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Find your perfect smartphone from our list of Android, Windows and Apple handsets
Price when reviewed: £619 SIM free. For the latest prices, see our full iPhone 6 review.
Price when reviewed: £530 SIM free. For the latest prices, see our full HTC One (m8) review.
Price when reviewed: £348 SIM free. For the latest prices, see our full Sony Xperia Z3 Compact review.
Price when reviewed: £410 SIM free. For the latest prices, see our full HTC Desire Eye review.
Smartphones have never been bigger. Long gone are the days when phones just made calls and texts and let you play Snake on the train. Now they're our own personal gateway to the internet; they find us our next cup of coffee, play music, take pictures and stream on-demand films and TV shows. Download the right apps (check out our Best Android Apps if you're stuck for ideas) and they can even replace your car's sat-nav, bringing you real-time travel updates and re-routing your journey if there's a pile-up ten miles down the road. There's almost nothing a smartphone can't do these days, so picking the right one for you is important.
Luckily, the sheer variety of smartphones available means there's something for everyone, regardless of how much money you want to spend. Whether you're looking for the latest flagship model or a cheap sub-£100 handset, there's a smartphone to match. Here's our pick of the bunch, from Android to iOS to Windows Phone.
This page has the best mid-range and budget handsets on it, see page two for the best flagship and high-end handsets, and page three if you're considering one of Nokia's excellent Windows Phone handsets.
Luckily, the sheer variety of smartphones available means there's something for everyone, regardless of how much money you want to spend. Whether you're looking for the latest flagship model or a cheap sub-£100 handset, there's a smartphone to match. Here's our pick of the bunch, from Android to iOS to Windows Phone.
This page has the best mid-range and budget handsets on it, see page two for the best flagship and high-end handsets, and page three if you're considering one of Nokia's excellent Windows Phone handsets.
Motorola Moto G (2nd Gen, 2014) - the best budget phone just got even better
Our Expert Opinion The original Moto G (featured
below) was an exceptional budget smartphone, but Motorola's latest
version of this monumental handset is even better. The 2nd Gen Moto G
now comes with a large 5in screen, an 8-megapixel camera and microSD
card support, making it even more versatile than before.
Inside, the phone is almost identical to its predecessor as it uses
the same processor and has the same amount of RAM, but the Moto G's
performance was already up there with mid-range handsets that were often
twice the price, so there's little to complain about on this front.
More important is the improved camera, which now produces much better
images in a range of aspect ratios. The larger screen doesn't take its
toll on the New Moto G's battery life either, as we managed to squeeze
another 30 minutes out of it in our video playback test. It's a better
phone in almost every respect, although if you want a 4G version, you'll
still have to buy the old one - see below.
Price when reviewed: £145 SIM free. For the latest prices, see our full Motorola New Moto G review.
| Key Specs | |
|---|---|
| Processor | Quad-core 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 |
| Screen size | 5in |
| Screen resolution | 1,280x720 |
| Rear camera | 8-megapixel |
| Storage | 8GB / 16GB |
| Wireless data | 3G |
| Size | 141x70x11mm |
| Weight | 149g |
| Operating system | Android 4.4.4 |
Motorola Moto G (1st Gen, 4G) - an incredible phone that rewrites the budget handbook
Our Expert Opinion Motorola has thrown the budget
smartphone rulebook out the window with the Moto G. While the 3G version
has been superceded by the new Moto G (see the top of this article),
the 4G version is still alive and kicking. Here, you have an Android
smartphone with a quad-core 1.2GHz processor and a high-quality
1,280x720 display, all for a very low price.
It has a simple, no-frills design that feels incredibly well made on
its own, but you can always swap the back cover for a coloured version
if you want to add a bit of pizazz to your handset. The phone's only
real disadvantage is its basic 5-megapixel camera, but this a minor
drawback that's very forgiveable in a phone this cheap.
Price when reviewed: £160 SIM free. For the latest prices, see our full Motorola Moto G review.
| Key specs | |
|---|---|
| Processor | Quad-core 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 |
| Screen size | 4.5in |
| Screen resolution | 1,280x720 |
| Rear camera | 5-megapixel |
| Storage | 8GB |
| Wireless data | 3G, 4G |
| Size | 130x66x11.6mm |
| Weight | 143g |
| Operating system | Android 4.4.2 |
HTC Desire 816 - an Android phablet that won't break the bank
Our Expert Opinion Oversized phones often come with
oversized prices attached to them, but the HTC Desire 816 costs just
£270 SIM-free, making it an attractive alternative to the Samsung Galaxy
Note 3 (see below). Its 5.5in display may only have a 1,280x720
resolution, but the quality of the screen is excellent, ensuring your
films and videos will always look their best.
The only real weakpoint of the Desire 816 is its 5-megapixel rear
camera, but it's a small criticism in the face of its excellent battery
life, great performance and affordable price. If you're looking for an
inexpensive large-screen phone, the Desire 816 is the phone to buy.
