AT&T and Verizon have been engaged in a bit of a cold war for the top carrier spot in the United States for some time now. While both carriers have a great selection of phones, many folks claim AT&T’s selection is a bit broader. AT&T has everything from the best flagship devices to mid-range phones, all the way down to budget friendly options. So if you’re looking for the best AT&T phones, we’ve got you covered.
In the list below, we’ve also added a couple unlocked options at the bottom of the post if you’re interested in going off-contract. Without any further ado, let’s get started!
Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge
See more Galaxy S7 photos | See more Galaxy S7 Edge photos
Samsung did a killer job with their 2015 flagship smartphones, the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. Design-wise, many would say those two phones were close to perfect. The company forwent a plastic design and instead included glass front and back panels with an aluminum frame. They weren’t without their flaws, though. The S6 and S6 Edge didn’t offer expandable storage or removable batteries — two features Samsung has been known to include in all its smartphones for years.
Now the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge have made their way to the masses, and they fix many of the problems the S6 line introduced last year. While they don’t offer removable batteries, Samsung included expandable storage on both handsets in case the 32GB of on-board storage isn’t enough. Samsung mostly stuck to the same design this time around, though they did shrink down the camera bumps on the back and made the devices a little thicker to make room for larger batteries.
In terms of specs, these are top-of-the-line smartphones. They come with Quad HD Super AMOLED displays, Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processors, 4GB of RAM, great 12MP rear-facing cameras and run the latest version of Android. Instead of featuring the same screen sizes this time around though, Samsung kept the S7 at a smaller 5.1 inches, while the S7 Edge has been bumped up to a larger 5.5-inch panel.
Seriously, these are some incredible smartphones. They are a little pricey, but all in all, we think the high asking price is worth it.
Specs
Samsung Galaxy S7
- 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, 577ppi
- Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor
- 4GB of RAM
- 32GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 200GB
- 12MP rear camera, 5MP front camera
- Non-removable 3000mAh battery
- Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow
- 142.4 x 69.6 x 7.9mm, 152g
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
- 5.5-inch Super AMOLED display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, 534ppi
- Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor
- 4GB of RAM
- 32GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 200GB
- 12MP rear camera, 5MP front camera
- Non-removable 3600mAh battery
- Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow
- 150.9 x 72.6 x 7.7mm, 157g
Read more
- Samsung Galaxy S7 review
- Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review
- Samsung Galaxy S7 unboxing and first 48 hours
- Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge unboxing and first 48 hours
- Samsung Galaxy S7 camera: feature focus
- Best Galaxy S7 cases
- Best Galaxy S7 Edge cases
- HTC 10 vs Samsung Galaxy S7 / Edge vs LG G5
Buy the Galaxy S7 from AT&T
Buy the Galaxy S7 Edge from AT&T
LG V20
The V20 is basically the phone for power users. It has a a big Quad HD display, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820 processor, plenty of RAM and on-board storage, dual 16MP rear-facing cameras, and a removable 3,200mAh battery. Of course, the unique Second Screen makes a return this year, along with the addition of Quad DAC, military standard durability, and it’s already running Android 7.0 Nougat.
If top-of-the-line specs and an impressive feature set is what you’re looking for, you can’t go wrong with the V20.
Specs
- 5.7-inch IPS LCD display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, 513ppi
- Secondary display: 2.1-inch IPS LCD display with 160 x 1040 resolution, 513ppi
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor
- 4GB of RAM
- 32/64GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 256GB
- Dual 16 and 8MP rear cameras, 5MP front camera
- Removable 3,200mAh battery
- Android 7.0 Nougat
- 159.7 x 78.1 x 7.6mm, 174g
Read more
- LG V20 review
- LG V20 tips and tricks
- LG V20 drop test
- LG V20 Feature Focus: software
- LG V20 specs, price, release date and everything else you should know
- LG V20 vs LG V10
- LG V20, G5, Note 7, S7 Edge: display showdown
- LG V20 vs Galaxy Note 7: camera comparison
Buy now from AT&T
Buy now from Amazon
Samsung Galaxy S7 Active
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You’re constantly dropping your phone. You always use one of those indestructible phone cases. Your phone has taken a swim more than you have this summer.
Does this sound like you? If so, you should probably pick up the Galaxy S7 Active.
It has mostly all the same specifications as the standard Galaxy S7, but this one comes with a handful of improvements for those who need a more rugged device. It’s IP68 certified for dust proofing and water resistance, and also comes with a MIL-STD-810G certification for salt, dust, humidity, rain, vibration, solar radiation, transport and thermal shock resistance. Oh, and it comes with a massive 4,000mAh battery that’s extremely difficult to kill in a single day.
