Without a carrier payment plan, the best unlocked Android phones are the best options to the iPhone. When you buy an unlocked phone, you don’t have to choose a specific company or plan. You can choose any phone you want. And a lot of the best Android phones are unlocked, so you have a lot of options.
Most of the time, these Android phones are sold by the companies that make them or by online stores like Amazon and Best Buy. And once you’ve decided, you can start looking for the best smartphone plan from the phone company you chose. If you want to buy an unlocked phone, you’ll have to pay more up front. However, you’ll have full control over your carrier, contract time, cost, and more. Below we have mentioned the best unlocked Android phones.
Best Unlocked Android Phones Comparison Table
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 | Samsung Galaxy S22 | Asus Zenfone 9 | Google Pixel 7 Pro | OnePlus Nord N200 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | Foldable, 6.7 inches | 6.2 inches | 6.8 inches | 6.7 inches | 6.49 inches |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2640 pixels | 1080 x 2400 pixels | 1080 x 2400 | 1080 x 2400 pixels | 1080 x 2400 pixels |
| Processor | Snapdragon 888 | Snapdragon 895 | Snapdragon 888 | Snapdragon 895 | Snapdragon 480 |
| RAM | 8 GB | 8 GB | 8 GB | 6 GB | 4 GB |
| Storage | 128/256 GB | 128/256 GB | 128/256 GB | 128 GB | 64 GB |
| Rear Camera | 12 MP + 12 MP | 50 MP + 12 MP | 64 MP + 12 MP | 50 MP + 12 MP | 13 MP + 2 MP |
| Front Camera | 10 MP | 10 MP | 32 MP | 16 MP | 16 MP |
| Battery Capacity | 3300 mAh | 4000 mAh | 5000 mAh | 4000 mAh | 5000 mAh |
| Operating System | Android 12 | Android 12 | Android 12 | Android 12 | Android 11 |
| Water Resistance | IPX8 | IPX8 | IP68 | IP68 | No |
| Wireless Charging | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Display | 6.7 inches, Foldable Dynamic AMOLED, 1080 x 2636 pixels resolution |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G |
| RAM | 8 GB |
| Storage | 128 GB / 256 GB |
| Rear Camera | 12 MP (wide), 12 MP (ultrawide) |
| Front Camera | 10 MP (wide) |
| Battery | 3300 mAh, fast charging, wireless charging |
| OS | Android 12 |
| Connectivity | 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, USB Type-C |
Our review of the Galaxy Z Flip 4 mostly made us happy. The style of the new foldable is just a little bit sleeker, and the battery life is much better than on the Galaxy Z Flip 3 from last year. In our own tests, the Flip 4’s battery life was much longer than that of its model.
The 6.7-inch folding Super AMOLED screen is beautiful, even though the screen’s fold is still very obvious. The Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 in the Galaxy Z Flip 4 makes it able to handle any job, including playing games at a high level. And the phone’s longer battery life is probably because it uses less power. Overall, this is one of the best unlocked Android phones that you can buy right now.
There are different kinds of cams. On the one hand, the new night mode is great. On the other hand, the daytime shots aren’t very interesting because they have that oversaturated look that Samsung is known for. We’d be a lot happy if the Galaxy Z Flip 4 took photos like the Galaxy S22.
Pros
- Foldable design makes it unique and stylish
- Powerful Snapdragon 888 5G processor
- Good camera performance with dual rear cameras
- Large foldable display
Cons
- Expensive compared to other smartphones
- Smaller battery capacity compared to other flagship devices
- Foldable screen may be prone to damage over time
Samsung Galaxy S22
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Display | 6.2 inches, Dynamic AMOLED, 1080 x 2400 pixels resolution |
| Processor | Exynos 2200 |
| RAM | 8 GB |
| Storage | 128 GB / 256 GB |
| Rear Camera | 50 MP (wide), 12 MP (ultrawide), 12 MP (telephoto) |
| Front Camera | 10 MP (wide) |
| Battery | 4000 mAh, fast charging, wireless charging |
| OS | Android 12 |
| Connectivity | 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, USB Type-C |
Most of the time, Samsung’s flagship Android phones are at the top of our lists, but they are also very expensive, which makes it hard to buy them unlocked. The Samsung Galaxy S22 is one of the best free Android phones that you can get without spending a lot of money. It costs $799, which is $200 less than the Galaxy S22 Plus.
The Galaxy S22 still has a lot of great features, like a powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset and a triple camera setup with updated main sensor and telephoto lens. Samsung has also made changes to the Galaxy S22 line that make it better for taking photos in low light, which helps this model.
With a bright screen and a small size that makes it easy to use with one hand, the Galaxy S22 is a very appealing choice, even though it’s more expensive than some other open phones. Currently, this is one of the best unlocked Android phones that you can buy right now.
