There’s always a lot of excitement when Apple releases a new iPhone, but it’s easy to forget that more than 70% of phones used worldwide are Androids.
They cover a wider range of needs and often represent better real-world value. But choosing the best Android phone to buy is not easy. There are hundreds of handsets out there, and new models seem to appear on an almost weekly basis.
This is why we put together a list of the best Android-based phones you can buy in 2021, featuring top brands including Google, Samsung and OnePlus.
We won’t be focusing on too many more affordable phones in this list. If your budget is closer to £150 than £700, be sure to read our best budget smartphone round-up. If you have between £200 and £700 to spend, take a look at our best mid-range phones guide.
If you’re undecided between iOS and Android, we have a breakdown of the Apple iPhone 13 Pro vs Google Pixel 6 Pro and check out our best iPhone round-up.
Jump to:
- How to choose the best Android phone
- Best Android phones at a glance
- Best Android phones to buy in 2021
How to choose the best Android phone
A few years ago, we might have advised that you should be careful about the brand of Android smartphone you bought. Some makers used software skins that, frankly, weren’t that good. But today, companies like Oppo and Xiaomi make some of the best phones around, regardless of price. That old creakiness has gone.
How much should you spend on a new Android phone?
Our cheapest option here costs a little over £300, and that’s enough to get you flagship-grade performance, 5G and a slick design. You’ll need to spend a bit more to get a world-class camera setup, one that can take great zoomed images and super-detailed ultra-wide ones as well as what we might call ‘normal’ photos.
You don’t have to spend much to get an excellent screen, and there’s now very little correlation between the price of the handset and overall battery life. Spending more money is about getting a phone that takes better pictures, feels and looks more expensive, and is more likely to still feel slick and quick years after you buy it.
Best Android phones at a glance
- Best overall Android phone: Google Pixel 6 Pro | from £849
- Best for mobile photographers: Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | from £1,149
- Best photos at a mid-range price: Google Pixel 5 |£599
- Best for fans of smaller phones: Samsung Galaxy S21 | £759
- Best quality design at under £800: Xiaomi Mi 11 | £749
- Best for experimental photography: Oppo Find X3 Pro | £1,099
- Best all-rounder at a sensible price: OnePlus 9 | £629
- Best for sheer value: Xiaomi Poco F3 | £349
- Best for on-the-go gaming: Asus ROG Phone 5 | £799.99
Best Android phones to buy in 2021
Best overall Android: Google Pixel 6 Pro
Price: From £849.
!["Google]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2021/06/pixel-6-pro--bac5288.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"Google"){kind=tracking}
- Fantastic screen with high refresh rate
- Great camera and new AI modes
- Snappy and smooth experience
- More expensive than prior Pixel models
- No main wall charger in the box
- Phone was a little slippery to hold
Google decided to shake things up with the release of the Pixel 6 Pro this year. With a unique new camera design focused on the camera module, a stunning, high-resolution display and silky-smooth performance due to the new “Tensor” chipset, it emerged as one of the best alternatives to the Apple iPhone. As we detailed in our Google Pixel 6 Pro review, it’s more than just a visual overhaul.
The 6 Pro feels premium. While it’s large to hold – and has a bigger price tag than any other Pixel to date – we were impressed. Its camera remains one of the best on the market, and the adaptive refresh rate of up to 120Hz meant all app scrolling was buttery smooth. It’s our pick of the best Android you can buy so far in 2021.
Buy the Google Pixel 6 Pro:
The Pixel 6 Pro is priced from £849 and is available to buy via multiple UK retailers, including Google, Currys, Amazon, Vodafone (contract) and EE (contract).
Best for photographers: Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Price: £1,149
!["Samsung]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2021/05/Samsung-Galaxy-S21-Ultra-Black-back-022a524.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"Samsung-Galaxy-S21-Ultra-Black-back\"")
Pros
- Some of the most photography fun you can have with a phone
- Supports Samsung’s S-Pen
Cons
- High cost when bought outright
- Large size will put some off
If the best times you have with your phone are when you take it out to shoot photos, pick the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra. It excels not just at capturing ordinary pictures but performs incredibly well at the extremes. Its ultra-wide camera is great, and it has not one but two zoom cameras. The second has a mind-blowing 10x zoom lens.
Whenever you stand, there’s always an interesting image to shoot. This kind of tech does not come cheap, and if you’re willing to take a hit on the camera, you can step down happily to the (slightly) more affordable Galaxy S21 Plus.
However, the S21 Ultra is also the only one in this family of smartphones that has an eye-catching curved glass front and support for Samsung’s own S-Pen stylus. The pencil is great for digital doodling and artwork, which is surely one of the few things you can do on your phone that is almost certainly good for your mental health.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra review. Not sure which Samsung Galaxy S21 to get? Read our Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Plus vs Ultra guide.
