What Are the Best Unlocked Phones Around?

The Google Pixel 3A is the most recommended by Wired and rated at 9/10. You can get yours for less than $400 and can even compete with phones over $800. It gives such an amazing performance that even the Pixel 4 could be beaten. The camera of the Pixel 3A is just outstanding! With a 12.2-megapixel rear camera, you may not think it’s that great, but it captures consistently good quality photos and videos. You can compare its photo and video quality with a lot of phones that are marketed to have the best AI cameras. It has a Google Night Sight, which takes the best dark mode or night shots without looking grainy.

You will definitely feel quality in your hands with the Pixel 3A. This phone is made from polycarbonate. They now make most phones from glass, but polycarbonate is actually more durable and is much cheaper. Running on a mid-range Snapdragon processor, you get very smooth and speedy performance. The processor will give you access to regular Google feature updates and monthly security.

Unfortunately, it’s not water-resistant or waterproof. So you will still need a waterproof case to keep it safe during your extreme adventures. You’ll also find that the screen quality isn’t the best around. Even if it’s a full notch-less screen, graphics may not look very good.

We know OnePlus as one of the best mobile phones at competitive prices. Since its debut in 2014, OnePlus has made a name for itself in the Android game. Compared to its predecessors, the OnePlus 8 isn’t as affordable. Unfortunately, this phone doesn’t support wireless charging, unlike the previous models. But you’re still definitely getting the best features with this phone at such a reasonable price. The display of the OnePlus 8 is amazing with 90Hz AMOLED. The colors are vibrant and the animation looks smooth.

The design of this phone is also aesthetically pleasing. You’ll get eye-catching colors in “Interstellar Glow” and “Glacial Green.” The two colors look beautiful and are something you can definitely be proud of when you take it out of your pocket. It has three rear cameras that capture good quality photos and videos, plus a battery that can last you a day with one charge. It has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 864 processor. This allows you to use heavy apps and still have a smooth and speedy experience. It runs on Android 10 with Oxygen OS, so the interface is tidy, clean, and responsive.

If you’re looking for the best unlocked premium phone, then the Samsung Galaxy S20 is just right for you! The Samsung Galaxy S20 is one of the best phones of this year. The screen has one of the best displays you can get that refreshes speedily. Users have commended how beautiful the screen looks and how well it performs. With three rear cameras, you will take the best photos! It has a 12-megapixel wide lens, a 6-megapixel telephoto lens, and 12-megapixel ultra-wide sensors. You can get up to 3x optical zoom and 30x digital zoom with its outstanding cameras.

It runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865 processor and has a RAM of 123 GB. This gives you the best smooth and speedy performance, even with heavy app use. The battery life on this phone is also phenomenal at 4,000 mAh! You can get an entire day of use with it and it even has reverse wireless charging! Lastly, it also supports 5G networks, so your internet connection is also fast!

Looking for a large and bright screen for a mid-range phone may not be the easiest to do. But the Redmi Note 8 makes it possible. The notch on top of the screen for the front camera is small and won’t really take up much of your screen space. It’s the first of Xiaomi’s line to run on MIUI 11. It’s been commended for its clean and clutter-free software. While most other Android phones have a cluttered software, the Redmi Note 8 is easy on the eyes. Running on the Snapdragon 665 chipset, your app usage and gaming won’t be compromised. You can also get decent photos with its quadruple rear cameras.

The 18W charger gives you fast-charging, and it even has a USB Type-C port! You won’t be disappointed with the design either, because it looks luxurious and the build is very good, too. Speaking of build, you’ll be happy to know that it has Gorilla Glass 5 for the screen. No need to worry about your screen getting shattered easily. However, the LED light for notifications is a bit small to be noticed. Also, the rear cameras are mounted on the phone, which may turn off some people. But for a mid-range phone, it can definitely meet your daily demands and more!

Sony has made a comeback with the Sony Xperia 1! This phone can capture brilliant photos, just like what the old Xperia phones have been known for. Videos are also stabilized, so you’ll be able to take the best videos as well. As expected from Xperia, this phone has a very simple and clean UI, which a lot of Android users will surely enjoy. The HDR OLED screen will make watching videos and gaming pleasures to do. And with a Snapdragon 855 chipset, you won’t experience lags or being slowed down by heavy app-use.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t have a headphone jack. But with very good-quality speakers, you can still enjoy listening to music while charging your phone. This phone also has bezels on the top and bottom parts of the screen, which might not be preferred by some.