Pros
- Powerful Exynos 2200 processor
- Excellent camera performance with triple rear cameras
- 5G connectivity for fast internet speeds
- Large Dynamic AMOLED display
Cons
- May be expensive compared to other smartphones
- Not as large as other flagship devices
- May not have as many features as other premium devices
Asus Zenfone 9
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Display | 6.67 inches, IPS LCD, 1080 x 2400 pixels resolution |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 |
| RAM | 8 GB |
| Storage | 128 GB / 256 GB |
| Rear Camera | 64 MP (wide), 12 MP (ultrawide), 8 MP (telephoto) |
| Front Camera | 24 MP (wide) |
| Battery | 5000 mAh, fast charging, wireless charging |
| OS | Android 11 |
| Connectivity | 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, USB Type-C |
When looking at the best free Android phones, we look for things that make a phone stand out. When it comes to the Zenfone 9, it’s the small size and power. The Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 CPU that runs this little guy is the most powerful processor you can get in an Android phone right now.
The base model of the Zenfone 9 costs $799 and does a lot of what you could want from a smartphone, except it doesn’t have a zoom lens. All in all, its cameras are pretty good, even though they have slightly warm tones that make some shots look yellow. For now, this is one of the best unlocked Android phones that you can buy right now.
Pros
- Powerful Snapdragon 888 processor
- Large battery capacity with fast and wireless charging options
- 5G connectivity for fast internet speeds
- Large IPS LCD display
Cons
- May be expensive compared to other smartphones
- Not as large as other flagship devices
- May not have as many features as other premium devices
Google Pixel 7 Pro
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Operating System | Android 13 |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 895 |
| Display | 6.7-inch OLED, 1440 x 3120 pixels |
| RAM | 8GB |
| Internal Storage | 128GB/256GB |
| Rear Camera | 64MP + 12MP + 8MP |
| Front Camera | 16MP |
| Battery | 5000mAh |
The Google Pixel 7 Pro has all the changes you’d expect from a new flagship phone. Google has changed some of the colors, and the bar between the camera lenses is no longer made of solid glass with a glossy sheen. This phone came with Android 13 right out of the box, and it will be one of the first to get every new Android update for the next few years.
With the Google Tensor G2, the CPU is better than the one in the earlier model. This CPU isn’t quite as good as Snapdragon’s latest, but it still has enough power for gaming. Of course, the huge 12GB of RAM on board helps with this. The base model has 128GB of storage, but you can update to 256GB or 512GB if you want. In our study of the Pixel 7 Pro, we talk about how Google uses this hardware with its AI-powered features. Thus, this is one of the best unlocked Android phones that you can buy right now.
Pros
- High-quality OLED display.
- Powerful processor for smooth performance.
- Large battery capacity for longer usage.
- Excellent camera performance.
Cons
- Higher price point compared to other flagship phones.
- No expandable storage option.
- No headphone jack.
OnePlus Nord N200
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Operating System | Android 11 |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 |
| Display | 6.49-inch IPS LCD, 1080 x 2400 pixels |
| RAM | 4GB |
| Internal Storage | 64GB |
| Rear Camera | 13MP + 2MP + 2MP |
| Front Camera | 16MP |
| Battery | 5000mAh |
Don’t get me wrong, the OnePlus Nord N200 is a cheap phone, but not everyone needs to spend a lot on the newest tech to get a phone that works well and is fast. When we tried the Nord N200 5G, we found that it keeps things in perspective with a Snapdragon 480, 4GB of RAM, and 5G support, including T-Mobile’s mid-band 5G. When you put this rather boring CPU together with a huge 5,000mAh battery, you can easily get through the whole day on a single charge.
On top of Android 11, Oxygen OS 11 is used on this phone. This software looks a lot like Google’s, so if you’ve used another Android phone, you shouldn’t have too much trouble learning how to use this one. Even though it isn’t done yet, OnePlus promises to update this phone to Android 12 at some point in the future. Still, this is one of the best unlocked Android phones that you can buy right now.
Pros
- Affordable price point.
- Large battery capacity for longer usage.
- Decent camera performance.
- 5G connectivity.
Cons
- Lower RAM compared to other mid-range phones.
- Limited internal storage.
- No telephoto or ultrawide lens on the rear camera.
FAQs
A phone that is not locked to a certain provider or network is called “unlocked.” This means that the phone can be used with any carrier that uses its network technology (like GSM or CDMA), as long as the carrier’s network is compatible with the phone’s bands and frequencies.
One of the best things about having an open Android phone is that it gives you a lot of options. You can move carriers without having to buy a new phone, and if you buy a local SIM card, you can also use your phone while traveling abroad. Also, unlocked phones often get updates faster than phones that are locked to a network.
When buying an unlocked Android phone, think about things like the phone’s specs (processor, RAM, storage), camera quality, battery life, screen size and resolution, and general design and build quality. It’s also important to make sure the phone works with the network of your service.
