Unlocked phones — outside the shackles of the carriers and able to work on any GSM operator worldwide — are finally starting to have their moment in the sun.
And we're not just talking more expensive versions of top-shelf phones. There are a number of mid-range unlocked phones that will serve you very well — and not burn a hole in your wallet. Let's take a look.
Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge
All that and a bag of chips, (and a microSD card slot)
Pros
- Great battery life
- Excellent camera
- Amazing display
Cons
- Samsung software leaves a little to be desired
- A little bit slippery to hold
We can't have a best of Android phone list and not include Samsung's twin flagships for 2016: the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge. Rather than reinvent the wheel, Samsung chose to refine the best features of last year's flagships and make them better.
Both phones feature Quad HD Super AMOLED displays, great for watching YouTube videos or streaming Netflix, and both have larger batteries than their predecessors, great for keeping them alive for a full day's use.
In keeping with Samsung's reputation for making superior cameras, both phones have excellent ones, with improvements made for taking better low-light shots.
LTE connectivity means that you'll be able to surf the web and stream content without annoying load times, and yes, the microSD card slot is back, so you're not stuck with just the storage capacity they come with.
If you're looking for an all-around superior unlocked phone, you can't go wrong with the Samsung Galaxy S7 or S7 edge.
Want more information? Read our Samsung Galaxy S7 and Samsung Galaxy S7 edge reviews.
Nexus 6P
Nexus and unlocked go together like PB&J
Pros
- Great build quality
- Excellent camera
- Pure Google software
Cons
- It's pretty big
- Lacks wireless charging
- A little bit slippery to hold
In the Android world, one brand should always come to mind when thinking unlocked: Nexus. For the Nexus phones aren't just a way to get the latest and greatest software from Google. They're also a way to get a good phone at a good price and stay away from a new contract. Of the two current Nexus phones, the 6P is the one to get.
We've previously had to recommend a Nexus phone with a rather large caveat — and that's usually had to do with the camera. Not so with the Nexus 6P, manufactured by Huawei.
It's got a camera that doesn't make us want to carry around a second shooter, just in case. It's got the design and build quality that stands up against any other phone. And perhaps most important is that it's going to always be updated to the latest version of Android, and that goes for the monthly security updates, too.
LG G5
You've got friends
Pros
- Removable battery
- Excellent camera
- Innovative modular design
Cons
- Display can be dark on auto-mode
- Modules are a bit scant at the moment
The LG G5 is one of the most attractive phones available – sleek and glossy. Coupled with LG's innovative Friends ecosystem and the phone's modular design, it's a top-notch flagship phone.
The LG G5 comes with a 5.3-inch Quad HD quantum display, great for watching videos and playing games. Its 4GB of RAM helps with multi-tasking, and its Snapdragon 820 processor gives you plenty of power too.
Another benefit of the LG G5 is its ability to take amazing photos. It has two cameras in the back — a 16 megapixel main camera and an 8 megapixel wide-angle camera — so you can capture beautiful pictures wherever you are. Of course, it's got an 8 megapixel front camera for those selfies.
If you want a phone with an innovative design that snaps great pictures and has a lot of future appeal, look no further than the LG G5.
OnePlus 3
Finally all grown up
Pros
- Excellent build quality
- Good camera
- Fast, smooth software
- Invite-free
Cons
- Slippery body
- Real concern over timely updates
- Weak vibration motor
After releasing a few phones that were tantilizing but not quite complete products, OnePlus has really hit the mark with the OnePlus 3. This high-end device checks just about every box you're looking for, from top-end specs to a great screen, solid camera, fast software and long battery life.
Best of all, it'll only set you back $399, which is easily $200 less than the other flagships out there. You don't get a few of the nice-to-have features like waterproofing, but for the whole experience it's hard to get something nicer than what the OnePlus 3 offers. You no longer need an invite to get it, either — just buy it online.
More: Read our full OnePlus 3 review
HTC 10
Premium sound in a stylish package
Pros
- Great audio
- Snappy performance
- Aluminum unibody
Cons
- Display has issues in sunlight
- Inconsistent battery life
The HTC 10, the latest offering from HTC, is a solid phone with a stylish aesthetic and great audio.
Its aluminum body is beautiful and modern, while design elements such as the curved back and the wide chamfer make it comfortable to hold.
While its 5.2-inch Quad HD SuperLCD5 display has some problems in bright sunlight, its vibrant colors and sharp picture make it ideal for watching videos, whether they're from YouTube or Hulu.
Where the HTC 10 really shines is in its audio output — its got a tweeter for high frequency sounds in the earpiece and a down-facing woofer along its bottom for low frequency sounds, giving you amazing Hi-Fi audio right from the phone's speakers, and the sound from the headphone jack is even better, pushing out sound at 1V for a powerful audio experience.
If you want a solidly performing phone with amazing high quality audio, the HTC 10 is the one for you.
Samsung Galaxy Note 5
Yes, its big, but you can write on it
Pros
- Top notch S Pen
- Great new design
- Awesome camera
Cons
- Speaker isn't great
- Expensive
The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 is a beast of a phone and is unique in the mobile space because of its accompanying stylus, the S Pen.
Running an Exynos 7420 octa-core at 2.1GHz quad + 1.5GHz quad and 4GB of RAM, its capable of running multiple apps at the same time and running even the most graphics-intense mobile game with nary a stutter.
Its 5.7-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED display is one of the best around, and with that much screen real estate, you're sure to enjoy watching movies or playing games on this phone.
If you're looking for a phone with a large screen and a handy stylus, check out the Samsung Galaxy Note 5. It doesn't get much better than this.
Read our Samsung Galaxy Note 5 review
Motorola Moto G (2015)
Still one of the best value phones around
Pros
- Solid build quality
- No manufacturer bloatware
- MicroSD card slot
Cons
- No NFC
- Only a single speaker compared to previous model
- No quickcharge or wireless charging
Motorola is arguably responsible for reinventing the budget phone space when it tore up the rule book with the original Moto G. Now three generations in and it's no more difficult to recommend to anyone looking for the best on a budget. And without a contract.
The hardware is more than ample for the price and Motorola's signature software experience of value added to stock Android remains. The camera is improved on its predecessor, Moto Maker allows for some customization on the color schemes and all-in-all the essence of what made this phone great hasn't gone away. And we'd definitely recommend the 16GB/2GB RAM model. It's worth the extra.
The Moto G isn't just a good phone for its price, it's a good phone, period.
Huawei Honor 5X
Honor lands Stateside
Pros
- Premium design and construction
- Fingerprint scanner
- Good quality display
Cons
- EMUI still broken in places
- Sluggish at times
- Launched on Android 5.1
The Honor 5X is a perfect example of where the $200 price point smartphone market is headed. For a remarkably good $199, the first Honor phone to officially launch in the U.S. packs a metal body, decent screen and fingerprint sensor. The hardware certainly feels worthy of a higher price point.
The only drawbacks to the Honor 5X come in the software. Huawei's EMUI is still an acquired taste with some questionable features and things that still don't work quite as we might hope. But, there's a lot of good stuff, too, and some really useful features baked in.
Android 6.0 Marshmallow is on the horizon, but overall the Honor 5X proves you don't have to spend a fortune to get a good looking, well built, carrier free phone.
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