2023 was a pretty good year for smartphone enthusiasts, as we saw more than a few excellent phones landing on the market. But if you skipped the previous generation of Android phones and were eagerly waiting to see all the new releases in 2024, then now is your time to shine. We're just a little over a month into 2024, but we already have some really good phones on the market from the likes of Samsung and OnePlus, with more on the way.

The new phones that have come out so far bring some noteworthy improvements over their predecessors to take the top spots in our best phones list, and they join the likes of OnePlus Open, Pixel 7a and more to complete a healthy list of Android phones to consider in 2024. If you are in the market to buy a new Android flagship and can't figure out which one is better, then check out the collection below in which we've highlighted some of the best phones across different categories.

Best Android phones in 2024

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Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Best overall

The best new do-it-all phone

The Galaxy S24 Ultra is Samsung's premium flagship phone for 2024, further refining everything Android enthusiasts love about this big, beautiful phone.

Pros
  • Premium fit and finish with a titanium frame and a clean design
  • A versatile camera setup
  • The Galaxy AI stuff is genuinely useful
Cons
  • The 3X tele lens and ultra-wide sensors are old and showing its age
  • Expensive price tag

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra was the reigning champ of our best Android phones list for quite some time, but it's now being replaced by none other than its successor, the Galaxy S24 Ultra. This new smartphone, as XDA's Senior Editor Ben Sin said in his review, is the new do-it-all phone that further refines everything Android enthusiasts love about the big and beautiful phone from Samsung. There are many ways Samsung could've improved it, but even the minor changes that Samsung has made to the phone so far have resulted in a phone that looks and feels great to use.

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The Galaxy S24 Ultra still looks largely the same as its predecessor, but Samsung has given us a new titanium frame and a cleaner design that makes it an even better-looking phone. The Galaxy S24 Ultra also ditches the curved edges for a flat panel, making it more comfortable to hold and use. We also have some new colors this time around, which might be the only way to tell people can tell the new phone apart from its predecessor, so you might want to grab a clear case for the Galaxy S24 Ultra, just so you don't hide its color.

As far as the other changes are concerned, you are looking at a new 50MP periscope telephoto camera with a 5X optical zoom lens that replaces the older 10X periscope zoom lens. This new zoom camera has larger sensors and packs more pixels, so it effectively allows Samsung to still produce a very credible 10X zoom image, even with the new focal length. Notably, you also get the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy chip, along with a brighter 1440 X 3120 LTPO OLED display that's capable of reaching 2,600 nits of max brightness and comes with an anti-reflective coating. Samsung has also added a lot of AI features to the One UI software which we find to be genuinely useful.

OnePlus 12 product feature
OnePlus 12
Great alternative

Almost as good as the Galaxy S24 Ultra

OnePlus has further improved its flagship phone to deliver a more refined experience. The OnePlus 12 is also more affordable than many flagships but still offers lots of flagship-level features.

Pros
  • Sleek, good looking design
  • Periscope zoom lens outperforms S24 Ultra and iPhone 15 Pro Max's zoom
  • Bigger battery than what most U.S. competitors offer
Cons
  • No U.S. carrier presence
  • The design feels a bit outdated

OnePlus has been improving its flagship phones for quite some time now, and it feels as though it has hit the mark very well with the OnePlus 12. The company had already returned to its form with the OnePlus 11, but this new flagship phone for 2024 takes things to another level to compete properly with the likes of the Galaxy S24 Ultra. It's also a lot cheaper than the flagships its going against, so it also has that going in its favor.

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OnePlus 12 brings a lot of noteworthy improvements over its predecessor for the same price, and it's a great alternative to Galaxy S24 Ultra.

One of the highlights of OnePlus 12 is that it's powered by Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, which is the almost the same as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy chip you get inside the Galaxy S24 Ultra minus the minor tweaks made specifically for the Galaxy phones. It is, however, a lot cheaper than the Galaxy S24 Ultra, making it a much better value pick for those who are looking to buy a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip. It sports a beautiful a 6.8-inch 3168 X 1440 OLED display that gets adequately bright for day-to-day usage.

