I’m in a fortunate position where I get to check out almost every Android phone launched in the US. If it came out of Samsung, Google, Motorola, or OnePlus in the last few years, I’ve probably taken it for a spin. However, I’m also constantly reminded that I only get to use a tiny sliver of the overall Android ecosystem. I get to watch OPPO, HUAWEI, Nothing, and more launch inventive Android phones, knowing I won’t have the chance to use them properly on a US-based carrier.
On one hand, that’s a bummer — no doubt about it. I would love to pop my SIM into some of the latest Leica-tuned camera phones or pick up a foldable that opens not once but twice. On the other, I keep hoping that some of the phones launched internationally will influence those launched in the US, and sometimes they do. Here are some of the best Android phones that never quite made it to the US.