Price when reviewed: £270 SIM free. For the latest prices, see our full HTC Desire 816 review.
| Key specs | |
|---|---|
| Processor | Dual-core 1.6GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 |
| Screen size | 5.5in |
| Screen resolution | 1,280x720 |
| Rear camera | 5-megapixel |
| Storage | 8GB |
| Wireless data | 3G, 4G |
| Size | 157x79x8mm |
| Weight | 165g |
| Operating system | Android 4.4.2 |
Samsung Galaxy Note 4 - The new king of the phablets
Our Expert Opinion Samsung's Note devices
singlehandedly created the massive phone, or phablet, market and
eventually forced even Apple to follow suit with its own big phone, the
excellent iPhone 6 Plus.
The latest model is the Note 4 which has a 5.7in screen with a gigantic
2,560x1,440 pixel resolution. As usual it's an AMOLED screen so you get
vibrant colours, inky blacks and a whopping battery life of 19 hours
thanks to its lower power usage. That makes it the longest-lasting phone
we've ever seen. Inside is a powerful Snapdragon 805 chipset that flew
through everything we threw at it, games, applications and Android
itself all ran silky smooth.
It comes with Android 4.4.4, with an update to 5.0 likely due soon,
but there's plenty of modifications made here, mostly based around the
S-Pen that gives the note its name. With this you can annotate, write,
doodle and sketch, or use it as a more precise way of tapping the screen
in general - which is great for browsing desktop sites on the large
screen. That big screen also lets you multitask, with split screen
capabilities that make many tasks far easier. It's a fantastic handset,
and though we're not yet ready to say you could do all your computing
on a smartphone, the Note 4 comes the closest to date.
Price when reviewed: £600 SIM free. For the latest prices, see our full Samsung Galaxy Note 4 review.
| Key specs | |
|---|---|
| Processor | Quad-core 2.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 |
| Screen size | 5.7in |
| Screen resolution | 2,560x1,440 |
| Rear camera | 16-megapixel |
| Storage | 32GB |
| Wireless data | 3G, 4G |
| Size | 153x78x8.5mm |
| Weight | 176g |
| Operating system | Android 4.4.4 |
Apple iPhone 6 - the best iPhone to date
Our Expert Opinion If you're already sold on iOS,
there's no need to convince you that the iPhone 6 is the smartphone to
buy, but for everyone else there's plenty of reasons to consider Apple's
latest and greatest. Increasing the screen size to 4.7in in order to
better compete with larger Android smartphones was a fantastic move, as
anyone that's tried using an iPhone 5S after playing with an Android
phablet will attest. A higher resolution helps, even if it can't compete
with the Full HD and even QHD screens found in Android handsets, but
picture quality is still among the best around.
Naturally, the iPhone 6 is thinner and more sculpted than the
outgoing model, with an aluminium frame, curved edges and slightly
curved 2.5D glass. It retains the TouhID fingerprint sensor found in the
5S, but introduces several new features including the NFC-based Apple
Pay, and the Homekit and Healthkit app hubs for home automation and
fitness tracking respectively. It's powerful, has a great camera and iOS
8 is the slickest version of Apple's mobile OS yet.
Yes, you pay a huge premium for the Apple brand, but with Handoff
connectivity letting you finish emails, messages and phone calls on your
iPad or OS X laptop, the iPhone 6 completes Apple's three tier
eco-system in a way that no other Apple handset has done before.
Price when reviewed: £619 SIM free. For the latest prices, see our full iPhone 6 review.
| Key specs | |
|---|---|
| Processor | Dual-core 1.4GHz Apple A8 |
| Screen size | 4.7in |
| Screen resolution | 1,334x750 |
| Rear camera | 8-megapixel |
| Storage | 16GB |
| Wireless data | 3G, 4G |
| Size | 138.1x67x6.9mm |
| Weight | 129g |
| Operating system | iOS8 |
Samsung Galaxy S5 - the best Galaxy phone yet
Our Expert Opinion Best seen as a refinement of the
already excellent Galaxy S4, the S5 is one of the most powerful
smartphones to date. With Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 801 chipset
on-board running at a massive 2.5GHz, the Galaxy S5 achieved some of the
fastest benchmark scores we've ever seen from an Android smartphone.
With such massive power on tap, we expected the Galaxy S5 to suffer
in terms of battery life, but fortunately its energy efficient Qualcomm
chip helped the handset reach a best-ever score of 17 hours and 30
minutes in our continuous video rundown test. Compared to the outgoing
model, which lasted 10 hours and 43 minutes in the same test, the S5
should easily last you an entire day of moderate-to-heavy use.
The Galaxy S5 has a fantastic screen as well. Samsung's OLED screens
have long been a highlight of its phones and the S5 is no exception; the
AMOLED panel is one of the best of all the smartphones we've tested. If
you've got an older handset, then the Samsung Galaxy S5 is a great
choice if you're looking for a new phone.
