With Android thoroughly dominating the mobile industry, there are countless great Android smartphones to pick from in the U.K. phones market. From sleek devices that impress with premium design, to powerhouses brimming with features, to all-around great devices, and affordable phones that punch above their weight, the best Android phones in the U.K. offer a staggering variety of attractive phones.
Not all smartphone models are available globally, for reasons ranging from modem and networks through to supply chains and marketing. In this roundup, we're looking at the absolute best Android phones you can buy in the U.K..
Best Android phones in UK:
Editor's note: We will be regularly updating this list of best Android phones in U.K. as new devices launch and become available in the country.
1. Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus, S10e, and S10 5G
The most successful smartphone maker in the business today was expected to deliver great things for its marquee series' tenth anniversary. Safe to say, the Samsung Galaxy S10 series has not disappointed.
While the Galaxy Fold stole some of the spotlight at launch (only to be heavily delayed), the Galaxy S10 quartet is arguably Samsung's best iteration on the Galaxy S family to date. It's also the largest, with the slightly more affordable Galaxy S10e offering all the best bits of the Galaxy brand at a slightly cheaper price and the S10 5G bringing 5G support to a Samsung phone for the first time.
Related: Samsung Galaxy S10 series specs: Memory overload
Best-in-class displays, stunning design, top-end hardware, and impressive camera performance have been hallmarks of Samsung's design for some time now. The S10 range delivers on all these fronts (mostly) and more, though the Galaxy S10 Plus is arguably the pick of the bunch thanks to its smorgasbord of features like Wireless PowerShare, an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor, the larger display and battery, and depth sensor for the front-facing camera. It's also one of the only flagship phones from any OEM to still have a headphone jack.
All three phones are powered by the Exynos 9820 SoC (Snapdragon 855 in other regions) paired with between 6GB to 12GB of RAM and up to 1TB of on-board storage. They also all run Android Pie out of the box with Samsung's One UI skin on top.
The Galaxy S10 series is worth the premium price tag.
The Galaxy S10 5G adds extra display real estate, 5G support, and a Time-of-Flight sensor to the package, but all that premium goodness comes with a hefty cost — £1,099 to be exact. Taking a minor step down, the Galaxy S10 Plus is really the "best" of the range and muscles out the regular Galaxy S10 which (while still a good phone in its own right) sits too awkwardly between the Plus and the S10e to make this list of the best U.K. phones.
The base model Galaxy S10 Plus is £899, while the max configuration with 1TB storage and 12GB RAM is priced at a whopping £1,399. The Galaxy S10e, meanwhile, is the most affordable of the lot at just £669.
They may all be expensive, but the Galaxy S10 series is worth the premium.
Galaxy S10e specs:
- Display: 5.8-inch, Full HD+
- SoC: Exynos 9820
- RAM: 6/8GB
- Storage: 128/256GB
- Rear cameras: 12 and 16MP;
- Front camera: 10MP
- Battery:3,100mAh
- Software: Android 9.0 Pie
Galaxy S10 Plus specs:
- Display: 6.4-inch, QHD+
- SoC: Exynos 9820
- RAM: 8/12GB
- Storage: 128/512GB and 1TB
- Rear cameras: 12, 12, and 16MP
- Front cameras: 10 and 8MP
- Battery: 4,100mAh
- Software: Android 9.0 Pie
Galaxy S10 5G specs:
- Display: 6.7-inch, QHD+
- Chipset: Exynos 9820
- RAM: 8GB
- Storage: 256/512GB
- Rear cameras: 12, 12, and 16MP, and ToF
- Front camera: 10MP and ToF
- Battery: 4,500mAh
- Software: Android 9.0 Pie
2. Huawei P30 Pro
What do you get if you take almost everything that's great about the Huawei Mate 20 Pro and tack on the most versatile camera modules ever to hit the market? You get the Huawei P30 Pro — one of best Huawei phones ever and arguably the best Chinese Android phone to date.
The main attraction with the P-series is the camera, and the P30 Pro sports the company's first quad-lens setup, once again co-engineered with Leica. The vertical module features a 40 megapixel sensor (OIS, f/1.6) main sensor based on an RYB (red, yellow, blue) model to absorb more light, 20 megapixel sensor (OIS, f/2.2) wide-angle lens, and an 8 megapixel periscope lens (OIS, f/3.4) that delivers up to 5x optical zoom and up to 10x hybrid zoom. The fourth lens is a tiny Time-of-Flight (TOF) sensor sat underneath the flash.
Read more: Huawei P30 Pro camera review
The results from all these camera bells and whistles — not to mention Huawei's AI advancements — are astounding. The low light shots and zoom images are stunning and represent a huge step forward for smartphone photography.
The rest of the phone is just as spectacular too. Be it the all-glass, gradient aesthetic (especially in the Aurora color), the OLED display, reverse wireless charging, the optical in-display fingerprint sensor, or great battery life, the P30 Pro goes far beyond being just a bag of camera tricks.
The Huawei P30 Pro starts at £899 pounds, which puts it on par with the Galaxy S10 Plus in the U.K.. It should be noted that the P30 Pro launched before the Huawei Android ban debacle so future software updates are expected to be unaffected.
