As an Android expert, here are 7 phones that I do not recommend buying

Here to Android authorityWe spend a lot of time talking about the best Android phones that you can buy at any time. Do you want a phone with superb cameras? Long battery life? Something at a low price? We know exactly the right phone for you.

But there is another side to this room: Android phones you should not buy. What phones are you going to jump better? As a person who has examined and written on Android phones for a decade, that’s what I’m here to answer.

Although there are endless Android phones of unknown brands on Amazon and other online retailers that you should always avoid, I focus this list on the main Android phones that you are probably planning. In addition, although some of the phones here are those that we previously recommended, they are not necessarily the best purchase in August 2025.

Got it? Great. Without further ado, here are seven Android phones that I do not recommend buying for the moment.

My first two choices may seem contradictory because they are among the best rated phones from last year, but there is a good reason for their inclusion on this list. It starts with the basic model Google Pixel 9.

The main reason not to buy the Pixel 9 is that the Pixel 10 should be announced on August 20, and that it promises to be a significant upgrade. The Pixel 10 should have a new 5x telephoto lens camera (something that the Pixel 9 does not have), a Qi2 wireless load with integrated magnets, a larger battery and a slightly faster wired load.

Perhaps more important is the Tensor G5 chip which will be inside the Pixel 10. It is greatly believed that the G5 will not only be the first Google 3 Nm chip, but it will also be the first manufactured by TSMC. Nothing is confirmed before getting their hands on the phone, but this could cause substantial improvements in performance and efficiency even compared to the Tensor G4 chipset of the pixel 9 tensor.

Given the importance of an upgrade, we expect the Pixel 10 to be, buying a pixel 9 less than two weeks before the arrival of the new model here is not the best idea. I would recommend waiting to buy the Pixel 10 if it is as good as we suspect it, and if not, you should be able to obtain the Pixel 9 at a highly updated price once its successor arrives.

My next phones to avoid are grouped in one section, because my purchasing advice are the same for the three. I’m talking about Google Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL and Pixel 9 Pro Fold. In addition to the ordinary Pixel 10, we also expect Google to announce new pro phones during its August 20 event – including the Pixel 10 Pro, the Pixel 10 Pro and the Pixel 10 Pro Fold.

Unlike Pixel 10, none of the Pixel 10 Pro models would get new camera equipment. However, other upgrades – such as the magnetic load Qi2, the larger batteries, the faster wired load and the G5 chip of the tensor – are all on the table.

Although the reasons for waiting are slightly different, the same logic applies to the base of the Pixel 9. If you debate to buy a Pixel 9 Pro model, it is worth waiting a little longer than the Pixel 10 Pro will arrive here. At this point, you can decide if new phones are worth purchased, or if you prefer to obtain the models from last year at a reduced price (probably).

Google is not the only company with Android phones that you should avoid buying now. Looking at Samsung, I find it quite difficult to recommend anyone to buy the Galaxy S25 Edge.

My colleague Ryan Haines gave the Galaxy S25 Edge a Teepid 3 out of 5 in his review, criticizing the poor thermal of the EDGE, the absence of telephoto lens, the low life of the battery and the slow load. For a phone that costs $ 1,100, the Galaxy S25 Edge is just not enough.

The Galaxy S25 EDGE has been a difficult recommendation since its launch in May, but the recent rumors Galaxy S26 Edge have further strengthened. A rumor claims that the S26 edge will be 0.3 mm thinner than the S25 edge while simultaneously wrapping a larger 4,400 mAh battery – potentially solve one of our biggest problems with the current edge.

Even more remarkable is an exclusive relationship that Android authority Posted in July, where we found evidence that Samsung will interrupt the Galaxy S26 plus next year and will replace it with the Galaxy S26 Edge. This means that we could see the S26 Edge published much earlier in the year than expected. It also means that the Galaxy S25 EDGE can be obsolete in a few months, so buying it right now is not the best idea.

Registering with Samsung, the company has another Ho-Hum phone on its hands with the Galaxy A36 5G. The A36 is a combined of $ 400 which, at least on the surface, does not seem too bad. With a large AMOLED panel, solid equipment and good battery life, what cannot like?

In fact, a good amount. In our review Galaxy A36 5G, my colleague Rushil has found many problems with the phone – one of the most overwhelming performance. Not only does the Exynos 1380 chipset do not work well in references, but it is also slow for tasks as simple as scrolling the applications or opening the camera. Associated with a great Slow fingerprint sensor, the A36 is a phone that will test your patience, and not in the right direction.

The good news is that there are much better smartphones available at a similar price. The Google Pixel 9a is one of the best phones we have examined this year, praising large cameras, excellent software updates, a reliable battery life and good performance. He also has a much best fingerprint sensor. The Pixel 9A is more expensive at $ 499, but at the time of publication, it is on sale for only $ 399.

The $ 400 Moto G stylus (2025) is another good alternative. And if you agree with possible carrier quirks, the number 3A and 3A Pro telephone is also better purchases. There are a lot of large Android phones available in the ~ $ 400 range, but the Galaxy A36 5G is not part of it.

Speaking of Moto G phones, there is another in the current Motorola portfolio which is better left intact. Motorcycle G (2025) offers a nice design and a decent screen, and only $ 200, it seems to be a good deal. However, this is one of those cases where appearances can be misleading.

Ryan did not beat the bush in our Moto G review (2025), simply saying that he should not think that you should buy the phone – and I fully agree with him. Motorcycle G (2025) is plagued by slow performance, disappointing cameras, low resistance to water and a terrible software update policy. (Motorola only promises two years of updates Android OS.)

You can be willing to neglect a few compromises with a phone as cheap as the G motorcycle (2025), but the fact is that you can do much better for your money. The Samsung Galaxy A16 5G has the same price of $ 200, but it is a better phone overall. If you live outside the United States or if you agree with possible transport problems, CMF Phone 2 Pro is an incredible matter for only $ 279.