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Best Android Phones to Buy in 2023

From Samsung’s new Galaxy S23 devices to the Pixel 7, here are our top picks.

This story is part of Gift Guide, our year-round collection of the best gift ideas.

Android’s biggest advantage over iOS and the iPhone is its sprawling selection of devices to choose from. From the supersize Galaxy S23 Ultra to the more modest and affordable Pixel 6A, Android phones are available in a variety of sizes and prices. But having that many options to choose from can also make for a difficult buying decision. If you aren’t sure where to start, you’re in the right place: We’ve tested and researched all the best Android phones you can buy in 2023.

A great phone should have high-quality cameras, long battery life, compelling software features and 5G support. We considered these factors when putting together our list of the best Android phones in 2023, which you can check out below. CNET’s team updates this list periodically as we review new products. 

James Martin/CNET

Like:

  • Fast performance
  • Excellent main camera
  • Bright screen
  • Included stylus
  • Double the storage in the base model
  • Four generations of Android OS updates

Don’t like:

  • High price
  • Photos don’t always look natural
  • No improvements to fast charging

The Galaxy S23 is a lot, but in a good way. It’s more than most people need in a phone, but that doesn’t make it any less impressive. Samsung made improvements to the camera’s resolution (200 megapixels compared with 108 megapixels), color tones and dynamic range, while retaining the same edgy design and massive 6.8-inch screen as its predecessor. There’s also a new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor that’s been optimized specifically for Samsung’s phones, which brings faster performance compared with the Galaxy S22 Ultra. 

It may be an understatement to call this phone expensive: It starts at $1,200. But people willing to pay more for a giant screen and a high-quality, versatile camera won’t be disappointed. Read our full review of the Galaxy S23 Ultra.

Google

Like:

• Refreshed design looks great
• Superb cameras
• Clean and enjoyable interface

Don’t like:

• Battery life could be better

Google’s latest flagship phone, the Pixel 7 Pro, isn’t a huge overhaul from the already excellent Pixel 6 Pro Google launched last year. But it’s taken that winning formula and made some key tweaks to almost every element, resulting in a superb phone that’s bliss to use. The refreshed camera can take stunning images too, earning its spot among the best flagship phones around. It typically sells for $899, but Google currently has it on sale for $150 off. 

Read our Google Pixel 7 Pro review.

 

Patrick Holland/CNET

Like:

• Sleek design
• Great value 
• Main camera is Google’s best

Don’t like:

• Battery life is good but not great
• Not as much Android version support as Samsung

At around $600, the Google Pixel 7 offers a great way to put some of Google’s best tech in your pocket without emptying your bank balance in the process. It undercuts the fully-specced 7 Pro model by some way, but still packs the same Tensor G2 processor, a glorious screen and a great main camera. 

Like the 7 Pro, it’s had a refreshed design which looks classy and stylish, while its Android 13 software is clutter-free and easy to use. The battery life could be better, but with careful use you’ll get through a day on a charge. It lacks the telephoto zoom and a couple of the other bells and whistles of the 7 Pro, but if you’re after a solid everyday phone at a decent price, then the base Pixel 7 is a great option.

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James Martin/CNET

Like:

  • Longer battery life
  • Attractive design
  • Four generations of Android OS updates
  • Fast performance

Don’t like:

  • Cameras are basically the same as last year
  • Expensive
  • No improvements to fast charging
  • No upgrade to base storage

Android fans looking for a petite phone don’t have much to choose from. But the 6.1-inch Galaxy S23 provides a compelling option for those who want a phone that feels compact but still provides enough screen space. The Galaxy S23 comes with routine upgrades like a fresh processor (a version of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 that’s been optimized for Samsung’s phones), a slightly new design and a higher-resolution selfie camera. But it’s the Galaxy S23’s larger battery that makes it worth recommending. Read our full review of the Galaxy S23.

Lisa Eadicicco/CNET

Like:
• Nice screen
• Speedy performance
• IP67 water-resistant
• Affordable price

Don’t like:
• No wireless charging

The next-gen Pixel 6a is available now, and if you want 5G on the cheap the smartphone is a solid choice. This Pixel phone has a high-end chipset, great rear cameras, a good display, and average battery life. It is one of the cheapest good 5G smartphones you can buy right now.

Read our Google Pixel 6A review.