What's more impressive about the OnePlus 12 is its new Periscope zoom lens, which is the first of its kind for OnePlus. It's a 64MP Periscope zoom camera that has a relatively large 1/2-inch sensor which is larger than the best zoom lens offered by Apple, Google and Samsung at the moment, allowing the OnePlus 12 to do a credible 6X zoom at near lossless quality using in-sensor crop. The results are quite stunning and the other two cameras (50MP main and the 48MP ultrawide) also compliment the Periscope camera very well.

Some other highlights of the OnePlus 12 include Android 14-based OxygenOS 14 out of the box, a 5,400mAh battery with support for up to 80W wired and 50W wireless charging, IP65 rating for dust and water resistance, and more.

OnePlus 12R
OnePlus 12R
Best value pick

Marks the company's return to its super value roots

The OnePlus 12R is a mid-range smartphone that bridges the gap between the premium OnePlus 12 and OnePlus' budget-minded Nord series. Naturally, it beats a lot of phones along the way to become the best value smartphone you can buy in the U.S. right now.

Pros
  • Good design and build quality
  • Impressive performance for the price
  • Large battery with fast charging and charger included
Cons
  • No telephoto camera
  • Guaranteed only three years software updates

OnePlus 12R is the second phone to enter our list of the best Android phones this year, and it replaces the Galaxy S23 FE as the best value smartphone you can buy in the U.S. right now. OnePlus 12R, in case you are wondering, is a $500 phone that looks and feels like a more expensive phone. It's a well-constructed phone that borrows a lot of design elements from the OnePlus 12.

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It also has a fantastic 2K display that looks so much better than what pretty much any other phone offers in this price range. It's an LTPO panel with a refresh rate between 1-120Hz, and it also peaks at 1,600 nits brightness, just like the OnePlus 12. Not only does this panel look better than anything you get on phones like Pixel 8, Galaxy A54 5G, or the non-Pro iPhones in this price range, but it also has a higher PWM (pulse-width modulation) than the Galaxy S24 Ultra.

The OnePlus 12R is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, and it comes with up to 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. It also packs a massive 5,500 mAh battery that can be charged at 80W speed, which is faster than most Android flagship phones you can buy in the U.S. market. There is nothing to write home about the OnePlus 12R's cameras or software, but it doesn't leave a lot of room to complain about, especially at its price bracket.

Those looking for other options in this price range can also check out the Galaxy S23 FE. It'll cost you slightly more, but you also get some extras for the price, including features like wireless charging and Samsung DeX support.

Samsung A54 5G in black with transparent background, showing front and partial back panel
Samsung Galaxy A54 5G
Best mid-range pick

Samsung Galaxy experience for less

The Samsung Galaxy A54 5G is a great mid-range phone. It offers a sleek design, a beautiful 120Hz display, plenty of power under the hood, and a triple camera setup on the back.

Pros
  • Excellent screen at this price point
  • Solid main camera
  • Glass body instead of plastic
Cons
  • Useless macro camera
  • A bit slower than pricier phones

Samsung's Galaxy A54 brings a 120Hz vibrant OLED display, a strong 50MP, f/1.8 main camera, and a glass body at a mid-range price. Previously, Samsung's A series used a plastic body, so this new construction is an immediate step-up. The phone also packs a large 5,000mAh battery and keeps expandable storage, which is very rare in modern smartphones.

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The A54 runs Android 13 with Samsung's OneUI, and the software experience is pleasant. Despite the phone running on an Exynos chip — which doesn't get the best rep — overall performance is relatively smooth. The phone isn't going to zip around as fast as a flagship Samsung or even the OnePlus 11, but it's not a slow phone either.

