5 Android phones you should buy instead of the iPhone 17 Pro

Last week’s smartphone headlines were largely dominated by the iPhone 17 series, and rightfully so. Between the 120Hz refresh rate for the base iPhone 17 and the ultra-thin design of the iPhone Air, Apple certainly gave us plenty to talk about. And that also applies to the iPhone 17 Pro.

Apple made some really interesting upgrades to the Pro series this year. The new design with the Google Pixel-inspired camera bar is a bold choice, the new telephoto sensor sounds promising, and the A19 Pro paired with a vapor chamber should make the iPhone 17 Pro a performance powerhouse.

I don’t think it’s a hot take to say that the iPhone 17 Pro looks like a great smartphone, but at the same time, there are other Android phones I think you’d be much better off with instead.

Just like how the Pixel 10 is one of the best alternatives to the base iPhone 17, the same is true of the Pixel 10 Pro in relation to the iPhone 17 Pro. If you want an Android phone that is a direct competitor to Apple’s latest flagship, the Pixel 10 Pro is the phone you want to get.

Like the iPhone 17 Pro, the Pixel 10 Pro is available in two sizes: a 6.3-inch screen for the “normal” model, and a 6.8-inch screen for the Pixel 10 Pro XL. The displays are LTPO AMOLED panels and are even brighter than the iPhone. The Pixel 10 Pro’s hardware is among the best on the market, and it’s the only major Android phone with built-in magnets for wireless charging and other accessories — just like MagSafe on the iPhone 17 Pro.

Cameras are a big deal for Pixels and iPhones alike, and the Pixel 10 Pro has really impressed us in our testing. The sensor makeup is largely the same between the Pixel 10 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro, but the Pixel has a big advantage in its zoom range — going all the way up to 100x vs. just 40x on the iPhone. Google’s new Help Me Edit feature is also shockingly good, as are all of the other Pixel-exclusive features that we’ve come to love over the years.

The iPhone 17 Pro’s biggest advantage over the Pixel 10 Pro is that Apple’s A19 Pro chip will almost certainly run laps around Google’s Tensor G5. However, unless you’re doing tons of intense gaming, the Pixel 10 Pro handles daily use exceptionally well and even stays cool while doing so — something we haven’t been able to say about previous Tensor-powered Pixels.

There’s so much more to say about the Pixel 10 Pro, all of which you can find in my full Pixel 10 Pro review. But to put it simply, if you want a compact, well-built smartphone with top-notch cameras, excellent software, and one that’s compatible with all of your MagSafe accessories, it doesn’t get any better than the Pixel 10 Pro.

If the Pixel 10 Pro isn’t quite enough smartphone for you, you might be better off with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. The S25 Ultra is about as overkill as it gets for a non-folding Android phone, and I mean that in the best way possible.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra matches the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s display almost perfectly. Both measure 6.9 inches, are LTPO AMOLED panels, and have anti-reflective coatings for better visibility in harsh lighting. Interestingly, despite being about the same size, the S25 Ultra weighs 15 grams less than the iPhone 17 Pro Max and is a bit thinner, too.

Internally, the S25 Ultra’s Snapdragon 8 Elite chip is one of the best you can currently get in an Android phone — performing much better than the Tensor G5 in benchmarks and under intense use. The Snapdragon chip is also more efficient, and paired with a big 5,000mAh battery, the S25 Ultra is a phone that can easily last two days on a single charge.

What else does the Galaxy S25 Ultra have going for it? It’s got a 200MP primary camera (compared to the iPhone 17 Pro’s 48MP primary camera), two telephoto cameras, an impressive bundle of Galaxy AI features, Samsung DeX, the included S Pen stylus, up to 16GB of RAM … the list goes on. You’ll pay a pretty penny for the privilege of owning the Galaxy S25 Ultra, but if that doesn’t deter you, it’s one of the most feature-complete smartphones around.

