As an Android knowledgeable, do not buy these 8 telephones proper now (February 2026)

In 2026, it’s fairly troublesome to purchase an outright dangerous or horrible Android cellphone. Whether or not you’re out there for a high-end flagship or an inexpensive mid-ranger, you’ve gotten so many choices to select from — as is obvious by our greatest Android cellphone checklist.

Nonetheless, shopping for recommendation is consistently altering, and a cellphone that was a superb buy a number of months in the past might not be the most effective choose proper now. And as high-quality as most trendy telephones are, there are nonetheless a number of stinkers on the market.

As somebody who has examined and written about smartphones for effectively over a decade, listed here are eight Android telephones I don’t suggest shopping for as of February 2026.

The Google Pixel 9a is an impressive Android cellphone. It’s well-built, options nice cameras and wonderful software program, and affords a really aggressive worth. It’s a cellphone we’ve beneficial numerous occasions on Android Authority, so why is it included on this checklist?

It’s not as a result of the Pixel 9a is immediately a foul Android cellphone, however extra so about timing your buy to be as good as potential.

Google not too long ago confirmed that the Pixel 10a is launching on February 18, and when that occurs, it’s all however assured to return with a myriad of pre-order offers — a few of which might allow you to purchase the cellphone for a similar present sale worth because the Pixel 9a, or probably even get the 10a at no cost.

The Pixel 10a isn’t anticipated to be an enormous improve in comparison with the Pixel 9a, however because you’ll quickly have the chance to purchase a more recent model of the cellphone for a similar or much less cash, shopping for a Pixel 9a proper now simply doesn’t make quite a lot of sense.

It’s an analogous scenario for Samsung’s mainline Galaxy S25 household — together with the Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25 Plus, and Galaxy S25 Extremely. Samsung’s present Galaxy S lineup holds up fairly effectively a 12 months after its launch, however just like the Pixel 9a, successors are proper across the nook.

The newest experiences counsel that the Galaxy S26 collection will likely be introduced on February 25, with pre-orders and common gross sales to comply with shortly. Samsung is among the most beneficiant corporations on the market in the case of providing pre-order promos, and the S26 launch shouldn’t be any totally different.

With the S25 launch final 12 months, Samsung supplied free storage upgrades, enormously enhanced trade-in values, free present playing cards, and extra. Relying in your buy and if you happen to had a cellphone to commerce in, you could possibly successfully get the S25 Extremely at no cost.

Assuming Samsung’s pre-order offers are simply as aggressive for the Galaxy S26, you could possibly get much more to your cash by ready for the Galaxy S26 collection in comparison with shopping for a Galaxy S25 mannequin. Sure, the S25 collection has its personal reductions proper now, however the financial savings on the S26 needs to be even higher in only a few weeks. Even with minimal upgrades anticipated for all the Galaxy S26 collection, I’d argue that holding off on the S25 is the most effective transfer.

Just like the Galaxy S25 collection, the Galaxy A56 5G is one other Samsung cellphone that finds itself in that awkward interval of quickly being changed. Nonetheless, in contrast to the S25 lineup, the A56 additionally simply isn’t a very good cellphone in its personal proper. In his full assessment, my colleague Ryan blasted the A56 5G for its sluggish efficiency, lackluster design, and disappointing secondary cameras. Whether or not you’re fascinated with shopping for the cellphone proper now or considered doing so a number of months in the past, the A56 5G isn’t a cellphone we’d suggest.

The excellent news, nonetheless, is that the Galaxy A57 5G needs to be proper across the nook — launching in both late February or early March. And in response to the rumor mill, it needs to be a reasonably first rate improve. A few of the highlights embrace a much-needed new chipset, twice the beginning storage, and a thinner, lighter design with out sacrificing battery measurement or charging velocity. Nothing is confirmed but, but when this all pans out as we’re anticipating, it sounds spectacular.

Contemplating all of that, I wouldn’t suggest anybody purchase the Galaxy A56 5G. Not solely is the cellphone itself not an amazing buy, however a significantly better model of it needs to be coming quickly.

Whereas it could look like older telephones with incoming successors are the one Android telephones you shouldn’t purchase, that’s not true. Our subsequent three picks are all recently-released handsets that I’ve a tough time recommending, beginning with the OnePlus 15.

The OnePlus 15 is a particularly irritating smartphone. Coming off the wildly profitable OnePlus 13, so many elements of the 15 are considerably much less profitable. Its design is extra subdued and fewer attention-grabbing, all of its digicam {hardware} is downgraded, the show decision is decrease, and there are thermal points, too. There are issues to love in regards to the OnePlus 15, notably its battery life and charging, however the general expertise is much much less polished than its predecessor.

As such, if you happen to’re contemplating shopping for the OnePlus 15, you may as effectively do your self a favor and simply purchase the OnePlus 13 as a substitute. It’s objectively a greater smartphone, and because of frequent reductions, you possibly can usually purchase it for lower than a brand new OnePlus 15.

My shopping for recommendation is nearly equivalent for the OnePlus 15R. For the previous couple of years, OnePlus’s “R” collection has been a dependable supply of high-performance, well-priced smartphones. The OnePlus 13R was top-of-the-line smartphone values of final 12 months, and the OnePlus 12R held the identical title in 2024.

Sadly, the OnePlus 15R fully fails to reside as much as its predecessors. It eliminated OnePlus’s well-known Alert Slider, used worse digicam sensors than the 13R, held out options like wi-fi charging, and noticed a $100 worth improve. It ought to have been a straightforward advice, however OnePlus simply dropped the ball.

Whereas I don’t assume you can purchase the OnePlus 15R, I’d completely nonetheless suggest the OnePlus 13R. You’ll have to examine third-party retailers like Amazon and Finest Purchase to search out remaining stock, but when you may get your palms on one, it’s nonetheless an amazing buy in 2026 — one thing I can’t say in regards to the 15R.

My ultimate non-recommendation is the Motorola Moto G (2026). Launched in December, the Moto G seems like a reasonably competent smartphone on paper. It has a 6.7-inch 120Hz show, an enormous 5,200mAh battery, 30W wired charging, and even a 3.5mm headphone jack. For simply $200, that’s not dangerous.

Sadly, latest entries on this collection haven’t fared very effectively in the true world. Final 12 months’s Moto G (2025) scored a measly 5/10 in our assessment because of its poor efficiency, weak cameras, and intensely restricted software program help. Seeing how the Moto G (2026) has the identical chipset, nearly equivalent cameras, and the identical software program replace coverage, Motorola doesn’t seem to have addressed any of our greatest issues.

We’re nonetheless engaged on our Moto G (2026) assessment, and if it seems to be a worthwhile Android cellphone, I’ll replace this accordingly. However from what we’ve seen of the cellphone thus far, and contemplating what occurred with the earlier Moto G, that is in all probability one you need to sit out.