I looked at the 20 best-selling smartphones on Amazon, and these are the only 3 I would buy

If you’re buying a new smartphone, there’s a good chance you’ve checked Amazon’s latest deals. Prime Big Deal Days may have already wrapped up, but with the holiday shopping season approaching, there’s no shortage of smartphone deals coming over the next few months.

In case you didn’t know, Amazon also maintains a list of its best-selling smartphones. I recently went through the top 20, and while some of the choices made perfect sense, others left me wondering why people were still spending money on those devices in 2026.

But just because a phone is selling well on Amazon doesn’t necessarily mean it’s worth buying. After going through all 20, there are only three smartphones I’d actually recommend spending your money on.

Just keep in mind that Amazon’s list is changing extremely fast, with new phones constantly making their way into the top 20 and some leaving the list altogether overnight.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is at the top of my list, and it’s pretty easy to understand why.

Let’s be honest: when it comes to flagship Android phones in the US, there isn’t much competition, and Samsung easily clears the bar with the Galaxy S26 Ultra. It’s probably the best all-around Android phone you can buy right now.

Not only do you get top-tier performance with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chipset, but Samsung has pretty much nailed every other department as well. You get premium materials, a 200MP primary camera that’s easily among the best in its class, the latest Android 17 version, as well as long-term software support.

But probably the most interesting feature of the Galaxy S26 Ultra is its Privacy Display. Samsung has introduced new display technology that makes it difficult for people looking from the sides to see what’s on your screen. It works by physically controlling the pixels, so the screen remains visible when you’re looking at it directly, while appearing much darker to anyone trying to peek from the side.

There are some compromises, including slight color shifting and reduced brightness compared to a standard OLED panel. But having used the Galaxy S26 Ultra for the past six months, I haven’t had any major issues with it. Overall, if you’re in the market for a flagship Android phone and want something that’s worth spending your money on, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is probably the easiest recommendation I can make.

Samsung Galaxy A57

Another Samsung Galaxy smartphone on the list, and probably the one that gives almost every other mid-range Android phone a run for its money, is the Samsung  Galaxy A57.

Launched earlier in 2026, the Galaxy A57 is arguably one of the best mid-range Android phones you can buy this year. And the reason I like it so much is that Samsung hasn’t really compromised on the overall package. For starters, it’s quite slim at just 6.9mm and weighs around 180 grams. Samsung has also taken care of durability, with Gorilla Glass Victus+ protection and an IP68 rating, something you don’t always get on phones in this price bracket.

On the front, you get a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED display with up to a 120Hz refresh rate. And if you’ve used a Samsung phone before, you’ll know just how good the company’s displays usually are. The bezels are also relatively slim for a mid-range Android phone, which makes the Galaxy A57 look more premium than its price suggests.

But probably the biggest reason I’d recommend the Galaxy A57 is its software support. Samsung promises six years of Android OS upgrades, which is very impressive for a mid-range smartphone. You also get the latest One UI features, including those introduced with One UI 9, with several more years of updates to look forward to.

And all of this comes at around $450 right now. Considering how expensive smartphones have become in 2026, I think it’s pretty difficult to argue against the Galaxy A57 if you want a well-rounded Android phone without spending flagship money.

iPhone 16 Plus

I know it might seem unusual for me to recommend an iPhone, but if I had to spend my own money on one of the Apple phones in Amazon’s top 20 list while sticking to a limited budget, I’d probably go with the iPhone 16 Plus.

The iPhone 16 Plus originally launched for $899 in the US back in 2024, but right now, it is down to around $600 on Amazon. Considering how expensive smartphones have become, with even the base Galaxy S26 now starting at $1,000, that price doesn’t seem all that unreasonable anymore.

You get a modern iPhone design, a large 6.7-inch OLED display, and a big battery that can comfortably last a full day. There’s also Apple’s A18 chipset inside, which is still more than capable of running the latest iOS 27 smoothly and should continue receiving software updates for years to come. The dual-camera setup is still pretty capable for everyday photography, and the model listed on Amazon is unlocked, meaning you can use it with carriers like T-Mobile, Verizon, or AT&T without being tied to a specific network.

The only thing that would make me think twice about buying the iPhone 16 Plus is its 60Hz display. It’s 2026, and I really wish Apple had offered a 120Hz panel on this phone. But even with that limitation, I think the overall package you’re getting for around $600 is just too good to ignore.

There are other iPhones on Amazon’s best-selling list as well, including the iPhone 14 and iPhone 16e, but I don’t think either makes as much sense, especially in 2026. The iPhone 16 Plus gives you a much better balance of a big screen, excellent battery life, capable performance, and long-term software support.

These are the only three I’d actually buy

On the whole, it’s pretty interesting to see what people are actually buying on Amazon compared to the smartphones that usually get recommended by reviewers. There are other Android phones on the list too, including the cheaper Galaxy A17 and even the top-tier Galaxy Z Fold 8. But some of those budget phones make too many compromises for my liking, while the more expensive flagships might actually be better purchased through carrier deals rather than paying the full price upfront on Amazon.

For me, however, only the Galaxy S26 Ultra, Galaxy A57, and iPhone 16 Plus make the cut. And if I had to spend my own money on any of Amazon’s best-selling phones right now, these are the three I’d pick.