Android phones come in various shapes with refined and practical flip and fold options now available, and many are specialized for gaming, photography and other functions, so you can have a personalized experience to suit your lifestyle. The best Android phones have awesome performance to handle multitasking and intense gaming and include world-class displays and powerful cameras to capture your special moments.

Read more: Best Android tablets: iPad isn't the only slab worth your attention

Choosing an Android phone is harder than ever with so many available options, so we made a list of the best models we've tested this year. Our team used them for work and play in their daily lives and tried their features to separate the practical from the marketing hype. For this list, we included the phones that impressed us the most from top brands like Samsung, Asus and Motorola, so there's something for everyone.

Best Android phones: Our top picks

Google's Pixel 8 Pro has shaken up the smartphone world with AI integration that revolutionizes photo editing. Its triple camera system offers impressive day and night shooting with a 50MP main sensor, 48MP telephoto sensor, and 48MP ultra wide sensor. AI changes the game with tools like the Magic Editor, allowing you to click and move objects at will, increase or decrease their size and add infinite effects. The Audio Magic Eraser separates the sounds from your videos into different layers, so you can remove the sound of the dog barking in the background or increase voice volume.

At the heart of the Pixel 8 Pro is Google's latest Tenser G3 chip with 12GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage for a smooth and fluid experience. The 6.7-inch Super Actua OLED is super bright at 2400nits and fast with a 120Hz refresh rate. With conservative use, you should get a full day from the 5050mAh, which supports wireless and fast charging. Everything is wrapped up in quality Bay, Obsidian, or Porcelain housing with the trademark camera bar at the back, which now includes a temperature sensor. Google claims it will support the Pixel 8 Pro with seven years of security updates, but the benefits are questionable because most people will upgrade sooner.

Most flagships this year had the usual performance and camera improvements, and none can match the Pixel 8 Pros innovation and groundbreaking features. It's the first smartphone to truly embrace regenerative AI and is worth getting despite its hefty price tag and average battery life, because no rival can match its unique features.

Samsung's S23 Ultra flagship delivers an amazing all-around experience and a sturdy, premium feel. You'd think it was chunky at 77.97 x 163.32 x 8.89mm and 233g, but the ends are flattened on the glass and aluminum body to make it deceptively smooth. The benefits of its humongous size are that there's space to store the nifty S Pen for jotting notes or sketching images, and you get a breathtaking 6.8 AMOLED with 1750 nits of peak brightness and up to 120Hz adaptive refresh rate.

Powering the display is the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor and various RAM and storage options, including 8/256GB, 12/512GB, and 12/1TB. The S23 Ultra takes some of the best photos and videos of any smartphone, with a 200MP main among the four rear cameras and a 12MP front camera for selfies. Battery life is decent and should last a day at 5,000mAh , although the 45-watt wired and 10-watt wireless charging could be faster.

Samsung isn't shy about the S3 Ultra's premium pricing, and it delivers on all front, offering an incredibly fluid and balanced experience with a massive display and included stylus. It's one of the best options for power users wanting a luxurious feel and brutal performance, and casual buyers might be better off with something less pricey because they'll never use all the features.

The beauty of the Android ecosystem is that each brand brings something different to the table. The OnePlus 11 5G offers immense power to rival most flagships and other premium features at an unbeatable price. Under the hood is the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset from Samsung's flagship S23 Ultra, with 16 GB of RAM and 256GB of storage space for hundreds less. Its triple rear camera setup by Hasselblad takes decent pictures, and it's the front 16MP selfie that shines with natural yet vibrant shots.

Everything fits into the 163.1 x 74.1 x 8.5 mm and 205g IP-64-rated aluminum housing with a Gorilla Glass Victus front and Gorilla Glass 5 back. There's a handy alert slider on the side of the frame and an impressive 6.7-inch (1440 x 3216) AMOLED display that can match most flagships out there. It's disappointing to see no wireless charging at this price point, but you can get the 5000mAh battery up to around 75 per cent in just 10 or 15 minutes with the included 80-watt charger.

While it might not be a mainstream option, the OnePlus 11 5G makes a case for itself by offering premium-level performance in an affordable package, as long as you're willing to make some sacrifices. The average IP rating and lack of wireless charging might put of some buyers, and others will be happy to have enough speed to handle any task and amazing fast-charging capabilities.

Xioami's 13 Pro has the best camera for photography because it's one of the few models to use Sony's new 1-inch sensor designed specifically to improve low-light performance and increase colour accuracy by having larger pixels than usual. The triple camera setup is manufactured with optics experts Leica and includes a 50MP main camera with the IMX989 sensor, a 50MP telephoto, and a 50MP ultrawide to round it off.

There's been a vast improvement in Xioami's build quality, and the 13 Pro features a classy ceramic back and Gorilla Glass Victus front in a durable IP68-rated housing measuring 162.9 x 74.6 x 8.38mm and weighing 229g. It's topped off by an eye-catching 6.73-inch (3200 x 1440) display with a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. Performance is top-notch with the premium Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 with 12GB of RAM and 256 or 512GB of storage space. You get a degree of future-proofing with Wi-Fi 7 capability, and you'll never have to worry about running out of power because the 4820mAh battery can go from empty to full in around 20 minutes with the 120W charger.

