Wednesday, April 8, 2015

BUYING GUIDE The best smartphones 2014: what phone is best for you?


You want the best smartphone, right? We've whittled our constantly updated selection down to the 10 best handsets you can get your hands on right now - but after you've checked out number one, we've still got plenty of other options to feast your eyes on.

We've all got at least one mobile phone each, right? We've probably got about three or four nowadays, and that counts giving your old Nokia 3310 to your Mum a few years ago.

But while you used to be able to just bank on the new Nokia or always get the next Sony Ericsson because it had a half-decent camera, there are now so many great options out there from loads of manufacturers.

The trouble is, how do you decide which is the best one for you?

Well, this is where we make it easy: we've played with nearly every device on the market and have found the ten best you can spend your money on. It needs to be good, after all, given it will reside in your pocket for the next two years.

Our ranking of the best mobile phones available in the UK today celebrates the brilliance of the smartphone: we love handsets that add in functionality to enrich our lives in so many different ways.

We also take into account the price of the phone too - meaning a low-price handset doesn't always need to have high-spec functions to be in our top 10.

We're deep into 2014 now, and with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus here to challenge the heads of state in the smartphone world - namely the Sony Xperia Z2, the LG G3 and the HTC One M8 - we've got a real royal rumble at the top, looking at the best on the market and adding in such unknown gems zas the OnePlus One.

If that still doesn't help, well, there's always our extensive mobile phone reviews pages as well - or check out our personally crafted smartphone buyer's guide:

And when you've decided which new phone to buy (and checked out the best mobile phone deal), why not cash in your old one with our phone recycling price comparison service?

Here are our rankings for the best mobile phones around, currently available in the UK.10. Samsung Galaxy Alpha

Another Samsung phone enters the fray, and it's a slightly odd one: the Galaxy Alpha has a price tag that's even higher than the iPhone 6, and yet doesn't really out-spec it in many ways.

That said, it's still a premium phone. The second you hold it, you'll feel that the updated metal design really works, with clever effort made to improve the way it feels in your hand.

The 4.7-inch screen isn't as high-res as the rivals, but does the job well thanks to Super AMOLED technology making the contrast ratio and colors pop out.

And the battery is removable - bonus!

Quick Verdict

There's a lot to like about the way the Alpha looks, but there are some quibbles: why is there no microSD slot or larger capacity on offer to help out?

Why does it cost so much? Is the metal band (and, to be fair, blazingly fast internal speeds) really enough to warrant a purchase?

A really nice phone that needs a little more to be at the sharp end of this list: but if you want a premium-feeling Android phone with a strong camera, the Alpha is a great place to start.