Best Android Phones in the UK

Review & Comparison, Last Update February 1, 2024
Selecting an Android-based phone today can be downright vexing, as the variety of options and manufacturers makes your head spin. We've narrowed down the selection to the 5 most popular Android phones in different price categories and assessed them, helping you decide which model is the best Android phone for you. ...Read more ...Read less
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BEST 2024
PROS
CONS
OUR VERDICT
Processor
Memory / Storage
Display
OS Version
SIM Cards
Camera
Battery
Interfaces
Warranty
 
PROS

The "Frameless" AMOLED display has a high brightness and natural color reproduction, so the image will be as realistic as possible. Add to this the Quad HD + resolution at 2960x1440, and you will get the highest detailed visuals.

CONS

The 3000 mAh battery lasts for a short time.

OUR VERDICT

This model was created for active business people for whom the phone acts as a personal assistant: the unique intelligent Bixby system can recognize words, text and gestures, and also makes it much easier to search and surf the Internet.

detailed parameters
Processor

Snapdragon 835 Octa-core (2.3GHz Quad + 1.7GHz Quad)

Memory / Storage

4 GB / 64 GB

Display

Super AMOLED 5.8" (2960x1440)

OS Version

Android 7.0 (Nougat)

Updateable to Android 8.0 (Oreo)

SIM Cards

Single SIM (nano)

Camera

Rear: Dual Pixel 12 MP + 12 MP

Front: 8 MP

Battery

3000 mah

Interfaces

USB Type-C, 3.5-mm mini-jack

Warranty

2 years

PROS

The device supports a unique fast charging feature with additional Turbopowerâ„¢ technology: for example, a 15 minute charging process will extend the battery life of the phone for another 8 hours. By the way, the Turbopower charger is also included in the kit.

CONS

The quality and volume of the sound leave much to be desired.

OUR VERDICT

The Moto G6 has gained high popularity among fans of Android smartphones, as it combines high performance and an affordable price: 4 GB of RAM and the powerful SnapDragon 450 processor will allow you to run any apps and games without slowdowns.

detailed parameters
Processor

Snapdragon 450 Octa-core (1.8GHz)

Memory / Storage

4 GB / 64 GB

Display

LED 5.7" (2160x1080)

OS Version

Android 8.0 (Oreo)

SIM Cards

Dual SIM (nano)

Camera

Rear: Dual Pixel 12 MP + 5 MP

Front: 8 MP

Battery

3000 mah

Interfaces

USB Type-C, 3.5-mm mini-jack

Warranty

1 year

PROS

The main and front cameras have dual optics and both have a resolution of 13 MP + 2 MP - this allows you to make high-quality standard and selfie shots, as well as to achieve excellent video call quality when communicating on Skype.

CONS

Glass back is fragile: requires careful handling.

OUR VERDICT

When creating this smartphone, great attention was paid not only to the technical characteristics, but also to the appearance: the slim nano-etched design and bright glossy color of the case favourably distinguish this model from most other devices made in grey and black tones.

detailed parameters
Processor

Kirin 659 Octa-core (2.36GHz Quad + 1.7GHz Quad)

Memory / Storage

3 GB / 32 GB

Display

LED 5.65" (2160x1080)

OS Version

Android 8.0 (Oreo)

SIM Cards

Dual SIM (nano)

Second slot for SIM or microSD card

Camera

Rear: Dual Pixel 13 MP + 2 MP

Front: Dual Pixel 13 MP + 2 MP

Battery

3000 mah

Interfaces

USB Type-C, 3.5-mm mini-jack

Warranty

2 years

PROS

There are many options to unlock the phone, including a password, face recognition or a fingerprint scanner - now you don't have to worry that someone will get access to your personal information and correspondence.

CONS

The screen resolution is a bit low relative to the screen size.

OUR VERDICT

If you are an active user of social networks and are looking for a smartphone for easy navigation and viewing of multimedia, this model with a 5.99" screen will definitely please you. In addition, it has a compact size and therefore fits well in your hand. Particularly useful for Split-screen use.

detailed parameters
Processor

Snapdragon 430 Octa-core (1.4GHz)

Memory / Storage

2 GB / 16 GB

Display

LED 5.99" (1440x720)

OS Version

Android 8.0 (Oreo)

SIM Cards

Single SIM (nano)

Camera

Rear: 13 MP

Front: 8 MP

Battery

3000 mah

Interfaces

micro USB, 3.5-mm mini-jack

Warranty

2 years

PROS

Android 8.1 is installed here - an optimised operating system that is designed for devices with a small amount of RAM (less than 2 GB). It has a set of pre-installed applications from Google, differing in smaller size, but retaining full functionality.

