If none of the smartphones in this guide strike your fancy and you want to continue searching, keep these specs in mind.
Display: Gone are the days of shoddy phone displays—almost every smartphone uses an OLED panel now. Cheaper phones still use LCD, which won’t have as deep blacks and poppy colors, but even phones under $300 can sport OLED. You’ll see some variations, like AMOLED or Dynamic AMOLED 2X, but that’s mostly marketing jargon.
Screen size: You hold a smartphone all the time, so make sure whatever you pick fits your palms. Most small Android phones are around 6.1 to 6.3 inches (measured diagonally), whereas larger phones typically top out at 6.8 or 6.9 inches. Foldable phones will have a smaller outer screen and a larger display when opened. For example, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 we recommend has a 5.5-inch screen when closed and a 7.6-inch display when unfolded, but sizes vary by manufacturer.
Processor: Most smartphones use a Qualcomm or MediaTek processor. Google phones use the company’s in-house Tensor chip, and some Samsung phones utilize Samsung’s Exynos processor in select markets. It’s hard to say how reliably a processor will perform without looking at reviews and benchmark results, so do your research. For reliable performance, try to stick to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7 series or higher, or MediaTek’s Dimensity 7000 series or higher. The 2026 flagship chip is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.
RAM: You’ll want at least 8 GB of RAM, though 12 GB is better. This lets you juggle multiple apps more seamlessly and run more intensive AI tasks.
Cooling: High-performing phones can be ruined if they get too hot because the processor throttles, causing slowdowns. This mostly applies to folks who game a lot, but it’s worth checking whether the phone has a dedicated cooling system. You’ll want to look for language like “heat pipes” or “vapor chamber cooling.”
Refresh rate: Most phones used to come with 60-Hz refresh rates, meaning the display refreshes at 60 frames per second. Nowadays, even cheap phones offer 90- or 120-Hz screens. The more frames refreshed in a second, the more fluid everything looks and feels. It might sound small, but it can make a big difference in whether your smartphone feels buttery smooth. We have a broader guide that explains this technology. Flagship phones have screens with variable refresh rates ranging from 1 to 120 Hz, which often makes them more battery-efficient (look for LTPO or LTPS).
Battery capacity: Smartphone batteries are measured in milliampere-hours (mAh). A big battery doesn’t necessarily mean better battery life, because it depends on screen size and other technologies the phone is powering. Most phones should have 4,000-mAh cells or higher, and you typically won’t see much above 5,500 mAh. Some phones now use silicon-carbon batteries, a new technology that allows them to be denser but thinner.
Charging speeds: Most Android smartphones can charge fast, but certain companies offer shockingly fast recharge times. That’s usually because they require a proprietary charging brick. You can find charging speed information on a phone’s product spec page. Just remember that these days, most smartphones do not come with a charging brick, just a cable. We have more details in this fast-charging guide.
Software updates: Software support is crucial. Your phone stays secure longer, and you’ll get new features over time. Even if you trade in your phone, it may end up in someone else’s hands, and a long update policy means the phone will continue to be supported. The gold standard in Android is seven years right now, thanks to Samsung and Google. However, if you replace your phone every two or three years, the shorter update policies of other Android makers might not be a deal-breaker.
Cameras: Camera specs are very misleading. A phone with a 108-megapixel (MP) sensor doesn’t mean it will take better photos than a phone with a 50-MP sensor. The only way to know for sure is to read reviews. If the camera matters to you, check whether it has a versatile system. The best camera phones offer a primary wide camera, an ultrawide, and a telephoto zoom (usually 5X). Cheap phones tend to come with a lot of cameras, many of which are useless.
Extra features: Don’t overlook the secondary features. Does the phone have a near-field communication sensor (NFC) so you can make contactless payments? Does it have a good IP rating that can survive a drop in the pool? (You’ll want IP67 or IP68!) What about wireless charging (Qi2 or Qi)? Or a microSD card slot, dual-SIM tray, or headphone jack? Vet the phone’s specs if you’re after something specific.
5G service: Nearly all smartphones support 5G, the current generation of network connectivity. 4G LTE isn’t disappearing, and you may still fall back to LTE when 5G isn’t available. Avoid smartphones that don’t offer 5G at all.
