Best Android Phone of 2025​on April 15, 2025 at 10:30 am

The Galaxy S25‘s biggest flex is that it shares many of the same attributes as its pricier counterparts, the S25 Plus and S25 Ultra — but it does so for several hundred dollars less. You’ll find features like the AI Select tool, Audio Eraser and deeper Gemini integration across all of Samsung’s S25 devices, as well as a custom Snapdragon 8 Elite processor and 12GB RAM, making the smaller phone of the bunch still seem mighty. 

And while the Galaxy S25 might look incredibly similar to the S24 and share many of the same specs, consistency isn’t so bad when it means there’s a consistently good camera and great battery life.

There’s a lot to like about the Pixel 9, from its respectable camera to its classy new design and lengthy 7-year timeline for software updates. Google’s phones have always shined for their clean, slick software, and that once again applies to the Pixel 9 series. Pixels are also among the first to get new software updates, making them an ideal choice for those who want to get their hands on the latest version of Android first. Aside from Android updates, Google also brings new features to Pixel phones throughout the year through updates it calls Feature Drops.

The Pixel 9 comes with a few new AI tricks that you may find useful, like the ability to search for content in screenshots, generate images from scratch in the Pixel Studio app and add new objects in photos. These features aren’t must-haves, and they’re not without flaws. Plus, at a starting price of $799, the Pixel 9 has a higher bar to live up to. But the Pixel 9 feels like it belongs in that class of device.

When I consider the Motorola Razr Plus on its own terms, it is outstanding. Perhaps more importantly, it’s a delight to use. The 4-inch cover screen makes the Razr feel like two phones in one. You can use pretty much any app on the outer display as well as respond to messages, watch videos, make video calls and even play games, all without opening the Razr Plus up.

Add to that a long battery life, fast charging, improved cameras and an IPX8 rating that certifies that the Razr Plus will survive temporary dunking and you realize just how much value Motorola has poured into its flagship foldable. Its $1,000 price is steep, but you’re getting one of the best clamshell-style foldables you can buy.

The Pixel 8A is so good it makes the regular Pixel 8 almost feel irrelevant. It shares so much in common with its pricier sibling, from its selection of AI-powered features like Circle to Search to its cool aesthetic and powerful Tensor G3 processor, that it’s hard to see why anyone would buy the Pixel 8 instead.

The Pixel 8 does offer a marginally better camera system, a slightly larger screen and the ability to charge other phones and accessories wirelessly on the back of the device. Those features don’t feel significant enough to impact the buying decision for most people. As I wrote in my review, the Pixel 8A raises the bar for what a $500 phone should be. That also means I’ll be expecting more from the Pixel 9 this fall.

The Motorola Moto G Power 5G is the most versatile option in this roundup, offering wireless charging, a 120Hz high refresh rate screen, Google Pay for contactless payments and a fantastic vegan leather design. Combine that with a camera that takes decent photos in bright environments, and a processor that is capable of most daily tasks, and you have a phone that’s both fun to use without cramming itself with the extra bells and whistles we see in higher-priced phones.

Although this phone does suffer from having a shorter software and security support timeline (1 year of major Android OS, three years of security updates) than Samsung’s Galaxy A25 5G, it is a more useful device. It’s this appeal that makes the Moto G Power 5G our top recommendation for a phone that costs $300 or less.

Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Ultra has a lot of AI features, the best of which are interesting and the worst of which are unreliable. Luckily, Samsung gets a lot of other things right on the S25 Ultra, which has a new Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, a high-resolution ultrawide camera and some sweet pro video tools that rival the iPhone 16 Pro. Samsung wisely kept all the best parts of last year’s Galaxy S24 Ultra (basically the entire phone, including that antireflective display) but some of its worst parts too — like the $1,300 price tag.
If you want the best screen you can find on any phone, get the S25 Ultra. If you want the most versatile phone cameras, get the S25 Ultra. If you want a stylus, get the S25 Ultra. But if your needs scale back on any of those fronts, the more affordable S25 options, or even last year’s S24 Ultra, may be worth considering.

If the baseline Galaxy S25 appeals to you but you’d rather have a bigger screen and higher battery capacity — without upgrading all the way to the Ultra — the S25 Plus may be the phone for you. The entire S25 lineup shares many features, from AI capabilities to processing power to memory, so the Plus may be a viable choice if you’re looking for something right in the middle.

That said, the Plus’ minimal upgrades over the baseline S25 may not justify the $200 price difference. But if a bigger phone just feels better to hold and you’d rather have a 4,900-mAh battery (over the S25’s 4,000-mAh one), then that $1,000 starting price might ultimately be worth every penny.

The Pixel 9 Pro and 9 Pro XL have a lot going for them, from their shiny new designs and long software support period. It’s the AI skills that really stand out; from the deep integration of the conversational Gemini Live to the new Pixel Studio that creates weird and wonderful images from your text prompts.

The phones aren’t perfect. While the cameras are good and can take excellent photos in bright light, they’re just okay in low light and night mode. The best AI features will require a monthly subscription (although you get the first year for free). If you’re keen to experiment with AI on your phone then the new Pixel 9 Pro range is a superb way to experience it.

For better or worse, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 6 foldable is packed with AI. It can take a rough sketch and turn it into artwork or help me have a conversation in French or Korean despite me only knowing a few words of either language. The new autofocus/auto zoom feature lets you prop the phone in a half-open position, the Z Flip 6 will automatically zoom in or out (switching between the main and ultrawide cameras) to get a photo that best suits the moment.

Samsung’s latest clamshell-style foldable has a new 50-megapixel main camera, a smaller hinge and crease, a larger battery and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. All this comes at a higher starting price: $1,099 which makes it hard to appreciate the Galaxy Z Flip 6 for the absolutely great phone that it is.

With the Galaxy Z Fold 6, Samsung is getting closer to its goal of making a device that doubles as a phone and a tablet without compromising too much in either direction. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 has an improved design with a sleeker look that’s easier to grip, a less noticeable crease, a new processor and an upgraded ultrawide camera.

It’s really the Galaxy Z Fold 6’s big, bright and crisp internal screen that makes it the best choice for those who want a foldable phone for entertainment. Be prepared to spend a pretty penny: The Galaxy Z Fold 6 starts at an eye-watering $1,900, making it $100 more expensive than last year’s Z Fold 5 was at launch.