CONS

Many users complain about the quality of the camera.

OUR VERDICT

The Nokia 1 is a budget smartphone and is designed for users who, 90% of the time, use the device to make calls, send text messages and infrequently run some undemanding applications.

detailed parameters
Processor

MediaTek MT6737M Quad-core (1.1GHz)

Memory / Storage

1 GB / 8 GB

Display

LED 4.5" (854x480)

OS Version

Android 8.1 (Oreo)

SIM Cards

Single SIM (nano)

Camera

Rear: 5 MP

Front: 2 MP

Battery

2150 mah

Interfaces

micro USB, 3.5-mm mini-jack

Warranty

1 year

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Samsung Galaxy S8

Flagship Phone

Samsung has made quite a name for themselves in the smartphone arena for some time now, often launching the biggest and fastest Android phones on the market. Their S series in particular is known for always being on the cutting edge of technology, providing many new features that are often not found on any other smartphones, with some of them eventually becoming staples of many smartphones that come after. Samsung definitely leads the way when it comes to Android phones.

The Samsung Galaxy S8 64GB Unlocked Phone - International Version is certainly no exception, being one of the fastest Android phones on the market. Featuring a 5.8-inch QuadHD + sAMOLED display, this phone has a futuristic look and feel to it that is unlike most other smartphones on the market, thanks in large part to its rounded-corner Infinity Display with symmetrical metal sides. This phone is truly a joy to hold and to use, with the rounded corners of the display providing a pleasant-to-touch experience, especially when you are touching near the edge of the display. The Midnight Black colour of the phone helps add to its futuristic look and feel, with the edge of the screen and start of the bezel being virtually unnoticeable when the screen is off.

Review of Samsung Galaxy S8 Unlocked Mobile Phone

Cutting Edge Technology

The internal characteristics of the phone are just as futuristic as its look and feel. The phone features 4 GB of RAM with 64 GB of internal storage space, giving you plenty of memory to multitask apps. The large amount of storage space gives you plenty of room for multitudes of photos and videos, and an internal SD card slot lets you add additional storage space (up to 256 GB) if necessary. The heart of the phone is the octa-core Snapdragon 835 processor, giving you an extreme amount of processing power, ensuring that your phone doesn't slow down even when using processor and memory-intensive apps.

Plenty of other features are to be found on this high-tech smartphone, including the dual pixel 12MP camera with F1.7 lens, giving you high-quality photos with the rear camera. The front camera is 8MP, and gives you high-quality selfies along with facial recognition support, giving you a choice of using several different security options for keeping your personal data secure. The phone is powered by a 3000 mAh battery that has fast charging capabilities, letting you charge it up a large amount in just a short time. With these and many other features included, many consider this Samsung model to be the best Android phone on the market.

Samsung Galaxy S8 Unlocked Mobile Phone in the use

Additional Info

User Manual     Manufacturer

Last updated price £228.00
Stock May be out of stock
ASIN B06XYMCMHD

 

Motorola Moto G6

New Generation

Motorola was once king of the mobile phone market, long before smartphones became a thing. In fact, Motorola was one of the companies that first created mobile phone technology, and for a long time were the premier name in mobile phones. Although the days of Motorola ruling the mobile phone market have long past, they have recently come roaring back with an excellent line of smartphones that have taken the world by storm.

The Motorola Moto G6 64GB Smartphone is the latest model in their excellent smartphone line, showing that they still have the capability to deliver excellent products that match or exceed the quality of their competitors. Featuring a 5.7-inch display with their Max Vision Edge to Edge Display technology, this smartphone has all of the power of any other top-end smartphone, but remains quite affordable, with a price tag that is lower than many of its competing products. The enormous display features a resolution of 2160 x 1080, giving you a higher than HD resolution with clear, sharp images. The 18:9 aspect ratio gives you a true widescreen display that gives you extra screen space in comparison to most other smartphones, showing more data on the screen at once.

Review of Motorola Moto G6 64GB Smartphone

Sleek Design

The design of this Motorola smartphone is sleek, featuring a black case with an extremely thin bezel on the sides of the screen. Despite the lack of a large bezel, though, it fits perfectly in the palm of your hand, without any worries of accidental presses on the screen by the hand that is holding the phone. The internals of this phone are just as impressive as its externals, as it features a blazing fast Snapdragon 450 Octa-core 1.8 GHz octa-core processor with 4GB of RAM, ensuring that the stock Android OS 8.0 included on the phone runs blazingly fast, without any slowdown or other performance issues. The 64 GB of internal storage also ensures that you have an abundance of storage for holding tons of photos, videos, and apps, and it supports an SD card for storage expansion if necessary.

