It's coming to that time of the year when you might desire to grab a new smartphone either for yourself, or equally a gift for someone during the holiday flavor. Well-nigh of the phones that will exist coming out this year have been announced or launched, so if you want to brand upwards your heed about upgrading, this is as stable every bit it gets in the smartphone world.

Throughout the year I have reviewed and got hands-on time with plenty of devices, especially from the Android camp simply because there'south such a sheer volume of them on the market today. I've used all the flagships from HTC, Samsung, LG, Motorola, Sony, and more -- some of those reviews are withal in the pipeline -- and beneath I've compiled my thoughts on what's currently the all-time out there.

HTC One (M8)

HTC was i of the get-go to launch a flagship Android smartphone this yr and the fact that the HTC One M8 is making information technology to this list is testament to the slap-up job they did with it. Congenital on the principles HTC established with the original Ane in 2013, adding in new hardware such equally the Duo Camera and refining the aluminum design.

What I Liked

There'due south a lot to like about the 1 M8, but if I had to cut it downwardly to just 1 thing, it'd probably be the design. The aluminum unibody looks swell and feels awesome to hold. HTC improved the ergonomics considerably over the previous-generation One and managed to enhance the BoomSound speakers in the procedure. Of all the Android handsets released in 2014, the second-generation One definitely looks the all-time.

What I Didn't Like

As much as the Duo Camera is an interesting feature that allows y'all to apply absurd furnishings to your photos, the photographic camera every bit a whole is underwhelming. Compared to the competition, the HTC One M8 simply can't keep upward in nearly conditions, specially in terms of resolution where the four megapixel sensor disappoints. Information technology may have an advantage in low calorie-free scenarios, simply the new One is far from a high quality flagship camera.

Samsung Milky way S5

There were no surprises when Samsung announced their latest high-end device, the highly anticipated Galaxy S5. Packing a new fingerprint sensor and heart rate monitor, Samsung made a large deal of the device existence suited for fitness and activeness, packing top notch hardware into a waterproof example for the first time.

What I Liked

It's a tossup betwixt the display and camera for what I like the most, with the latter but edging it out. Information technology's not the greatest in nighttime atmospheric condition with its f/2.two lens and ane.12µm pixels, but at all other times it excels. The 16-megapixel sensor is just fantastic in sunlight, delivering precipitous, accurate and vibrant images loaded with detail. The provided HDR mode is also by far the best of any smartphone, and 4K recording is ever a handy inclusion.

What I Didn't Similar

The aforementioned fingerprint scanner and heart rate monitor are gimmicks, failing to make any meaningful improvement to the smartphone and not necessarily operation perfectly. On acme of that Samsung's design still feels behind the competition. Though there were improvements in this surface area, it nonetheless looks and feels inexpensive, which is less than ideal for an expensive flagship.

LG G3

The LG G3 was no minor revision to the well-regarded G2. The company packed in new and improved hardware, including a 5.v-inch Quad HD display and the laser autofocus assisted 13-megapixel camera with OIS, as well as a much better software offering.

What I Liked

The edge-to-border 5.five-inch IPS LCD display is one of the standout features of the G3, and makes me want to come back and use it regardless of which smartphone I'm reviewing at the time. There isn't a huge divergence in clarity between the Quad HD resolution and like 1080p panels, simply the sharpness is definitely impressive. Paired with great color quality and a decent amount of existent estate in a surprisingly compact body, the G3's brandish is a definite favourite.

What I Didn't Like

The new display comes with the downside of a having hit on performance and battery life. The G2 carried top of the line bombardment life but the same can't exist said of the G3. The performance hit isn't as important, though in some taxing 3D games the GPU merely can't render frames as frequently every bit it can on a 1080p handset.

Sony Xperia Z3

Sony has released two flagship smartphones this year thank you to their foreign 6 calendar month release cycle, the showtime beingness the quite decent Xperia Z2, and now the Z3. It's a minor upgrade on what came before information technology, though the changes help refine the package and make for a very well-rounded device.

