos 990 chipset (depending on where in the world you are) and up to 12GB of RAM.

They also both have a stunning 1440 x 3200 display with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. At the time of writing this is arguably the best screen you’ll find on any smartphone.

The design is premium too, and they’re both packed full of features, like reverse wireless charging, 5G, an in-screen fingerprint scanner, and water resistance. They might not quite be the very best at everything, but they’re certainly the best Android phones overall.

Read more: Samsung Galaxy S20 review

Read more: Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus review

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(Image credit: OnePlus)2. OnePlus 8 Pro

The most accomplished OnePlus ever, but also the priciest

Release date: April 2020 | Weight: 199g | Dimensions: 165.3 x 74.4 x 8.5mm | OS: Android 10 | Screen size: 6.78-inch | Resolution: 1440 x 3168 | CPU: Snapdragon 865 | RAM: 8/12GB | Storage: 256GB | Battery: 4,510mAh | Rear camera: 48MP + 48MP + 8MP + 5MP | Front camera: 16MP

One of the best displays around

5G and plenty of power

Most expensive OnePlus yet

Sizable rear camera bump

The OnePlus 8 Pro is the latest and greatest OnePlus handset, and it comes very close to challenging the best Samsung phones.

Its screen can rival them in fact – with its 120Hz refresh rate and crisp resolution, the OnePlus 8 Pro has one of the best displays you’ll find on a smartphone.

It also has a top-end Snapdragon 865 chipset, more RAM than you’ll know what to do with, and most of the other flagship bells and whistles, such as water resistance and wireless charging.

Its cameras arguably can’t quite match those of the very best phones – but they come close, and the price is the highest yet for a OnePlus phone – but still lower than some top-end handsets. All in all though, this is a stunning effort.

Read more: OnePlus 8 Pro review

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(Image credit: Oppo)3. Oppo Find X2 Pro

Oppo’s most premium and accomplished smartphone

Release date: June 2020 | Weight: 200/217g | Dimensions: 165.2 x 74.4 x 8.8/9.5mm | OS: Android 10 | Screen size: 6.7-inch | Resolution: 1440 x 3168 | CPU: Snapdragon 865 | RAM: 12GB | Storage: 256/512GB | Battery: 4,260mAh | Rear camera: 48MP, 13MP, 48MP | Front camera: 32MP

Beautiful display

Feels great to hold

Very pricey

Middling battery life

Oppo’s most premium smartphone to date reaches our list of the best Android phones, and with a top-end display, camera and build, it does so in style.

The Find X2 Pro’s display is its real selling point with a high resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, big size and software to make it great for playing games, viewing movies and TV or scrolling through social media.

The phone’s high specs are matched by a super-high price though, as it’s one of the priciest devices on this list, and that’s why it isn’t ranking higher up. If you can look past the high price, however, the Oppo Find X2 Pro is definitely worth your attention, and we’d recommend it as the best Oppo phone and one of the top Android devices you can buy right now.

Read more: Oppo Find X2 Pro review

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(Image credit: Samsung)4. Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

Release date: August 2020 | Weight: 208g | Dimensions: 164.8 x 77.2 x 8.1mm | OS: Android 10 | Screen size: 6.9-inch | Resolution: 1440 x 3088 | CPU: Snapdragon 865 Plus / Exynos 990 | RAM: 12GB | Storage: 128/256/512GB | Battery: 4,500mAh | Rear camera: 108MP, 12MP, 12MP | Front camera: 10MP

Useful S Pen features

Great-looking screen

Slow charging

Ultra-expensive

Samsung’s latest super-premium smartphone is the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, with advanced features, a great-looking screen, and special features for the S Pen stylus which comes included in the phone, that give you added versatile ways to use your device.

Sure it’s expensive, and pretty huge, and doesn’t actually have all the bells and whistles of the Galaxy S20 Ultra. But those weaknesses are made up for with plenty of advantages.

This is a real top-end phone with top specs in every sector, so if your budget (and hand) can stretch for it, the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra may really be one worth considering.

