We test many Android phones. We like the ones below, but you’d be better off with one of the options above. If you haven’t already, check out our best cheap phones guide for more.
Samsung Galaxy S22 series for $700+: Yes, last year’s flagship Samsung phone line is still a perfectly good buy (9/10, WIRED recommends). It includes S22, S22+ and S22 Ultra. They’re similar to the Galaxy S23 series above, although battery life isn’t quite as good (still pretty good). You will continue to receive software updates for a long time. Now that there is a substitute on the market I expect their prices to be lower so try to buy them during sales events.
OnePlus 10 Pro for $550: The OnePlus 2022 flagship phone is good but not great (7/10, WIRED Recommends), though it’s a smart buy at this price. It’s spiffy and has powerful hardware, including a bright 120-Hz AMOLED screen, fast performance, and some of the fastest wired and wireless charging you’ll find in the US. (Yes, unlike the new OnePlus 11, the predecessor has wireless charging support. It gets two more OS updates and three years of security updates. You should know that there’s no millimeter-wave 5G here, just sub-6, which is strange for a flagship. Also, the T -The mobile model has an IP67 water resistance rating, but the unlocked version doesn’t—it should be fine when submerged, but it would be nice to have more peace of mind.
Motorola Edge 2022 for $500: A Motorola smartphone without contactless payment support, 5G, wireless charging, plus the promise of three OS updates and four years of security updates? Say it’s not like that! The Motorola Edge (7/10, WIRED Review) ultimately matches its peers in many respects and surpasses them in some ways. It has a 144-Hz OLED screen, is lightweight, and the 5,000-mAh battery can last for two days. It is also the first Moto to come in 100 percent recycled packaging. The downsides? The cameras lack brightness, and are only IP52 water resistant. Its MSRP is $600 but try to buy it for $500.
Motorola Moto G Stylus 2022 for $180: Technically this phone retails for $300, but you can always get it for under $200. The Moto G Stylus 2022 (6/10, WIRED Review) can easily get two full days of battery life, and performance is good enough to run a typical slate of apps. You get a headphone jack, a microSD card slot, and a 90-Hz LCD screen, which are excellent inclusions for the price. If that’s your thing, there’s even a stylus. Unfortunately, it has no 5G support and no NFC for contactless payments (called Google Pay). It will be updated to Android 12 (not the current Android 13), although Motorola will provide two more years of security updates.
OnePlus 10T for $600: Always in a hurry? You will love that this phone charges from 0 to 100 percent in a shocking 20 minutes. The OnePlus 10T (5/10, WIRED Review) is fast, has all-day battery life, and has an excellent software update policy. However, the camera is okay, there’s no wireless charging, and it has an IP54 waterproof rating, which isn’t good enough for the price.
Google Pixel 6 for $399: You can now buy the 2021 Pixel 6 series (9/10, WIRED Recommends) at a huge discount. Stock is starting to drop, so once it’s over, you’re in luck. For $399, you’re getting almost everything you want in a flagship phone, and some great cameras for the price.
OnePlus Nord N20 5G for $230: Nord N20 5G (7/10, WIRED Recommends) Despite its low price, it packs a lot of features. The first caveats I should mention are that 5G does not work on AT&T, and this phone will not be compatible with Verizon at all. It also only gets Android OS updates (although it does receive three years of security patches). If none of those are the case, you’re getting an AMOLED screen, great performance, NFC, a microSD card, a headphone jack, and all-day battery life. It’s not bad at all.