The 13 Pro doesn't come cheap, sitting in the same price bracket as the Samsung S23 Ultra flagship and costing more than the innovative Pixel 8 Pro. On the other hand, its uniqueness is part of its charm, and it justifies its price by having comparable high-end performance and build quality and surpassing them in the photography department.

Gamers looking for the best graphics and fastest frame rates, can try the Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate. Its claims of being the ultimate gaming phone hold true with outstanding performance from the top-of-the-range Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset and 16GB LPDR5X RAM with 512GB UFS 4.0 storage to deliver instant response in the most demanding titles. Display quality is equally impressive, and the 6.78-inch (2448 x 2080) MOLED display has a fast 165Hz refresh rate and a 720Hz touch sampling rate for instant gaming response.

Sound quality is fantastic, too, with a 3.5mm jack to connect headsets and clear built-in stereo speakers. Things get interesting when you factor in the included AeroActive Cooler 7 fan, which attaches to the back of the phone as a cooling device and doubles as a subwoofer to add some oomph to your games. Other gamer-friendly features include haptic shoulder triggers, dual USB-C ports, one with DisplayPort capability, and a 2-inch OLED display at the back to add fun custom images.

The Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate delivers the best gaming and multimedia performance of any Android phone thanks to its incredible performance, amazing speakers, and handy features like programmable triggers and the AeroActive Cooler 7 fan. It's also one of the most expensive phones you can buy, and its mediocre camera and questionable durability limit its appeal to die-hard players demanding the fastest speeds, regardless of cost.

RedMagic's 8S Pro is the fastest gaming phone we've ever tested, and it comes at a great price, making it the best bet for savvy buyers looking for the highest performance at the lowest cost. Most current flagships use the Snapdragon 8 gen 2, but in this case, it's been overclocked to deliver around 5.7 per cent more GPU performance and 2.5 per cent more CPU performance. It's backed by RedMagic's Red Core 2 chip that lightens the load by handling minor tasks like fan control and RGB lighting. Memory and storage are comparable to most flagships, with 12 or 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 256 or 512GB of UFS 4.0 for game installations and media files.

When it comes to design, the 8S Pro has a blocky 163.98 x 76.35 x 9.47 mm and 228g chassis with haptic triggers and a transparent ring on the back with colorful LEDs around the cooling fan. The front is dominated by a 6.8-inch (2480x1116) AMOLED display offering crisp visuals and a 120Hz and responsive 960Hz touch sampling rate. You get impressive life from the huge 6,000mAh battery for extended gaming sessions or watching content. The 8S Pro may lack wireless charging, but it makes up for it with a 65W fast charger that can get it to 100 per cent from empty in under 45 minutes.

The RedMagic 8S Pro offers an amazing display and unrivaled raw performance to handle any game on its highest settings, but lacks refinement in certain areas. Gaming phones aren't known for their cameras, and the triple setup on the 8S pro gets the job done without setting the world alight. Its blocky shape and lack of wireless charging won't be deal breakers for many buyers, but the glitchy software is harder to live with and severely impacts the user experience.

Flip phones have gone from clunky models for early adopters to sleek and practical options suitable for daily use, thanks to innovative designs like the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5. It has a premium- aluminum frame with a sturdy hinge and a gap-less design, giving it a modern and sophisticated feel. However, there's no need to open it in many scenarios because of the handy 3.4-inch external display that allows you to answer calls and reply to messages and includes widgets to display calendars, weather forecasts, and more. The display is also handy in selfie mode because it sits beside the camera and works together with the flexible hinged design to help you get the best shot.

There's no power compromise for a compact phone, and you get the high-end Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 with 8GB of RAM and 256 or 512GB of storage. The inner display is a 6.7-inch AMOLED (2640 x 1080) with a 120Hz refresh rate and a barely noticeable crease that barely affects the user experience. You'll probably get a full day's life from the 3700mAh with conservative use, and you can top it up again with either a 25W wired or 15W wireless charger.

Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 5 proves that flip phones are finally coming into their own and becoming a feasible alternative to conventional smartphones. There are still some issues to iron out, like the average camera, slow charging, and the jury's still out there regarding long-term durability. It's still a worthwhile option if you want something stylish and different for medium use and don't need an amazing camera, despite costing as much as many flagships.

OnePlus's Open knocks it out of the park with a sleek and modern design that solves many of the inherent drawbacks of foldables with its practical design. The tough hinge has a satisfying click when it opens and closes with no gap between the two halves and an almost invisible crease that's barely noticeable compared to the competition. It's also super slim at

153.4 x 73.3 x 11.7mm when closed and 153.4 x 143.1 x 5.8mm when opened, and the 245g weight is acceptable considering what it can do.