Read more: Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra review

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(Image credit: Motorola)5. Motorola Edge Plus

Motorola returns to the big leagues

Release date: April 2020 | Weight: 203g | Dimensions: 161.1 x 71.4 x 9.6mm | OS: Android 10 | Screen size: 6.7-inch | Resolution: 1080 x 2340 | CPU: Snapdragon 865 | RAM: 12GB | Storage: 256GB | Battery: 5,000mAh | Rear camera: 108MP + 16MP + 8MP + ToF | Front camera: 25MP

Great display

Great specs

Limited zoom capability

Pricey

Motorola doesn’t often have its smartphones hit our ranking of the best Android phones, since its devices tend to be more affordable handsets, but the Edge line changed that.

The Motorola Edge Plus has a great display with curved edges (hence the name), top-end specs from its processor to camera, and all the features that make Motorola unique like its Moto Actions.

The phone is pretty pricey which may put some off, and in some regards it doesn’t reach other top-end phones, but overall it’s a device that you should consider if you like style and top specs.

Read more: Motorola Edge Plus review

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(Image credit: Xiaomi)6. Xiaomi Mi Note 10

So close to perfection; not quite reaching it

Release date: December 2019 | Weight: 208g | Dimensions: 157.8 x 74.2 x 9.7mm | OS: Android 9 | Screen size: 6.47-inch | Resolution: 1080 x 2340 | CPU: Snapdragon 730G | RAM: 6/8GB | Storage: 128GB/256GB | Battery: 5,260mAh | Rear camera: 108MP + 12MP + 5MP + 20MP + 2MP | Front camera: 32MP

Incredible camera capability

Swift charging speeds

Weak chipset

Battery life a little underwhelming

The Xiaomi Mi Note 10 probably isn’t a phone you’ll hear many people talking about, but it deserves to be, as this is Xiaomi’s masterpiece.

It has a superb penta-lens camera setup, headlined by a 108MP snapper, plus an impressive AMOLED screen, speedy charging, and a curvy design that makes it comfortable to hold.

Where it falls down a little is in performance, as it’s packing a mid-range Snapdragon 730G chipset, and in battery life, as despite having a massive 5,260mAh one we found this to be fairly average. But this isn’t a phone that’s going to break the bank, so these are issues that we can forgive.

Read more: Xiaomi Mi Note 10 review

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Global Version Xiaomi Mi Note…

(Image credit: Samsung)7. Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra

The ultimate flagship – at an ultimate price

Release date: March 2020 | Weight: 166g | Dimensions: 166.9 x 76 x 8.8mm | OS: Android 10 | Screen size: 6.9-inch | Resolution: 3200 x 1440 | CPU: Snapdragon 865 | RAM: 12/16GB | Storage: 128/512GB | Battery: 5,000mAh | Rear camera: 108MP+48MP+12MP | Front camera: 40MP

Best specs of 2020, period

5x optical, 100x digital ‘Space Zoom’

Very expensive

Extras not worth price bump

The Galaxy S20 Ultra is, indeed, ultra – billed as the ultimate Samsung phone thanks to top-of-the-line specs on paper. It’s an evolution of the max-specced Samsung Galaxy S10 5G from last year, though the Ultra’s execution isn’t the best.

It may come with the very best specs, but it’s a very expensive handset and it has a few flaws that mean it isn’t entirely worth the price bump like you may expect it to be.

That said, if you’re looking for all the top-end features available on a Samsung phone including the pheomenally powerful 100x zoom feature you may want to opt for the Ultra over the other Samsung devices on this list.

Read more: Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra review

Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G 128GB

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Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G 128GB

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(Image credit: Samsung)8. Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus

Release date: August 2019 | Weight: 196g | Dimensions: 162.3 x 77.2 x 7.9mm | OS: Android 9 | Screen size: 6.8-inch | Resolution: 1440 x 3040 | CPU: Snapdragon 855 / Exynos 9825 | RAM: 12GB | Storage: 256/512GB | Battery: 4,300mAh | Rear camera: 12MP + 12MP + 16MP + 3D ToF | Front camera: 10MP

Top screen

Handy S Pen Stylus

Supremely expensive

Camera isn’t the ‘best’

While the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus may not top our list of the best Android phones anymore, that’s only because it’s been beaten by its successor. Saying that, it’s still worth considering if you’re looking for a new Android phone.

There’s a lot to love in Samsung’s Note phablet, from its beautiful 6.8-inch screen to the powerful selfie camera and the S Pen stylus which transforms your smartphone experience.

Sure, the cameras aren’t as good as the Huawei P30 Pro, and the body leaves a bit to be desired with its huge frame and slippery design, but this is still a great smartphone if you can stomach the price.