The Huawei Y9 Prime offers a pop-up selfie camera at a mid-range price. This phone has a full screen and doesn’t have any bezels or notches. The front camera packs a punch at 16-megapixels. On the back, it has three cameras. You’ll get a 16-megapixel primary camera, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide lens, and a 2-megapixel depth lens. You can record high definition videos at 1080p at ten frames per second. One charge will last you a whole day with its hefty 4,000 mAh battery. Running on 4 GB of RAM, you’re sure to enjoy a decent response from this phone. It also looks stunning with colors like “Sapphire Blue” and “Emerald Green.” These colors are very eye-catching. However, this phone may not be the best for gamers since it experiences lags.

We’ve featured a few Samsung models in this article, and we’re also including another as this one does not lag behind the best Samsung phones. The Samsung Galaxy A71 has a beautiful design without bezels. The camera on the top is placed seamlessly as well. Although the body is made from plastic, it has a laminated finish that looks and feels just like glass. It’s a very aesthetically-pleasing phone! You also get a large 6.7-inch Super AMOLED screen, which displays vibrant colors. There are four rear cameras. You get a 65-megapixel primary lens, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide lens, a 5-megapixel portrait lens, and a 5-megapixel macro lens. You’ll be sure to capture great photos and videos with this phone.

You’re in for a treat with performance with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 730 processor and 5 GB of RAM. Keeping files is a breeze with 128 GB of storage, which is expandable. And you’ll get more than a full day of use with it because of the 4,500 mAh battery capacity. An added perk to this phone is that it includes a 64 GB microSD.

Looking for an unlocked phone that you can easily lug around or put in your pocket? The Samsung Galaxy S10e is a great choice! With most phones nowadays getting bigger and bigger, it’s somewhat hard to find a good compact phone. With a bigger phone, you need to use both hands to hold it properly. The Galaxy S10e is compact enough for you to hold with just one hand. This makes it easier for you to text or play games without having to worry about not holding it properly. Bigger phones tend to slip with just one hand.

The Samsung Galaxy S10e has the same capabilities as the other S10 and S10+ models. With a bright 5.8-inch AMOLED screen display, you’re in for an enjoyable experience. You can watch your favorite movies or videos, as well as playing your favorite games. It runs on a Snapdragon 855 processor and has a good RAM of either 6 GB or 8 GB. (This would depend on which model you get.) So, you’re sure to have a smooth and speedy experience as you run heavy apps. You’ll also get a 128 GB internal storage, which is good enough to store all your favorite apps and files. But its memory is also expandable, so in case you need some extra space, then you won’t have to worry.

It also supports wireless charging and doesn’t have bezels. It’s beautiful for such a tiny phone. You’ll be able to pay through Samsung Pay, so making online payments is quick and easy.

Are you looking to buy an unlocked phone with a good quality camera? Then Google’s new flagship phone might be right up your alley. We all know the iPhone 11 targets its consumers with the best camera. But the Google Pixel 4 (or 4 XL) can definitely give you a run for your money. The dual-camera on the back gives you a Portrait Mode to capture photos with a blurred background. It also has a 2x zoom telephone lens that you can use for close-ups or macro shots. Capturing photos in Night Sight mode gives you great photos. Even under low light, your photos won’t end up being grainy or blurry.

The screen gives you great graphics with a 90Hz quality. You can unlock the phone with Face Unlock, similar to iPhone models. Unfortunately, the battery doesn’t pack a punch. You won’t get a day of use from it if you like to use heavy apps. If you need a longer-lasting battery, then you can choose the Pixel 4 XL variant, which has a bigger battery.

Honor is a company owned by Huawei. Now, given that Huawei is a trusted brand, it’s also safe to say that Honor can keep up with its reputation. The Honor 9X is worthy to be on our list because it has great features at an affordable price. While Huawei releases high-end flagship phones, Honor gives the same feel and quality at a much affordable price range.

