The Android ecosystem is all about choice. While iPhone owners have a smaller pool of new devices to pick from when its time to upgrade, theres a much wider range of choices on Android. You want incredible camera zoom? A built-in stylus? A phone that runs a complete desktop environment when you plug it into a monitor? You can find it on Android. Heck, you can find all of that in a single device.On the flip side, all that choice can make for some hard decisions. Heres where Id like to help; Ive tested a whole boatload of recent Android phones, and I think there are some real winners in the current batch. Its all a matter of what youre looking for, what youre comfortable spending, and what your definition of a reasonably sized phone is. (I have my own, personally.) As you sift through the options, youll almost certainly come across techs favorite buzzphrase of the year: AI. Generally speaking, AI has yet to really impress me on a phone. The Pixel 9 series has some potentially useful features, like a new Screenshots app that uses AI to tag relevant info in metadata, and Galaxy devices can translate a phone call for you in real time. These things are nothing to sneeze at! But none of it feels like the platform shift that the big tech companies keep promising. Best not to put too much stock in any companys AI claims just yet.What Im looking forLongevity A great Android phone will go the distance. I look for signs that the hardware and software will keep up for many years to come, including a strong IP rating for dust and water resistance (IP68 is preferred), durable glass panels on the front and back, and a sturdy aluminum frame rather than plastic. A minimum of three years of Android OS version upgrades is preferred, along with a total of four or five years of security updates.A great screen The best Android phones have plenty of resolution to cover their large display area, which means 1440p, ideally. A fast refresh rate of at least 120Hz is preferred animations and scrolling look super smooth at that rate and even better if its variable down to 1Hz to save on battery life. Quality cameras Any phone can take a decent photo in good lighting, but the best phone cameras can handle low light and high-contrast scenes well, too. I look for optical (most common) or sensor-shift (rare) image stabilization, which helps compensate for hand shake and enable slower shutter speeds in low light to gather more light. A telephoto lens is great to have too, though high-res sensors are starting to offer better lossless crop modes that mimic short zoom lenses well.Wireless charging Most phones on this list offer wireless charging, though not all do. Lack of wireless charging isnt a complete deal-breaker, but its becoming an essential feature for a lot of people since its convenient for charging many different kinds of devices. If you live in the US, I have some bad news about the Android market, though. For complicated reasons having to do with capitalism and geopolitics, we dont get nearly as many of the options as youll find in Asia and Europe brands like Huawei, Xiaomi, Honor, and Oppo just arent available here. Ive limited this guide to the devices Ive personally tested in depth; thus, it is a fairly US-centric set of recommendations.RelatedWith that in mind, its also worth acknowledging that most people in the US get their phones for free from their wireless carrier. If you can manage it, buying a phone unlocked will give you the most flexibility and freedom if you end up wanting to change carriers in the near future. Phone manufacturers also offer financing and trade-in deals to make payment more manageable. But if youre happy with your carrier and the free phone on offer is the one you really want, by all means, take the free phone. Just make sure you understand the terms, especially if you need to change plans to cash in on the deal.However you go about it, you have some fantastic options for your next Android phone.The best Android phone overallGoogle Pixel 9 (128GB)$627$79922% off$627$627$79922% offGoogles Pixel 9 has a slightly larger 6.3-inch OLED display than its predecessor, along with a Tensor G4 processor, a bigger battery, 12GB of RAM, and a dual rear camera setup with a new 48-megapixel sensor for its ultrawide.Screen: 6.3-inch 1080p 120Hz OLED / Processor: Tensor G4 / Cameras: 50-megapixel f/1.7 main with OIS, 48-megapixel ultrawide, 10.5-megapixel selfie / Battery: 4,700mAh / Charging: 27W wired, 15W wireless (with Pixel Stand 2) / Weather resistance: IP68Googles hardware is better than ever, and the whole Pixel 9 lineup feels just as polished as anything youd get from Samsung or Apple. But at $799, the basic Pixel 9 is in a particularly appealing position, and if you dont need a telephoto camera or the biggest screen, then this is the Android phone