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The best Android phones for 2024 use AI to make your life easier

By Jason R. Rich

Edited By Leslie Gornstein, Fox Van Allen

Updated on: July 30, 2024 / 4:47 PM EDT / Essentials

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The best Android smartphones for 2024: Tap the power of AI in the palm of your hand — Samsung

If you're shopping for a new smartphone, it can be hard to choose. Should you opt for a touchscreen-centric Android phone, or one of the newer models with a folding display? You might be tempted by a familiar brand like Samsung over a lesser-known option like OnePlus. And much like buying a tablet or a TV, there are also configuration options and hardware specs that you'll want to consider.

Whatever your budget or need, our in-house smartphone experts have rounded up the year's best smartphones. After doing all the research and hands-on testing, we've curated this roundup of the best Android phones currently available. What these phones have in common is that they now have Google AI (or Galaxy AI) integrated into them, so you get a wide range of artificial intelligence-based tools and resources at your fingertips.

Pro Tip: If you're thinking about transitioning from an Apple iPhone to one of the latest Android phones, we've put together useful information that makes the process easier and far less confusing.

What is the best Android smartphone for 2024?

Not all Android smartphones are created equal. Some models are the cream of the crop, but others can still work for you, depending on your budget.

Best Android smartphone overall: Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Best compact Android smartphone: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6
Best folding Android smartphone: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6
Best Google smartphone: Google Pixel 8 Pro
Best budget Google smartphone: Google Pixel 8a
Best mid-range Android smartphone: OnePlus 12
Best budget folding phone: Motorola Razr 2024

Best Android smartphone overall: Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

If you're a fan of Android, and you need a higher-end phone with plenty of processing power, you can't go wrong with Samsung's top-of-the-line Galaxy S24 Ultra. This phone features a stunning 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2x touchscreen display and is one of the few to include a stylus that allows users to handwrite or draw directly on the screen.

We're huge fans of the phone's main, rear-facing camera, which offers a whopping 200MP resolution. This allows you to capture breathtaking still images or video, while taking advantage of the up to 2x and 10x optical zoom, or up to 100x digital zoom that's offered by this phone's rear-camera setup.

When it comes to viewing your video, as well as movies, photos, or any type of graphics, the display offers an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120Hz, along with a peak brightness of 2,600 nits. Thanks to the phone's titanium housing and IP68 rating, the S24 Ultra is durable and water-resistant. As you'd expect, for wireless connectivity, it supports 5G, Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. You also get a choice of seven colors.

This latest edition of the phone is loaded with new features and functions. The Circle-to-Search feature lets you draw a circle around anything onscreen. Within seconds, you'll learn all about it. This feature uses advanced AI and works in conjunction with Google. Also, for the first time, the phone offers real-time language translation during calls and texts. The Note Assist feature generates a text summary of a recording or document. You can now record a meeting, lecture or conversation and have the phone compose an easy-to-review transcript and bulleted list of key points.

$1,399 and up at Amazon

$1,300 and up at Samsung

Best compact Android smartphone: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6

Front display: 3.4" | Main display: 6.7" | Display type: Dynamic AMOLED 2x (main), Super AMOLED (front) | Display resolution: 2,640 x 1,080 pixels (main), 720 x 748 pixels (front) | Display brightness: Up to 2,600 nits (main), 1,600 nits (front) | Refresh Rate: Up to 120Hz (main), 60Hz (front) | Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy (octa-core) | CPU speed: Up to 3.39 GHz | Storage options: 256GB or 512GB (with 12GB of RAM) | Housing material: Enhanced Armor Aluminum, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 | Dimensions (open): 6.5 x 2.83 x 0.27 inches | Dimensions (folded): 3.35 x 2.83 x 0.59 inches | Weight: 6.6 ounces | Front camera: 10MP | Rear camera system: 50MP (wide), 12MP (ultra-wide) | Rear camera zoom: 2x optical, 10x digital | Operating system: Android | Port: USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C | Waterproof rating: IP48 | Battery capacity: 4,000 mAh

Enhanced durability, improved displays, a better camera system and integrated Galaxy AI are some of the key upgrades offered by the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6. Compared with previous models, it's thinner, lighter and offers a 4,000mAh capacity battery so you can expect all-day battery life.

