The OnePlus 9 Pro is one of the fastest phones you can buy today, and a new 120Hz AMOLED display joins the top-notch hardware. If you're alright with losing out on those features, the Galaxy S21 Ultra experience is well well worth the price of admission.
Samsung got rid of expandable storage and MST for Samsung Pay, two hallmark features of Galaxy phones before it. There's no denying the impressiveness of the S21 Ultra, but that's not to say it's without its faults. The two telephoto cameras - featuring 3x and 10x zoom distances - allow for some of the very best zoom pictures we've ever seen. The 8MP ultra-wide lens is a strong performer. The primary camera is a 108MP sensor that captures extremely detailed and colorful shots. Keeping with the theme of high-end specs, other niceties include a 5,000 mAh battery, up to 512GB of storage, an IP68 water/dust resistance rating, and a larger in-screen fingerprint sensor that's much faster and easier to use than earlier devices.Īs if that wasn't enough, the tour de force of the Galaxy S21 Ultra is its camera system. In real-world use, that means the Galaxy S21 Ultra is one of the fastest phones money can buy. Powering the S21 Ultra is the Snapdragon 888 chipset, paired with either 12 or 16GB of RAM. Combine all of that with the fact that the Pixel 6 Pro costs less than the Galaxy S21 Ultra, and you have a standout winner.
The Pixel 6 Pro has a distinct edge in terms of updates: it comes with Android 12 out of the box and will get three Android platform updates and five years of security updates. The phone comes with 12GB of RAM as standard, and you can pick it up in 128GB or 256GB storage configurations. Google messed up with memory and storage in the past, but it isn't making those mistakes with the Pixel 6 Pro. It features two Cortex X1 cores along with A76 and energy-efficient A55 cores, basically ensuring that it can handle anything you throw at it with ease. You'll discover a gorgeous design at the back with a wide camera bar, the screen is a 6.71-inch AMOLED with 120Hz refresh rate, and you also get a large 5000mAh battery with 30W wired and 23W wireless charging.Ī true differentiator is the internal hardware the Pixel 6 Pro is the first phone to feature Google's custom Tensor platform, and it is on par with the latest from Qualcomm and Samsung. That means that the Pixel 6 Pro has the best cameras you'll find on any phone today, but it isn't just a phone with great cameras the rest of the hardware is also refined. If you want a great Android phone that can do everything you ask of it while spending as little as possible, the Google Pixel 5a is the phone to get. It has lesser specs across the board and a cheaper design, leading to a vastly lower price. We should also mention that the Google Pixel 5a is in a completely different smartphone category than the true flagships. It has Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 888 chipset, and it comes with a Quad HD+ display that can run at 120Hz and a camera system that's practically guaranteed to make your jaw drop. The S21 Ultra is one of the most powerful Android phones currently available, and that's evident with virtually every facet of the S21 Ultra. If you have a few more dollars to spend and want something even more impressive, our next pick is the Pixel 6 Pro or the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra. The phone is also the first to run Android 12 out of the box, and it will get three years of Android version updates and five years of security updates.
That being said, it has a unique design that allows it to stand out, the latest hardware, and cameras that are better than just about any phone today.īut what makes the Pixel 6 truly stand out is that it costs significantly less than rivals like the Galaxy S21 and OnePlus 9 Pro. The phone is available in limited countries around the world, and it isn't the most premium you can buy today - that honor would probably go to the Galaxy S21 Ultra or Galaxy Z Fold 3.
There are many contenders for the best Android phones, but we think the Pixel 6 is the best option for most people.