The best Android phones offer serious alternatives to buying the iPhone 16 when in 2024. Google recently launched the brilliant new Pixel 9 series, and Samsung’s Galaxy S24 continues to offer top-end performance and cameras, so you’ve more choices than ever when it comes to making the switch.
Built around the Google-developed mobile operating system, Android phones come in a much wider range of shapes, sizes, form factors, and prices than the current Apple market leader. You can find a superfast iPhone killer such as the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. You can choose a fully Google-integrated phone such as the Pixel 9 Pro. There are phones that fold in half, phones for less than £200, and weird, flashy phones, such as the Nothing phone (2).
Choice is the biggest benefit when opting for an Android phone, and the best Android phone for you is the one that has exactly the features you want.
Whether you’re after a phone with a built-in stylus, one with a cutting-edge camera, or one that won’t break the bank, you’re likely to find something that ticks every box.
How we tested
We test all of the most popular new phones here at IndyBest, primarily by swapping them out for our everyday devices and using them as we usually would, paying close attention to how they cope with basic tasks such as messaging, listening to music and podcasts, and scrolling through social media feeds.
We also put them through more rigorous testing processes, using the camera in challenging lighting conditions, running YouTube videos around the clock to track battery performance, and running high-performance apps and benchmarking tools to stress the CPU and test for slowdown and lagginess.
The best Android phones for 2024 are:
- Best overall – Google Pixel 9 Pro: £999, Amazon.co.uk
- Best budget buy – Samsung Galaxy A25: £209, Johnlewis.com
- Best Samsung phone – Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: £1,149, Amazon.co.uk
- Best folding Anroid phone – Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold: £1,749, Google.com