The best smartphones of 2015 - what's the best phone you can buy?
Discover the best smartphone for your pocket, budget and apps with our buying guide and in-depth reviews
If you want to know what the best smartphone on the market is, then you've come to the right place.
Scroll down to see our pick of the ultimate smartphones available right now, or click through our "jump to" section to discover the questions you should be asking before you set out to buy a mobile.
Samsung has finally rid plastic for its latest smartphone design and,
aside from a few reservations, the result is a triumph. The S6 looks
glorious with Gorilla Glass 4 at the front and rear and coloured metal
beneath it to give it a glitzy, shimmering look. And it isn't only the
exterior of the handset that sees improvements; Samsung has
significantly beefed up the innards without impacting on battery life.
The highlight, however, is the improved camera, which now boasts optical image stabilisation and a wide f/1.9 aperture for stunning image capture in all conditions.
The S6 edge is just as good and arguably the more attractive device, but its unusual curved screen and the fact that there's no 32GB option bumps the price of an already expensive phone up to an eye-watering £760. Buy the S6: you won't regret it.
Last year's LG G3 was a top smartphone – and still is (see below) –
but the LG G4 is a different beast entirely: it has a camera to match
the Samsung Galaxy S6, fast internals and a fantastic 5.5in quad HD
display.
It isn't as slim, sleek or outright delicious as the Samsung Galaxy S6, but the leather-backed options are surprisingly attractive, and if you place practicality before aesthetics, the LG G4 beats the S6 hands down.
Unlike Samsung's leading light, the G4 boasts a removable 3,000mAh battery, so you can carry a spare for emergencies or replace a failing battery a year or two down the track; and it also has a microSD slot, so you're not stuck with the 32GB stock storage allocation. Plus, it's a touch cheaper than the S6.
Currently, we have the LG G4 in second place in our smartphone list, because it isn't quite as quick as the Samsung Galaxy S6 and battery life isn't as good either, but it's a very, very close-run thing.
Sony’s pint-sized smartphone packs in a host of premium features
without the high-end price, including fast performance and
waterproofing. It's the battery life that really sets this handset apart
from the crowd, however, regularly delivering one to two days of use
per charge.
There's an awful lot to like about the Samsung Galaxy S5: it's
good-looking, tough, big, feature rich and we love the user-replaceable
battery and memory expansion. It's a great smartphone in every way, and
now that the S6 is here, the price is more reasonable. If you're not
precious about the way your phone looks, the Samsung Galaxy S5 is a
great buy.
It's a brave new world for Apple's larger iPhone, and it's much the better for it. Super-fast, beautiful to look at and lovely to use. It's the dictionary definition of a flagship handset.
A high-quality budget Android handset with an excellent screen and
decent battery life. There's now a 4G version as well, for those
hankering after faster mobile data.
HTC took the One M8's design and refined it for 2015, creating a
truly stunning smartphone. The internals have been upgraded as well:
Qualcomm's octa-core Snapdragon 810 SoC; the camera goes from the M8's
4-megapixel snapper to 20 megapixels; and HTC has added a host of
features to its Sense Android launcher software.
It's a beautifully crafted and highly competent smartphone, just like last year's HTC One M8. But it's only a small improvement on the M8.
LG rustles up a classy, top-rung smartphone, with a ridiculously
high-resolution screen and super-fast camera; but that display takes its
toll on battery life.
Samsung has produced the finest phablet yet. In addition to a new
quad HD display and a smart new look, Samsung has bumped up the speed,
battery life, camera quality and range of features – big-screened phones
don't get any better than this.
With most of the same features as the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and a
funky curved-edge display, it’s hard to criticise the edge. However,
that curved display, intriguing as it is, adds significantly to the cost
– and that's enough to cement the Note 4 as our large-screen smartphone
of choice.
The Nexus 6 has taken us by surprise in the short time we’ve
had it. Once you sidle past the unavoidable fact of its gargantuan size,
there’s an awful lot it does right. Battery life is good, the camera is
excellent, and the build and design quality are second to none. And
although its rivals hold an edge over it in many areas, the differences
aren’t huge.
