As an Android expert, here are 7 phones I don’t recommend buying

Here at Android Authority, we spend a lot of time talking about the best Android phones you can buy at any given time. Want a phone with great cameras? Long battery life? Something at a low price? We know exactly the right phone for you.

But there’s another side to that coin: the Android phones you shouldn’t buy. Which phones are you better off skipping? As someone who’s been reviewing and writing about Android phones for a decade, that’s what I’m here to answer.

While there are endless Android phones from unknown brands on Amazon and other online retailers that you should always avoid, I’m focusing this list on major Android phones that you’re likely already considering. Also, while some of the phones here are ones we’ve previously recommended, they’re not necessarily the best purchase in August 2025.

Got it? Great. Without further ado, here are seven Android phones I don’t recommend buying right now.

My first couple of picks may seem contradictory, as they’re some of the highest-rated phones from last year, but there’s a good reason for their inclusion on this list. It starts with the base model Google Pixel 9.

The main reason not to buy the Pixel 9 is that the Pixel 10 is set to be announced on August 20, and it’s shaping up to be a significant upgrade. The Pixel 10 is expected to feature a new 5x telephoto camera (something the Pixel 9 doesn’t have), Qi2 wireless charging with built-in magnets, a larger battery, and slightly faster wired charging.

Perhaps more important is the Tensor G5 chip that’ll be inside the Pixel 10. It’s widely believed that the G5 will not only be Google’s first 3nm chip, but it will also be the first one manufactured by TSMC. Nothing is confirmed until we get our hands on the phone, but this could result in substantial performance and efficiency upgrades even compared to the Pixel 9’s Tensor G4 chipset.

Given how significant an upgrade we expect the Pixel 10 to be, buying a Pixel 9 less than two weeks before the new model gets here isn’t the best idea. I’d recommend waiting to buy the Pixel 10 if it’s as good as we suspect, and if not, you should be able to get the Pixel 9 at a heavily discounted price once its successor arrives.

My next few phones to avoid are grouped together in one section, as my buying advice is the same for all three of them. I’m talking about the Google Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold. In addition to the regular Pixel 10, we also expect Google to announce new Pro phones at its August 20 event — including the Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, and Pixel 10 Pro Fold.

Unlike the Pixel 10, none of the Pixel 10 Pro models are reported to get new camera hardware. However, other upgrades — such as Qi2 magnetic charging, larger batteries, faster wired charging, and the Tensor G5 chip — are all on the table.

While the reasons to wait are slightly different, the same logic applies as it does to the base Pixel 9. If you’re debating buying a Pixel 9 Pro model, it’s worth waiting just a little while longer for the Pixel 10 Pro to get here. At that point, you can decide if the new phones are worth buying, or if you’d rather get last year’s models at a (likely) discounted price.

Google isn’t the only company with Android phones that you should avoid buying right now. Looking at Samsung, I find it pretty hard to recommend anyone purchase the Galaxy S25 Edge.

My colleague Ryan Haines gave the Galaxy S25 Edge a tepid 3 out of 5 in his review, criticizing the Edge’s poor thermals, lack of a telephoto camera, weak battery life, and slow charging. For a phone that costs $1,100, the Galaxy S25 Edge just isn’t enough.

The Galaxy S25 Edge has been a difficult recommendation since its launch in May, but recent Galaxy S26 Edge rumors have further reinforced that point. One rumor claims that the S26 Edge will be 0.3mm thinner than the S25 Edge while simultaneously packing a larger 4,400mAh battery — potentially fixing one of our biggest issues with the current Edge.

Even more noteworthy is an exclusive report that Android Authority published in July, where we found evidence that Samsung will discontinue the Galaxy S26 Plus next year and replace it with the Galaxy S26 Edge. This means we could see the S26 Edge released much earlier in the year than previously expected. It also means that the Galaxy S25 Edge may be outdated in just a few months, so buying it right now isn’t the best idea.

Sticking with Samsung, the company has another ho-hum phone on its hands with the Galaxy A36 5G. The A36 is a $400 handset that, at least on the surface, doesn’t look too bad. With a big AMOLED panel, solid hardware, and good battery life, what’s not to like?

As it turns out, a fair amount. In our Galaxy A36 5G review, my colleague Rushil found numerous issues with the phone — one of the most damning being poor performance. Not only does the Exynos 1380 chipset not perform well in benchmarks, but it’s also sluggish for tasks as simple as scrolling through apps or opening the camera. Paired with a super slow fingerprint sensor, the A36 is a phone that’ll test your patience, and not in a good way.

The good news is that there are far better smartphones available at a similar price. The Google Pixel 9a is one of the best phones we’ve reviewed this year, touting great cameras, excellent software updates, reliable battery life, and good performance. It also has a much better fingerprint sensor. The Pixel 9a is more expensive at $499, but at the time of publication, it’s on sale for just $399.

The $400 Moto G Stylus (2025) is another good alternative. And if you’re okay with some possible carrier quirks, the Nothing Phone 3a and 3a Pro are better buys, too. There are lots of great Android phones available in the ~$400 range, but the Galaxy A36 5G isn’t one of them.

Speaking of Moto G phones, there’s another one in Motorola’s current portfolio that’s better left untouched. The Moto G (2025) features a nice design and a decent display, and at just $200, it appears to be an incredible bargain. However, this is one of those cases where appearances can be deceiving.

Ryan didn’t beat around the bush in our Moto G (2025) review, simply saying that he doesn’t think you should buy the phone — and I fully agree with him. The Moto G (2025) is plagued with slow performance, disappointing cameras, weak water resistance, and a terrible software update policy. (Motorola promises just two years of Android OS updates.)

You may be willing to overlook a few compromises with a phone as cheap as the Moto G (2025), but the fact is that you can do a lot better for your money. The Samsung Galaxy A16 5G has the same $200 price tag, but it’s a better phone overall. If you live outside of the US or are okay with some possible carrier issues, the CMF Phone 2 Pro is an unbelievable bargain for just $279.