Best Android Phone
Updated 01/04/12
With so many different Android phones on the market now, picking the best of them can be a bit of a challenge.
I’m throwing this little guide together to help you determine the best Android phone and I’ll even separate it by carrier so if you would like to remain with your current cell phone provider, I’ll give you the best Android powered phone they’ve got.
In general, Verizon seems to have really positioned itself as the leader for high end Android powered smartphones with its “Droid” line. With the recent addition of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus to Verizon’s already formidable lineup, there’s no doubt that Verizon currently offers the best Android phones.
Also, all the phones on this list are popular, which means they’re more likely to get upgraded to the latest and greatest version of Android.
Best Android Phone For Verizon
Winner: Samsung Galaxy Nexus
Runner Up: Droid Razr
This was an incredibly difficult choice for us as each phone has certain little advantages over the other. We eventually decided that running stock Android, an unlocked bootloader, and the slightly bigger screen were enough to win us over and select the Samsung Galaxy Nexus over the Motorola Droid Razr. Keep in mind I’d still recommend both of them in a heartbeat over anything else on the market right now.
Here’s the comparison video I did if you want a detailed comparison of our two top Verizon Android phones.
In the past Google has released its flagship Nexus line of phones with T-Mobile, leaving a lot of us out in the cold. Google finally worked out a deal with Verizon (or Samsung did, not sure) to bring us Google Nexus goodness on a cell phone carrier that covers just about everyone in the U.S.
With it’s giant, high resolution screen (it rivals the iPhone 4S in pixel density despite being nearly twice as big in area), NFC chip, 4G connectivity, and super fast dual core processor, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus is our top Android phone. And one nice benefit is that you know you’ll be first in line for future Android operating system updates.
The Droid Razr was the runner-up in a tightly contested battle. It still sports a lightning fast dual core processor, 4G LTE connectivity, and super thin, sexy, industrial design. It also has Smart Actions, an app similar to Tasker, but much more user friendly.
Best Android Phone For Sprint
Winner: Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch
Runner Up: HTC EVO 3D
You want to know what I still love about Sprint. They’ve got this underdog mentality and as a result, don’t do as many evil things as their two bigger brothers (Verizon & AT&T).
If you want to get the most out of your Android phone, their truly unlimited data plans are hard to beat. And the Sprint TV lineup allows you to watch TV on your phone which is a feature that nobody else offers but I don’t hear many people talk about – it’s very cool.
The downside is their coverage map is a lot smaller, and their 4G coverage still leaves a lot to be desired despite having a head start over Verizon and AT&T.
They do have some excellent phones, however. We tabbed the Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch as our top pick, which despite being a mouthful to say, is a fantastic phone sporting a big bright 4.52″ screen and a zippy 1.2 GHz dual core processor.
And for those of you who like installing custom ROMs like CyanogenMod, Epic 4G Touch has an unlocked bootloader.
Best Android Phone For AT&T
Winner: Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket
Runner Up: HTC Vivid
One of the nice benefits of AT&T is that while their current 4G LTE coverage area is puny, their LTE phones still support HSPA+ which means you’ll get faster surfing than standard 3G in none LTE areas.
Simply stated, if you’re an AT&T customer in a 3G area and you sit next to a Verizon customer in a 3G coverage area, you’ll get faster speeds (most of the time) thanks to AT&T’s HSPA+ technology.
The Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket took our top spot for best Android phone for AT&T. It runs on AT&T’s screaming fast 4G LTE network and sports a beefy dual core 1.5 GHz processor and a full GB of RAM. It has specs worth drooling over. And just to show they didn’t forget the little things, it also has a 6-axis gyroscope and even has a Wireless N antenna. The only thing I could ask for is an NFC chip and an FM tuner.
While the HTC Vivid didn’t earn our top spot, it’s still an excellent choice and is one of the only phones that currently has an LED backlit screen and also runs on the 4G LTE network. With only 256MB of RAM and no gyroscope, we weren’t able to bill it as our top AT&T Android phone, but it’s still a nice choice and it comes in white for those of you who love white smartphones.
Best Android Phone For T-Mobile
Winner: HTC Amaze 4G
Runner Up: Samsung Galaxy S II
T-Mobile may have felt a little left out recently as all the Android phones getting all the attention were for companies like Verizon and AT&T.
Fear not, my T-Mobile loving friends. T-Mobile still loves you and their HTC Amaze 4G can easily go toe to toe with the best any other carrier has to offer. It has one of the fastest processors on the market with a 1.5 GHz dual core processor and a full gig of RAM. It also has a nice qHD screen with a 960×540 resolution, giving it a very respectable 256 ppi (pixels per inch density).
Best Android Phone For U.S. Cellular
Winner: Motorola Electrify
Runner Up: HTC Hero S
U.S. Cellular is a popular regional carrier and while they may not have the same lineup of high end phones, they still have Android powered phones that are quite respectable.
We tabbed the Motorola Electrify as our top choice. It has a 4.3″ screen and a dual core 1 GHz processor. Sure, it’s not as high end as phones like Galaxy Nexus or Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket, but U.S. Cellular tries to make up for not having quite top of the line equipment by having fantastic customer service and reasonably priced cell phone plans… plus your upgrade window is shorter with U.S. Cellular so you can get a new phone more often.
Related posts:
- Best Cell Phones Available For Each Carrier
- List of 4G Phones, Devices, and Smartphones Available
- 5 Good Reasons To Root Your Android Phone
- Samsung Epic 4G Review (Sprint 4G Phone)
- Droid 2 Vs Droid X – How To Decide Which Phone To Get
About Gary Ruplinger
The best android phone on the market right now is the htc droid incredible. it is equipped with an 8 mega pixel camera with LED flash,zoom, and a photo editor. on the htc website you can costomize your incredible to fit you idividual wants and needs. most people comment on the short battery life well there is a simple answer to this problem. 1) get the extended battery 2)charg it on a daily basis. its not the phone company’s fault that you use your smartphone so much but you are way to lazy to charge it. the htc incredible also known as the droid incredible has more features than any other android on the market and is a must have for any social or business oriented person. there are not many bad things about the incredible that cannot e easily fixed because of the wonderful android app market. it has thousands of applications that can even further cuzstomize your droid and make the user happy. not only is the htc droid incredible the best android phone on the market but is also on the best network on the market (Verizon Wireless) Every thing about this phone is truly “incrdible”.