The best smartphones with stock Android
Most manufacturers give Android its own user interface – for example OnePlus with OxygenOS or Samsung with One UI – that offers additional functions and a different design. In addition, there are pre-installed apps and a user experience customized by the manufacturer. But now the demand for smartphones with “stock Android”, ie an unchanged Android version, is also high.
If you are looking for a device with stock Android, you should take a look at our list.
Contents
moto g100 – versatile smartphone with a great selfie camera
The moto g100 has a good battery life, excellent performance, a good display and a decent camera. The real strengths of the g100, however, lie in the features that no other smartphone offers – these include, for example, the ring light for close-ups (which, by the way, are pretty good) and the dual selfie camera, with which you can take great selfies.
Motorola belonged to Google between 2012 and 2014 – that’s probably the reason why Motorola respectfully compensates for the weaknesses of stock Android with useful features. Every time I test a Motorola smartphone, I notice that many of the functions feel very much like stock Android – I think the movement gestures (e.g. for the flashlight) should be standard on all Android devices belong.
Opinions on the “ready for” platform are mixed, but without a dock it costs just under € 50. But I think the dock definitely has potential – you can connect an external monitor to use several apps at the same time.
The device runs Android 11, Motorola offers two major OS updates (Android 12 and 13) and two years of security updates.
The moto g100 is designed for versatility, which is reflected in the choice of processor. The Snapdragon 870 is, so to speak, the “Lite” version of the Snapdragon 888 – that means it is future-proof and offers sufficient performance for most tasks.
The moto g100 costs around € 400, which is great value for money.
positive
- Lots of power
- Good camera performance
- Good fingerprint sensor
- Great selfie camera
- Great battery life (1–1.5 days)
- Good value for money
negative
- Quite large
- Charges slowly (20 W)
- Photos lack details in low light
Nokia G10
The Nokia G10 has a 6.5 ″ HD + display with V-Notch, a Helio G25 with 4 GB RAM, a triple camera (13 MP, 2 MP, 2 MP), an 8 MP selfie camera and a 5050 mAh battery . The device is running an unchanged version of Android 11 – Nokia offers two years of updates (Android 12 and 13) and three years of security updates. The G10 feels like a mid-range smartphone, but costs only € 130.
positive
- Great finish
- Good cameras for this price range
- Good display
- Huge battery
- Budget smartphone that feels good
negative
- Sometimes long loading times and stuttering
- Not good speakers
- Slow camera app
- Fingerprint and face locks sometimes react too quickly
Google Pixel 6
Google already offers the latest OS version on the Pixel: Android 12. Not all Pixel models have convinced us so far, but the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are definitely worth buying – especially if you’re looking for a smartphone with you good camera. This time, Google relies on a specially developed processor – the tensor chip – which ensures better performance and better battery life.
Google Pixel 6
positive
- Fantastic photos
- Good price
- Interesting design
negative
- No zoom lens
- Average battery
- Limited storage
Google Pixel 6 Pro
positive
- Versatile camera
- Big and great display
- Android 12
negative
- Opinions differ on the design
- Limited storage
- Average battery life
The Pixel 6 Pro costs € 899 and offers an additional rear camera, a larger display with a higher refresh rate (120 Hz) and more memory – the hardware can certainly compete with the top models from Samsung and Apple.
The Pixel 6 offers a better price-performance ratio – for 649 € you get a 6.4 ″ display with 90 Hz and great cameras.
Google guarantees Android updates through October 2024 and security updates through October 2026.
Pixel 6 & 6 Pro on the Google Store
ASUS ROG Phone 5
If you are looking for a gaming smartphone, the ROG Phone 5S or the Pro version is a good choice. Both models have a Snapdragon 888 5G with 16 GB of RAM. The display has a refresh rate of 144 Hz and a touch sampling rate of 300 Hz. Most games run at at least 60 frames per second and high graphics settings.
The two front-facing speakers are loud and provide a good sound image – there is also a headphone jack and support for various Bluetooth codecs. Both models have a 6000 mAh battery – but the Pro model is a bit more energy efficient.
With a price of € 870, the ASUS ROG Phone 5 is relatively expensive – but in addition to very good gaming performance, you also get almost unchanged stock Android. The device runs Android 11 and the specially developed ROG UI. If you don’t like that, you can switch to the standard Android UI during setup.
ASUS promises two years of software updates (Android 12 and 13).
positive
- Good performance
- Tidy Android
- Headphone jack with Quad-DAC
- Good speakers
- Bright and sharp display
negative
- No wireless charging
- No microSD card slot
- Pretty hard
- No IP certification
- Expensive
This post was sponsored by Motorola, however, all thoughts and opinions are
our own.