What I Liked

The entire handset feels like a top-notch, premium product that delivers both on a design and hardware perspective. We're talking virtually a waterproof aluminum body, Snapdragon 801 SoC within, 20-megapixel rear camera, and great battery life. That final point is particularly crucial, with Sony clearly understanding how important it is to have a long-lasting smartphone.

What I Didn't Like

It would appear the Xperia Z3 is defective a "killer feature" merely at that place are no obvious omissions either. Also, Sony'southward smartphone strategy at the moment is somewhat unclear: releasing a new flagship every 6 months make buyers of the Z2 feel like their handset is outdated quite rapidly. Volition this happen over again with the Xperia Z3? I sure hope not.

Sony Xperia Z3 Compact

Alongside the Z3, Sony released the Z3 Compact catering to folks who don't want such a large handset. With a 4.six" display and essentially the same internal hardware as the Z3, the Z3 Compact is a great choice if size (and battery life) are major considerations.

What I Liked

The Z3 Compact is 1 of the few Android smartphones on the market that combine flagship hardware with a smaller-than-usual form factor, and does so successfully. Non anybody wants a v.2-inch or v.v-inch phone, so the iv.half-dozen-inch Z3 Compact is very attractive in this respect. Allow's not forget it also has a powerful Snapdragon 801 inside, waterproof body, and the same xx-megapixel camera from the Z3, plus amazing battery life.

What I Didn't Similar

For the market this smartphone is occupying, there's not much to dislike. However, as with the Z3, I'one thousand non a huge fan of Sony's software skin that fails to add any interesting, standout features, and it does look a bit antiquated in comparing to stock Android and recent skins from HTC or LG.

Motorola Moto Ten (2014)

The original Moto 10 was a oversupply favorite even though information technology skipped on loftier-end specs, it made up with astounding ergonomics and customization options. This yr Motorola has released a new version, including better hardware, a refined design with a larger AMOLED brandish, and improved software.

What I Liked

There are two aspects to the Moto X working in tandem that make information technology such an attractive device. First is the new and improved hardware which includes a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 SoC, similarly attractive ergonomics, an excellent 5.2-inch 1080p display and much-needed camera upgrade. Combined with excellent contextual software and always-on voice controls, the new Moto 10 is a nifty mix of solid hardware and software.

What I Didn't Like

Some aspects are still slightly behind the competition, notably the camera and battery. The 2014 Moto X may be far alee when software is concerned with a very clean Android feel, but some of the always-on features hamper battery life, which doesn't appear to be equally good as its competitors. The camera, while improved, likewise fails to stand up to the flagship powerhouses in this area.

Samsung Galaxy Note 4

Samsung has been perfecting the large-screen Notation formula for a few years at present, and with a refined design and cutting-edge hardware, this is best Android phablet even so.

What I Liked

The use of metallic around the edges of the Galaxy Note four finally makes this handset feel premium. Samsung has listened to the past criticism and noticeably improved the design, and I welcome it. Top notch operation is a given (Snadragon 805 or Exynos 5433 within), and OIS adds to an already dandy camera sensor. If yous don't mind the size, it's the all-time Samsung device in the market place.

What I Didn't Like

TouchWiz still seems swollen and visually mediocre, as Samsung hasn't put a huge corporeality of emphasis on changing what they delivered in the Galaxy S5.

What About The Mid-Range?

Understandably you lot might not want to fork out $500+ for any one of the flagships I've mentioned to a higher place. And then what smartphone would I recommend for those out in that location who are looking to save a bit of cash?

The second-generation Moto G. For simply $179, you get a high quality five-inch display, a very good camera for the cost betoken, and decent operation. On top of that, Motorola gives you stock Android with a few commencement-political party and genuinely useful applications, making information technology my affordable smartphone of choice. The one master downside is that the handset doesn't come with LTE, which is definitely disappointing, though for the toll it's hard to complain.