The Best Samsung Smartphones You Should Buy Right Now
Samsung and its wildly successful smartphones have had a busy year.
Samsung launched the Galaxy S21 product family earlier this year, which features a new look, improved hardware, and, most of all, more affordable prices. The tech giant updated its budget-friendly Galaxy A Series of smartphones with five new models in April, including a low-cost 5G gadget for under $300.
Samsung announced the Galaxy Z Fold3 and Galaxy Z Flip3 today, expanding its smartphone lineup. Both are high-end foldable phones with cutting-edge hardware specs and a durable design that has received official water resistance ratings. The latter is notable because it is available for the first time on the tech giant’s foldable smartphones.
The Galaxy Fold3 is Samsung’s first foldable phone to support the S Pen. The product will come with Samsung’s renowned stylus as an optional accessory.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 is set to revolutionize the game, pushing the design of smartphones as we know them to a whole new level. It’s easily Samsung’s most important new phone in years, and it’s also the most affordable foldable phone ever, with a starting price of around $1,000.
We’ve broken down everything you need to know about the best Samsung phones, whether you’re searching for the most feature-packed smartphone, a budget-friendly alternative that can perform the essentials, or the most recent model.
With the exception of models with foldable displays, all Samsung high-end smartphones are waterproof, in addition to other important features such as rapid wired charging, wireless charging, and built-in stereo speakers.
The majority of the cellphones on this list are unlocked and contract-free. You can purchase any phone directly Samsung or through your preferred wireless carrier in affordable monthly installments.
The Best Samsung Smartphones for 2021, according to us
- The Most Important New Galaxy: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3
- The Ultimate Folding Galaxy: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3
- The Best Galaxy for Most Consumers: Samsung Galaxy S21
- A Feature-Packed Galaxy for Less: Samsung Galaxy S20 FE
- The Ultimate Big-Screen Galaxy: Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
- The Most Productive Galaxy: Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra
- Best Mid-Range Galaxy: Samsung Galaxy A52 5G
- Best Budget Galaxy: Samsung Galaxy A32 5G
The Criteria We Used
For years, we’ve been testing cellphones, including Samsung’s Galaxy range. When new items are released, we evaluate their design, hardware, performance, and battery life in comparison to earlier models, as well as the overall value they provide.
This Samsung smartphone guide includes models with the most up-to-date specs and features in their respective price ranges — from budget to high-end — assuring that your new phone will keep you happy for a long time. These are the greatest Samsung phones on the market right now.
The Most Important New Galaxy
Specifications
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset
• Full HD+ 6.7-inch folding display External Super AMOLED 1.9-inch Infinity Flex Glass Dynamic AMOLED2X with 120 Hz maximum refresh rate
• Camera: 12MP main camera, 12MP wide-angle camera; 10MP selfie camera
• Memory: 8 gigabytes of RAM and 256 gigabytes of non-expandable storage
• 3,300 mAh battery with quick wired and wireless charging, as well as reverse wireless charging
• Additional features include Wi-Fi 6E, built-in stereo speakers, and IPX8 water resistance.
The Ultimate Folding Galaxy
Specifications
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset
• Display: 7.6-inch foldable QXGA+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X with 120 Hz maximum refresh rate, 6.2-inch HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X with 120 Hz maximum refresh rate
• Camera: Triple camera with 12MP main, 12MP telephoto, 12MP wide-angle; 10MP selfie camera, 4 MP under-display camera
• Other: Wi-Fi 6E, Stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos, IPX8 water-resistant
• Battery: 4,400 mAh, quick wired and wireless charging, reverse wireless charging
The Best Galaxy for Most Consumers
Product Specs
• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 888
• Display: 6.2-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with 120 Hz maximum refresh rate and HDR10+ compatibility
• Camera: Triple camera with 12MP main, 64MP telephoto, 12MP ultra-wide; 10MP selfie camera
• Memory: 8GB of RAM, up to 128/256GB of storage
• Battery: 4,000 mAh, fast wired and wireless charging, reverse wireless charging
• Other: Wi-Fi 6E, built-in stereo speakers, waterproof body
A Feature-Packed Galaxy for Less
Product Specs
• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
• Display: 6.5-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display with 120 Hz maximum refresh rate and HDR10+ compatibility
• Camera: Triple camera with 12MP main, 8MP telephoto, 12MP ultra-wide; 32MP selfie camera
• Memory: 6/8GB of RAM, up to 256GB of expandable storage
• Battery: 4,500 mAh, fast wired and wireless charging, reverse wireless charging
• Other: Wi-Fi 6 compatibility, built-in stereo speakers, waterproof body
The Ultimate Big-Screen Galaxy
Product Specs
• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 888
• Display: 6.8-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with 120 Hz maximum refresh rate and HDR10+ compatibility
• Camera: Quadruple camera with 108MP main, dual 10MP telephoto with 3- and 10-times magnification optical zoom, 12MP ultra-wide, Depth Vision sensor; 40MP selfie camera
• Memory: 12/16GB of RAM, up to 512GB of storage
• Battery: 5,000 mAh, fast wired and wireless charging, reverse wireless charging
• Other: Wi-Fi 6E compatibility, built-in stereo speakers, waterproof body
The Most Productive Galaxy
Key Specs
• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+
• Display: 6.9-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity-O display with 120 Hz maximum refresh rate and HDR10+ compatibility
• Camera: Quadruple camera with 108MP main, 12MP telephoto with 5-times magnification optical zoom, 12MP ultra-wide, Depth Vision sensor; 10MP selfie camera
• Memory: 12GB of RAM, up to 512GB of expandable storage
• Battery: 4,500 mAh, fast wired and wireless charging, reverse wireless charging
• Other: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, built-in stereo speakers, IP68 waterproof body
Best Midrange Galaxy
Product Specs
• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G
• Display: 6.5-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display with 120 Hz maximum refresh rate
• Camera: 48MP main, 12MP ultra-wide, 5MP macro, 5MP depth field sensor, 32MP selfie camera
• Memory: 6GB of RAM, 128GB of expandable storage
• Battery: 4.500 mAh with fast wired charging
• Other: Standard audio jack
Best Budget Galaxy
Product Specs
• Chipset: MediaTek Dimensity 720
• Display: 6.5-inch HD+ TFT display with 90 Hz maximum refresh rate
• Camera: 48MP main, 8MP ultra-wide, 5MP macro, 2MP depth field sensor, 13MP selfie camera
• Memory: 4GB of RAM, 64GB of expandable storage
• Battery: 5,000 mAh with fast wired charging
• Other: Standard audio jack
Note: Before purchasing an unlocked smartphone, check carefully if it’s fully compatible with your preferred carrier. Samsung’s unlocked Galaxy devices are compatible with all major carriers in the United States.