Android offers you the widest selection of options when shopping for a phone. There are countless configurations of cameras, designs, sizes and CPUs to choose from.
When it comes to flagship Android phones, they all have excellent screens, 5G, powerful processors and high-quality builds. The choice here, in part, boils down to how large you want your phone to be, and how much you’re fussed about having a powerful zoom camera. We’ll highlight more strengths in the round-up below.
Most versatile camera: Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Best mid-range camera: Google Pixel 6
High-end value pick: OnePlus 9 Pro
Flagship feel for less: Xiaomi Mi 11
Best performance: OPPO Find X3 Pro 5G
Foldable pick: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Most versatile camera
Buy now
With a more robust camera set-up than any other Android phone on the market, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is incredibly fun to shoot images with. It also has an excellent screen, a striking design and plenty of power. It’s a real powerhouse, although does not include a charger, so budget for that too.
Pros
Brilliantly versatile camera array
Big, sharp and bright display
Supports Samsung’s S-Pen (not included)
Cons
Slower charging than many
UK version’s battery life could be a little better
Google Pixel 6
Best mid-range camera
Buy now
Like other recent Google phones it’s the camera that is undoubtedly the Pixel 6’s stand-out feature, producing beautiful results regardless of the light conditions. There’s no zoom, mind, which is no surprise considering the price. Its design is great too, with a full aluminium and glass frame — no plastic — and a backing that you could recognise from 50m away.
Pros
Takes beautiful photos
Highly recognisable, stylish design
High-quality glass and metal build
Cons
Google Tensor CPU doesn’t offer class-leading gaming performance
No zoom camera
OnePlus 9 Pro
High-end value pick
Buy now
The OnePlus 9 Pro has a beautifully curved glass front, an ultra-high resolution 6.7-inch display panel and a good in-screen fingerprint scanner. You also get a 3.3x zoom camera, as well as a strong primary camera and an unusually good ultra-wide. While not quite the gold-tier bargain older OnePlus phones were, the OnePlus 9 Pro remains a mighty impressive buy.
Pros
Good value
Has Hasselblad optimisation in the camera software
Fast charging
Cons
Camera array is not class-leading
Xiaomi Mi 11
Flagship feel for less
Buy now
The front of the Mi 11 boasts curved glass and the back is glass too — or “eco” leather if you choose that variant. And the sides are aluminium, not plastic. It also has one of the best screens at the price with the 1440p resolution easily besting the Pixel 6’s 1080p. Its secondary cameras aren’t class-leading but you get the sense that Xiaomi wanted to make all parts of this Android feel good, rather than focusing on single element.
Pros
Lovely curved glass design
Fast charging
Strong display
Cons
Secondary cameras could be better
No water resistance rating
Oppo Find X3 Pro
Best performance
Buy now
Packing the powerful Snapdragon 888 chipset, 12GB RAM and a whopping 256GB of storage by default, the Oppo Find X3 Pro is nothing short of a powerhouse. Its unique camera bump and steep asking price prevent it from being a smash hit with everyone, but if you want a phone that can handle multitasking and gaming without breaking a sweat, then it’s a great one to go for.
Pros
Tons of storage
Powerful internals
5G-ready
Cons
Very expensive
Questionable camera design
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3
Foldable pick
Buy now
Foldable technology isn’t brand new anymore, but its taken until the Galaxy Z Flip 3 for the technology to really come into its own. This perfectably portable handset can easily fit into a purse or pocket when folded, but it still comes with the same great Samsung experience that you can expect from the company’s best phones.
Best
Foldable design
Unique front-display
Compact
Cons
Foldable tech still has a way to go