Plenty of other features are included in this phone, including a very high-quality dual lens rear camera, featuring 12MP + 5MP lenses, along with an 8MP LED flash front-facing camera. The phone also includes many of the latest tech, including an accelerometer, GPS, and NFC, and even features the Turbo Power quick charging through the USB Type-C connector. For anyone looking for a top-end smartphone at a very affordable price, this model simply can't be beat.

Motorola Moto G6 64GB Smartphone in the use

Additional Info

    Manufacturer

Last updated price £94.00
Stock In stock
ASIN B079SQF4BD

 

Honor 9 Lite

Expand Your Horizons

One of the biggest trends with smartphones has been their tendency to get bigger and bigger, featuring larger screens that give the phone more usefulness. However, this tendency to get larger has made many phones harder to hold comfortably in one's hands, with many people finding it difficult to comfortably hold and use the phone. This is largely because many phones feature a bezel around the large screen, which increases the phone's size substantially. Many people with smaller hands are left with having to look for a phone with a smaller screen because of this.

The Honor 9 Lite Dual SIM 32 GB Smartphone helps alleviate this very common issue by using an extremely thin bezel, thanks to its 5.65-inch FullView FHD+ screen. The thin bezel around the large screen makes the phone have the footprint of one with a much smaller screen, making this phone easier to hold and use, especially for those with smaller hands. The screen itself is very high quality, featuring a resolution of 2160 x 1080 with an aspect ratio of 18:9, giving a sharp picture that can display HD content without a problem. This high aspect ratio also gives you more screen space for multitasking as well as displaying more data at once.

Review of Honor 9 Lite Dual SIM, 32 GB Smartphone

Powerful Internals

The great looks and comfortable design of this phone are easily matched by its internal characteristics. The phone is powered by an Octa-core Kirin 659 processor that can run up to 2.36Ghz, giving you a powerful multi-core processor capable of handing many different tasks at once. The 3GB of RAM also allows for using multiple apps at once comfortably without slowdown or other performance hits. The phone includes 32 GB of internal storage, which should be sufficient space for most people to have many apps along with plenty of photos and videos. Just in case this isn't enough for you, though, the phone also includes a slot for an SD card, letting you expand the storage to suit your needs.

Along with the great characteristics that have already been mentioned, this phone has plenty more to offer. It features a dual lens 13PM + 2MP front facing camera, giving you excellent quality selfies and videos which can match that of any other smartphone. The case of the phone is also quite beautiful, featuring a design and colour scheme unlike most other phones. The only downside to it is that the glass casing is a bit fragile, which means that you will have to be careful with handling the phone. Despite this one small drawback, this phone delivers plenty of power along with an excellent design that is sure to please most anyone.

Honor 9 Lite Dual SIM, 32 GB Smartphone in the use

Additional Info

    Manufacturer

Last updated price $0.00
Stock May be out of stock
ASIN B079TMXQ7J

 

Huawei Y7 2018

Powerful And Affordable

Huawei has fairly recently become a well-known brand of smartphones, thanks to their ability to create phones that are both powerful and affordable. Their phones often feature many of the latest smartphone technologies that are found in other high-end smartphones, and they have delivered good quality phones that can easily match those of other well-known brands. One of their latest entries that helps raise their reputation is the Huawei Y7 2018 16 GB Smartphone, which provides the user with plenty of power but at a very affordable price.

This phone features a huge 5.99-inch HD+ HUAWEI Full View Display which has an extremely high screen-to-body ration, thanks to its extremely thin bezel. This large screen features a display resolution of 1440 x 720, which is low in comparison to many of the other models featured here, but still sharp and detailed enough to give you crisp visuals. Despite this low resolution, its clarity and colour reproduction on the screen is quite good for a phone in its price range, showing that Huawei knows how to include good quality in their products. Those who don't expect full HD resolution on their smartphone screens should not be disappointed here.

Review of Huawei Y7 2018 16 GB Smartphone

Custom OS Design

This smartphone uses the latest version of Android coupled with Huawei's own EMUI 8.0 operating system, giving you some great enhancements on top of Android. The phone lets you unlock the device at a glance thanks to its facial recognition software. You can also split the screen in two sections, allowing you to use two apps at the same time, side by side, giving you true multitasking. This OS enhancement even lets you easily take a screenshot at any time with just the press of three fingers, letting you share the contents of your screen with others quite easily.