to get.The Pixel 9 comes with some significant quality-of-life improvements like a faster fingerprint scanner for unlocking the phone. The camera is as reliable as ever, and if youre into AI photo editing tricks, boy does this phone have em. Theres a new Screenshots app that acts as a place to store all of the information that would otherwise be lost at sea in your camera roll, and it uses AI to parse information out and make it searchable. Kinda handy.You gotta admit, the camera bar is a strong look. Photo: Allison Johnson / The VergeEven without AI, this is an excellent phone. Its also designed to go the distance, with seven years of promised OS updates, which very likely means youll outgrow the phone before Google stops supporting it. Its potential for long-term value and the quality of the hardware make it an easy recommendation for anyone who just wants a nice Android phone that works.Read my Google Pixel 9 review.The best maximalist phone$1050$1050$130019% offThe Galaxy S24 Ultra is loaded with goodies, including a big, beautiful display, an integrated stylus, and two telephoto cameras.Screen:6.8-inch 1440p 120Hz OLED /Processor:Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 /Cameras:200-megapixel main with OIS, 50-megapixel 5x telephoto with OIS, 10-megapixel 3x telephoto with OIS, 12-megapixel ultrawide, 12-megapixel selfie /Battery:5,000mAh /Charging:45W wired, 15W wireless /Weather resistance:IP68The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra says it all in the name: Ultra. It has everything you could ask for in a phone well, at least one that doesnt fold in half. Theres a stylus, two telephoto cameras, a massive battery, and one of the best ding dang screens on any phone, anywhere. Write your grocery list in style. Photo by Allison Johnson / The VergeSo why am I a little underwhelmed? For starters, Samsung swapped the 10x telephoto camera on the S23 Ultra for a higher-resolution 5x camera that uses in-sensor crop to zoom to 10x. This is a sensible move, and photos at 10x look fine, if not as crisp as they did on the last model. Its also pricier this time around, and it was already an expensive phone. Its pretty darn heavy, too, and Samsungs switch to titanium for the frame hasnt made it any lighter.Personal feelings about the zoom lens aside, the S24 Ultra is still basically peerless. Its much-touted AI features are fine, but if theres one thing that makes it worth the upgrade, its the screen. Its anti-glare coating and boosted maximum brightness make it so comfortable to use outside its almost magic. Thats hardly a fancy new tech feature, but the Galaxy S24 Ultra is hardly any old phone.Read my Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra review.The best phone if youre sick of hearing about AIOnePlus 12 (256GB)$700$80013% off$700$700$80013% offThe OnePlus 12 retails for $100 more than its predecessor, but it comes with upgraded Hasselblad cameras, improved water resistance, and wireless charging. Coupled with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and up to 16GB of RAM, it holds its own against the top smartphones of 2025. Read our review.$700 at Best Buy$700 at OnePlusScreen: 6.82-inch 1440p 120Hz LTPO OLED / Processor: Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Cameras: 50-megapixel f/1.6 main with OIS, 64-megapixel 3x telephoto with OIS, 48-megapixel f/2.2 ultrawide / Battery: 5400mAh / Charging: 80W wired, 50W wireless / Weather-resistance rating: IP65After a few years and a little soul-searching, OnePlus is back to its roots. The OnePlus 12 is an excellent device with high-end performance with a competitive price: $799 for the base model with a hefty 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.For that price, you get a crisp 1440p 6.8-inch display, a top-tier Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, and a capable camera. It supports wireless charging, something that previous OnePlus flagships have skipped. Battery performance is fantastic, too power users can get through a full day, and light users can stretch it to two.The OnePlus 12 gets the basics right at a very nice price. Photo by Allison Johnson / The VergeWhat stands out about the OnePlus 12, though, might just be whats not here: a bunch of AI features. Honestly? Thats kind of refreshing. Some of the AI features Google and Samsung are busy shipping right now are nice, but none of them feel essential. If you want to sit out this AI hype cycle but you still want a great phone, the OnePlus 12 might be the one.Read my OnePlus 12 review.The best foldable phonePixel 9 Pro Fold (256GB)$1779$17991% off$1779$1779$17991% offThe Pixel 9 Pro Fold features a 6.3-inch outer screen and an eight-inch inner screen once its unfolded both of which are larger than the original Pixel Fold. The new foldable also lays flat