There's one simple reason you should always buy Android phones directly from Google

Ben Gilbert

Feb 15, 2018, 22:14 IST

There's one simple reason you should always buy Android phones directly from Google

Hollis Johnson/Business Insider

Google's Pixel line of smartphones, like the Nexus line before it, are the best Android phones to buy.
A botched rollout of the newest version of the Android software to Samsung's Galaxy S8 further highlights this point.

If you're buying a new phone, and not buying an iPhone, the choice is pretty clear: Google's Pixel phones.

They're fast, pretty, and easy to use. They feature Google's best services - like Gmail and Google Maps and Google Assistant - as primary use, default apps. They take great photos, and have a unique design to boot.

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Like Apple's iPhone, the Google Pixel feels like a phone that was carefully crafted to marry the hardware with the software it runs. And that's crucial in the case of the Pixel, as there are dozens of other major Android smartphones.

Take, for instance, the Samsung Galaxy S8:

Hollis Johnson

Earlier this week, Samsung began rolling out the latest major Android OS update - Android 8.0 "Oreo" - a full five months after Google released it. Even with the extra time, there were issues.

Samsung had to pull the update; representatives told SamMobile the company hopes to re-issue the update to its customers, "as quickly as possible."

Meanwhile, Google Pixel and Pixel 2 owners have had the latest version of Android since August 2017. That doesn't just mean new features - it also means a more secure device. Google's phones are actually on the first major update to Oreo already, called Oreo 8.1. And what was in that update that made the phone go from 8.0 to 8.1? Security patches!

There are plenty of good reasons to opt for Google's Pixel phones over the competition from Samsung, LG, and others - but the simplest reason is security.