The new Galaxy AI offers live translations between languages and lets you chat with the AI to compose text and handle a wide range of other tasks. The phone can summarize large text-based documents or record a conversation, class, meeting or phone call and have the AI transcribe and summarize the conversation almost instantly. And since AI is evolving so quickly, Samsung has pledged to support the phone with new OS and security updates for seven years.

The main, rear-facing, wide camera built into the phone now offers 50MP resolution and uses the AI-powered ProVisual Engine to automatically enhance your photos and videos. This is complemented by a 12MP ultra-wide camera. And when it comes to editing your photos and video, Photo Assist, Magic Editor and Magic Eraser are easier than ever to use.

The phone runs using the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Mobile Platform for Galaxy processor, which has a processing speed of up to 3.4GHz, so it's the fastest folding Samsung phone yet. The AMOLED cover display measures 3.4 inches, has a maximum brightness of 1,600 nits, a 60Hz refresh rate and offers 720 by 748-pixel resolution. When unfolded, the main Dynamic AMOLED 2x display provides 6.7 inches of on-screen real estate, with a 2,640 by 1,080-pixel resolution, a maximum brightness of 2,600 nits and a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate.

The phone weighs a mere 6.6 ounces. It measures just 3.35 by 2.83 by 0.59 inches when folded, so it easily fits in a pocket. You can take it just about anywhere, too -- the device is IP48-rated for dust and water resistance. The phone is available in six casing colors.

Be sure to check out our in-depth review of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 to learn more about this bestselling Android smartphone.

$995 and up at Amazon

$1,000 (Excluding instant trade-in credit) at Samsung

$1,100 (Excluding trade-in credit and other offers) at AT&T

Best folding Android smartphone: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6

Front display: 6.3" | Main display: 7.6" | Display type: Dynamic AMOLED 2x Infinity Flex (main), Dynamic AMOLED 2x Infinity-O (front) | Display resolution: 2,160 x 1,856 pixels (main), 986 x 2,376 pixels (front) | Display brightness: Up to 2,600 nits (main and front) | Refresh Rate: Up to 120Hz (main and front) | Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy | CPU speed: Up to 3.39 GHz | Storage options: 256GB, 512GB or 1TB | RAM: 12GB | Housing material: Enhanced Armor Aluminum, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 | Dimensions (open): 6.04 x 5.22 x 0.22 inches | Dimensions (folded): 6.04 x 2.68 x 0.48 inches | Weight: 8.43 ounces | Front camera: 10MP (main), 4MP (under display) | Rear camera system: 50MP (wide), 12MP (ultra-wide), 10MP (telephoto) | Rear camera zoom: 3x optical, 30x digital | Operating system: Android | Port: USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C | Waterproof rating: IP48 | Battery capacity: 4,400 mAh (up to 77 hours) | S Pen stylus: Sold separately ($55)

For a power user who wants a larger display and more capabilities than a typical smartphone, but doesn't want to carry around a more cumbersome tablet, the Galaxy Z Fold6 is the ideal hybrid. And this latest model is thinner and lighter than ever.

When the phone is unfolded, you get access to a 7.6-inch touchscreen display that's fully compatible with the included S Pen stylus. This means you can handwrite, draw or annotate on the screen. It's the addition of Google AI, however, that's the biggest improvement over last year's Galaxy Z Fold5.

The phone weighs 8.43 ounces and is a mere 0.22 inches thick when unfolded. The Galaxy Fold6 comes in your choice of five casing colors and has a battery life that'll last up to 77 hours. And since it's powered using the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy processor, you can expect 18% faster CPU performance, 19% faster GPU performance and enhanced on-device AI performance compared to the Galaxy Z Fold5. Choose between 256GB, 512GB or 1TB of internal storage.

To learn more about this folding smartphone designed for power users, check out our in-depth review.

