6 most popular smartphones of all time

Android phones have come a long way. Today, they come in almost every shape and size. After reviewing and using many Android phones over the years, these are our all-time favorites.

1. HTC Google Nexus One

The Google Nexus One was one of the phones that got a lot of people excited in 2010. It had a larger 3.7-inch AMOLED display than most other phones at the time. It had a unique center trackball for navigation, similar to what was found on some Blackberry models.

Another thing that makes the Nexus One such an iconic phone is that it was the first phone to be directly marketed as a Google phone, meaning you got an Android phone as Google intended.

Software aside, the Nexus One also has a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, making it a pretty powerful device for its time. The Nexus One only has 512MB of storage, but thankfully it comes with a microSD slot and a 4GB card, giving you all the room you need for photos and videos.

2. HTC One (M8)

HTC released the HTC One (M8) in 2014. At the time, HTC was one of the top smartphone brands globally. It had a beautiful 5-inch display, larger than the iPhone 6 (but smaller than the 6 Plus). Everyone loved the look of the body, with a sleek aluminum frame with speaker grilles at the top and bottom.

The phone is not only beautiful but also very easy to use. It has a beautiful rear camera with a wide f/2.0 aperture and one of the first few uses of a depth sensor that allows for beautiful bokeh effects. It also allows for refocusing of images after they have been taken, giving users more room to take creative photos with their phones.

The only downside was that the rear camera was only 4MP, but that was still more than enough for most people at the time. Besides, a 1/3-inch camera sensor would have taken clearer pictures, which is why sensor size is more important than megapixels to some extent.

The combination of a slim body and great camera performance made it one of the most memorable devices of all time. The Snapdragon 801 chip with 2GB of RAM also made it a great device for gaming. And the expandable microSDXC card slot means you never run out of space for all the photos you take.

3. OnePlus One

Back in 2013, OnePlus was a new brand, and the OnePlus One was dubbed the “flagship killer.” But what really made the phone stand out from the crowd was its price—just $350 for the 64GB version, offering flagship performance at an affordable price. For comparison, the HTC One (M8) cost $649, and the Samsung Galaxy S5 cost nearly $700.

Despite its low price, the OnePlus is still a top-of-the-line device: a 5.5-inch display with a top-of-the-line Snapdragon 801 chip, 64GB of storage and 3GB of RAM, a 13MP f/2.0 rear camera and a 5MP front camera, and a 3,100mAh battery. Its low price does mean it has to cut some corners, though. The OnePlus One uses an IPS display (rather than AMOLED) and has a plastic back instead of aluminum.

OnePlus didn't cut corners on the most important part: Great hardware that delivers a smooth user experience. The OnePlus One showed the world how to make a phone that could beat Apple, Samsung, and HTC at half the price.

4. Samsung Galaxy Note 5

While there have been other Samsung Galaxy Note models before the Note 5, this is the first to feature an all-glass build. The included stylus makes life much easier for users, especially when they need to move or touch small spots on the screen with their hands.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 has a 16MP camera with a wide f/1.9 aperture and a large 1/2.6-inch sensor, making it a great phone for taking sharp photos. Users also appreciate the ability to simply double-tap the front button to launch the camera and take a photo instantly. Despite having a glass front and back, the phone's durability is impressive.

5. Google Pixel

After years of asking other manufacturers to build smartphones for it, Google finally built its first one in 2016. It has great specs – a 5-inch AMOLED display, Snapdragon 821 processor, 128GB of storage and 4GB of RAM – meaning you won't have any issues with performance.

Where the device stands out, though, is in its software. It runs stock Android , with no slow-down interfaces or unnecessary bloatware. It's also the first device to get software updates, and has received OS updates for nearly three years since its release.

Another thing people like about the Google Pixel is its excellent camera quality. It has a fairly fast 12.3 MP sensor with an f/2.0 aperture to deliver great image quality. However, the Google Pixel's image processing is much better than its competitors, which is why some people have switched to the Google Pixel after using Samsung for years.

6. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5

Samsung is the leader when it comes to foldable phones. However, the original Samsung Galaxy Fold had too many first-generation quirks to be called the most popular phone of all time.

But after five versions, it's safe to say that the Z Fold 5 is more of a practical phone for everyday use. It's a true smartphone user's delight, with an operating system well-equipped for multitasking. It finally addresses the annoying drawbacks that were common in older models.

While most of the hardware in the old Z Fold 4 remains the same, the newer Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip and improved hinge finally prove the usefulness and practicality of foldable phones. In 2024, Samsung further improved its foldable phones, and that's evident in how much people love the new Z Fold 6.

Right now, these are the best Android phones of all time. As phone makers roll out new models every year, there are bound to be more iconic devices.