 

Like:

  • Incredible performance for gaming
  • Slick, refreshed design
  • Hyper-fast charging
  • Five years of security support

Don’t like:

  • Cameras are good but not great
  • Better waterproofing on rivals

The $700 OnePlus 11 is a powerful phone that’s well equipped to handle gaming, video streaming and other common tasks. In typical OnePlus fashion, this phone is also cheaper than the $800 Galaxy S23 and $900 Pixel 7 Pro. The cameras aren’t the best, but they’re fine for casual photographers who just want to capture their next vacation or a night out. What sets the OnePlus 11 apart from many of its rivals is its blazing 100-watt fast charging, which can replenish the battery in just 25 minutes. (The US version only supports 80-watt charging, but that’s still an improvement over the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s 45-watt charging). Overall, the OnePlus 11 is ideal for people who want a powerful phone that charges quickly and won’t break the bank. Read our full review of the OnePlus 11.

Sarah Tew/CNET

Like:
• 120Hz cover screen
• Water resistance
• Enhanced tablet experience
• Software improvements for multitasking and Flex Mode

Don’t like:
• $1,800 is still expensive

Foldable phones haven’t really hit the mainstream, remaining instead only in the reach of those willing to spend top dollar on the latest in mobile innovation. Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 4 is the best folding phone around, offering top-notch performance, a great camera setup and a variety of tweaks to its folding technology that make this Android smartphone more desirable than its predecessor.

Samsung

Like:

  • Better battery life than before
  • Still the best flip phone to get into foldables
  • Water resistance

Don’t like:

  • Same cameras as the Galaxy Z Flip 3

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 is an iterative update but it packs a punch for the $1,000 price tag. With a better battery life thanks to a more power efficient processor and a bigger battery, the Flip is finally worth investing in as a flagship device.

Patrick Holland/CNET

Like:

  • Professional level video monitor features
  • Robust utilitarian build
  • Live broadcast streaming over 5G
  • As a phone, it’s essentially the Sony Xperia 1 II

Don’t like:

  • Price is high, limiting its narrow appeal
  • 2020 specs and Android 10
  • Wished it recorded video via HDMI input

At a whopping $1,800 list price, the Sony Xperia Pro isn’t for everyone. But if you’re a photographer or videographer looking for professional-level camera phone features, you can’t go wrong. The Xperia Pro is essentially four products in one: a phone, a camera monitor, a speedy photo file transfer device and a 5G machine suitable for broadcasting and livestreaming.

Read our Sony Xperia Pro review.

 

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Andrew Lanxon/CNET

Like:

• Flashing design
• Solid performance
• Affordable price

Don’t like:

• Cameras are only OK
• Not yet available in the US

The Nothing Phone 1’s affordable price, solid performance and good-enough camera setup already make it a solid option to consider if you’re looking for an Android phone on a budget. But this phone takes the pizzazz up a notch with its suite of flashing LED lights on the rear, which certainly make it stand out against its competitors. 

It’s a great phone, which we enjoyed reviewing, but there is a downside: As of right now, there aren’t any plans to launch the phone in the United States. The phone was previously available as part of a beta program in the US, but orders have closed. UK shoppers can pick it up right now, but those of you in the states will simply have to keep your fingers crossed. Luckily, the company’s next phone, the Nothing Phone 2, will be coming to the US later this year. 

$420 at Amazon

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How we test phones

Every phone that appears on this list has been thoroughly tested by CNET’s expert reviews team. That means actually using the phone, testing the features, playing games on it, and taking photos with it. No marketing promises are taken at face value, and if we find something we don’t like, be it battery life or build quality, we’ll tell you all about it. 

Testing a phone means testing every element of the device. Is the display bright, sharp, vibrant? Does the design feel good to hold? Is it heavy? Does it feel well made? Is it water resistant? We test the processor performance using standardized benchmark tools like GeekBench and 3DMark, along with our own anecdotal observations while navigating the interface or playing demanding games. 

All the cameras (both front and back) are tested in a variety of conditions, from bright sunlight through to dark scenes (for any available night modes), and we compare our findings against similarly priced models. We conduct battery tests, running them down from full to see how long they’re likely to keep going out there in the real world.

We take into account additional features like 5G, fingerprint or face scanners, styluses, fast charging, flexible displays, or other extras that can be useful. And we of course balance all this against the price, to give you the verdict on whether that phone, whatever price it is, actually represents good value. 