Huawei P30 Pro specs:
- Display: 6.47-inch, QHD+
- SoC: Kirin 980
- RAM: 6/8GB
- Storage: 128/256/512GB
- Cameras: 40, 20, 8MP, and ToF
- Front camera: 32MP
- Battery:4,200mAh
- Software: Android 9.0 Pie
3. Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL
Yes, the Pixel 3 XL has a massive, indefensibly ugly "bathtub" notch. Yes, the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL still lag behind in the specs department in some key areas, especially compared to the Galaxy S10 series. They're also too expensive compared to rival devices.
But, if you want a phone that takes wonderful photos every time, there's nothing that can match the Google Pixel 3 series.
While seemingly every other OEM is in a rush to make smartphones with as many lenses as possible, the big G stuck with a single shooter for its third-generation Pixel phones, instead relying on computational photography to once again give it the edge. It worked — the Pixel 3 offers the most consistent camera experience of any phone on the market, complete with Pixel-only features like the see-it-to-believe-it Night Sight mode.
Google has also managed to exorcize the display issues we saw with the Pixel 2 XL.
Both the Pixel 3 and the Pixel 3 XL sport P-OLED displays, with the former a little smaller at 5.5-inches and a lower pixel per inch total (443 ppi vs 523 ppi).
The Pixel 3 XL's QHD+ 6.3-inch is better on paper, but the harsh reality is you'll have to deal with the notch (or turn it off and live with a larger top bezel).
Aside from a slight difference in battery life, you're essentially getting the same great phone whether you go for the Pixel 3 or its larger twin. That also means you'll get the same Snapdragon 845 SoC and front facing speakers — as well as the same meager 4GB of total RAM.
Google's habit of over-inflating its prices in the U.K. also returns with the Pixel 3 series, with the entire range starting from £739. Thankfully, most other retailers (notably not Amazon, because reasons) offer better deals and the imminent Pixel 4 series reveal has led to some great offers.
Google Pixel 3 specs:
- Display: 5.5-inch, Full HD+
- SoC: Snapdragon 845
- RAM: 4GB
- Storage: 64/128GB
- Rear camera: 12.2MP
- Front camera: 8 and 8MP
- Battery:2,915mAh
- Software: Android 9.0 Pie
Google Pixel 3 XL specs:
- Display: 6.3-inch, QHD+
- SoC: Snapdragon 845
- RAM: 4GB
- Storage: 64/128GB
- Rear camera: 12.2MP
- Front camera: 8 and 8MP
- Battery:3,430mAh
- Software: Android 9.0 Pie
4. OnePlus 7 Pro
What happens when the flagship killer makes a flagship? You get the OnePlus 7 Pro.
Building on the still great OnePlus 6T, the OnePlus 7 Pro sees the Chinese brand upping its game in every department. The most obvious upgrade is the display which is a Quad HD+ screen with a 3,120 x 1,440 resolution (516ppi), HDR 10+ support, and a 19.5:9 aspect ratio, and almost no bezels whatsoever. This "Fluid AMOLED" display, as OnePlus calls it, has a 90Hz refresh rate for a smoother, snappier feel.
Opinion: OnePlus 7 Pro might finally make me ditch Google phones
Instead of a notch, the OnePlus 7 Pro features a mechanized pop-up selfie camera which will handily retract if you drop the phone. Meanwhile, on the back you're getting the first triple camera from OnePlus which features a 48MP main shooter, an 8MP telephoto lens, and an ultra-wide angle 16MP sensor.
Other features include an in-display fingerprint sensor, the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SoC, up to 12GB RAM and 256GB storage, and a 4,000mAh battery with Warp Charge 30 support.
What happens when the flagship killer makes a flagship?
There's still no headphone jack or official waterproofing rating, but the OnePlus 7 Pro has all the specs and style to match the best U.K. phones with much higher price tags.
The OnePlus 7 Pro starts at £649 for the 6GB RAM/128GB storage model. You can bump up the RAM count to 8GB for an extra £49, or go all out for 12GB RAM/256 ROM for a total of £799.
OnePlus 7 Pro specs:
- Display: 6.67-inch, QHD+
- SoC: Snapdragon 855
- RAM: 6/8/12GB
- Storage: 128/256GB
- Rear camera: 48, 8, and 12MP
- Front camera: 25MP
- Battery: 4,000mAh
- Software: Android 9.0 Pie
5. Sony Xperia 1
After years of the same bland designs, Sony took a bit of a risk with the Xperia 1 with its unique 6.5-inch 4K display. The elongated screen has a 21:9 aspect ratio which makes the phone much taller and thinner than most other devices on this list, but those dimensions make it great for watching videos.
The Xperia 1 comes with three rear cameras, packs the latest Snapdragon 855 chipset backed by 6GB of RAM, and has a side-mounted fingerprint sensor which continues to be a hallmark of Xperia phones.
On the downside, it doesn't have a headphone jack and has a small battery at just 3,300mAh, but overall it's a much more solid offering from Sony than we've seen for a while.