when opened, sports IPX8 weather resistance, and offers a thinner design than the last-gen model.Screen: 8.0-inch 2076p 120Hz OLED inner screen, 6.3-inch 1080p 120Hz OLED cover screen / Processor: Tensor G4 / Cameras: 48-megapixel f/1.7 main with OIS, 10.8-megapixel 5x telephoto with OIS, 10.5-megapixel ultrawide, 10-megapixel selfie (cover screen), 10-megapixel inner selfie camera / Battery: 4,650mAh / Charging: 21W wired, 7.5W wireless / Weather resistance: IPX8Does anyone truly need a folding phone? Probably not. But using one is awfully nice, and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is the nicest book-style foldable Ive used to date. Its pricey, its still bulkier than a slab-style phone, and its cameras arent quite as nice as the other Pixel 9 Pro phones. But its a joy to use, both as a regular phone with the cover screen and when you unfold the big inner screen.The 9 Pro Fold is Googles second folding phone, following up the passport-shaped Pixel Fold with a format that feels much more familiar. The outer screen measures 6.3 inches on the diagonal, but more importantly, the ratio is the same as Googles slab phones. By comparison, Samsungs Z Fold 6 uses a taller, narrower format that feels cramped. Having used them both, I much prefer the 9 Pro Folds approach.The inner screen is great and all, but how about that outer screen? Photo: Allison Johnson / The VergeThat said, the 9 Pro Fold isnt without compromises. The camera system isnt quite as good as what you get in the other 9 Pro phones. The outer screen isnt as sharp or bright as the Pixel 9 Pros, either. And its not as durable as its slab-style counterparts theres no dust resistance, and you cant get it repaired just anywhere. For $1,800, thats an awful lot to swallow. For the adventurous early adopter, though, the 9 Pro Fold will be very rewarding.Read my Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold review.The best phone that puts on a light showNothing Phone 2$599The Nothing Phone 2 embraces a certain retro-infused aesthetic thats unlike anything else youll find on the market. Its not certified to work on Verizon, and its rear-panel LED light strips are more stylish than functional, but its a good alternative to the big Android brands.Screen: 6.7-inch 1080p 120Hz OLED / Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 / Cameras: 50-megapixel F/1.9 main with OIS, 50-megapixel ultrawide, 32-megapixel selfie / Battery: 4,700mAh / Charging: 45W wired, 15W wireless / Weather resistance: IP54The Nothing Phone 2 doesnt offer the very best value proposition in its upper-midrange category. But if its style youre after and something a little flashy (well, a lot flashy), then the Phone 2 is an easy pick. It offers a good 6.7-inch screen, great daily performance and battery life, and a capable camera system. But thats the usual stuff whats unusual about the Phone 2 is its set of LED light strips on the back panel. They illuminate in combinations called glyphs, and you can set them to alert you to certain notifications. Its neat but ultimately isnt as helpful as the systems customizable always-on display.The Phone 2s UI is on-theme. Photo by Allison Johnson / The VergeOn the downside, the Phone 2 is only splash-resistant rather than fully resistant to water submersion like virtually all other phones over $500. Its also not fully supported on Verizons network, which takes it out of contention for a lot of the US population. If neither of the above is a deal-breaker, and the Phone 2s styling appeals to you, then its an excellent choice. One things for sure it definitely stands out from the crowd.Read my Nothing Phone 2 review.Other Android phones worth consideringThere are many more great Android devices that werent covered here, and a few are worth calling out that didnt quite make the cut for a recommendation. First off, theres the Galaxy Z Flip 6, Samsungs excellent clamshell-style foldable. Its not as much fun to use as the 2024 Motorola Razr Plus which facilitates using apps on the cover screen more easily but Motorolas track record for software updates isnt great, so the Z Flip 6 is a safer bet for a flip phone. Read our review.The OnePlus Open is also another good book-style foldable option. Its thin and light, and the software includes some thoughtful approaches to multitasking a crucial part of the folding phone experience. But it wont be supported with software updates for as long as the Pixel 9 Pro Fold or the Galaxy Z Fold 6. Read our review.Last but not least, theres the Google Pixel 8A. If you really want to maximize the return on your investment, its hard to beat Googles latest midrange phone. It covers all the basics for $499 while offering seven years of software support. Read our review.Update, January 8th: Updated to reflect current pricing and availability.