Ranked: The best smartphones in the world
Samsung and HTC may be about to launch new flagship devices, but that shouldn't keep you from getting a new smartphone now.
By Business Insider | Updated:
By Steve Kovach
Samsung and HTC may be about to launch new flagship devices, but that shouldn't keep you from getting a new smartphone now. Here's a look at the best smartphones you can buy today.
We update this list approximately once a month. Our rankings are based on a variety of factors including design, software and hardware features, content selection, carrier availability, and price. We only consider phones that are available in the U.S. at the time of publication. We list approximate prices for what phones cost without a contract. Prices vary from carrier to carrier and retailer to retailer. You can see January's smartphone rankings here.
1. iPhone 6
The iPhone 6 is the best smartphone. Unless you really like using Android or Windows Phones, the iPhone 6 should be your first choice. Why? It's the perfect mix of design, hardware specs, and app selection. Apple also finally caught up to its competitors by adding a larger screen to the iPhone 6. It's 4.7 inches, up from the 4-inch screen on the iPhone 5S.
Price: Starts at $649.
2. iPhone 6 Plus
If you want a phablet, the iPhone 6 Plus is the best phone you can buy. Unlike other phablets that can be thick, chunky, and plasticky, the iPhone 6 Plus is thin, gorgeous, and made of metal. It doesn't feel like you're lugging around a giant phone. Price: Starts at $749.
3. Galaxy Note 4
Price: About $750.
4. HTC One (M8)
The HTC One M8 is nearly a year old, but it's still a great device. HTC is one of the only Android manufacturers that can make phones a good looking as the iPhone. Warning: HTC's next One phone is coming in about a month. Unless you need to upgrade now, you should wait. Price: Around $540.
5. Moto X
Motorola's new Moto X, which launched in September, is a strong contender for best Android phone. Similar to Google's Nexus 6, the Moto X runs a nearly clean version of Android, meaning you get software updates a lot faster. The phone also looks really nice and has a 5.2-inch display.
Price: Around $500.
6. OnePlus One
What if you could get a smartphone with a huge 5.5-inch screen, great software, and zippy internal specs that rival the best smartphones? That's what Chinese startup OnePlus did with its flagship phone, the One. The OnePlus One only costs $300 unlocked, which is much cheaper than other premium phones like the iPhone 6 and Samsung Galaxy S5, which can cost $650 or more. The downside? Supplies are extremely limited.
Price: $300 unlocked. Works on T-Mobile or AT&T.
7. Nexus 6
Google's newest flagship phone is the Nexus 6, a massive device with a 6-inch screen. It's made by Motorola and is the first phone to run Lollipop, the new version of Android with a brand new design.
Price: Starts at $649.
Samsung and HTC may be about to launch new flagship devices, but that shouldn't keep you from getting a new smartphone now. Here's a look at the best smartphones you can buy today.
We update this list approximately once a month. Our rankings are based on a variety of factors including design, software and hardware features, content selection, carrier availability, and price. We only consider phones that are available in the U.S. at the time of publication. We list approximate prices for what phones cost without a contract. Prices vary from carrier to carrier and retailer to retailer. You can see January's smartphone rankings here.
1. iPhone 6
The iPhone 6 is the best smartphone. Unless you really like using Android or Windows Phones, the iPhone 6 should be your first choice. Why? It's the perfect mix of design, hardware specs, and app selection. Apple also finally caught up to its competitors by adding a larger screen to the iPhone 6. It's 4.7 inches, up from the 4-inch screen on the iPhone 5S.
Price: Starts at $649.
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2. iPhone 6 Plus
If you want a phablet, the iPhone 6 Plus is the best phone you can buy. Unlike other phablets that can be thick, chunky, and plasticky, the iPhone 6 Plus is thin, gorgeous, and made of metal. It doesn't feel like you're lugging around a giant phone. Price: Starts at $749.
3. Galaxy Note 4
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Samsung's new Galaxy Note 4 is the best phone the company has ever made. It has an incredibly crisp 5.7-inch screen, the best display ever used on a smartphone. It also has a metal frame around the edges, which makes the phone feel a lot sturdier than previous versions. If you want a phablet-sized phone, the Galaxy Note 4 is one of the top devices you should consider. Price: About $750.
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(Getty Images)4. HTC One (M8)
The HTC One M8 is nearly a year old, but it's still a great device. HTC is one of the only Android manufacturers that can make phones a good looking as the iPhone. Warning: HTC's next One phone is coming in about a month. Unless you need to upgrade now, you should wait. Price: Around $540.
5. Moto X
Motorola's new Moto X, which launched in September, is a strong contender for best Android phone. Similar to Google's Nexus 6, the Moto X runs a nearly clean version of Android, meaning you get software updates a lot faster. The phone also looks really nice and has a 5.2-inch display.
Price: Around $500.
