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How to pick
The thing that decides when an Android phone needs replacing is not how fast it feels, it is how long the maker keeps sending security updates, and this varies enormously between brands in a way it does not on iPhone. Google's Pixels and Samsung's better phones now promise around seven years. Plenty of cheap Android phones stop after two, which means a perfectly good handset becomes unsafe to bank on long before it feels slow. Check that number before you check anything else, because it is the difference between a phone lasting two years and seven. After that, storage matters, though unlike an iPhone many Android phones take a memory card, so it is less final a decision. Buying last year's flagship beats this year's mid range for cameras and support alike.
What I recommend
Android case and screen protector
Tempered glass on the front and a case with a raised lip around the screen. Buy them with the phone rather than after the first drop.
- Protector
- Tempered glass, not film
- Case
- Raised lip around the screen
- Buy when
- Same time as the phone
- Why
- Turns most drops into a shrug
microSD card
Many Android phones take a memory card, which is a cheap way to add room for photos and music. Check whether your model has the slot, because the more expensive ones increasingly do not.
- Check
- Whether your phone has the slot
- Size
- 256GB is plenty
- Use for
- Photos and music
- Note
- Pricier phones increasingly drop the slot
USB-C fast charger
Most Android phones now charge quickly given a decent charger, and many do not come with one. Check what wattage yours supports so you are not paying for more than it can use.
- Check
- What wattage your phone supports
- Typical
- 25W to 45W
- Often
- Not included in the box
- Brands
- Anker, UGREEN
Google Pixel or Samsung Galaxy
Check the update support before anything else. Pixels and Samsung's better phones now run around seven years, while cheap handsets often stop at two. Last year's flagship beats this year's mid range on both cameras and how long it will last you.
- Check first
- Years of update support
- Pixel and Samsung
- Around 7 years
- Cheap handsets
- Often stop at 2
- Buy
- Last year's flagship
Related reading
New phone and everything to move across?
Photos, contacts, messages and the apps you actually use. I do this regularly and nothing gets lost.