Best Android Phones 2017: 9 of the best Android smartphones

12 July 2017

Our Best Android Phones roundup has all the top handsets in one place. Your next mobile is sure to be on this list.

The year 2016 saw the launch of all manner of superb Android handsets. The Samsung Galaxy S7, OnePlus 3T, HTC 10 all greatly improved on their predecessors, plus Google created its first ever in-house smartphones: the Pixel and Pixel XL.
We've yet to see smartphone manufacturers pause for breath, with 2017 already seeing the unveiling of a fresh wave of stellar-looking handsets. Highlights so far include the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8%2B, near-bezel-less LG G6, and the refined Huawei P10 and P10 Plus in the top end of the market; and new Moto G5 and Moto G5 Plus at the budget end.

This Week's Best Android Phone Deal

Buy Now: HTC U11 on EE (3GB) – £125 upfront, £27.99/month
Buy Now: LG G6 on EE (8GB) - £10 upfront, £37.99/month
Buy Now: Samsung Galaxy S8 on EE (10GB) – £0 upfront, £37.99/month

image: http://static.trustedreviews.com/94/00003d0da/6e2d_oq80_orh234w417/cheese-17.jpg

LG G6

Key features:

5.7-inch, quad-HD display
Minimal bezel
32GB internal storage
Snapdragon 821 CPU & 4GB RAM
Review Price: £649.99

LG has finally made a great flagship phone, free of silly gimmicks and leather clad backs. The G6 stands out due to its 18:9 display, which crams a quad-HD 5.7-inch panel inside a much smaller body than you'd expect. It's look great, and it's HDR 10 enabled too.

Inside you've got a Snapdragon 821 CPU, 4GB RAM, 32GB of internal storage and a 3,300 mAh battery. None of these components are groundbreaking, but they'll comfortably get the job done.

Like the G5, there are two cameras on the back. One is your standard 13MP sensor, while the offer takes wide-angle shots making it perfect for landscape photos.

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HTC U11

Key features

Snapdragon 835
4GB RAM
5.5-inch quad-HD display
64GB and microSD expansion
12-megapixel camera
Review price: £649.99

The U11 is the phone HTC needs. It's simple, yet impressive, and focuses on areas the brand knows well. It's not as eye-catching as the G6 or S8, but the BoomSound speakers and fantastic audio experience help set it apart. The quad-HD LCD display is bright, the 3000mAh battery enough for the day and the 12-megapixel camera can take some really good photos.

We just wish there was a headphone jack.

image: http://static.trustedreviews.com/94/00003d940/8b17_oq80_orh234w417/honor-8-pro-3.jpg

Honor 8 Pro

Key features

HiSilicon Kirin 960 processor
Generous 6GB RAM
5.7-inch quad-HD display
64GB and microSD expansion
Dual 12-megapixel camera
Review price: £474.99

The Honor 8 Pro is Honor’s attempt at a flagship phone and in many ways it can be considered a success. It’s an attractive, well-built 5.7-inch phone that manages to come in slimmer than many competing phones.

There is a dual-lens camera around the back that pairs a 12-megapixel RGB and monochrome sensor and this manages to deliver punchy, sharp photos.

Performance is impressive thanks to a Kirin 960 processor and 6GB of RAM. This means the Honor 8 Pro can go up against even the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 that’s used in certain Samsung Galaxy S8 models. There’s 64GB of storage built-in with a microSD slot that can add a further 128GB.

A massive 4000mAh battery is also included, which will get you easily through a day of heavy use and a little beyond. The Honor 8 Pro is the best phone Honor has released to date.

image: http://static.trustedreviews.com/94/00003b74e/6a80_oq80_orh234w417/pixel-8.jpg

Google Pixel XL

Key features:

5.5-inch, quad-HD display
12-megapixel camera
32GB internal storage
Snapdragon 821 CPU & 4GB RAM
Review Price: £719

Google built an iPhone, and it's better than Apple's flagship

It's taken the search engine giant long enough, but Google has finally launched a phone. And it's damn good. The Pixel XL is an iPhone baiting flagship that ticks all the major boxes, but you'll have to pay.

