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Best Android smartphones for work and play (October 2015 edition)

Choosing the right iPhone really is a no-brainer since there's only a small handful to choose from, but when it comes to Android handsets, there's a staggering array of choice.
By Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, Contributing Writer
Samsung Galaxy Note 5
1 of 18 Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

Samsung Galaxy Note 5

The new kid on the block. A powerhouse of an Android handset, but with a price tag to match. Excellent quality components and construction – just don't insert the stylus into it the wrong way!

Tech spec:

  • Android 5.1.1 (Lollipop)
  • 5.7 inch 1440 x 2560 pixel Quad HD Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen display featuring Corning Gorilla Glass 4
  • Quad-core 1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 with quad-core 2.1 GHz Cortex-A57
  • 4GB of RAM
  • 32/64GB of storage
  • Fingerprint sensor
  • Non-removable Li-Ion 3000 mAh battery
  • 16-megapixel rear-facing camera with optical image stabilization
  • 5-megapixel front-facing camera
  • Wireless charging support
  • Color options: Black Sapphire, Gold Platinum, Silver Titan, White Pearl
Samsung Galaxy Note 5
2 of 18 Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

Samsung Galaxy Note 5

For more information, along with pricing on various carriers, read the CNET review of the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 here.

Samsung Galaxy Note 5
3 of 18 Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

Samsung Galaxy Note 5

The signature S Pen has a whole new design featuring a solid and sleek metallic finish.

Samsung Galaxy Note 5
4 of 18 Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

Samsung Galaxy Note 5

The Galaxy Note 5 is exceptionally well made, and the engineering and finish is second to none.

Motorola Moto G (late 2015)
5 of 18 Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

Motorola Moto G (late 2015)

Not the most powerful handset by far, but probably one of the best handsets for the money, doubly so given that you can buy it unlocked for under $200.

Tech specs:

  • Android 5.1.1 (Lollipop)
  • 5.0 inch 720 x 1280 pixel IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen featuring Corning Gorilla Glass 3
  • Quad-core Snapdragon 410 with 1.4 GHz Cortex-A53 with Adreno 306 GPU
  • 1GB of RAM in the 8GB storage version, 2GB in the 16GB storage version
  • 8/16GB of storage
  • Non-removable Li-Ion 2470 mAh battery
  • 13-megapixel rear-facing camera
  • 5-megapixel front-facing camera
  • Micro SD card support
  • IPX7 certified - water resistant up to 1 meter for 30 minutes
  • Color options: Black and White, but with many accent and trim options
Motorola Moto G (late 2015)
6 of 18 Sarah Tew/CNET

Motorola Moto G (late 2015)

For more information, along with pricing on various carriers, read the CNET review of the Motorola Moto G here.

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7 of 18 Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge

Tech spec:

  • Android 5.0.2 (Lollipop), upgrades depend on carrier
  • 5.1 inch 1440 x 2560 pixel curved-edge Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen display featuring Corning Gorilla Glass 4
  • Corning Gorilla Glass 4 back panel
  • Octa-core Exynos 7420 CPU with Mali-T760MP8 GPU
  • 3GB of RAM
  • Non-removable Li-Ion 2550 mAh battery
  • 16-megapixel rear-facing camera with optical image stabilization
  • 5-megapixel front-facing camera
  • Fingerprint sensor
  • Wireless charging support
  • Color options: Gold Platinum, White Pearl, Black Sapphire and Green Emerald
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8 of 18 CBS Interactive

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge

For more information, along with pricing on various carriers, read the CNET review of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge here.

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9 of 18 Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

Samsung Galaxy S6

Tech spec:

  • Android 5.0.2 (Lollipop), upgrades depend on carrier
  • 5.1 inch 1440 x 2560 pixel Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen display featuring Corning Gorilla Glass 4
  • Corning Gorilla Glass 4 back panel
  • Octa-core Exynos 7420 CPU with Mali-T760MP8 GPU
  • 3GB of RAM
  • Non-removable Li-Ion 2550 mAh battery
  • 16-megapixel rear-facing camera with optical image stabilization
  • 5-megapixel front-facing camera
  • Fingerprint sensor
  • Wireless charging support
  • Color options: Gold Platinum, White Pearl, Black Sapphire and Blue Topaz
001a.jpg
10 of 18 Josh Miller/CNET

Samsung Galaxy S6

The Samsung Galaxy S6 is not a small handset. In fact, it's quite a handful, as most modern smartphones are these days.

For more information, along with pricing on various carriers, read the CNET review of the Samsung Galaxy S6 here.

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11 of 18 Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

HTC One M9

Tech spec:

  • Android 5.0 (Lollipop), upgrades depend on carrier
  • 5.0 inch 1080 x 1920 pixel Super LCD3 capacitive display featuring Corning Gorilla Glass 4
  • Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 CPU with Adreno 430
  • 3GB of RAM
  • Non-removable Li-Po 2840 mAh battery
  • 20-megapixel rear-facing camera
  • 4-megapixel front-facing camera
  • FM radio
  • Quick Charge support
  • Colors: Gunmetal Gray, Amber Gold, Silver/Rose gold, Gold/Pink
004a.jpg
12 of 18 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

HTC One M9

For more information, along with pricing on various carriers, read the CNET review of the HTC One M9 here.

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13 of 18 Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

HTC One M9

One of the color options for the HTC One M9.

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14 of 18 Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

LG G4

Tech spec:

  • Android 5.1 (Lollipop), upgrades depend on carrier
  • 5.5 inch 1440 x 2560 pixel PS LCD capacitive display featuring Corning Gorilla Glass 3
  • Hexa-core Qualcomm 808 CPU with Adreno 418 GPU
  • 3GB of RAM
  • Removable Li-Ion 3000 mAh battery
  • 16-megapixel rear-facing camera with optical image stabilization
  • 8-megapixel front-facing camera
  • FM radio
  • Wireless charging support
  • Colors: Grey, White, Gold, Leather Black, Leather Brown, Leather Red
005a.jpg
15 of 18 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

LG G4

For more information, along with pricing on various carriers, read the CNET review of the LG G4 here.

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16 of 18 Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

LG G4

The LG G4 is the only handset features to have a removable battery.

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17 of 18 Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime

A cheaper "feature" version of the Galaxy S6 (around $200 compared to $600), with a specific focus on the cameras and LTE.

Tech spec:

  • Android 4.4.4 (KitKat)
  • 5.0-inch 540 x 960 pixels capacitive-touch TFT
  • Qualcomm MSM8916 Snapdragon 410 with Adreno 306
  • 1GB of RAM
  • 8-megapixel rear camera
  • 5-megapixel front camera
  • Dual-SIM
  • User-replaceable 2600mAh Li-Ion battery
  • Colors: White, Gray, Gold.
2015-08-0310-42-23.jpg
18 of 18 James Martin/CNET

Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime

For more information, along with pricing on various carriers, read the CNET review of the Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime here.

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