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The best Android phones of 2026: Expert tested and reviewed
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If you're on the market for an Android phone, you've got options. Over the years, ZDNET's team of mobile experts has put the best Android phones from brands like Google, Samsung, and Motorola through rigorous testing. We evaluate each handset's unique capabilities, day-to-day endurance, camera quality, and more. With Google just releasing its Pixel 11 series of devices, we now have a clear picture of what the biggest and best brands have to offer in 2026.
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Our pick for the best Android phone overall is the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra which starts at $1,050. It features the company's latest display innovation, the Privacy Display, a quad-camera setup that's highly functional, a built-in S Pen stylus for precision inputs, and AI capabilities that play well with Samsung's Bixby model and Google's Gemini. As a runner-up, we're honoring the Google Pixel 10a, a $425 Android phone with a durable design, support for up to seven years of OS and security updates, and a reliable camera system.
For our August update, we added the Pixel 11 Pro series, Galaxy Z Fold 8, and Motorola Razr Ultra (2026). The update also reflects the Made by Google and Samsung Unpacked events that happened over the summer.
Why we like it: Samsung's flagship phone continues to top the list for our benchmark tests. The latest model, the Galaxy S26 Ultra, delivers in almost every way, from general performance to display technology to camera quality, with flaws that you really have to look closely to uncover.
The standout feature of the Galaxy S26 Ultra is its Privacy Display, which dims half the screen's pixels, so it appears tinted when viewed at an off angle. This complex display tech can be customized to hide important information, such as 2FA message alerts and passwords. Its one caveat? A screen that's a little less sharp and vibrant than its predecessor, but the security benefits easily outweigh the drawbacks here.
Samsung has also equipped the Galaxy S26 Ultra with an updated Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, capable of running high-end games like Genshin Impact and heavy AI tasks without much stuttering. The improved efficiency is paired nicely with 60W wired charging, the first and fastest we've tested on any Samsung phone to date.