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01
THE ABSOLUTE BEST
Google
Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL
PRICE$600
(Works on all four major networks) Google's Pixel 2 and larger Pixel 2 XL are our favorite smartphones, period. We gave them a 9/10 in our review and rated them higher than the venerable iPhone 8 in our list of best smartphones. The reasons are pretty simple. The Pixel 2 has an amazing camera that rivals the best of the best, is as speedy as you'd expect, and gets security and software updates directly from Google. Almost no other Android phone, not even a Galaxy, gets timely updates.
Google
02
RUNNER UP
Samsung
Galaxy S9
PRICE$620
(Works on all four major networks) If you want an Android phone with everything but the kitchen sink thrown in, Samsung's Galaxy S9 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is the way to go. It has the fastest Qualcomm Snapdragon processor (845) this year and everything else about it is mostly stellar. The software is familiar; the camera is outstanding; and the screen is gorgeous. Samsung also moved the fingerprint sensor, which was too close to the rear camera last year. If you've owned Galaxy phones in the past, this is a great upgrade. (Also available on Samsung.com.)
Samsung
03
THE BEST $500 PHONE
OnePlus
OnePlus 6
PRICE$529
(Works on AT&T, T-Mobile) The OnePlus 6 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is what phone nerds "in the know" buy. It has the same cutting edge processors and internals as the Galaxy S9, LG G7, or any of the other super high-end Android phones, but it costs hundreds of dollars less. The only thing I don't love is the 6's fragile glass back (thankfully, it comes with a plastic case) and lack of waterproofing (it's only splashproof). Other than that, this is an incredible phone for those of you on compatible carriers.
OnePlus
04
THE BEST STEAL
LG
G6
PRICE$380
(Works on AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon) You'll find few phones that can outperform the LG G6. It's excellent and as powerful as devices came in 2017, and there are still only a few 2018 models that outpower it, like the Galaxy S9 and OnePlus 6. At $380 (price varies), it's far cheaper than most 2017 flagship phones, and worth a serious look. It requires no sacrifices (it even has a headphone jack, MicroSD, IP68 waterproofing), but clocks in at half the price of some of the more expensive Android phones.
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LG
05
THE BEST SUB-$300 PHONE
Motorola
Moto X4
PRICE$250
(Works on all four major networks) I've sung the praises of the Moto X4 (8/10 WIRED Recommends) for a few months. It's not the best ever, but for between 300 and 400 bucks, it's a terrific bargain. The camera works pretty well and it's compatible with all four major wireless networks in the United States. You don't sacrifice a lot to own the X4, but you save hundreds of dollars. It's a great starter phone for teens, too.
Motorola
06
PURE ANDROID ON A BUDGET
Nokia
Nokia 6.1 (2018)
PRICE$257
(Works on AT&T, T-Mobile) There's something to be said for a sturdy, affordable phone that does the job. The Nokia 6.1 has a nice metal chassis, a quick enough processor that you won't get bogged down, and a usable camera. But it's one of our favorite cheap phones because of its secret power. Unlike every phone on this list (other than Google's own Pixel), it gets updates directly from Google. This means it will get Android Pie 6-24 months before competing handsets, along with every monthly security patch Google puts out.
Nokia
07
THE CHEAPEST GOOD PHONE
Motorola
Moto G6
PRICE$250
(Works on all four major networks) The Moto G6 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is not a perfect phone, but at $250, it doesn't have to be. It just has to work well enough and not annoy the hell out of you, and the G6 passes both tests with flying colors. The sluggish camera may frustrate you if you try to snap a pic of a fast-moving subject, but the pictures it can take under normal circumstances are surprisingly solid.
Motorola
08
THE BEST FOR AUDIOPHILES
LG
G7 ThinQ
PRICE$615
(Works on all four major networks) If you can overlook the silly "ThinQ" branding, and ignore the useless AI camera mode, LG's G7 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) what you're left with is an outstanding phone that matches the Galaxy S9 and OnePlus 6 in all the ways that matter. It's not a particularly sexy device, but LG does have some killer audio features, like a standard headphone jack, DTS:X for Bluetooth headphones, an onboard Hi-Fi Quad DAC, along with an impressively loud built-in speaker system.
LG
09
THE BEST BATTERY
Motorola
Moto Z3 Play
PRICE$450
(Works on all four major networks) The Moto Z3 Play (7/10, WIRED Review) doesn't have a beefed-out spec sheet, but it does come with a secret weapon for long days: a magnetic battery pack. The phone is compatible with Motorola's Moto Mods, a line of attachments that add new functionality, like an instant printer, Alexa speaker, or the Z3's in-the-box Mod, a battery pack that'll double your runtime to a full two days. Like other Motorola phones, the Z3 will run on all four major U.S. wireless networks.
Motorola
10
MOST LUXURIOUS
Samsung
Galaxy Note 9
PRICE$1000
(Works on all four major networks) As usual, the Galaxy Note 9 is a ginormous Android phone (8/10, WIRED Recommends). In a world of big phones, it's even bigger. If that's your thing, you'll like the S Pen's new Bluetooth functionality, which lets you use it to do things like open apps and snap pics. From Fortnite bouts to email replies this beefy, brawny can handle your most demanding tasks.
Samsung
11
KEYBOARD WARRIOR
TCL
BlackBerry Key2
PRICE$650
(Works on AT&T and T-Mobile) It's easy to look at a phone with a keyboard and laugh, but this BlackBerry is worth a second pass. The Key2 (which we gave a 7/10 in our review) gets better battery life than any Android phone we've tested this year, at nearly two days. It takes some time to get used to having a physical keyboard, but the screen is plenty big, and the keys are well-spaced, increasing typing accuracy. Don't knock it until you've tried it—in a year of edge-to-edge screens, this Blackberry does something different and succeeds.
Blackberry
12
LG
LG V30
PRICE$650
(Works on all four major networks) The LG V30 (and newer V30+) is a phone that has no real downsides. Unfortunately, like many LG devices, it just isn't flashy enough to turn heads. That shouldn't matter to you, because this is a great phone. The V30 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) runs a slower processor, but has perks that some competing phones don't, like a 1440p OLED screen, full IP68 waterproofing, and an actual 3.5mm headphone jack. If you see it on sale, don't hesitate—snatch one up.