Buy the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra:
- Buy Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra at Argos.
- Buy Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra at Amazon.
- Buy Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra at Currys.
- Buy Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra at Samsung.
- Available at Three | from £32 a month and £99 upfront.
- Available at Vodafone | from £48 a month and £29 upfront.
- Available at EE | from £59 a month and £70 upfront.
Latest deals
Best photos at a mid-range price: Pixel 4a 5G
Price: £499 (RRP)
!["Google]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2021/06/pixel5-1-c28051a.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"pixel5"){kind=tracking}
Pros
- Flagship camera performance for less money
- Offers the pure Android experience
Cons
- You can get more powerful phones for the money
- Phone has a plastic casing
While this list is mostly focused on higher-end flagship smartphones – the best of the best – we would be neglectful, not to mention the Google Pixel 4a 5G.
It remains on the 2021 line-up alongside the Pixel 6 series and represents fantastic value for money if you are looking for a top camera setup without having to pay out premium pricing. There’s a lot to like here over the (now discontinued Pixel 5), such as the 5G connectivity, minimalistic aesthetic and pure Android OS experience.
As we wrote in our Pixel 4a 5G review: “It takes excellent photos, is powerful enough for most people, isn’t too large or heavy and has a bigger screen than the Pixel 5 or Pixel 4a.” If you want an affordable alternative to the Pixel 6, look no further.
Read our Google Pixel 5 review and check out this Pixel 5 vs 4a 5G vs 4a guide.
Buy the Google Pixel 4a 5G:
- Buy the Google Pixel 4a 5G at Amazon.
- Buy the Google Pixel 4a 5G at Argos.
- Buy the Pixel 4a 5G at EE | £35 per month, £0 upfront (24 months).
- Buy the Pixel 4a 5G at Vodafone | £23 per month, £9 upfront (36 months).
Latest deals
Best for fans of smaller phones: Samsung Galaxy S21
Price: £769
!["Samsung]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2021/06/s21-2-e2fd7b5.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"Samsung")
Pros:
- Easy to handle
- Versatile triple rear camera
- Stylish design
Cons
- The back is plastic
- One-day battery life
Samsung fans who will appreciate a large screen should buy a Galaxy S21+ or the Galaxy S21 Ultra. But if you don’t play games or stream video a lot, you may prefer the cheaper Galaxy S21. We think it’s actually the best-looking one of the trio, even if it does have a plastic back rather than a snazzy glass one.
It’s a pocket-friendly phone with a good processor and three solid cameras, including a decent zoom. The S21’s screen is ultra-bright too, handy for use outdoors. Battery life is not the longest on this list, but this should only be an issue for real phone addicts. While the Ultra has a 6.8-inch display, the base model is 6.2-inches.
Buy the Samsung Galaxy S21:
- Buy the Samsung Galaxy S21 at Amazon.
- Buy the Samsung Galaxy S21 at Samsung.
- Vodafone | from £41 a month and £29 upfront (36 months).
- EE | from £39 a month and £100 upfront (24 months).
- O2 | from £39.87 per month, £30 upfront (36 months).
Samsung Galaxy S21 deals
Best quality at under £800: Xiaomi Mi 11
Price: £749
!["Xiaomi]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2021/06/mi11-1-29b536c.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"Xiaomi")
Pros:
- Top-tier processor
- Similar approach to design as a £1000-plus phone
Cons:
- Other Xiaomi last a bit longer off a single charge
We often consider Xiaomi to be the star manufacturer for getting you lots of internal hardware for little cash, but the Mi 11 is also unusually impressive on the outside. It has a curved Gorilla Glass back and front, with aluminium running down the sides.
This is the design of the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, but this Xiaomi costs at least £250 less. Almost everything on the inside impresses, too, from the Snapdragon 888 processor to the superb ultra-high-resolution 120Hz OLED screen and the detailed 108 megapixel (MP) primary camera. What’s missing? The Xiaomi Mi 11 does not have a dedicated zoom camera. And, like a lot of fancy and slim phones like this, the battery life isn’t quite as long as some of Xiaomi’s more affordable models.
We also compared the Xiaomi Mi 11 vs Samsung Galaxy S21 to help you decide.
Buy the Xiaomi Mi 11:
- Buy the Xiaomi Mi 11 at Amazon.
- Vodafone | from £33 a month and £29 upfront (36 months).
- Three | from £40 a month and £19 upfront (24 months).