$1,800 and up (Before trade-in credit and other offers) at Samsung

$1,900 and up at Amazon

$1,900 and up (Before trade-in credit and other offers) at AT&T

Best Google smartphone: Google Pixel 8 Pro

Google has done an excellent job taking its Android operating system and creating a smartphone that makes use of its features in ways other phones can't match -- especially when it comes to photos, videos and customizing the phone. This phone also now takes full advantage of Google Gemini Nano (aka Google AI).

Google has also taken a bunch of steps to protect user privacy and enhance online security. The Google One VPN is integrated into the OS for added online security when using Wi-Fi hotspots. Plus, you get features like malware blocking and phishing protection.

The battery life of the Pixel 8 Pro is up to 24 hours, or 72 hours in "extreme battery saver" mode. It has wireless charging capabilities. While new versions of the Pixel smartphones debut yearly, Google has committed to supporting the Pixel 8 Pro with OS, feature and security updates for seven years. So, if you're looking for a feature-packed, user-friendly and nicely designed Android-based smartphone, we recommend the Google Pixel 8 Pro. We think it's one of the best smartphone options out there. It's also very affordable, compared to competing phones with similar capabilities.

$750 and up at Amazon

Best budget Google smartphone: Google Pixel 8a

The Google Pixel 8a is a scaled-down version of the Pixel 8 Pro. It's affordably priced, starting at just $449. While not as advanced as its more expensive counterpart, the Pixel 8a also runs using the Tensor G3 processor and the same version of Android 14. Both phones also come with the same collection of preinstalled apps.

Battery life is up to 24 hours. The phone can be recharged using a wired or wireless option. One of the things we love about this phone is its sleek design with rounded edges and the visually stunning touchscreen OLED display. It offers 1,080 x 2,400 resolution with a 120Hz refresh rate and a maximum brightness of 2,000 nits.

Within the Pixel 8a, Google has integrated some of the cutting-edge artificial intelligence capabilities featured in the Pixel 8 Pro. This allows the phone to perform incredibly complex tasks, yet remain very easy to use. The photo and video editing capabilities tap the power of AI to make your content look fantastic. The Magic Editor allows objects in a photo to be moved around with a few on-screen taps -- a feature not even the highest-end Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max offers. And then there's the Magic Eraser that allows you to remove unwanted objects altogether from your photos with a few on-screen taps.

The Pixel 8a is ideal for handling the average person's everyday needs. It's also a great option for someone switching from an iPhone to an Android phone, or for a parent looking to provide a child with a first smartphone.

Pro Tip: For a more in-depth look at the differences between the Google Pixel 8 Pro and Google Pixel 8a smartphones, our tech experts have compiled a detailed head-to-head comparison that's easy to understand.

$449 and up at Amazon

Best mid-range Android smartphone: OnePlus 12

The OnePlus 12 impresses with its Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Mobile processor, which provides souped-up performance, even at the phone's somewhat lower price.

The 6.82-inch Super Fluid AMOLED display, with a 3,168 x 1,440 pixel (QHD+) resolution, ensures a stunning visual experience. Its versatile camera system features a 50MP main, 64MP telephoto and 48MP ultra-wide lens, all perfect for capturing detailed images whether you're at the beach or in low-light situations.

The 5,400 mAh battery supports 80W fast charging. It comes with up to 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage, all housed in an elegantly designed body. For more information about this feature-packed phone, be sure to read our in-depth review. And yes, it too now includes advanced Google AI functionality.

$699 and up at Amazon

Best budget folding phone: Motorola Razr 2024

Front display: 3.6" | Main display: 6.9" | Display type: FHD+ pOLED (main), pOLED (front) | Display resolution: 2,640 x 1,080 pixels (main), 1,056 x 1,066 pixels (front) | Display brightness: Up to 3,000 nits (main), 1,700 nits (front) | Refresh Rate: Up to 120Hz (main), 90Hz (front) | Processor: 4nm MediaTek Dimensity 7300X | Storage options: 256GB (with 8GB of RAM) | Housing material: High strength aluminum frame, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus | Dimensions (open): 2.91 x 6.74 x 0.29 inches | Dimensions (folded): 2.91 x 3.47 x 0.61 inches | Weight: 6.63 ounces | Front camera: 32MP (main), 8MP (ultra-wide) | Rear camera system: 50MP (wide), 13MP (ultra-wide/macro) | Operating system: Android 14 | Port: USB 2.0 Type-C | Waterproof rating: IPX8 | Battery capacity: 4,200 mAh

This compact folding phone looks a lot like the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6, but it's several hundred dollars cheaper. It also integrates Google Gemini AI, so the operating system and many of the preinstalled apps allow you to create and engage with content in entirely new ways.