Sony Xperia 1 specs:
- Display: 6.5-inch, 4K
- SoC: Snapdragon 855
- RAM: 6GB
- Storage: 64/128GB
- Rear cameras: 12, 12, and 12MP
- Front camera: 8MP
- Battery:3,300mAh
- Software: Android 9.0 Pie
6. Xiaomi Mi 9
Want all the power of a £1,000 flagship phone for less than half the price? Look no further than the Xiaomi Mi 9 — the top dog in the Chinese brand's flagship series.
When Xiaomi officially launched in the U.K. it brought with it a bunch of fantastic affordable phones, including the Pocophone F1 which narrowly avoids a place on this list. The Mi 9 would follow a few months later and cement itself as one of the best flagship killers around.
Starting at just £499 (and going as low as £399 in frequent sales), the Mi 9 offers a frankly bonkers price-performance ratio. It's powered by the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC that featured in almost all the biggest flagship phones of 2018 and is backed by 6GB of RAM.
Related: Xiaomi Mi 9 vs Xiaomi Mi 8
It's not just the silicon that belies the phone's price tag either. The 6.39-inch Samsung-made AMOLED display, in-display fingerprint sensor, and impressive triple camera suite blow the rest of the mid-tier market out of the water.
Of course, there are sacrifices to be made to get those features at this price point, most notably in the software department. Xiaomi's MIUI skin is a little hit-and-miss to say the least, but it's improving all the time.
There may be competition soon from the Redmi K20 Pro (which may be called the Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro in the U.K. and the rest of Europe), but the Mi 9 firmly holds the mantle of Xiaomi's best ever flagship phone.
Xiaomi Mi 9 specs:
- Display: 6.18-inch, Full HD+
- SoC: Snapdragon 845
- RAM: 6GB
- Storage: 64/128GB
- Rear cameras: 48, 12, and 16MP
- Front camera: 20MP
- Battery: 3,300mAh
- Software: Android 9.0 Pie
7. Google Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL
The long-rumored Pixel "Lite" finally became a reality with the Google Pixel 3a — a phone that packs in almost everything there is to love about the Pixel 3 series for a fraction of the price.
The main carryover from its premium sibling is the camera, which is almost identical to the acclaimed Pixel 3 camera. The Pixel Visual Core is missing, but Google reworked its imaging algorithms to work with the lower power Snapdragon 670 SoC and the results are remarkable. Night Sight, Super Res Zoom, Portrait mode, and all the other celebrated Pixel 3 camera features are also included.
You're also getting the full, bloat-free Pixel software experience with timely updates and a guaranteed three years of OS upgrades and security patches. On the hardware side, there's Active Edge for quick access to Google Assistant, a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, and even a 3.5mm headphone jack.
There have been understandable downgrades to the display, processor, speakers, and overall build (plastic not glass), but for just £399 the Pixel 3a is one of the best mid-range phones ever made.
If you want all the Pixel 3a has to offer and a larger screen to boot there's also the Pixel 3a XL with its 6-inch display and near identical specs for a little extra at £469.
Google Pixel 3a specs:
- Display: 5.6-inch, Full HD+
- SoC: Snapdragon 670
- RAM: 4GB
- Storage: 64GB
- Rear cameras: 12.2MP
- Front camera: 8MP
- Battery:3,000mAh
- Software: Android 9.0 Pie
Google Pixel 3a XL specs:
- Display: 6-inch, Full HD+
- SoC: Snapdragon 670
- RAM: 4GB
- Storage: 64GB
- Rear cameras: 12.2MP
- Front camera: 8MP
- Battery:3,700mAh
- Software: Android 9.0 Pie
8. OnePlus 7
OnePlus' move to the premium segment with the OnePlus 7 Pro disappointed some fans who still see the brand as a budget phone maker. Yet while those in the U.S. have to make do with either the more expensive phone or last year's OnePlus 6T, U.K. buyers get the OnePlus 7 — a souped up version of the 6T jammed full of 7 Pro features.
From the outside the OnePlus 7 looks near identical to the 6T with the same notched display and overall design, but there are some major upgrades.
Read more: OnePlus 7 Pro vs OnePlus 7: All the major differences
The first is the processor, which is now the latest Qualcomm chip, the Snapdragon 855. It also sports the same 48MP primary camera sensor as the OnePlus 7 Pro, backed by a 5MP depth sensor. Other less headline-worthy updates include Dolby Atmos stereo speakers, UFS 3.0, RAM Boost, Zen Mode, and improvements to OxygenOS' gaming mode.
With generally similar specs, design, and software, there's no a huge incentive to upgrade to the OnePlus 7 if you already have a OnePlus 6T. For anyone else looking for bargain, however, the £499 OnePlus 7 isn't just one of the best U.K. phones — it's one of the best value phones full stop.
OnePlus 7 specs:
- Display: 6.41-inch, Full HD+
- SoC: Snapdragon 855
- RAM: 6/8GB
- Storage: 128/256GB
- Rear cameras: 48 and 5MP
- Front camera: 16MP
- Battery:3,700mAh
- Software: Android 9.0 Pie
That's it for our look at the best Android phones in U.K.. We'll add more top phones available in U.K. stores as they hit the market.
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