Ryan Haines / Android Authority
In 2026, it’s pretty difficult to buy an outright bad or terrible Android phone. Whether you’re in the market for a high-end flagship or an affordable mid-ranger, you have so many options to choose from — as is evident by our best Android phone list.
However, buying advice is constantly changing, and a phone that was a good purchase a few months ago may not be the best pick right now. And as high-quality as most modern phones are, there are still a few stinkers out there.
As someone who has tested and written about smartphones for well over a decade, here are eight Android phones I don’t recommend buying as of February 2026.
What Android phone do you think is the worst to buy in February 2026? 66 votes Google Pixel 9a 14 % Samsung Galaxy S25/25 Plus/S25 Ultra 33 % Samsung Galaxy A56 5G 8 % OnePlus 15 12 % OnePlus 15R 5 % Motorola Moto G (2026) 29 %
Google Pixel 9a
Ryan Haines / Android Authority
The Google Pixel 9a is an outstanding Android phone. It’s well-built, features great cameras and excellent software, and offers a very competitive price. It’s a phone we’ve recommended countless times on Android Authority, so why is it included on this list?
It’s not because the Pixel 9a is suddenly a bad Android phone, but more so about timing your purchase to be as smart as possible.
Google recently confirmed that the Pixel 10a is launching on February 18, and when that happens, it’s all but guaranteed to come with a myriad of pre-order deals — some of which could let you buy the phone for the same current sale price as the Pixel 9a, or possibly even get the 10a for free.
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