This Huawei smartphone contains plenty of power under the hood as well. The processor used in this model is an Octa-core Snapdragon 430 processor running at 1.4 Ghz, giving you plenty of power. The 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of storage space are both at a basic level, but are enough to let you run most apps comfortably. The internal storage can be increased by adding an SD card for those who need more storage space for photos and videos. The front and rear cameras are both of high quality, much better than is typically found in a smartphone of its price range. For those looking for the best Android camera phone on a budget, this device should definitely be considered.

Huawei Y7 2018 16 GB Smartphone in the use

Additional Info

    Manufacturer

Last updated price £217.59
Stock In stock
ASIN B07D9SWM1K

 

Nokia 1 UK

Basic Budget Smartphone

Most of the advertising that you see regarding smartphones tends to focus on the top end models, the ones that are the most powerful and also most expensive. With all of their fantastic capabilities and large screen sizes, it seems like some phone companies forget that there are people who don't need the latest and greatest phone. For many users, having a basic phone that is small enough to fit comfortably in your hand and pocket is enough, one which has the primary function of making and receiving phone calls, with a few extra capabilities thrown in.

The Nokia 1 UK Smartphone is a basic budget smartphone made primarily for those who fit into the latter group. This phone does not include many of the latest and greatest features that many people won't often use, nor does it pack the most powerful hardware. At its essence, it is made primarily for those who want a simple smartphone that can make and receive calls, and at this it excels. Nokia has always been known for making great quality phones, and this model is no exception, despite its modest features and budget price tag. In fact, its price is more akin to that of basic mobile phones, yet it allows users to utilise many of the same features and capabilities as a smartphone.

Review of Nokia 1 UK Smartphone

Optimised Apps

Despite its modest hardware, this compact phone has all of the capabilities that users come to expect from a smartphone. This models uses the Android 8.1 operating system, which is a modified version of Android that is meant specifically for phones with lower-end hardware, such as ones with less than 2 GB of RAM. The OS itself along with all of the included Android apps are all customized basic versions that are made specifically for phones with lower-end hardware. This customization allows the OS and apps to run well on such modest hardware, and you'll notice that this phone performs admirably when running these apps.

The phone also gives you full access to the Google Play store, letting you download and run apps that you need. Just keep in mind that with its basic hardware, some higher end apps may not run very well, but most standard apps should still run fine. This phone lets you make phone calls, send text messages, and use other basic apps just as well as with any other smartphone, yet its price makes it affordable for anyone. If you are someone who primarily needs a phone to make and receive calls, send text messages, and run some basic apps, and also doesn't want to spend a fortune on a high-end smartphone, then this model should be right up your alley.

Nokia 1 UK Smartphone in the use

Additional Info

User Manual     Manufacturer

Last updated price £95.51
Stock In stock
ASIN B07BHGP6H6

 

What Is an Android Phone?

Creating Android OS was one of the most brilliant ideas Google has ever had (and, truth be told, this company has heaps of great ideas that they implement). It’s fast, versatile, and has the widest variety of apps available for mobile devices, work- and entertainment-related alike. Google Play makes it as easy as A-B-C to find whatever app you need. Today, Android is one of the two most popular mobile operating systems in the world. It is leading by some parameters and lacking in others, sure, but that's where you choose what's better for you personally, as you can't have it all. Android smartphones sync via Google Drive and after that, you can share your settings, accounts, and files among all your gadgets with ease.

A single smartphone can replace several your other devices, the MP3-player being one of them. Technology made it so that you won't miss a call when you listen to music on-the-go wearing wireless headphones, and you can share your music library with a group of friends by connecting your Android phone to a Bluetooth speaker, for example. No more need to carry around huge music devices to impress a girl (or a boy, for that matter!). The old-fashioned boombox may be a romantic pass at your s/o but you don't really need it for quality music anymore.

What Features to Compare

There are a number of characteristics that one should look for when looking for Android phones. Of course, there are certain features that are very important to some users, such as the quality of the camera that the phone uses, but not everyone is overly concerned with all of the tiny details. Below we have listed the three most important characteristics to be aware of when looking for the best Android phone for your needs.

