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2015: The very best Android smartphones

8 of 22 NEXT PREV

Google Nexus 6P
The Nexus 6P is an odd beast indeed. From a tech point of view it's a powerhouse, with its sharp display and powerful Snapdragon 810 processor. But the exterior is something that might not appeal to all - it's bulky and top-heavy and the fingerprint reader is placed in an odd spot.
It also ditches the much-loved wireless charging feature.
Tech spec:
- Android 6.0 (Marshmallow)
- 5.7-inch 1440 x 2560 pixels AMOLED multi-touch display
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 MSM8994 with Adreno 430
- 3GB of RAM
- 12.3-megapixel rear camera
- 8-megapixel front camera
- Non-user-replaceable 3450mAh Li-Ion battery
- Colors: Aluminum, Graphite, Frost.
Published: December 1, 2015 -- 10:42 GMT (02:42 PST)
Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes
Google Nexus 6P

For more information, along with pricing on various carriers, read the CNET review of the Google Nexus 6P here.

Published: December 1, 2015 -- 10:42 GMT (02:42 PST)
Photo by: Josh Miller/CNET

Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes
LG V10
The LG V10 is an Android handset that has, given what users tell me, everything that an Android handset needs. It has a powerful processor, sharp display, user-replaceable battery and a microSD card slot.
It also has some gimmicks, such as two front-facing cameras and a secondary display at the top of the main display.
Tech spec:
- Android 5.1.1 (Lollipop)
- 5.7-inch 1440 x 2560 pixels IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen display
- Qualcomm MSM8992 Snapdragon 808 with Adreno 418
- 4GB of RAM
- 16-megapixel rear camera
- Dual 5-megapixel front camera
- User-replaceable 3000mAh Li-Ion battery
- Colors: Space Black, Luxe White, Modern Beige, Ocean Blue, Opal Blue.
Published: December 1, 2015 -- 10:42 GMT (02:42 PST)
Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes
LG V10

For more information, along with pricing on various carriers, read the CNET review of the LG V10 here.

Published: December 1, 2015 -- 10:42 GMT (02:42 PST)
Photo by: Josh Miller/CNET

Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes
Samsung Galaxy Note 5
The new kid on the block, the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 is 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
Published: December 1, 2015 -- 10:42 GMT (02:42 PST)
Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes
Samsung Galaxy Note 5

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

Published: December 1, 2015 -- 10:42 GMT (02:42 PST)
Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes
Samsung Galaxy Note 5

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

Published: December 1, 2015 -- 10:42 GMT (02:42 PST)
Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes
Samsung Galaxy Note 5

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

Published: December 1, 2015 -- 10:42 GMT (02:42 PST)
Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes
Motorola Moto G (late 2015)
Not the most powerful handset by far, but the Motorola Moto G is 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
Published: December 1, 2015 -- 10:42 GMT (02:42 PST)
Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes
Motorola Moto G (late 2015)

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

Published: December 1, 2015 -- 10:42 GMT (02:42 PST)
Photo by: Sarah Tew/CNET

Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes
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
Published: December 1, 2015 -- 10:42 GMT (02:42 PST)
Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge

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

Published: December 1, 2015 -- 10:42 GMT (02:42 PST)
Photo by: CBS Interactive

Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes
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.
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
Published: December 1, 2015 -- 10:42 GMT (02:42 PST)
Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes
Samsung Galaxy S6

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

Published: December 1, 2015 -- 10:42 GMT (02:42 PST)
Photo by: Josh Miller/CNET

Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes
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
Published: December 1, 2015 -- 10:42 GMT (02:42 PST)
Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes
HTC One M9

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

Published: December 1, 2015 -- 10:42 GMT (02:42 PST)
Photo by: Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes
HTC One M9

One of the color options for the HTC One M9.

Published: December 1, 2015 -- 10:42 GMT (02:42 PST)
Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes
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
Published: December 1, 2015 -- 10:42 GMT (02:42 PST)
Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes
LG G4

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

Published: December 1, 2015 -- 10:42 GMT (02:42 PST)
Photo by: Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes
LG G4

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

Published: December 1, 2015 -- 10:42 GMT (02:42 PST)
Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes
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.
Published: December 1, 2015 -- 10:42 GMT (02:42 PST)
Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes
Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime

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

Published: December 1, 2015 -- 10:42 GMT (02:42 PST)
Photo by: James Martin/CNET

Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

8 of 22 NEXT PREV

With 2015 drawing to a close, let's take a look at what are the very best Android currently on offer.

Read More Read Less

Samsung Galaxy Note 5

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

Published: December 1, 2015 -- 10:42 GMT (02:42 PST)

Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

8 of 22 NEXT PREV

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