Price when reviewed: £560 SIM free. For the latest prices, see our full Samsung Galaxy S5 review.
| Key specs | |
|---|---|
| Processor | Quad-core 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 |
| Screen size | 5.1in |
| Screen resolution | 1,920x1,080 |
| Rear camera | 16-megapixel |
| Storage | 16GB |
| Wireless data | 3G, 4G |
| Size | 142x72x8.1mm |
| Weight | 145g |
| Operating system | Android 4.4.2 |
HTC One (m8) - your new best mate
Our Expert Opinion The HTC One (m8) isn't a radical
departure from the original HTC One, but HTC has still made all the
necessary upgrades you'd expect from a 2014 flagship handset. With an
all-metal design, faster internals and a larger screen, you could easily
mistake the new handset for the original until you turn it over and
spot the unique dual camera. The Duo Camera uses the same 4-megapixel
'Ultrapixel' main sensor as the original HTC One, but this time it's
paired with a second, depth-sensing camera. Used together, they let you
choose the point of focus in an image even after you've pressed the
shutter button.
Inside is Qualcomm's Snapdragon 801 processor, translating into
incredibly fast performance, and its Full HD screen is beautiful to look
at, too. It's among the best LCD screens we've seen in a smartphone,
rivalling the iPhone 5s in terms of brightness and contrast. It's a
tough call between the One (m8) and the Galaxy S5 when it comes to
naming the ultimate smartphone, but if you prefer a top class metal body
and great speakers, the (m8) is definitely the phone for you.
Price when reviewed: £530 SIM free. For the latest prices, see our full HTC One (m8) review.
| Key specs | |
|---|---|
| Processor | Quad-core 2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 |
| Screen size | 5in |
| Screen resolution | 1,920x1,080 |
| Rear camera | 4-megapixel |
| Storage | 16GB |
| Wireless data | 3G, 4G |
| Size | 146x70x9.4mm |
| Weight | 160g |
| Operating system | Android 4.4.2 |
Sony Xperia Z3 Compact - the best compact Android handset around
Our Expert Opinion As Android handsets have got
progressively bigger, only one manufacturer is still flying the flag for
compact, premium smartphones running Google's operating system. Sony's
Xperia Z3 Compact is only the second small flagship, despite the name,
but it's a fantastic piece of kit; with the same top-end Qualcomm
Snapdragon 801 processor as its bigger brother, it flies through
benchmarks, plays any game you care to throw at it and makes Android 4.4
KitKat feel incredibly responsive. Sony's minimal Xperia custom theme
looks great too, being one of very few tweaked versions of Andorid we'd
happily use every day.
Battery life is nigh on unbeatable for the size, letting you go an
entire day without worrying about running out of juice and still having
power left over for the morning after the night before. The 4.7in, 720p
display might not top the resolution charts, but it produces stunning
pictures anyway, and the 20.7-megapixel camera on the back outperforms
virtually every other handset we've seen at this price. The first 'mini'
phone that truly lives up to the idea of delivering a flagship
experience inside a smaller, cheaper chassis, the Xperia Z3 Compact is
the phone to buy if you like your phones small.
Price when reviewed: £348 SIM free. For the latest prices, see our full Sony Xperia Z3 Compact review.
| Key specs | |
|---|---|
| Processor | Quad-core 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 |
| Screen size | 4.6in |
| Screen resolution | 1,280x720 |
| Rear camera | 20.7-megapixel |
| Storage | 16GB |
| Wireless data | 3G, 4G |
| Size | 127x65x8.6mm |
| Weight | 129g |
| Operating system | Android 4.4 |
HTC Desire Eye - the ultimate selfie phone
Our Expert Opinion The Desire Eye is one of HTC's
most unusual smartphones to date, as it has a 13-megapixel camera with
dual LED flash on both the front and back of the handset. It's the
perfect phone for selfie and photography fans alike, and its powerful
internals means it's just as fast as HTC's flagship One (m8).
We're big fans of the Desire Eye's colourful design, too, as its
unibody chassis has been injected with colour to create a near-seamless
finish from front to back. It's immensely comfy to hold, and its battery
life of just under 14 hours in our continuous video playback test means
it should get you through the day without any problem. If you're
looking for a large phone at a slightly lower price than the flagships,
the HTC Desire Eye is an excellent choice.
Price when reviewed: £410 SIM free. For the latest prices, see our full HTC Desire Eye review.
| Key specs | |
|---|---|
| Processor | Quad-core 2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 |
| Screen size | 5.2in |
| Screen resolution | 1,920x1,080 |
| Rear camera | 13-megapixel |
| Storage | 16GB |
| Wireless data | 3G, 4G |
| Size | 152x74x8.5mm |
| Weight | 154g |
| Operating system | Android 4.4.4 |
Posted in: Best Android Phones