Display

Screen size, resolution, panel type. These are the parameters we usually consider first when we buy a smartphone. There are phones almost the size of a tablet now, which are loved by some customers, and there are fairly small ones preferred by others; which one to choose is up to your own personal preferences. Reading and watching videos is probably more comfortable if your gadget has a screen of over 5" in size, but if it's just a phone you call with and use for some work or money-related purposes? Then again, some find it more convenient to hold bigger phones, whereas for others, it's the opposite.

Anyway, we're not here to dispute over tastes. As for the resolution, today Android smartphones offer up to 1920x1080 Full HD and that's already pretty normal (as in, nothing shockingly new here). And when it comes to panels, the choice is between LCD, IPS, LED, OLED, AMOLED, and sometimes E-Ink. To point out some of the valuable distinguishing features, AMOLED, for example, has the best colour reproduction by far, but IPS has wider viewing angles and is anti-gloss.

Performance

This is about how fast the smartphone's response and ability for multitasking is. For an everyday use general-purpose smartphone, the processor should be 1GHz and higher, with at least 2 cores. The more complicated tasks you plan the phone to face, the higher both numbers should be. Some might assume that a more powerful processor drains a battery faster but in reality, it's the opposite, a powerful processor will struggle less with launching an app and, therefore, will need less energy.

Battery

Finally, the power source. This is pretty important, especially for those living on the go. If you use the phone a lot and not only for calling but for taking photos and video or for browsing the Internet and you don't want to / can't recharge it throughout the day, check that the battery is no less than 2500mAh but do look for the larger one. Typically, the larger the battery, the better.

Did you know?

Great Apps for Android

One of the biggest benefits to using an Android smartphone is that you have access to an absolutely enormous number of apps to download and use. However, with such a huge selection of apps, it can become difficult to find the best apps to use on your phone. While it is impossible to put together a comprehensive list of the best Android apps, we can still give you a good idea of some of the best and most useful apps for you to download on your new Android phone. Here are some of the apps that we have found to be among the top apps available.

  • Google Drive

Most Android smartphones come with a huge selection of Google apps already installed, and one of the most useful of these is Google Drive. For those who are not familiar with it, Google Drive lets you store data of almost any type on the cloud (in other words, on the Internet), letting you easily backup and share files with others. Every user of Google Drive is given 15 GB of storage at the basic level, with larger storage amounts available for purchase. What's more, you can storage files created through Google Docs without them counting against the storage space. Those who find that they need an easy way to back their photos and videos will be certain to find Google Drive to be of great benefit.

  • Evernote

Are you the type of person who likes to keep notes handy? If so, then you need to download Evernote. This very handy app is made specifically for those who take copious amounts of notes, letting you easily access them from anywhere. Whether you need to take notes in a meeting, at school, or just create a grocery list for your next trip to the supermarket, Evernote lets you easily create notes and access them at any time and from any location, either from your phone or from your computer.

  • Google Translate

In today's world, it is becoming more and more common for people to communicate with those in other countries, which can often lead to issues due to a language barrier. Google Translate, which comes bundled with the standard Google apps on Android, helps you break through this language barrier by letting you translate text between dozens of languages. You can even use it to say something in one language, and have the app translate it and read it back in the target language, giving you a great way to communicate in a foreign language without having to type everything out. If you travel to other counties often, then you will most likely find this app to be indispensable.

  • 1Weather

Everyone likes to have some kind of idea of what the weather will be like on any given day, and of course this has led to a huge number of weather apps available on Android. However, the best weather app we have found is 1Weather, which gives you comprehensive weather information in a very easy to read format. In fact, this app even includes a custom widget that lets you display the current weather conditions on your home screen, letting you check the weather at a glance without having to dig for it. Although plenty of good weather apps exist for Android, this one stands out as the best.

Sources:

1. Find the Android phone for you, Android.

2. How to Choose an Android Phone,  wikiHow.

3. Jeffrey Van Camp How to choose a smartphone, Digital Trends. June 26, 2012.

4. Mark Spoonauer Smartphone Buying Guide, Tom's Guide. April 19, 2016.

5. Oli McKean How to choose the best mobile phone, Which?

6. How to Choose an Android Phone, eBay. July 21, 2014.

7. Jessica Dolcourt Everything you need to know about buying a new phone, CNET. January 25, 2017.

8. Savio DSouza Guide: Choose the right smartphone, GadgetsNow. February 9, 2014.

9. Liane Cassavoy What Is an Android Phone? Lifewire. August 11, 2016.

10. Luke Larsen 5 Reasons to Still Choose an Android Phone Over an iPhone, Paste. October 12, 2015.

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Publish Date: 2019-01-22 14:11:38