From sleek devices that impress with premium design, to powerhouses brimming with features, to all-around great devices, and affordable phones that punch above their weight, the Android ecosystem is populated by a staggering variety of attractive phones.
But “greatness” is subjective, and sometimes spec sheets and feature lists are not enough to make an idea of how good a phone really is. In this roundup, we’re looking at the absolute best – the Android phones you can’t go wrong with.
Moto X (2014)
With the original Moto X, Motorola proved you don’t need to have the latest specs to get a great user experience. With the second generation, the Lenovo-owned company took no chances and double-downed on the spec side as well, packing the new Moto X (2014) with a dense 5.2-inch AMOLED screen, a beefy processor, and a capable 13MP camera.
The Moto X (2014) is well equipped on the inside, but it’s the customizable skin that really sets it apart from other top Android phones out there. Motorola lets you choose your own combination of colors and materials, including the yet to be matched leather and natural wood options. The ability to harmonize its appearance to different styles makes the Moto a great gift for someone dear this holiday season. Other big selling points are the near-stock interface and Motorola’s proven commitment to bringing fast updates to it. If you’re looking for a balanced, stylish, and capable device, the Moto X (2014) should be high up your list.
Specs
- 5.2-inch AMOLED display with 1080 x 1920 resolution
- 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 CPU
- 2GB of RAM
- 16/32GB of on-board storage (no microSD slot)
- 13MP rear cam, 2MP front camera
- Non-removable 2300 mAh battery
- 140.8 x 72.4 x 10 mm, 144g
- Customizable via Moto Maker
- Water resistant
- Android 4.4.4 KitKat (Lollipop update coming very soon)
Samsung Galaxy Note 4
Years after Samsung gambled on the original Note, the concept is still the phone to beat when it comes to large devices. While some competitors are offering larger screens, none of them can match the Note 4’s productivity-boosting stylus. The S Pen can truly enhance the way you interact with your phone, with a strong focus on doing actual work, from basic research, to composing a quick message, to multi-tasking. But it’s not just work: basically anything that requires precision and speed can be done better with a stylus.
While Samsung’s TouchWiz Android implementation has a bad reputation, nobody can deny that the Note 4’s feature set is compelling. You can make the most of that 5.7-inch screen with the new and improved multi-tasking tools, and that’s something you simply don’t get on other high-end Android phones. And, with the latest iteration of the series, the Note looks as good as it works, thanks to a finely chamfered aluminum frame. If you’re looking for the ultimate device for getting things done, the Note 4 is probably your best choice.
Specs
- 5.7-inch Super AMOLED display with 1440 x 2560 resolution
- 2.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 CPU
- 3GB of RAM
- 32GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 128GB
- 16MP rear cam, 3.7MP front cam
- Removable 3220 mAh battery
- 153.5 x 78.6 x 8.5 mm, 176g
- Frosted White, Charcoal Black, Bronze Gold, or Blossom Pink
- Android 4.4.4 KitKat (Lollipop update coming down the pipeline)
Nexus 6
The Nexus 6 is a staple on any list of top Android handsets of the moment, looming large both literally and through what it represents – Google’s vision of what Android software should be like and what hardware that software needs in order to truly shine. That’s always been the case with Nexus devices, but the Motorola-made Nexus 6 is nothing like the understated Nexus 5, which almost vanished in the background to let Android shine through. The Nexus 6 is big and powerful; it makes a statement about its user and it turns heads.
The biggest drawback of the Nexus 6 is the one that makes it stand out – with its six inches display, the Nexus 6 will never be a good choice for everyone. However, if you’re fine with the size, there’s a lot to like about this phone – the screen is amazing, the processing package is top-notch, the camera is powerful, and build quality is as good as any. Plus, even if Motorola and other phonemakers are upping their updates game, Nexus is still the way to go if you like your phones up to date.
Specs
- 5.96-inch Super AMOLED display with 1440 x 2560 resolution
- 2.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 CPU
- 3GB of RAM
- 32/64GB of on-board storage, non-expandable
- 13MP rear cam, 2MP front cam
- Non-removable 3220 mAh battery
- 159.3 x 83 x 10.1 mm, 184g
- Midnight Blue, Cloud White
- Android 5.0 Lollipop
Sony Xperia Z3 Compact
The other entries on our list of best Android smartphones all feature displays that are larger than five inches. If you love expansive screens, you’ve never been more spoiled with choice. But what if you like your smartphones smaller? The 4.6-inch Xperia Z3 Compact is probably your best choice. In a landscape of underpowered “Mini” phones, Sony’s Xperia Z3 Compact stands out as a smaller phone that doesn’t require many compromises. Perhaps the only feature that may turn you off from the Z3 Compact is the 720 x 1280 screen, which is a perfectly decent 319 ppi, but clearly lags behind the other phones on this list.
Everything else is at the high end of the scale, including the processing package and especially the 21MP camera, identical to the shooter on the bigger Xperia Z3. The Android implementation is relatively close to stock and doesn’t indulge in any visual excesses, though you will have to deal with a fair amount of bloatware. Plus, you get Sony’s iconic design in a lightweight package that may feel refreshing after having to handle some bigger phones.
Specs
- 4.6-inch LCD display with 720 x 1280 resolution
- 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 CPU
- 2GB of RAM
- 16GB of on-board storage, expandable
- 20.7MP rear cam, 2.2MP front cam
- Non-removable 2,600 mAh battery
- 127.3 x 64.9 x 8.6 mm, 129 g
- Green, Orange, White, Black
- Android 4.4 KitKat
- Water resistant – IP68
LG G3
Pick up the LG G3 and you will instantly see and feel what makes it special: the display is incredibly crisp and the thin bezels around it allowed LG to keep this device compact and lightweight – or at least more compact than other devices in its size class. Not only is the G3 small for its screen size, the placement of the power and volume buttons on the rear will make it even easier to operate this device.
The G3 doesn’t feature a metal construction like other contestants in our Android flagships roundup, and that thin design may make it more exposed to accidents. On the inside, there’s little to complain about, and you even get a removable battery, something that only the Note 4 offers from the other devices on this list. LG also made some big strides with the Android overlay running on the G3, which includes a few unique features that may prove very helpful.
Specs
- 5.5-inch LCD display with 1440 x 2560 resolution
- 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 CPU
- 2/3GB of RAM
- 16/32GB of on-board storage, expandable
- 13MP rear cam, 2.1MP front cam
- Removable 3,000 mAh battery
- 146.3 x 74.6 x 8.9 mm, 149 g
- Metallic Black, Moon Violet, Silk White, Shine Gold, Burgundy Red
- Android 4.4 KitKat
Best bang for the buck: OnePlus One
OnePlus came out of nowhere to get everyone talking about its “flagship killer.” Of course, OnePlus couldn’t hold all its bold promises, but the Chinese startup didn’t disappoint in one crucial area – the price. There’s simply no competitor delivering what the OnePlus One delivers at $300. And the One isn’t just a great affordable phone; it’s a great phone it its own.
With solid specs, unique features, and the clean CyanogenMod running on it, the OnePlus One is a great proposition for just about any user. All that considered, the device sells for half the price of similar devices, so it can’t miss from our list of best Android smartphones of 2014.
Specs
- 5.5-inch LCD display with 1920 x 1080 resolution
- 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 CPU
- 3GB of RAM
- 16/64GB of on-board storage, non-expandable
- 13MP rear cam, 5MP front cam
- Non-removable 3,100 mAh battery
- 152.9 x 75.9 x 8.9 mm, 162 g
- Silk White, Sandstone Black
- Android 4.4 KitKat/CyanogenMod 11
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