If you like the idea of a big smartphone with a no-compromise chipset, long battery life, and great cameras — but you can’t justify the price of Apple or Samsung’s phones — the OnePlus 13 needs to be on your shopping list. Priced at $899, the OnePlus 13 is $300 less than the iPhone 17 Pro Max and $400 less than the Galaxy S25 Ultra. And even so, it’s one of the best Android phones you can buy in 2025.

Why is that? If there’s a flagship spec you want in your next phone, chances are the OnePlus 13 has it. The 6.8-inch display uses an LTPO AMOLED panel and has significantly more brightness than the iPhone 17 Pro (4,500 nits vs. 3,000 nits). The Snapdragon 8 Elite is a workhorse, the 6,000mAh battery handily lasts two days per charge, and the 80W wired charging puts the iPhone’s charge speeds to shame. OnePlus’s camera sensors and image processing are also incredible, and the OnePlus 13 has one of my favorite camera systems I’ve used this year.

Naturally, some downsides come with the OnePlus 13’s lower price. The phone is only promised up to four major Android upgrades, which pales in comparison to the seven years of updates Apple, Google, and Samsung all offer for their handsets. Also, while the OnePlus 13 has some AI features, they’re pretty notably behind the competition.

Are those legitimate compromises to consider? Absolutely. But if you want a proper flagship phone that’s fast, lasts forever, and takes great pictures — all while costing hundreds less than the latest iPhone — the OnePlus 13 is a pretty incredible purchase.

My last two picks won’t be for everyone, but if you’re open to looking past the iPhone 17 Pro and seeing what the wide world of Android truly has to offer, these two phones deserve to be mentioned — the first being the Motorola Razr Ultra.

In a lot of respects, the Razr Ultra has many of the same qualities as the Galaxy S25 Ultra and OnePlus 13. The Razr’s 7-inch main display is another LTPO AMOLED panel with a brightness of 3,000 nits. The phone has the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, 512GB of storage by default, 16GB of RAM, a 4,700mAh battery, and 68W wired charging — all things you’d expect in a flagship smartphone.

The kicker is that the Razr Ultra packs all of this into a foldable flip phone design. The Razr Ultra looks like a traditional Android phone when it’s open, but you can close it shut into about half the size and continue using it with the 4-inch cover screen — something that’s absolutely not possible with the iPhone 17 Pro. Even better, the Razr Ultra has some of the most unique colors/finishes available on a phone today, including wood and Alcantara options.

You’ll pay a premium to get all of these specs in a foldable form factor, with the Razr Ultra starting at $1,299. However, at the time of writing, Motorola has the phone discounted to just $1,099 — the same price as the iPhone 17 Pro. Given the choice between the two phones costing the same amount of money, I know which one I would pick, and it wouldn’t be the iPhone.

Lastly, if you want to go all-out with a folding Android phone, look no further than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7. The Fold 7 is essentially the opposite of the Razr Ultra. When folded shut, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 features a 6.5-inch cover display that resembles any other smartphone. But when you open up the Fold, you’re treated to a massive 8-inch display that resembles a miniature tablet.

This design isn’t anything new for Samsung, but what makes the Galaxy Z Fold 7 special is that you get this foldable hardware in a body that’s unbelievably thin and lightweight. When closed, the Fold 7 is almost the exact same width as the iPhone 17 Pro Max and weighs 18 grams less, too — all while Samsung is effectively giving you a smartphone and tablet experience in that same body.

And, naturally, that impressive hardware is backed up by similarly great specs. The Fold 7 features a Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, a 200MP primary camera (identical to the one on the S25 Ultra), impressive battery life, and all of Samsung’s AI capabilities.

Is all of that worth the Galaxy Z Fold 7’s eye-watering price tag of nearly $2,000? That’s for you to decide. What I will say is that the Fold 7 is about as good as a foldable gets in 2025, and if you’re looking for a smartphone experience that the iPhone 17 Pro can’t come close to matching, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is it.