When it's folded, the phone easily slips into a pocket. The outside 3.6-inch display gives you full access to many apps and phone features, so you can get things done without unfolding it.

When unfolded, a 6.9-inch pOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate is revealed. It offers plenty of on-screen real estate to run your favorite apps, play games, surf the web, and so much more.

For sound, the phone has dual stereo speakers that support Dolby Atmos with spatial audio, so everything sounds great, even without headphones or earbuds. The latest Razr is also equipped with a three-microphone array. Choose between orange, beach sand or koala grey for your phone's casing color. It comes unlocked, so it'll work with any carrier. For wireless connectivity, the Razr supports Bluetooth 5.4 and Wi-Fi 6E. While the phone comes with a USB Type-C cable, it does not include a charger.

$700 at Amazon

$700 at Motorola

Should you buy an Apple iPhone or Android phone?

Most buyers simply prefer to stick to the operating system they're already familiar with and have bought apps for. If you're looking to make the switch from an iPhone to an Android phone, we've got you covered with some excellent advice for making the transition.

Android offers more room to make the device your own through customization. You can tweak everything from the home screen and icons to deeper system settings. The interface is open and allows for more personal touches. The Apple iPhone keeps things simpler and more consistent out of the box, which works well for those wanting an easy user experience right away.

Cost is another factor to consider. A wide range of Android phone prices means there's an option for every budget. The Apple iPhone leans more high-end, which isn't feasible for some. You can save hundreds of dollars by picking Android over Apple, and still get a phone that's just as powerful.

Overall both iOS and Android have strong followings. And both types of phones get the job done in the end. Our recommendation is to stick with what you're already familiar with and with what's compatible with the other gear you're already using.

Which Android phone has the best camera?

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is undoubtedly the Android smartphone with the best camera setup right now. Its 200-megapixel main (rear-facing) camera is absolutely fantastic when it comes to shooting high-resolution and extremely detailed content with accurate colors and impressive contrast.

Though there's a clear winner here, most top-tier Android phones have great cameras and easy-to-use software that can help transform the photos you take, even if you end up with low lighting, blurry shots, or photos with subjects you'd like to remove entirely. One of our other top picks when it comes to smartphone photography and videography is the Google Pixel 8 Pro.

Keep in mind that almost all of the latest Android phones have either Google AI or Galaxy AI integrated into the operating system and many of the apps that come preinstalled on the phone, including the Camera, Photos and Gallery apps. This means you now have new and more powerful photo and video editing tools at your disposal, like the Magic Eraser (which can remove unwanted objects from a photo in seconds) and Magic Editor (which allows you to move objects in your photo around, plus improve lighting, resize your subject, and transform a cloudy day in your photo onto a sunny one). And that's just a taste of what's possible.

How long will an Android phone last?

An Android phone's longevity tends to land somewhere in the two- to three-year range, that is if you want to have the latest and greatest hardware at your disposal. That said, Google and Samsung, for example, have vowed to make operating system and security updates available to their latest smartphones available for seven years.

For more help choosing a new smartphone, we've got you covered with our comprehensive coverage of the seven best cell phones of 2024, the five best smartphones with AI, the best folding smartphones in 2024, and the five best smartphones under $500. In fact, all of our smartphone coverage is continuously being updated as new models and operating system updates are released.

Jason R. Rich

Jason R. Rich (www.JasonRich.com) is an internationally recognized consumer technology expert with more than 30 years' writing experience. He's also an accomplished author and photographer. One of his most recently published books, The Remote Worker's Handbook: How to Effectively Work From Anywhere ($24.99, Entrepreneur Books) is now available from Amazon and wherever books are sold.

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