The main camera uses Samsung's improved software processing to produce lively images, and even in low-light situations, it performs well. The ultrawide camera is just average, however, falling to the usual soft details and noise in low-light situations. However, add in official IP67 water resistance and stereo speakers, and the A54 is a very good mid-range option. It's also cheaper than the Galaxy S23 FE, and you can check out our Galaxy S23 FE vs Galaxy A54 5G comparison to learn more about the differences between the two. There's also the Pixel 7a, which costs slightly more than the Galaxy A54 5G, but it also offers a well-rounded experience with reliable software support.

A render showing the Google Pixel 8 Pro in Porcelain color.
Google Pixel 8 Pro
Best point-and-shoot camera

Google's AI camera magic

The Pixel 8 Pro is the latest flagship from Google, and it packs the best the company has to offer in 2024. It features the newest Tensor G3 processor, like its regular Pixel 8 sibling, but it comes with a 6.7-inch OLED display, a brighter screen, a larger battery, and more storage options.

Pros
  • Incredible AI camera features
  • Absolutely one of the best camera systems around
  • Good design and build quality
Cons
  • Not a big jump over the Pixel 7 Pro
  • Not the best performing flagship out there

A quick comparison between the Pixel 8 Pro vs Pixel 7 Pro will tell you that the new flagship doesn't bring a lot of new things to the table. It does offer a better camera system, though, thanks to all the new generative AI features. All of these features are scary good, and they allow you to tweak the photos after the fact, meaning you tweak and make a shot better even after capturing it.

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As far as the cameras are concerned, the Pixel 8 Pro sports a triple camera setup at the back which includes a 50MP main camera, a 48MP telephoto, and a 48MP ultrawide camera. It also features a 10.5MP selfie shooter with PDAF as opposed to a 10.8MP shooter on the previous-gen model. We've added lots of camera samples captured using the Pixel 8 Pro in review, so be sure to check it out in case you're wondering how good the cameras are.

In terms of the internals, we're looking at Google's new Tensor G3 chip inside the Pixel 8 Pro as opposed to the Tensor G2. The base variant of the Pixel 8 Pro also comes with 12GB of RAM instead of 8GB. Some other noteworthy differences between the two include a slightly bigger battery, support for faster charging, and the addition of a new temperature sensor. The Pixel 8 Pro, however, costs $100 more than the Pixel 7 Pro at launch. In fact, you're likely to find the Pixel 7 Pro at discounted prices now, so keep that in mind.

Asus ROG Phone 7 Black with transparent background showing front and back
Asus ROG Phone 7
Best gaming phone

The ultimate Android gaming phone

Packed with powerful specs and software gaming optimizations, the Asus ROG Phone 7 is one of the best when it comes to smartphones specifically made for mobile gaming.

Pros
  • Gaming-specific software
  • Packed to the gills with specs
  • First-party gaming accessories
Cons
  • Sub-par camera performance

ASUS has a solid list of gaming phones under its belt, so it's hardly a surprise to see an ROG phone making it to our list as the best gaming phone pick. The ROG Phone 7 comes with all the bells and whistles you'd expect from a gaming in 2023, and it's a great pick for those who are looking to buy an Android phone for gaming.

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It packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SOC, up to 16GB of LPDDR5X memory, and up to 512GB of UFS4.0 storage. Notably, it also packs a 6,000mAh battery with 65W fast charging, which delivers up to two-day battery life. The ROG Phone 7 also boasts a huge 6.78-inch 165Hz AMOLED display, which is a fluid and responsive panel for gaming.

The ROG Phone 7 is a bit on the heavier side, weighing in at 239g, but it's partly due to Asus’ Gamecool 7, an included cooling solution that has a large vapor chamber, graphite cooling sheets, and an external fan accessory. The extra heft is essentially just a small price to pay for a phone that runs cool and won't thermal throttle while gaming.

The ROG Phone 7 is not for everyone, but it's a great choice for those who are looking to buy a reliable Android handset for gaming. You can also consider checking out the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate, which steps things up, for an even better experience.