Read more: Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus review

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(Image credit: OnePlus)9. OnePlus 8

The OnePlus 8 is the new affordable flagship to beat

Release date: April 2020 | Weight: 180g | Dimensions: 160.2 x 72.9 x 8mm | OS: Android 10 | Screen size: 6.55-inch | Resolution: 1080 x 2400 | CPU: Snapdragon 865 | RAM: 8/12GB | Storage: 256GB | Battery: 4,300mAh | Rear camera: 48MP + 16MP + 2MP | Front camera: 16MP

Affordable 5G connectivity

Impressive specs

No telephoto camera

No wireless charging

The OnePlus 8 is rather shown up by the OnePlus 8 Pro, but it’s still a great phone in its own right, thanks to its similarly high-end power (you’re getting the same Snapdragon 865 chipset) and lower price.

The OnePlus 8 also supports 5G as standard and has a 90Hz refresh rate on its 6.55-inch 1080 x 2400 screen – specs that aren’t quite a match for the OnePlus 8 Pro, but are still decent.

There’s a big 4,300mAh battery here too, with support for fast charging, plus an in-screen fingerprint scanner, a triple-lens camera, and up to 12GB of RAM. Unlike its Pro sibling this isn’t quite a rival to the best Samsung and Apple handsets, but at what it costs it doesn’t need to be.

Read more: OnePlus 8 review

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(Image credit: Sony)10. Sony Xperia 1 II

A good phone for a niche crowd

Release date: May 2020 | Weight: 181.4g | Dimensions: 165.1 x 71.1 x 7.6 mm | OS: Android 10 | Screen size: 6.5-inch | Resolution: 1644 x 3840 | CPU: Snapdragon 865 | RAM: 8GB | Storage: 256GB | Battery: 4,000mAh | Rear camera: 12MP + 12MP + 12MP | Front camera: 8MP

Stunning display

Return of the 3.5mm jack

Difficult to hold

Very high price

Sony phones reach our best lists from time to time, and the company’s latest, the Sony Xperia 1 II (‘one mark two’) has just scraped into our ranking.

The Sony Xperia 1 II has a long body thanks to its 21:9 screen, which is also 4K so content viewed on it will look great. It’s also got three powerful rear cameras, and a long-lasting battery life that’ll please people who don’t want to constantly charge their phone.

These top-end specs are matched by a staggering price, which will put off most people just looking for a standard Android phone, as its cost trumps most iPhones and many other phones on this list.

But if you’re interested in the Sony Xperia 1 II’s unique features, like its display or its film-making tools, you might be able to look beyond the cost.

Read more: Sony Xperia 1 II review

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Sony Xperia 5 II Dual SIM…

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Looking for the best deal on one of the phones above? We’ve put together this comparison chart for you to use to find the option that suits you best.

Sort ByRecommendedMonthly cost (low to high)Monthly cost (high to low)Upfront cost (low to high)Upfront cost (high to low)Data (low to high)Data (high to low)Carrier (A to Z)Carrier (Z to A)Product Name (A to Z)Product Name (Z to A)Minutes (low to high)Minutes (high to low)Texts (low to high)Texts (high to low)Contract length (low to high)Contract length (high to low)

1GBdata

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to/from the US, Mexico and Canada

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Domestic & International Text to 37 countries

1GBdata

Unlimited mins

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to the U.S. and 80+ destinations

Unlimitedtexts

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Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G 128GB

12GBdata

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(slowed to 128kbps speeds)

Unlimited mins

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Unlimitedtexts

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1GBdata

Unlimited mins

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to the U.S. and 80+ destinations

Unlimitedtexts

Texts:

Domestic and Global Text

Unlimiteddata

Data:

Users may notice reduced speeds when network is congested

Unlimited mins

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Unlimitedtexts

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Domestic & International Text to 37 countries

2GBdata

Data:

+ Unlimited Wi-Fi data

Unlimited mins

Unlimitedtexts

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Unlimiteddata

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Users may notice reduced speeds when network is congested

Unlimited mins

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Unlimitedtexts

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Domestic & International Text to 37 countries

1GBdata

Unlimited mins

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to the U.S. and 80+ destinations

Unlimitedtexts

Texts:

Domestic and Global Text

Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G 128GB

8GBdata

Data:

(slowed to 128kbps speeds)

Unlimited mins

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Unlimitedtexts

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