The Pixel 6 won’t arrive in time, so buy one of these phones for the holidays instead

For as glorious as the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are and feature been, there is one evident factor that many are nonetheless dealing with: with the ability to in fact get one for your self. Following Google’s disastrous pre-ordering fiasco, which left many lacking out totally, neither of Google’s contenders for highest Android phones are readily to be had. In truth, some of us right here needed to refresh carriers and native outlets regularly till we had been in a position to get one, however no longer everybody has been so fortunate.

That were given us pondering, despite the fact that. While the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro are improbable phones, what else will have to you imagine if you do not need to attend round any longer? In 2021, we noticed the unencumber of so many wonderful Android phones, starting from flippy boi’s to budget-minded beasts and all over in between. So with out additional adieu, listed below are our possible choices for those that do not wish to wait for the Pixel 6 anymore.

Samsung Galaxy S21

The most blatant selection for the ones having a look at choosing up a brand new Android phone is the Samsung Galaxy S21. Not handiest are you able to in finding some lovely improbable offers, however the phone nonetheless holds up in spite of being round for just about all of 2021.

Samsung has been on a roll, because it now handiest trails Google in the tool division following the unencumber of One UI 4 in accordance with Android 12 previous this month. It’s certainly protected to mention that Samsung has come far from the days when some of its flagship phones would not see primary tool updates for months after the truth. But the Galaxy S21 additionally continues to carry up in relation to {hardware}, as the phone is outstandingly well-balanced and comfy to carry with out being too unwieldy.

Along with the large design and lots of tool updates, Samsung packs one of the maximum spectacular digital camera programs we now have noticed. The Galaxy S21 Ultra won’t tout the identical gimmicky “Space Zoom” function from its predecessor, however with a complete of 5 cameras, you might be hard-pressed to discover a image that you simply won’t have the ability to seize.

For the best part of a 12 months, the Pixel 4a and Pixel 4a 5G had been atop the record of highest reasonable Android phones. But now that the Pixel 4a 5G has been retired (along side the Pixel 5) because of the Pixel 5a, there is a new champion. The Pixel 5a was once highly-anticipated, as has been the case with any of Google’s “Pixel a” units. And with the Pixel 5a, Google didn’t disappoint.

Despite being overshadowed by way of the next Pixel 6 announcement, the Pixel 5a nonetheless gives the highest digital camera enjoy that you’ll get with out springing for a flagship phone. The digital camera {hardware} is just about the identical as the Pixel 5, however it is going to be supported for an additional 12 months, along side nonetheless wearing the cherished rear-fingerprint scanner. The handiest “problem” to the Pixel 5a is its restricted availability, as the 5a is unavailable out of doors Japan and the United States.

2021 has been this type of bizarre 12 months for OnePlus, however the emblem turns out to have in reality nailed it from a {hardware} point of view with the OnePlus 9 Pro. Along with being the corporate’s costliest phone ever launched, the 9 Pro maintains some of that OnePlus aptitude whilst providing one thing we did not up to now have.

For years, the OnePlus line of phones all the time had an Achilles’ heel in the digital camera device. Thanks to a brand new partnership with Hasselblad, along side tool enhancements alongside the means and the use of some lovely nice sensors, the OnePlus 9 Pro continues to wonder. The phone was once even the runner-up in MKBHD’s Blind Smartphone Camera Test, falling simply quick of the Pixel 5a in the finals.

But there may be one large caveat to imagine if you’re having a look at the OnePlus 9 Pro, and that’s the reason the tool. The corporate goes via a re-branding of types because it merges with Oppo. So instead of OxygenOS, we now have ColorOS, which proved to be a supply of many complications as the Android 12 rollout started. But if you need a phone that appears just right, feels incredible, and is one of the highest phones for rooting, the 9 Pro is the solution to pass.

It will have to come as no wonder, however Samsung continues to dominate the foldable phone marketplace. And whilst the Galaxy Z Fold 3 stole some headlines after its unencumber because of the inclusion of S Pen toughen, the Galaxy Z Flip 3 was once the phone that stunned many.

For the first time ever, you’ll get a smartphone with a foldable show for beneath $1,000. And over the Black Friday / Cyber Monday shenanigans, carriers had been nearly giving the Flip 3 away for new and former subscribers. Part of the explanation why for the Flip 3’s luck comes right down to the incontrovertible fact that Samsung no longer handiest reached that cheaper price level but in addition presented a slew of new and a laugh colours. But each the Flip 3 and Fold 3 are actually supplied with an IPX8 water resistance ranking. This is admittedly improbable taking into account that it is a folding display, and the sturdiness issues put so much of possible house owners off in years previous.

The digital camera device won’t fit up with the different choices in this record, however Samsung’s dedication to the foldable smartphone scene is unequalled. With the Z Flip 3, we actually have a higher quilt display, the skill to customise the phone’s design with the Bespoke Edition, and now there is even a 120Hz refresh price show. All of this, mixed with flagship specifications beneath the hood, make for a package deal that is simply too just right to forget about.