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.

Samsung Galaxy Nexus 4G Android Phone (Verizon Wireless) Average Rating: 107 total customer reviews...

Motorola DROID RAZR 4G Android Phone, Black 32GB (Verizon Wireless) Average Rating: 156 total customer reviews...

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.

Samsung Galaxy S II Epic Touch 4G Android Phone (Sprint) Average Rating: 97 total customer reviews...

HTC EVO 3D 4G Android Phone (Sprint) Average Rating: 77 total customer reviews...

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.

Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket 4G Android Phone (AT&T) Average Rating: 62 total customer reviews...

HTC Vivid 4G Android Phone, White (AT&T) Average Rating: 3 total customer reviews...

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).

HTC Amaze 4G Android Phone, White (T-Mobile) Average Rating: 3 total customer reviews...

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.

For those who travel internationally or don’t live in the United States but would still like a Droid 2, Motorola has good news for you – there’s a phone for that – the Motorola Droid Pro.

Essentially, the Droid Pro is the same phone as the Droid 2 and will be the same size and still feature a slide out keyboard.  The only real difference will be the addition of GSM antennas in addition to the CDMA antennas currently in the phone so you can travel internationally and still use your phone.

The release date is still unknown but look for it to appear in Verizon stores in late 2010.

But today Verizon officially announced the only thing we didn’t actually know – the release date (all the specs are here).   You can start preordering tomorrow (August 11th) and you should be able to find one in Verizon stores starting August 12th.

Other than that, the only piece of news was that in September, they’ll be releasing an R2D2 version of the Droid 2 which will come with Star Wars content and a color scheme designed to look like the iconic Droid from the Star Wars films.

Motorola Droid 2

Motorola Droid 2 - R2D2 Edition

R2D2 Themed Dock For The Motorola Droid 2

So in this post, I’ll give you several good reasons to root your phone, one reason not to, and rooting tutorials for popular Android phones (the tutorials are at the bottom).

1. Better Performance – Let’s face it, having true multi-tasking is great but sometimes the phone gets pretty bogged down.  Rooted users often find much improved memory management and performance.
2. The Latest Updates – Even if your phone is on the fast track for the latest OS updates (Nexus One, Motorola Droid), it can still be months from the release of the newest Android OS and the time it gets pushed to your phone.  If you root your phone, you can often get the latest updates in less than a week and get all the enhancements that come with it.
3. 3. Overclocking – In addition to getting better performance, you can also get apps that will allow you to overclock the processor on your phone which will help speed up your phone.  And the cool part is that popular overclocking apps will actually underclock your processor when it’s not being used in order to conserve the batter and then overclock it when it needs the performance boost so the result is a faster phone when you need it and a battery that lasts longer – best of both worlds.
4. Wi-Fi Tethering – While this option is available on most current Android powered phones (running Android Froyo 2.2), it costs quite a bit extra a month to use – not only that, but original Motorola Droid users can’t do wi-fi tethering at all without rooting.    The cool thin about wi-fi tethering is that if you’re in an area with no open Wi-Fi and don’t happen to have your USB cable with you, you can still use the internet connection on your phone to power your laptop (or anything else that needs an internet connection).
5. 5. More Apps – Using a rooted phone doesn’t mean you have to forgo using the Android Market for apps – you can still use all of them.   But there are some apps that are built only for rooted users and you’ll be able to download and use them.   

Rooting Your Android Phone

A good reason NOT to root your phone? It voids your phone’s warranty and there is always a small chance you could “brick” the phone (i.e. the phone won’t work at all).  I know many people who have rooted their phones without any problems whatsoever, but just keep the dangers in mind.

Here are the specific instructions for many of the most popular Android Phones – if you have a phone I don’t have listed here yet, just post in the comments and I’ll get the rooting instructions posted for you.

