13 Best Android Phones (2023): Unlocked, Cheap, Foldable
We test many Android phones. We like the ones below, but you’d better choose one of the options above. If you haven’t already, check out our guide to the best low-cost phones to find out more.
Samsung Galaxy S22 series for $700+: Yes, last year’s flagship line of Samsung phones is quite good to buy (9/10, WIRED recommends). It consists of S22, C22+And S22 Ultra. They are very similar to the Galaxy S23 series above, although battery life isn’t as good (still pretty good). They will continue to receive software updates for a very long time. Just try to buy them during sales when I expect prices to drop even lower when a successor hits the market.
OnePlus 10 Pro for $550.: OnePlus’ 2022 flagship phone is good but not perfect (7/10, WIRED recommends), although at this price it’s a smart buy. It’s sleek and has powerful hardware, including a 120Hz AMOLED screen that delivers bright and fast performance, as well as some of the fastest wired and wireless charging you’ll find in the US. (Yes, unlike the new OnePlus 11, the predecessor has support for wireless charging.) It will receive two more OS updates and three years of security updates. You should be aware that there is no mmWave 5G here, only sub-6, which is odd for a flagship. Also, the T-Mobile model has an IP67 waterproof rating, while the unlocked version doesn’t – it should be fine when submerged, but it would be nice to have some extra peace of mind.
Motorola Edge 2022 for $500: A Motorola smartphone with contactless, 5G, wireless charging, plus the promise of three OS updates and four years of security updates? Say it’s not! Motorola Edge (7/10, reviewed by WIRED) finally matches its counterparts in several ways, and even surpasses them in some respects. It has a bright 144Hz OLED screen, is lightweight, and has a 5,000mAh battery that lasts almost two days. It’s also the first Moto to have its packaging completely redesigned. Flaws? The cameras are dim and the water resistance is IP52. Its MSRP is $600, but try to buy it for $500.
Motorola Moto G Stylus 2022 for $180: This phone technically sells for $300, but you can almost always find one for less than $200. The Moto G Stylus 2022 (6/10, reviewed by WIRED) can easily go two full days on a single charge, and the performance is sufficient to handle the usual range of applications. You get a headphone jack, microSD card slot, and a 90Hz LCD screen, which is a great addition for the price. There is also a stylus if you need it. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have 5G support and no NFC for contactless payments (aka Google Pay). It will be updated to Android 12 (not the current Android 13), although Motorola will offer two more years of security updates.
OnePlus 10T for $600: Always in a hurry? You might like that this phone charges from 0 to 100 percent in a shocking 20 minutes. The OnePlus 10T (5/10, WIRED review) is fast, lasts a day on battery, and has a pretty good software update policy. However, the camera is just fine, there’s no wireless charging, and the IP54 waterproof rating isn’t good enough for the price.
Google Pixel 6 for $399.: Now you can buy the 2021 Pixel 6 series (9/10, WIRED recommends) at a steep price. discount. Stocks start to run low, so once they run out, you’re out of luck. For $399, you get just about everything you need from a flagship phone, plus some of the best cameras at this price point.
OnePlus Nord N20 5G for $230: Nord N20 5G (7/10, recommends WIRED) has a lot of features despite the low price. The first caveat I should mention is that 5G doesn’t work on AT&T and this phone isn’t compatible with Verizon at all. It will also only get one Android OS update (though it will get three years of security patches). If that doesn’t matter to you, you get an AMOLED screen, great performance, NFC, a microSD card, a headphone jack, and all-day battery life. Quite good.