Apple’s 5.5in giant isn’t for everyone, but for some it may prove the perfect mid-point between an iPad and iPhone. And contrary to initial reports, our long-term review sample hasn't suffered from any undue bending - it's remained rock-solid in the face of all the abuse we've dished out.
The Galaxy Alpha is among Samsung's best-looking smartphones and, now
that the Galaxy S6 is here, the price has sunk to a tempting £280 –
almost half its original price. If you want a feature-packed smartphone
at a reasonable price, it's worth a look.
Motorola’s second-generation Moto X hits most of the right notes,
coupling beautiful design with a hatful of innovative and useful
features.
The Lumia 930 is a knock-out from the first moment you pick it up.
It's a Windows Phone device, so it can't compete on apps, but the design
of Nokia's flagship is sumptuous and right up there with the best
around.
The successor to the Z2 isn't that much different. It's a touch
slimmer and lighter, the screen is brighter, and the processor is
clocked a fraction higher – but almost everything else is the same. It's
a very good Android device, and if you can still find a Z2 for sale it
will be much cheaper and almost as good.
Makes plenty of compromises to keep costs down, but performs where it
counts; the Moto E is another winner from Motorola at a highly tempting
price. This is the best £100 handset by a country mile, and now it
includes 4G.
Scroll down to see our pick of the ultimate smartphones available right now, or click through our "jump to" section to discover the questions you should be asking before you set out to buy a mobile.
Best phones of 2015
1. Samsung Galaxy S6
Price when reviewed: 32GB, £600 inc VATThe highlight, however, is the improved camera, which now boasts optical image stabilisation and a wide f/1.9 aperture for stunning image capture in all conditions.
The S6 edge is just as good and arguably the more attractive device, but its unusual curved screen and the fact that there's no 32GB option bumps the price of an already expensive phone up to an eye-watering £760. Buy the S6: you won't regret it.
2. LG G4
Price when reviewed: £530 inc VAT (for the plastic-backed edition)It isn't as slim, sleek or outright delicious as the Samsung Galaxy S6, but the leather-backed options are surprisingly attractive, and if you place practicality before aesthetics, the LG G4 beats the S6 hands down.
Unlike Samsung's leading light, the G4 boasts a removable 3,000mAh battery, so you can carry a spare for emergencies or replace a failing battery a year or two down the track; and it also has a microSD slot, so you're not stuck with the 32GB stock storage allocation. Plus, it's a touch cheaper than the S6.
Currently, we have the LG G4 in second place in our smartphone list, because it isn't quite as quick as the Samsung Galaxy S6 and battery life isn't as good either, but it's a very, very close-run thing.
3. Sony Xperia Z3 Compact
Price when reviewed: £348 inc VAT4. Samsung Galaxy S5
Price on 30/03/15: £330 inc VAT5. iPhone 6
Price when reviewed: £539 inc VATIt's a brave new world for Apple's larger iPhone, and it's much the better for it. Super-fast, beautiful to look at and lovely to use. It's the dictionary definition of a flagship handset.
6. Motorola Moto G
Price when reviewed: £145 inc VAT7. HTC One M9
Price when reviewed: £580 inc VATIt's a beautifully crafted and highly competent smartphone, just like last year's HTC One M8. But it's only a small improvement on the M8.
8. LG G3
Price when reviewed: £459 inc VAT9. Samsung Galaxy Note 4
Price when reviewed: £599 inc VAT10. Samsung Galaxy Note Edge
Price when reviewed: £609 inc VAT11. Nexus 6
Price when reviewed: £499 inc VAT12. iPhone 6 Plus
Price when reviewed: £619 inc VATApple’s 5.5in giant isn’t for everyone, but for some it may prove the perfect mid-point between an iPad and iPhone. And contrary to initial reports, our long-term review sample hasn't suffered from any undue bending - it's remained rock-solid in the face of all the abuse we've dished out.
13. Samsung Galaxy Alpha
Price: £280 inc VAT14. Motorola Moto X
Price when reviewed: £419 inc VAT15. Nokia Lumia 930
Price when reviewed: £419 inc VAT16. Sony Xperia Z3
Price when reviewed: £477 inc VAT17. Motorola Moto E
Price when reviewed: £109 inc VAT
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