Top 10 Best new smartphones coming in 2015
We are massive fans of the HTC One M8, and the
HTC One M9 is even better. Although HTC has kept the full-HD screen rather than the quad-HD screens seen in the new Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge, the HTC One M9 is a very attractive phone with some impressive performance. You can check out our HTC One M9 review here, and learn more about the HTC One M9 release date, price and specs here. The phone went on sale in the UK on 31 March from £569 SIM-free, making it £30 cheaper than its rival the Samsung Galaxy S6.
After all the rumours that the
Sony Xperia Z4 would be delayed until September, the Z4 has now been officially unveiled in Japan. However, we're still waiting on details of a UK launch. The phone isn't too disimilar to the Sony Xperia Z3, with a 5.2in full-HD screen and Sony's usual waterproofing protection. It's a bit slimmer and has a faster processor, too. Read more about the Sony Xperia Z4 here.
3. LG G4 in 2015
LG is calling the G4 the 'most ambitious smartphone yet', which is focused on delivering 'comfortable elegance, a great visual experience and a human-centric user experience'. We stand by our statement that the LG G3 was the very best phone you could buy in 2014, and things just get better with the LG G4 - although opinion is divided on that leather case (also available in ceramic versions). Key specifications include a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor, a 5.5in Quad HD IPS Quantum display, 32GB of storage (with microSD support) and a 3000mAh removable battery. The G4 was unveiled at a press event on 28 April, and will go on sale on 28 May from £500 SIM-free. Read all about the LG G4 here, and check out our LG G4 hands-on review.
4. LG G Flex 2
The G4 isn't LG's only exciting new smartphone for 2015. At CES 2015 it unveiled the G Flex 2, a curved-screen handset. The G Flex 2 is a 5.5in-screen smartphone with a 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 octa-core chip, and it features self-healing technology. Read all about the LG G Flex 2 here.
5. Samsung Galaxy Note 5
Everyone always bangs on about Samsung's Galaxy S line-up, but it's the Note series that really impresses. The Note 4 was unveiled at a Samsung Unpacked event prior to September's IFA tradeshow (3 September 2014), and right now sits at the top of our fastest smartphone and best phablet charts. Like the new iPhone the Note 5 won't be released until September 2015, but it's going to be well worth the wait. Check out all the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 rumours here.
6. Xiaomi Mi 4i
Xiaomi has taken the wraps off its Mi 4i, a plastic, upgraded version of its flagship Mi 4, with a low price tag of Rs. 12,999 (£136) yet some very good specs. It has a 5in full-HD screen with Sunlight display, a second-generation 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. Just 7.8mm thick, Xiaomi has still managed to squeeze in a 13Mp rear camera that lies flush to the case. It's dual-SIM dual-standby out the box, with both SIMs supporting 4G. The Xiaomi Mi 4i will go on sale on 30 April, but to buy one in the UK you'll need to go through unofficial channels. Read more about the Xiaomi Mi 4i UK release date, price, specification and features.
7. Asus Zenfone 2
We've yet to get our hands on an Asus Zenfone 2, but the top-end model (ZE551ML) is now available at Amazon for £309.99. This powerful phone has a staggering 4GB of RAM and a 2.3GHz 64-bit Intel Atom Z3580 quad-core processor. For storage 32GB is fitted, and you can get more through microSD. There's 4G LTE support (dual-SIM, dual active), a 5.5in full-HD IPS screen, and 13Mp rear- and 5Mp front cameras. The stylish brushed-metal case is just 3.9mm thick at the edges. Running the fully customisable ZenUI software, the Zenfone 2 also has Trend Micro security preinstalled. The Asus Zenfone 2 is well worth a look.
8. Ubuntu smartphone
The Ubuntu phone is finally here in the form of the Aquaris E4.5 Ubuntu Edition. It costs €169 and runs a 1.3GHz quad-core processor with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage. More importantly, this is not an Android or iOS phone, it runs Ubuntu Linux - and that's interesting. You can find out more about the Ubuntu phone here.
9. Samsung Galaxy S6 Active
Yet another rumoured Samsung Galaxy S6 variant, the Active should be a rugged version of the Samsung Galaxy S6. It's a credible theory, given that the Samsung Galaxy S6 no longer features waterproofing. Plus, with an S4 Active and S5 Active before it, we could well see an S6 Active, but probably not until the summer. We've rounded up all the Samsung Galaxy S6 Active rumours here.
10. Samsung Galaxy A7
Samsung has confirmed its Galaxy A7, a gorgeous phablet with a 6.3mm unibody metal chassis, a 5.5in Super AMOLED screen and a 64-bit octa-core processor. The Samsung Galaxy A7 is not yet on sale on the UK, but will come in both single- and dual-SIM variants. Read all about the Samsung Galaxy A7 here.