Xiaomi Mi 11 deals
Best for experimental photos: Oppo Find X3 Pro
Price: £1,099
!["Oppo]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2021/06/oppo-find-x3-pro-e391c26.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"oppo-find-x3-pro\"")
Pros:
- Highly unusual microscope camera
- Striking design
- Powerful
Cons:
- The Galaxy S21 Ultra camera is still a bit more versatile
- High cost
This is Oppo’s top phone for 2021, the kind of Android you might buy instead of a Galaxy S21 Ultra or Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max. Is it worth the switch?
We prefer the Oppo’s Snapdragon processor to the Samsung’s Exynos one. And it has an incredibly odd “microscope” camera with a 60x zoom lens.
It lets you see the individual threads in fabric or the unexpectedly complex surface of leaves. The Find X3 Pro also has a better selfie camera than the Galaxy S21 Ultra, although its single 2x zoom camera isn’t in the same league. At its original launch price, we might choose the Samsung as a result. But if you find the Find X3 Pro on sale or want to try something a little more unusual, this is a world-class phone.
For more on the handset, read our full Oppo Find X3 Pro review.
Buy the Oppo Find X3 Pro:
- Buy the Oppo Find X3 Pro at Amazon.
- Buy the Oppo Find X3 Pro at Currys.
- Available at Vodafone | from £37 a month, £29 upfront (36 months).
- Available at Three | from £27 a month, £29 upfront (24 months).
- Available at EE | from £51 a month and £100 upfront (24 months).
Latest deals
Best all-rounder at a sensible price: OnePlus 9
Price: £629
!["OnePlus]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2021/06/OP9-e6cecea.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"OnePlus")
Pros:
- Good value
- Excellent performance
Cons:
- No telephoto lens
- Plastic sides
Here’s a breath of fresh air for you. The OnePlus 9 is a mid-priced phone that offers an experience very close to the £1000 crowd.
Its processor is brilliant, the design tasteful, the screen bold and bright. And charging is super-fast, too, getting you from flat to full in a little over a half-hour.
Even the main and wide cameras are good, although, for pure main camera image quality, we might pick the Google Pixel 6 series instead. If you go looking for holes, you’ll find there’s no telephoto lens for zooming in, and that the OnePlus 9’s sides are plastic rather than metal. However, it’s a sensible compromise if you don’t fancy spending more on the OnePlus 9 Pro, which costs £829. (Here’s our OnePlus 9 Pro review).
Not decided? Try our OnePlus 9 vs Samsung Galaxy S21 guide.
Buy the OnePlus 9:
OnePlus 9 deals
Best for sheer value Xiaomi Poco F3
Price: £349
!["Xiaomi]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2021/06/POco-F3-aaef6ae.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"Xiaomi")
Pros:
- Great value
- Strong gaming performance
- Top-quality screen
Cons
- Cameras can’t compete with the best here
If the OnePlus doesn’t sound like enough of a bargain to you, check out the Xiaomi Poco F3. This phone is something of a money-saving maverick.
It has 5G, a sharp OLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate for ultra-smooth scrolling, a glass back and is even super-thin at 7.8mm thick.
Sure, the rear design is a bit provocative on the blue version, but Xiaomi sensibly stays reserved for the black and white models.
The Snapdragon 870 processor is superb for gaming given the cost. Where’s the compromise? The camera, as is so often the case. Its 48MP main lens is solid, even at night. And the macro camera is fun to play around with. But the ultra-wide isn’t in the same league as some of the other phones here, and there’s no dedicated telephoto lens for zooming in.
Buy the Xiaomi Poco F3:
Latest deals
Best for gaming: Asus ROG Phone 5
Price: £799.99
!["Asus]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2021/06/ROG-49253db.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"Asus")
Pros:
- Fantastic speakers
- Smooth, immersive widescreen
- Premium design
Cons:
- Not best-in-class camera
- Big, bulky body too big for many
- No wireless charging
If you are into some of the more power-intensive mobile games, you should check out the Asus ROG Phone 5 – which is a premium handset great for entertainment.
The specs largely speak for themselves: 144Hz AMOLED display made by Samsung, a fast-charging 6000mAh battery, loud stereo front speakers, a 64MP main camera lens and of course, it’s fully compatible with a large number of gaming accessories.
As our tech expert noted in our Asus ROG Phone 5 review: “Its screen is huge, bright and punchy, its speakers are categorically best-in-class, making for loud… sound perfect for movies and music, and naturally, its suped-up internals make it a killer handheld gamer on the go. Whether you’re blasting through baddies or binging through an entire Netflix series in bed, no phone sucks you in quite like the ROG Phone 5.”
Buy the ASUS ROG Phone 5
Latest deals
Still can’t decide? Don’t miss our best smartphone, best iPhone and best camera phone guides to help you narrow it down. Looking for more smartphone offers? Want a smartphone deal? Don’t miss out on our Black Friday 2021 coverage.