How To Root The HTC Inspire 4G

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCcd1XQrTzE

How To Root The Motorola Atrix 4G [tutorial]

http://www.dkszone.net/root-motorola-atrix-4g-one-click-how-to-root

How To Root The HTC EVO Shift 4G [tutorial]

http://www.androidcentral.com/permanent-root-htc-evo-shift-4g-now-available

How To Root the HTC Thunderbolt 4G

http://www.droidforums.net/forum/thunderbolt-hacks/124557-rooting-htc-thunderbolt.html

How To Root The Motorola Xoom (wait until after your LTE upgrade or Motorola won’t give you the free upgrade)

http://www.androidphonegeek.com/2011/02/how-to-root-motorola-xoom

How To Root the Droid X [tutorial]

http://gizmodo.com/5598894/droid-x-gets-one+click-rooting-app

How To Root The Droid 2 [tutorial]

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=764950

How To Root The Samsung Epic 4G [tutorial]

http://www.gadgetsdna.com/how-to-root-samsung-epic-4g-android-phone/5730/

How To Root The HTC EVO 4G [tutorial]

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=690762

How To Root The Motorola Droid (the original one) [tutorial]

http://theunlockr.com/2010/06/04/how-to-root-the-motorola-droid-android-2-1/

How To Root The Droid Incredible [tutorial]

http://www.droid-life.com/2010/06/14/how-to-root-and-unroot-the-droid-incredible/

How To Root The Nexus One [tutorial]

http://androidandme.com/2010/01/hacks/video-how-to-unlock-and-root-a-nexus-one/

How To Root The Samsung Vibrant & Captivate [tutorial]

http://theandroidsite.com/2010/07/18/how-to-root-your-samsung-vibrant-or-captivate/

How To Root The Droid Eris [tutorial]

http://www.solidblogger.com/root-droid-eris-android-1-5-2-1-download-droid-eris-root-image-file/

In a lot of ways this phone is just a slight upgrade over the first Droid.

It features a dual LED flash 5MP camera.

It has a faster 1 GHz processor (TI OMAP).

It has 16GB of memory (same as before) and can be upgraded to 40GB.

It also has 512 MB of RAM which is a welcome addition as the original could get bogged down rather easily if you like to run a lot of apps at once.

The keyboard no longer has the thumbpad and now features slightly raised keys which makes typing via the keyboard easier and faster – a big improvement over the old keyboard though I’ve found as have many others that the physical keyboard isn’t nearly as necessary as you might think – I rarely use mine now and I’m one of those people who initially refused to buy a smarthphone without a physical keyboard.

This phone is expected to ship with Android 2.2 Froyo which brings a whole lot of awesomeness to the table.

The screen size remains the same at 3.7″.

Is it worth the upgrade if you already have a Motorola Droid – I don’t so.  It’s an incremental step forward, but not a giant leap.  If you’re going to upgrade, get a Droid X unless the size of the phone makes it difficult for you to hold in your hand.  If you don’t have a smartphone yet, then by all means get it as you’ll probably love this phone.

Motorola Droid 2 - Photo Courtesy DroidLife

In this post I’ll compare two soon to be released Motorola phones (both Verizon Wireless exclusives), The Droid X and Droid 2.

Droid X Vs Droid 2

Processors

I was a little disappointed to see that the Droid 2 only has a 750mhz processor (TI OMAP) since the defacto standard has become at least 1GHZ for top of the line smartphones.  The Droid X features the expected 1GHZ processor (TI OMAP).

Keyboard

This is one of the biggest differences between the two phones.  The Droid X uses only it’s touchscreen and virtual keyboards while the Droid 2 features an improved slide out hardware keyboard.   Whether you need the keyboard or not really is mostly a matter of preference.  Personally, I like having a keyboard on my phone, but rarely use it.

OS

While it is expected that the Droid X will ship with Android 2.1 initially, it’s expected that it will be upgraded to 2.2 Froyo in August of 2010.  The Droid 2 is expected to ship with Android 2.2 installed, but keep in mind that it’s being released a month later (mid August).

Camera

The Droid X has an 8MP camera while the Droid X has a mere 5MP camera.  Both have dual LED flash cameras.