The 6.2-inch (2484 x 1116) AMOLED display can handle most tasks, but the star of the show is the main 7.82-inch (2440 x 2268) display with an outstanding 2,600 nits of peak brightness that changes the multitasking game with its handy size. The OnePlus Open Canvas software makes the massive screen real estate even bigger because it allows you to drag apps on and off the display and lay multiple windows together in vertical or horizontal orientations. Photos and videos are clear with the triple Hasselblad setup on the rear, and the two front cameras do a decent job for selfies. All these features require massive processing power, and the Open is up to the task thanks to a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset and a speedy 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM with 512GB of storage.

The OnePlus Open is the best foldable phone because it has awesome power with a solid hinge and no irritating gaps or creases to ruin the user experience. On the other hand, its low IPX4 rating and lack of wireless charging are disappointing, considering its high cost. It makes a compelling case for buyers who don't need those features and is cheaper and more practical than its main rivals, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, and Google Pixel Fold.

Sony's Xperia range offers exemplary performance and quirky features but is often overshadowed by other brands because of lacklustre marketing and strange design choices that make buyers question its premium pricing. The Xperia 1 V is another niche phone that won't be for everyone but distinguishes itself by including useful features that most flagships have dropped, like a 3.5mm audio port, SD Card reader, and an easy-to-open SIM tray. A dedicated shutter button controls the impressive triple-camera array and it includes the Photography Pro, Videography Pro, and Cinema Pro apps for a professional-like experience.

The 1 V has a 6.5-inch OLED (1644 x 3840) 4K display delivering stunning visuals, and its long, thin shape contributes to its manageable 165 x 71 x 8.3 mm dimensions and light 187g weight. You can be assured of its durability, with IP68 and IP65 ratings protecting it from dust, water jets, and water submersion. Sound quality is excellent for a smartphone from the stereo speakers, and it supports Hi-Res and LDAC sound for one of the best listening experiences. Performance matches most flagships with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor and 12GB of RAM with 256GB or 512GB of storage, as does the 5000mAh battery with wired and wireless charging.

At a few hundred dollars more than the Samsung S23 Ultra and Google Pixel 8, the 1 V is a bitter pill for regular users wanting a powerful all-around for everyday tasks. However, its list of handy niche utilities, like an SD card reader to back-up photos from the camera, 3.5mm audio with Hi-Res sound, and IP68/65 durability, make it worth it for buyers looking for something unique, and they'll revel in those features without caring about the cost.

Motorola's Edge 40 Neo proves that stylish phones don't need to be pricey, and it punches above its weight in other areas to offer impressive value to buyers. It distinguishes itself in a competitive segment with a premium-feeling design with IP68 durability in stunning Caneel Bay, Soothing Sea, or Black colorways developed with the Pantone color institute. The vegan leather backing gives it a soft and warm touch, and it feels great in the hand and adds to the easy-to-hold 159.6 x 72 x 7.9 mm design and 170g weight.

Display quality is excellent, and the curved 6.55-inch pOLED has a 144Hz refresh rate and HDR10 and Dolby Atmos compatibility to bring out the best in your movies and games. For an affordable phone, it takes vivid shots and has excellent low-light capability, with the 50MP main doing most of the heavy lifting in the three-camera setup. The Edge 40 Neo won't compete with most flagships when it comes to raw performance, but its Dimensity 7030, with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, offers respectable performance to handle lightweight tasks like browsing and social media.

The Edge 40 Neo's exciting color range and stylish design elevate it above a sea of generic lookalikes and combine with the curved glass screen to give it a premium feel for less. It might not match the speed and photography capabilities of its rivals listed here, but it's hard to complain because it delivers acceptable performance for around half the price.

The bottom line: Which Android phone is best?

The Google Pixel 8 Pro is the best Android phone because it has innovative AI technology for unbelievable photo editing and other amazing functions. Samsung's S23 Ultra is the best premium Android phone because it performs well across all areas and includes the S Pen for jotting notes or sketching images. The OnePlus 11 5G is the best way to get high-end performance for a great price because it undercuts similarly-specced competitors.

How did we choose the best Android phones?

We test laptops, tablets, and other devices all year to see what they offer and whether they're worth recommending, so you can make the right buying choice with your hard-earned cash. Our team spent days using the best Android phones for work and play in their busy lives and made this list of top picks for every user based on their performance, construction, and value.

The flagships on this list are among the fastest Android phones ever made, and even the budget model offers decent performance for the price and a fluid user experience.

Construction is another critical factor because phones aren't cheap and should be durable enough to handle our different lifestyles. Most of our picks have some IP rating against water and dust resistance, and should be able to withstand daily use if taken care of properly.

It almost seems futile to talk about value at this end of the market, because every option is a significant investment. These phones are all expensive but justify their price tags with incredible performance and unique features, allowing you to customise your user experience for AI art, gaming, photography, music or whatever you prefer.

What's the fastest Android phone?

The fastest Android phone we've tested is RedMagic's 8S Pro with an overclocked Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset.

Which Android phone is the best value for money?

The OnePlus 11 5G offers great value because it can rival most flagships' performance for less.