ISO Android options, 2025
 

Hi all. I think I'm due for a new personal phone within the next 6 months. My only hard requirements are: 1. Android; 2. no carrier locks. It should look good too, but that's a subjective criterion.

I can buy in the US, China, and HK.

What do you guys suggest?

I have the Pixel 9 as a work phone with backup calling if you have international trips. Previously I had a Samsung S23. I prefer the Pixel.

I don't really think you can go wrong with either the Pixel or the Samsung Galaxy S25 in whatever flavor. I've got the S25 Ultra, my wife moved from the Pixel 8 to an S25 Edge just because we got a fantastic deal by doing so. The Pixel is pure Android, while the Samsungs have an overlay that some prefer and some don't.

My past 3 phones have been Huaweis; I like them from a hardware standpoint. However, their Harmony OS is now so far removed from Android as to be useless for me. I know Samsung and LG aren't nearly as obnoxious as Huawei in this respect, but I'm still a bit gun shy. As such, Pixels are a frontrunner for now.

Over a month ago I bought an Oppo Find N5 for use as a travel device. It’s a newer fold phone with a large (8.12”) screen in a compact, phone sized format. Somewhat pricy, but I am currently on a 3+ week trip using it, and it’s nearly perfect for travel. Great battery life, fast processor, 16Gb ram, 512Gb memory, bright screen, etc. Folded up it’s about the same size as my iPhone 17 Pro Max. Very thin folded or open. Hasselblad 50Mp cameras also. Lots of favorable reviews on YouTube to get an opinion from others.

Edited to add: The “Color Os” is mostly a clone of Apple’s iOS in appearance & function if that might matter. It works well and made it a little easier for an iPhone user to adapt.

I mean, that’s to be expected: since Harmony OS is its own thing with a completely unique kernel (due to the US sanctions placed on Huawei) and is meant to be extendable across Huawei’s full product lineup — now including laptops — the divergence from their former Android skin (EMUI) is going to become more noticeable. The ecosystem is also going to be completely cut off from the Google ecosystem for the same reason.

I’m also in the ‘get a Pixel’ camp for the most seamless experience, but also would suggest putting GrapheneOS to the more technically inclined…

(I use an A16 as my second, data-disconnected phone, replacing a Nokia feature phone; an iPhone mini is my primary. The A16 is too big for what I really want, which is a phone for just calls & SMSs, but it was like $150, so…)

I forgot to mention that I need a physical SIM slot. Therefore, international version, which isn't sold in the us or China. HK is ok though.

The Oppo Find N5 I mentioned earlier has a dual sim card tray (Global Version), it also has esim capabilities. I am currently running 2 T-Mobile sim cards in mine. I have not been able to get IMS working on it so far however. It is really a remarkable device, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, 5600mah battery with 80 watt wired, 50 watt wireless charging. They claim 80% charge in 30 minutes. Another similar phone is the Oneplus Open folding phone. It is also a dual sim card + esim device with slightly lower specs, but a solid performer. I bought one of those before the Oppo N5. I’ll probably keep it as a spare for a few trips.

Buy once, cry once, but the tablet feature of a foldable phone is truly awesome in a travel phone. They generally have a split screen mode also, which is very useful on the road.

I think moondog wants both eSIM & physical SIM capabilities, hence the China-marketed phones are out. Though, since your Oppo N5 is a global version, it will also supports eSIMs, so could meet that need?

(China’s just allowed eSIMs on what I read are commercial trials, though only the iPhone Air is currently supported, and the platform the 3 telecoms are using are supposedly not with the global eSIM platform, so China-marketed phones can’t use international eSIMs, and vice versa.)

The Oppo Find N5 Global Edition (Dual sim card, + esim) is sold in Asian markets outside of China, such as India & Singapore I believe. There are a few vendors on line who apparently drop ship from Asian sellers who seem to have good feedback.

On my recent trip to Europe, I saw Oppo phones for sale in a carrier shop in Barcelona as I recall, but I didn't shop for them, so the N5 model may not be sold in Europe. There is a Chinese parent company called BBK Electronics which makes several brands of the foldable phones that are similar, such as Oppo, OnePlus, Honor, Vivo, etc.

I've had a few Android handsets for Private Cellular network testing. My go to is the S24 Ultra. I tried a Pixel device first, but the UI was poor so I moved to Samsung. I don't like all the Samsung installed bloatware, but it's easily mitigated. The S24U is a great device. There are multiple flavors, but I have the unlocked US one with both a physical SIM and an eSIM. I use the eSIM for my private cellular and the pSIM is a $10/mo T-Mobile data-only SIM. This S24U is more powerful than my iPhone 16 Pro Max (better cameras too). I really wish my company would allow us to use android devices with our MDM setup, but alas they paid for both devices so I can't complain.

I'm a fan of OnePlus myself. I recently upgraded to the 13 from the 9 and it's been working pretty well so far, especially since I bought it directly from OnePlus unlocked this time (vs. the T-Mobile version of the 9, which came with non-removable T-Mobile bloatware). The nice thing about OnePlus is that their UI is still fairly close to what stock Android is, though then again, Samsung definitely isn't as bad as it used to be in that regard.

Oh, and the battery on the 13 easily lasts at least two days with my usage. And when it doesn't, it recharges insanely fast compared to phones I've used in the past. I try not to do this too often, though, since fast charging like that does wear out the battery more quickly.

I actually prefer the Samsung Galaxy S series.... if there is bloatware on mine (carrier free) I haven't seen it. I find the base Android on the Pixel (and incidentally the Lenovo Tab series) klunky and annoying. Currently my work phone is a Pixel 9. My brother had an old OnePlus before, but he also migrated to Samsung. I'm currently on an S23U and the battery and storage is still pretty good. Next time I'm going international, I'm likely to pick up whatever the current version of Samsung S is out at the time.... NOTE: I prefer the Samsung Smarttags vs Apple's Air tags so kinda invested in that sense.... I would avoid the Fold types as I'm still hearing about creasing issues.

I am surprised by the crease issues you mentioned. The latest word on a few popular forums is they are holding up quite well. I have an older Motorola (2023) Razr+ flip that has held up fine since 2023. No signs of the fold deepening or breaking down. The new Samsung Galaxy Fold 7 hasn't had any problems reported, along with the Pixel models also. I think the technology has matured to a point where it's not a common problem with most of the newer, premium brands. They currently tend to be flagship devices from established brands. You cannot even see the screen fold from any normal viewing angle while the device is on unless it catches a reflection from brighter adjacent lighting.

Here's a link to a short YouTube video about 5 of the current folding phones worth considering.

Oh, it's not one of those immediate things. It takes a while... I keep my phones (in general) for 5-8 years, but the few people I know who have had foldables have all had creasing issues around the 3-4 years mark. It's a neat concept, but I just find it doesn't fit my use cases very well (if I were commuting to my office by public transit more, then maybe, but currently not) Personally, I prefer two separate devices for a variety of reasons, but I'm funny that way and definitely not the target market for foldables (my last "foldable" phone was the Moto Razr).