More phone and Android recommendations

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for June 8, #728

Here are some hints and the answers for Connections for June 8, #728.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.


Today’s NYT Connections puzzle could be tricky. The purple category is one of those «sounds like» groups, that can be really tough to figure out. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group, to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Keep at it.

Green group hint: Think Wall Street animals.

Blue group hint: Online encyclopedia subheads.

Purple group hint: $$$.

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: Persist.

Green group: Animal metaphors in economics.

Blue group: Sidebar info on a person’s Wikipedia page.

Purple group: Homophones of slang for money.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is persist. The four answers are hold, last, stand and stay.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is animal metaphors in economics. The four answers are bear, bull, dove and hawk.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is sidebar info on a person’s Wikipedia page. The four answers are born, education, occupation and spouse.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is homophones of slang for money. The four answers are bred, cache, doe and lute.

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Technologies

Today’s Wordle Hints, Answer and Help for June 8, #1450

Here are hints and the answer for today’s Wordle No. 1,450 for June 8.

Looking for the most recent Wordle answer? Click here for today’s Wordle hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.


Today’s Wordle puzzle isn’t too tough, especially if your first guesses are heavy on vowels. If you need a new starter word, check out our list of which letters show up the most in English words. If you need hints and the answer, read on.

Today’s Wordle hints

Before we show you today’s Wordle answer, we’ll give you some hints. If you don’t want a spoiler, look away now.

Wordle hint No. 1: Repeats

Today’s Wordle answer has one repeated letter.

Wordle hint No. 2: Vowels

There are two vowels in today’s Wordle answer, but one is the repeated letter, so you’ll see it twice.

Wordle hint No. 3: First letter

Today’s Wordle answer begins with L.

Wordle hint No. 4: Ending

Today’s Wordle answer ends with a vowel.

Wordle hint No. 5: Meaning

Today’s Wordle answer refers to a contract where someone is given the right to use something for a specific time and payment.

TODAY’S WORDLE ANSWER

Today’s Wordle answer is LEASE.

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s Wordle answer, June 7, No. 1449 was REUSE.

Recent Wordle answers

June 3, No. 1445: ADMIN

June 4, No. 1446: CEASE

June 5, No. 1447: DATUM

June 6, No. 1448: EDIFY

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Technologies

Resident Evil Requiem Revealed, but Where’s Leon Kennedy?

The Resident Evil 9 trailer showed off a new character, but not the much-rumored return of Leon.

After a fake-out earlier in Summer Game Fest on Friday, Resident Evil Requiem, or Resident Evil 9, was shown for the first time. 

The new title is the first mainline entry since Capcom released Resident Evil Village in 2021, and is rumored to feature series stalwart Leon Kennedy. In the trailer, the only person we saw was a character named Grace Ashcroft, who works for the FBI and appears to have ties to Raccoon City.

For the most hardcore Resident Evil fans, the name Ashcroft will ring a bell. Alyssa Ashcroft was one of the survivors of the online-only title, Resident Evil Outbreak for the PS2. Alyssa was a journalist who was trapped in Raccoon City during the events of Resident Evil 2, and she, along with other survivors, had to escape the city before it was destroyed.

Grace is Alyssa’s daughter, and in the trailer, she is going to visit the Remwood Hotel, where Alyssa was murdered. Later in the trailer, images from what appears to be the remnants of a destroyed Raccoon City are shown — including the police department from RE2 — so it appears Resident Evil 9 will return to where the series started. 

Leon’s (rumored) return is a big deal for the series, which has made some of its best games with him in the starring role. He first showed up as a rookie cop in Resident Evil 2, which built on the original game’s success with more story and improved monsters and level design.

He showed up again in Resident Evil 4, which took the series in a new direction by introducing an over-the-shoulder perspective, instead of the usual static camera angles and tank controls. Leon was also one of several playable protagonists in Resident Evil 6, a game that seemed to forget about its survival horror roots. We mostly don’t talk about that one.

But the 2019 remake of Resident Evil 2 was an excellent return to form, bringing RE4’s gameplay and much better graphics to a fan-favorite entry. The RE4 remake was a similar success.

Resident Evil Requiem is set to drop Feb. 27, 2026, for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series consoles, but we’re hoping to get our hands on it this weekend. If you want to catch up on older Resident Evil games, Capcom is having a sale that includes basically all the games, including Village and the three remakes.

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