The most surprising feature here is the excellent camera, which matches the Galaxy S7 and iPhone 7. It's a 12-megapixel sensor, though lacking OIS, that captures stunning snaps in any light. 4K video looks great too, as do selfies.

It's fast too, thanks to a mixture of the speedy Snapdragon 821 CPU, 4GB RAM and software built by Google. Android has never looked better and the clever AI Assistant is already better than Siri. A 3,450 mAh battery lasts the day, while charging is snappy.

It's not perfect though; there's no water-resistant body and no SD card expansion. It's also a tad boring to look at, and hardly durable. Still, it's one of the best Android experiences around.

image: http://static.trustedreviews.com/94/00003cc3b/2a17_oq80_orh234w417/lenovo-p2-8.jpg

Lenovo P2

Key features:

5.5-inch, full-HD display
5,100 mAh battery
32GB internal storage and microSD expansion
Snapdragon 625
Review Price: £119

If you want a phone with awesome stamina, then this should be your pick. The Lenovo P2 costs less than £200, but you're getting a lot for your money. The best thing is that 5100 mAh battery, which can easily make it through two days without needing a charge.

It has a great screen, too, and a very efficient Snapdragon 625 CPU that doesn't fall down even when playing intensive games. There's 32GB of internal storage, dual-SIM slots and a good customisation of Android 6.0. We just wish it had a better camera.

This is one of the best budget phones around.

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Huawei P10 Plus

Key features:

5.7-inch, quad-HD display
12-megapixel Leica camera
128GB internal storage and microSD expansion
6GB RAM
Review Price: £649

Huawei's best phone yet

Huawei's constant improvement over the past few years has resulted in its best phone to date. The P10 Plus might look a lot like an iPhone 7, but that means it's a very good-looking device. It also has a fast Kirin 960 CPU, 6GB RAM and a whopping 128GB of internal storage. The display measures 5.7-inches, packs a quad-HD resolution and looks great. The camera is good, too, actually all three of them are. The two on the back are engineered by Leica and boast 12-megapixels and an f/1.7 aperture. And the front-facing 8MP selfie shooter packs in a clever wide mode so you can fit all your friends in.

Tucked inside is a 3750mAh battery and it'll easily get you through the day. Huawei's software has seen the biggest improvement of all, and it's much slicker and easier to use than ever before.

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OnePlus 5

Key features

Snapdragon 835 CPU and 6/8GB RAM
Dash Charge
5.5-inch FHD display
64GB or 128GB storage
16MP and 20MP rear-camera
Review price: £499.99

The OnePlus 5 is the brand's most specced-out phone yet, and it's another fantastic device for the price. For less than £500/$500, you get the Snapdragon 835 CPU and a really good 5.5-inch 1080p display that covers the DCI-P3 colour gamut. You can also choose between 6 or 8GB RAM, and 64 or 128GB of internal storage.

If you've seen a matte black iPhone 7 Plus, then the OnePlus 5 might look a tad familiar. The matte back is a little curvier and easier to hold than Apple's flagship, but the dual-camera layout is very similar. Those two cameras also work like the iPhone 7, with one offering a telephoto lens for zooming in further. The 16-megapixel f/1.7 camera is a reliable shooter, but the secondary lens can struggle depending on the lighting and the lack of OIS is annoying. The software is clean and Dash Charge still gives you a full charge in about an hour.

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Samsung Galaxy S8

Key features:

5.8-inch, quad-HD display
12 camera w/ OIS
Exynos 8895 or Snapdragon 835
4GB RAM
Review Price: £689

The stunning Samsung Galaxy S8 is the best phone you can buy right now. It has a fantastic HDR quad-HD+ 5.8-inch display with almost no bezel surrounding it and a sleek metal and glass design that's curvy in all the right places.

It's fast too, obviously, and keeps handy features like an IP68 water-resistance rating, Qi wireless charging and a microSD card slot. The 12MP camera doesn't have dual-lenses, but it's still one of the best out there. The 3000mAh is again great, but you'll probably still need to charge it every night.