Specs
- 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, 577ppi
- Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor
- 4GB of RAM
- 32GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 256GB
- 12MP rear camera, 5MP front camera
- Non-removable 4000mAh battery
- Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow
- 148.8 x 74.9 x 9.9mm, 185g
Read more
- Samsung Galaxy S7 Active review
- Samsung Galaxy S7 Active officially announced
- AT&T begins selling the Galaxy S7 Active
- Samsung Galaxy S7 Active vs Galaxy S7 quick look
LG G5
While the Galaxy S7 series is a minor refresh in terms of design, the LG G5 sees a massive departure from the design language used in the G series, ditching the rear volume/power setup that first debuted with the LG G2. The G5 also adopts a unibody metallic design that has a removable cap for access to the removable battery and a port for modules that allow users to expand the phone’s capabilities by adding a camera grip and other special accessories.
The distinctly different design of the LG G5 may not be for everyone, but there’s little denying that LG has went out of its way to try and innovate in a market where big changes like this aren’t all that common.
Spec wise, we’re looking at a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 with 4GB RAM, a 5.3-inch display, and 32GB storage with microSD for expansion. The specs here are certainly impressive all across the board. It’s also worth mentioning that LG has revamped its software, making it faster and less bloated. One controversial move with the software, however, is the removal of the app drawer in favor of what LG says is a “simplified experience.”
Specs
- 5.3-inch IPS LCD display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, 554ppi
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor
- 4GB of RAM
- 32GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 200GB
- 16 and 8MP dual rear cameras, 8MP front camera
- Removable 2800mAh battery
- Android 7.0 Nougat
- 149.4 x 73.9 x 7.7mm, 159g
Read more
- LG G5 review
- Best LG G5 cases
- LG G5: specs, features, price and availability
- LG G5 vs iPhone 6s
- Moto Z Force vs LG G5
- LG G5 vs LG V10
- LG G5 vs LG G4
Going off-contract?
If you don’t mind buying your next smartphone through another retailer, you should absolutely go for Google’s new Pixel or Pixel XL. When you buy one of these phones through the Google Store, you’ll be able to activate it on AT&T’s network. Plus, if you don’t feel like spending $650+ outright, Google also has some decent financing options.
Google Pixel and Pixel XL
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Google’s Pixel and Pixel XL are here, and they truly are some amazing smartphones.
Not only are they the first phones to ship with the Google Assistant on board, they also come with plenty of exclusive software features and some of the best smartphone cameras in existence.
Under the hood, they sport some killer specs, too. Both devices have an AMOLED display, a Snapdragon 821 processor, 4GB of RAM, plenty of on-board storage and long-lasting batteries. The overall design of these phones may not be the most unique, but they do feel like premium phones through and through.
There are a few things about these phones that will turn some people away, though. For starters, they only sport an IP53 rating for dust and water resistance, meaning they’re not nearly as waterproof as the Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge. There are ways around that, but none that will make the devices truly waterproof. Plus, if you buy the Verizon model, you’ll have to deal with a small amount of bloatware (though you will be able to uninstall it), you won’t be able to unlock the bootloader, and Verizon will be handling all Pixel and Pixel XL software updates (though the company swears it won’t delay them).
If you’re in the market for a new flagship Android phone and don’t mind spending over $650, you should buy the Pixel or Pixel XL… these are two of the best Android phones out there.
Specs
Google Pixel
- 5.0-inch AMOLED display with 1920 x 1080 resolution, 441ppi
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor
- 4GB of RAM
- 32/128GB of on-board storage, no microSD expansion
- 12.3MP rear camera, 8MP front camera
- Non-removable 2,770mAh battery
- Android 7.1 Nougat
- 143.8 x 69.5 x 8.6mm, 143g
Google Pixel XL
- 5.5-inch AMOLED display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, 534ppi
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor
- 4GB of RAM
- 32/128GB of on-board storage, no microSD expansion
- 12.3MP rear camera, 8MP front camera
- Non-removable 3,450mAh battery
- Android 7.1 Nougat
- 154.7 x 75.7 x 8.6mm, 168g
Read more
- Google Pixel XL review: A Pixel’s perspective
- Google Pixel and Pixel XL hands-on
- Google Pixel XL vs Nexus 6P first look
- Google Pixel and Pixel XL vs the competition
- Google Pixel and Pixel XL specs, price, release date and everything else you should know
How did you like our list of the best AT&T phones? Do you have any other suggestions? If so, feel free to voice your opinion in the comments below!