Memory

The Droid X ships with 24GB of memory (upgradeable to 40GB) while the Droid 2 ships with 16 GB of memory (upgradeable to 40GB).

For those who want to compare these two phones to other popular smartphones like the Apple iPhone 4 and HTC EVO 4G, here are the highlights:

How do they stack up to the iPhone 4?

The Droid X is a veritable giant compared to the iPhone 4, sporting a 4.3” screen vs the 3.5” screen the iPhone 4 has.

Both the Droid X and iPhone 4 have 1GHZ processors (the Droid X features a TI OMAP 1GHZ while the iPhone 4 features an Apple A4 1GHZ processor.

The Droid 2 is a little slower checking in with a TI OMAP 750mhz processor.

Neither the Droid X or Droid 2 have a front facing camera for video chat.

The Droid X has HDMI outputs and a bigger (some would say better) 8MP camera with dual LED flash while the iPhone 4 has no such outputs and a mere 5MP camera with single LED flash though image quality in the real world is very similar.

The Droid 2 has that elusive slide out hardware keyboard for those who don’t like to be forced to use touchscreens all the time.

Neither phone has a gyroscope while the iPhone 4 does.

How do they stack up to the HTC EVO 4G?

The Droid X has the same 4.3” screen as the EVO 4G, but lacks the 4G antenna and front facing camera for video chat – other than that it’s nearly the same as the other differences are minor – the EVO 4G is a Sprint phone, the Droid X is a Verizon phone.

The Droid 2 is quite a bit smaller than the EVO 4G, and lacks the HDMI output, has a slower processor but as I’ve mentioned, has a dedicated hardware keyboard.

Conclusion

While it’s tough to say which phone is really better since they’re both so new, for my money I’d buy the Droid X unless you really want a dedicated keyboard or the Droid X is too big for you to comfortably hold in your hand.

While some would like to crown one phone as the king, it’s really tough to do when you consider that phones will be judged based not only on the quality of the phone, but also on the phone carrier who provides service.

So in this short post, I’ll cover what I think are the best phones for the four major carriers in the U.S.   Keep in mind this list will probably be totally out of date in 6 months so keep in mind the post date when you’re reading this article.

Best Phone on Verizon Wireless

While the Motorola Droid was the gold standard on Verizon Wireless, the next round of Droid phones has blown it out of the water.  The Droid X, in my opinion is the best Verizon phone and the Droid 2 is a good second choice and your best choice if you still want a dedicated hardware keyboard (honestly, you probably won’t use it much as the on screen keyboad is really cool especially since you can run Swype).  Android 2.2 will be coming to both soon (should ship standard on the Droid 2) which will make your phone faster and add a few cool new features.

AT&T

No surprise here – the winner by a long shot on AT&T is the iPhone 4.   It’s better in just about every way over it’s predecessor and if you can tolerate AT&T as your cell phone carrier, you’ll want to make the iPhone 4 your phone – don’t bother with the 3GS – it’s obsolete.   No Android phone on AT&T is worth your money at this point.

Best Phone On Sprint

In years past, picking Sprint as your carrier meant cheaper service than you’d get with AT&T or Verizon Wireless but their phone selection was inferior to that of their competition.  That’s no longer the case.   The HTC EVO 4G is one of the best smartphones on the market right now and boasts and absolutely enormous screen, and HD video camera, and screaming fast 1GHZ Snapdragon processor, you no longer have to get an inferior phone to get service with Sprint (and their $69.99 unlimited everything plan is a great deal though the EVO 4G does require an additional $10/month to be added to your plan).

Best Phone on T-Mobile

Even though the new Garminfone is kinda cool especially for GPS-centric people like me, the Google Nexus One still slaps its ass and calls it Sally.  It’s the phone Google built to feature it’s Android OS and it’s fast, and always the first phone to get the latest Android OS updates .

Conclusion

So there you have it – one website’s opinion on the best smartphones available for each carrier.  As usual, expect this list to change frequently as new phones are being released all the time.

Think I omitted a worthy contender to the throne?  Want to put in your two cents?  Post in the comments below and let me hear it.