Right off the bat, the phone is attractive. It feels nice on the hand and it should because of its glass body and aluminum frame. With colors like “Sapphire Blue” and “Midnight Black,” you’ll get a very aesthetically-pleasing phone. You get a full-screen notch-less display. And for selfies, there’s a motorized pop-up camera. It takes very good photos, but there can be some noise or grains under low light. The battery is 4,000 mAh, which is long-lasting and can make it through the day. However, this phone may not be for gamers. It runs on a HiSilicon Kirin 710F processor, which experiences lags in gaming. But it will definitely keep up with you on your usual day-to-day activities.

The Moto G Stylus looks so good for a phone that just costs $300. It even has a stylus that is useful for people who like to take down notes or doodle.  This phone doesn’t have notches or bezels, which something you’d definitely enjoy when watching videos or playing games on. The front camera is just a little hole on the screen which won’t make much difference for your viewing pleasure. It has a 4,000 mAh battery that can last you the whole day with just one charge.

You’ll be happy to know that it can withstand occasional splashes as well. With a Snapdragon 665 processor, you can enjoy heavy app use and gaming without experiencing lags. For photography enthusiasts, this phone can take very good photos. It has three rear cameras. The 48-megapixel main wide-angle camera is able to combine light information or four pixels into one pixel. According to CNET, this technology is called “pixel binning.” For what it costs, it packs a punch. We highly recommend this for jotting and drawing.

Samsung takes a lot of places in our top picks of the best unlocked phones. And all for the right reasons, because Samsung caters to all needs and budgets! Another addition to our list is the Galaxy A20s from good ol’ Samsung. It offers a great battery life at 4,000 mAh, which can last you the whole day with a single charge. The notch is placed nicely on the top of the screen. Bezels are slim and that makes this phone look very classy and fancy. It feels solid and great to hold. But it’s still made from plastic, so it will collect fingerprints and make scratches obvious.

Considering that this phone is affordable, the 6.4-inch AMOLED screen at 1,650 x 720 resolution isn’t very sharp. It’s not the best for people who want to enjoy movies and videos in high definition. The two rear cameras and selfie camera can produce very decent photos, especially under good lighting. The biggest drawback of this phone is the performance. It’s not for gaming and heavy app use. But for an everyday phone, the Galaxy A20S can definitely suffice.

The Doogee S95 is the most unique phone we’re featuring on our list. That’s because this phone is fully-rugged. This means that it’s virtually indestructible! The body is made from hard-wearing rubber and metal. It’s completely scratch-proof, waterproof, and shockproof. This phone is aimed at adventure-goers and people who are just not good at babying their phones. You won’t have to worry about dropping your phone or spilling drinks on it because it’s made to withstand any impact or splash.

It also features three rear cameras, which is good for taking photos of your adventures and outdoor activities. With a 48-megapixel main camera, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide lens, and an 8-megapixel depth sensor, you will get good and clear photos. It supports MiraVision tuning, which lets its users customize their photo quality, depending on their preference.

Running on Snapdragon 710 and an 8 GB RAM, you can get excellent app use and gaming experience on it. With a battery of 5,150 mAh and an extra attachable battery pack with 3,850 mAh, you’ll be able to get more than a day’s use with one charge. Most rugged phones usually compensate for performance, but the S95 Pro performs well with a few lags here and there. This isn’t just a rugged phone, because it packs a punch with its many features.

Another unique addition to our list of best unlocked phones is the BlackBerry Priv. BlackBerry mellowed down in the past few years with the boom of touchscreen phones. But it still deserves a place on our list. The BB Priv is a touchscreen phone, but is also versatile and has a slide-down keyboard. This is great for people who like to type a lot because a physical keyboard just feels better. The keyboard doesn’t need to be pressed too hard to input your character. The screen is 5.4 inches big with a curved AMOLED display. You’ll enjoy viewing photos and videos with it as well as playing games on it. Running on Snapdragon 808 with 3 GB of RAM will give you decent app use and gaming experience. The 18-megapixel camera takes very good photos. It takes sharp-looking photos even on low light. We can say that the Priv has the best camera of all the previous BlackBerry phones.

However, it does heat up after some time. Although it has a 3,410 mAh battery, it doesn’t give you a full day of use, so make sure to take the charger with you. We also mentioned that gaming on this device is decent, but it still experiences some lags every now and then.