OnePlus Open in black half open floating
OnePlus Open
Best large foldable

Snatching the crown from Samsung's best foldable phone

The OnePlus Open is the company's first foldable, featuring a sleek design, a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform chip, advanced camera system, and more. It is available in two colorways and starts at $1,500.

Pros
  • The best foldable phone displays yet
  • Impressive camera hardware
  • Great multitasking features
Cons
  • No wireless charging
  • A bit on the expensive side

The OnePlus Open is currently the best foldable phone you can buy in the U.S. market if you're looking for a large-sized foldable device instead of a clamshell model. The OnePlus Open, just like the Galaxy Z Fold 5, is a book-style foldable that gets a lot of things right and offers a premium experience at a relatively lower price. It's essentially just a rebranded OPPO Find N3, but that doesn't take away from the fact that it's a solid entry in the foldable space.

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One of the highlights of the OnePlus Open is that there's no noticeable crease on the internal folding display of this device. It also has a matte finish that makes it less reflective than the ones on the competing phones. The Open also sports an excellent set of cameras that can capture some photos and videos like the ones highlighted in our OnePlus Open review.

The OxygenOS powering the overall experience of the OnePlus Open is also great, and it brings some solid multitasking features to the table. Part of what makes a book-style foldable great are the multi-tasking features that let you take full advantage of the screen real-estate, and OnePlus has got it right for the most part. It also looks great and has a premium build to match its price tag. Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 5 is also a good foldable phone overall, but it falls a bit short while going against the OnePlus Open in a head-to-head comparison. I suggest you check out our OnePlus Open vs Galaxy Z Fold 5 comparison to learn more about the differences between these two phones.

New Project-17
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5
Best small foldable

Evenly matched with the Moto Razr+

The Galaxy Z Flip 5 is the latest compact foldable from Samsung, offering a flexible 6.7-inch internal display, a 3.4-inch external display, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, and much more.

You can score up to $600 off with trade-ins at Samsung.com.

Pros
  • Compact form factor
  • Bigger outer screen offers more usability
  • New hinge improves the form factor
Cons
  • The camera still needs work
  • No DeX support

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5, just like its predecessor, is a fun foldable phone that's significantly more affordable than its bigger sibling. Unlike the Fold 5, which is a better phone for power users, the Flip 5 is a pocketable phone that's only meant to make your smartphone experience more fun. I'd say it's a good entry into the world of foldable, and you should consider buying one if you fancy a phone that'll make you stand out.

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Unlike other Samsung products this year, the Z Flip 5 got one big upgrade. It now sports a much bigger cover display on the outside, which lets you do more things without unfolding the phone. It's almost the same size as the one you get on the Moto Razr+, but Samsung makes it a bit harder to use applications on it. The Flip 5 also gets the same hinge as the Fold 5, meaning it folds completely flat. Notably, it's also powered by the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip for Galaxy, so it's just as powerful as Samsung's other flagship Galaxy phones this year.

I suggest you stop by our Galaxy Z Flip 5 review to learn more about it before picking one up. It's similar to the Moto Razr+ in many ways, and I'd say they're both evenly matched when it comes to compact foldable phones in the U.S. But the Z Flip 5 edges out slightly in software and power.

Best Android phones: The final say

You'll find plenty of good phones in this roundup, so I highly recommend exploring all the listings to find the right phone. But if you don't want to spend time looking at all the options and don't mind splurging to get the best phone, then I suggest picking the Galaxy S24 Ultra. It's one of the most well-rounded phones you buy right now, as it gets a lot of things right for the price. Premium features like its versatile camera setup and the included S Pen make it the best in the Android space, and you can't really go wrong with it.

galaxy-s24-ultra-1
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Editor's choice

The Galaxy S24 Ultra is Samsung's premium flagship phone for 2024, further refining everything Android enthusiasts love about this big, beautiful phone.

Both OnePlus 12 and OnePlus 12R are also great options to pick, as they also offer a great experience overall for the price. We've also highlighted some other options, including the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Pixel 8 Pro, so feel free to pick the one you like based on your preferences.