Final list of top 10 smartphones the year 2014
1. Best Overall Smartphone – Samsung Galaxy S5
2. Best Smartphone | Design and Sound – HTC One (M8)
3. Best Smartphone | Extended Battery Life – LG G2
4. Best Smartphone | Apps and User-Friendly – iPhone 5S
5. Best Smartphone | Palatable Price – Google Nexus 5
Google has delivered an impressive smartphone with the Nexus 5 from LG, an unlocked powerhouse with a palatable price and solid performance, and the lastest Android updates largely fix the phone’s initial camera problems. The $349 Nexus 5 delivers cutting edge specs for a budget-friendly price for those looking to avoid contracts. The handset boasts a very fast Snapdragon 800 processor for running the latest Android 4.4 KitKat software. You also get a sharp 1080p display for enjoying the latest games and apps from the Google Play store. The Nexus 5 supports AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile, so you can get 4G LTE speeds on any of those three carriers.
6. Best Smartphone | WaterProof Technology and Faster Speed – Sony Experia Z1s
Sony brings some welcome innovation to Android camera phones with the Xperia Z1s, a potent, waterproof model that nonetheless falls just short of greatness. There’s water resistant, and then there’s waterproof. The Sony Xperia Z1s can snap photos with its 20.7-megapixel camera while fully submerged. Exclusive to T-Mobile, the Z1s’ 5-inch 1920 x 1080-pixel display sits on top of a Snapdragon 800 CPU and 32GB of internal memory. We love the Xperia Camera apps. With the Timeshift Burst app, for instance, you can capture 61 images in 2 seconds and then scroll to the instant you want to keep. This is also the first Android phone with the PlayStation App pre-loaded for controlling your PS4.
7. Best Smartphone | Big Screen Phablet – Samsung Galaxy Note 3
The original phablet gets a third iteration – and Samsung reclaims the gigantophone crown. The King of the Phablets extends its reign with a 5.7-inch, 1080p display, a super-fast processor, and a ton of new software to take advantage of the S Pen active stylus. There’s a virtual scrapbook, Post-It note app, and even better multitasking support than before, plus a huge battery to let you take advantage of it all for as long as possible. The handset boasts a very fast Snapdragon 800 processor for running the latest Android 4.4 KitKat software. You also get a sharp 1080p display for enjoying the latest games and apps from the Google Play store. The Nexus 5 supports AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile, so you can get 4G LTE speeds on any of those three carriers.
8. Best Smartphone | Best Innovating Concept – LG G Flex
The LG G Flex shows off the potential of curved display technology, but it’s the fast performance and top-notch multitasking prowess that make this loaded phablet more than just a tech demo. LG G Flex is known as the best innovating smartphone of the world! This curved display concept is taken positively by the critics.
9. Best Camera Phone – Nokia Lumia 1020
Shutterbugs will love the Lumia 1020 from Nokia, an AT&T exclusive that packs a 41-megapixel sensor along with six Carl Zeiss lenses. The result is one of the best camera phones ever, complete with the ability to zoom in (or out) on your photos after they’re taken. We also love the Pro Camera app, which lets you tweak exposure, focus and more via nifty slider controls. This is easily the best Windows Phone yet. It’s not the best camera ever or the best phone ever, but the Nokia Lumia 1020 is by far the best cameraphone ever.
10. Best Budget Smartphone – Motorola Moto G
Motorola’s back, and it’s kicking off its global smartphone revival with the keenly priced Moto G handset. A mid-range handset with a low-end price tag – we’re talking around £100 in some stores. On paper the Moto G looks like an excellent handset for the price, and in practice it lives up to the billing. It exceeds its rivals in several key areas, from the well defined 4.5-inch display to its 1.2GHz quad-core processor and the early Android 4.4 KitKat update. There’s a lot to love about the Moto G for its price. And now the Moto G has been given a 4G variant, and it comes with a microSD slot now – all for the price of just £149. It might not have the power or precision of its smartphone compatriots, but it’s still a good phone indeed.
Have liked the post? Please share with your friends.