6. OnePlus One
What if you could get a smartphone with a huge 5.5-inch screen, great software, and zippy internal specs that rival the best smartphones? That's what Chinese startup OnePlus did with its flagship phone, the One. The OnePlus One only costs $300 unlocked, which is much cheaper than other premium phones like the iPhone 6 and Samsung Galaxy S5, which can cost $650 or more. The downside? Supplies are extremely limited.
Price: $300 unlocked. Works on T-Mobile or AT&T.
7. Nexus 6
Google's newest flagship phone is the Nexus 6, a massive device with a 6-inch screen. It's made by Motorola and is the first phone to run Lollipop, the new version of Android with a brand new design.
Price: Starts at $649.
The Galaxy S5 may be close to a year old, but it's still one of the best Android phones you can buy. It has an incredible screen, one of the best ever put on a smartphone. But if you don't like phones made out of plastic, you should probably look for something else.
Fair warning: Samsung's next Galaxy phone is coming in about a month. If you like Samsung phones and can wait, you probably should.
Price: Around $610.
9. Sony Xperia Z3
Sony's flagship Z3 phone is one of the best Android phones to come out this year. It has a sharp 5.2-inch screen, incredible camera, and is resistant to water.
Price: About $630.
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10. LG G3
LG's current flagship, the G3, has one of the sharpest displays ever put on a smartphone. It's also massive thanks to its 5.5-inch display. That makes the G3 more like a phablet than a standard smartphone. It's a good Android phone, but LG put the power and volume keys on the back of the device, which is pretty awkward.
Price: Around $599.
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11. iPhone 5S
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Apple's iPhone 5S may be over a year old, but it's still a really good phone, especially if you don't want a bigger screen. If you want a great iPhone experience at a discount, get the iPhone 5S. However, if you want the best experience, you're better off spending the extra $100 on an iPhone 6.
Price: Starts at $549.
12. Samsung Galaxy Note Edge
The Note Edge is similar to the Galaxy Note 4, but it has a secondary screen on the side that changes depending on what app you're using. The "edge" screen can also display information like news updates and other notifications when the rest of the screen is switched off. Price: About $945.
13. HTC One M8 For Windows
The HTC One M8 For Windows is the best phone you can buy running the Windows Phone operating system. It has a gorgeous metal body and the new version of Windows Phone, 8.1, which includes the excellent digital assistant Cortana.
Price: Around $600.
14. Nokia Lumia 830
The Nokia Lumia 830 is one of the newest phones from Microsoft. It runs the Windows Phone 8 operating system and has a sharp 5-inch screen.
Price: About $450 on AT&T.
15. Amazon Fire phone
Amazon's first smartphone, the Fire phone, generated a lot of hype before it launched last summer. But just about every critic bashed it. It's an interesting device thanks to its screen's 3D effects, but it doesn't have the same vibrant app ecosystem as the iPhone or Android phones.
Price: Starts at $449 unlocked.
16. BlackBerry Classic
BlackBerry has gone back to the basics. Its latest phone, the Classic, looks a lot like the BlackBerry Bold from a few years ago. It has a physical keyboard, trackpad, and larger screen. If you want a phone with a keyboard, the Classic is the best phone to buy.
Price: $449 unlocked from BlackBerry.
BONUS: The Samsung Galaxy S6 is coming in March.
Samsung's next flagship phone, the Galaxy S6, is coming in early March. Sources tell Business Insider that the phone will be made out of metal. There will also be a version of the Galaxy S6 with a curved screen, similar to the Galaxy Note Edge.
BONUS: HTC's new One phone is about to launch.
HTC plans to announce its newest One phone on March 1. According to early reports and leaks, the next One will look a lot like the current version. But it'll have a much better camera and internal specs.
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Ashutosh Desai & Savio D'Souza, TNN
If you're in the market for a high-end device from the newer batch of smartphones, or perhaps, even looking for an upgrade, there's no escaping these five handsets. Each of these is capable of running demanding apps, can handle all productivity tasks (e-mails, instant messaging, word processing, spreadsheets and presentations), boast of sterling photo and video output, is more than capable of playing most hi-def formats of movies and music straight out of the box and also support direct reading from and writing to OTG USB pen drives.
The choice ultimately comes down to your budget, the size of the screen you prefer, and the pre-packaged features that each of these flagships brings to the table...
If you're in the market for a high-end device from the newer batch of smartphones, or perhaps, even looking for an upgrade, there's no escaping these five handsets. Each of these is capable of running demanding apps, can handle all productivity tasks (e-mails, instant messaging, word processing, spreadsheets and presentations), boast of sterling photo and video output, is more than capable of playing most hi-def formats of movies and music straight out of the box and also support direct reading from and writing to OTG USB pen drives.
The choice ultimately comes down to your budget, the size of the screen you prefer, and the pre-packaged features that each of these flagships brings to the table...
