I’ve reviewed smartphones for 10 years. These are the 5 Android phones I would buy on Prime Day

Amazon Prime Day is officially upon us, and just like every year, that means there’s a mountain of deals to sift through, including seemingly endless discounts on Android phones. Some of them are great, others are just fine, and there are some you should avoid altogether.

As you might imagine, this can make finding the best Android phone deals a pain in the butt. And that’s where I come in.

I’ve been reviewing and testing smartphones for over 10 years, and I’ve used many of the best Android phones on the market today. After looking through all of the biggest Prime Day Android phone deals available for 2025, here are the top five ones I would spend my own money on.

While specs certainly aren’t everything, they do play a critical role in every smartphone, and this is an area where the OnePlus 13 excels. Its Snapdragon 8 Elite chip is blazing fast, the 6,000mAh battery has enough endurance for two days of use per charge, and the 80W wired and 50W wireless charging speeds are among the fastest available on a phone in the US. You also have up to 16GB of RAM, 256GB of base storage, and a superb 6.8-inch AMOLED display.

The OnePlus 13 checks off every specification box, but it’s the combination of that and what it’s like actually using the phone that makes it so special. I love OnePlus’s color science and image processing, and as such, the OnePlus 13 is one of my favorite smartphone cameras to shoot with. Its blue leather back is one of the best finishes on a phone today; the weight and size are surprisingly comfortable for a phone this big, and OnePlus’s OxygenOS 15 software has quickly become one of my favorite Android skins.

All of this is well worth the usual $900 retail price, but for Prime Day 2025, you can get the OnePlus 13 for $780. That’s the lowest price we’ve ever seen for the phone, and if you’re looking for a new Android flagship right now, this is the one to buy.

If the OnePlus 13 is still too rich for your blood even at its Prime Day price, my next recommendation would be the OnePlus 13R. This is another phone I’ve spent a fair amount of time with, and it’s basically a “lite” version of the regular OnePlus 13.

The OnePlus 13R’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip feels just as fast as the OnePlus 13 in everyday use. The 13R’s 6.8-inch AMOLED screen looks every bit as good, and the 6,000mAh battery offers the same two days of use per charge. The 55W wired charging isn’t quite as fast, but it’s still darn good. And while there’s no leather back option, the OnePlus 13R is built exceptionally well and feels significantly more premium than you might expect.

That said, there are compromises to be made. The rear cameras are good for the price, though there is a noticeable quality downgrade compared to the regular OnePlus 13. There’s also no wireless charging, and the 13R’s dust and water resistance is limited to a weaker IP65 rating.

If you’re OK with those concessions (which most people should be), the OnePlus 13R is an excellent value. It’s a phone I happily recommend at the full $600 retail price, and being lowered to just $500 for Prime Day, I think the OnePlus 13R is a no-brainer.

That’s enough OnePlus recommendations. Another Prime Day deal that caught my eye is the Samsung Galaxy S25. While the S25 Plus and S25 Ultra are also on sale, the regular S25 is the one that I would buy during Prime Day.

I’ve tested all three Galaxy S25 models, and the smaller Galaxy S25 is by far my favorite. Its 6.2-inch display is easy to navigate with one hand, and paired with the phone’s thin frame and super lightweight body, it’s one of the most comfortable Android phones I’ve used all year.

What about the specs? They’re solid! The Snapdragon 8 Elite is the same chip found in the OnePlus 13, and it’s every bit as fast in the Galaxy S25. The three rear cameras are good and consistent (if not up to the same quality as the OnePlus 13), and the 4,000mAh battery should easily last through a full day of use. The Galaxy S25 also benefits from seven years of Android updates, handily beating the four years of updates you get on the OnePlus 13 and 13R.

There aren’t many compact Android flagships to choose from these days, but the Galaxy S25 is one of the few remaining — and arguably one of the best. If that’s the kind of phone you’re after, the $600 Prime Day price (a $200 savings) is one of the biggest discounts we’ve seen yet, making now the perfect time to finally splurge for the Galaxy S25.

The $500 OnePlus 13R is a phenomenal deal, but it may not be the right fit for you. Whether you don’t like its large display, bland design, and/or limited software updates, the Google Pixel 9a is a better choice.

Size-wise, the Pixel 9a has a much more manageable 6.3-inch display. It’s a bit thicker and heavier than the Galaxy S25, but it’s still very usable with one hand. From a design standpoint, I quite like the lack of a camera bump, and the Iris and Peony colors look gorgeous. And if software updates are a concern for you, the Pixel 9a is promised seven years of major Android upgrades and security patches — one of the best update policies you’ll find for a phone this cheap.

The Pixel 9a’s Tensor G4 chip isn’t nearly as performant as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in the OnePlus 13R, but for most folks, it should still be more than capable. The Pixel 9a also has just two cameras instead of three, but Google’s excellent image processing means I’d rather use the Pixel’s cameras than the OnePlus 13R’s.

I’ve been testing the Pixel 9a for the last few weeks, and I’ve been thoroughly impressed with just how well it’s kept up with me despite its mid-range nature. Available during Prime Day for only $449 (a $50 discount), the Pixel 9a is one of the best budget Android phones you can purchase during Amazon’s big sale.

My fifth and final pick may not be the first phone that comes to mind, but I honestly think it’s one of the best Prime Day Android phone deals you can find. I’m talking about the Motorola Razr Plus (2024).

To be clear, this is last year’s version of the Razr Plus and not the newer Razr Plus (2025) that was released in May. But to be honest, that really doesn’t matter. Outside of a new hinge design and a slightly better IP48 rating (up from IPX8), the Razr Plus (2025) and Razr Plus (2024) are practically identical.

What does that mean for you? It means the Razr Plus (2024) has a large 4-inch cover screen that can run any app you want, an excellent 6.9-inch main display, a reliable Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset, and a 50MP dual camera system on the back that’s a lot better than you might think.

The Razr Plus (2024) is one of my favorite Android phones I used last year, and it remains one of my favorite flip phones available today. This 2025 Prime Day sale means the Razr Plus can be yours for just $700, and at that price, I can’t think of a better flip phone foldable to buy.