| iPhone X |
All major carriers |
Nov. 2017 |
 |
| Google Pixel 2 |
Unlocked GSM + CDMA & Verizon |
Oct. 2017 |
 |
| Essential Phone PH-1 |
All carriers |
Oct. 2017 |
 |
| iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus |
All carriers |
Sept. 2017 |
 |
| Samsung Galaxy Note 8 |
All carriers |
Sept. 2017 |
 |
| Asus ZenFone AR |
Verizon & Unlocked |
Aug. 2017 |
 |
| Moto Z2 Force Review |
Most carriers & Unlocked |
Aug. 2017 |
 |
| Moto Z Play 2 |
Verizon & Unlocked |
July 2017 |
 |
| Moto E4 |
Unlocked and various carriers |
July 2017 |
 |
| One Plus 5 |
Unlocked GMS |
June 2017 |
 |
| Moto G5 Plus |
Unlocked |
May 2017 |
 |
| BLU R1 Plus |
Unlocked GSM |
May 2017 |
 |
| BlackBerry KEYone |
Unlocked GSM & Sprint |
May 2017 |
 |
| Huawei Honor 6X |
Unlocked GSM |
May 2017 |
 |
| Samsung Galaxy S8 |
All major carriers & unlocked |
April 2017 |
 |
| Huawei P10 |
Unlocked GSM |
March 2017 |
 |
| LG G6 |
All major carriers |
March 2017 |
 |
| Huawei Mate 9 |
Unlocked GSM |
Jan. 2017 |
 |
| LeEco LePro 3 |
Unlocked GSM |
Jan. 2017 |
 |
| OnePlus 3t |
Unlocked GSM |
Dec. 2016 |
 |
| LG V20 |
All major carriers |
Nov. 2016 |
 |
| Google Pixel & Pixel XL The two Google branded phones released in the fall of 2016, in 5" and 5.5" sizes. The Pixel line replaces the Nexus line of Android smartphones that come direct from Google with the latest Android build and no carrier or manufacturer bloatware. This time, Google is going with flagship pricing and high end specs. The Pixel XL runs Android 7.1 Nougat with the new Google Assistant (voice activated) on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 CPU with 4 gigs of RAM and 32 or 128 gigs of storage (no microSD card slot). The Pixel XL has a 2560 x 1440 AMOLED display with Gorilla Glass 4 (the smaller Pixel is 1920 x 1080). It has an 8MP front camera and a 12.3MP rear camera with f/2.0 lens and 4K video recording. |
Verizon & Unlocked |
Oct. 2016 |
 |
| iPhone 7 & iPhone 7 Plus The changes for Apple's flagship 4.7" and 5.5" smartphones are mostly inside this year. On the outside we have new antenna lines, a solid state home button and two new colors: black and jet black. Inside there's the class-leading Apple A10 Fusion quad core CPU, more storage, improved front and rear cameras, IP67 water resistance. The iPhone 7 Plus gets two 12MP rear cameras, one with standard wide view and one telephoto. Both run iOS 10. |
All major carriers |
Sept. 2016 |
 |
| Samsung Galaxy Note 7 (discontinued) The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is one heck of a great phone, and it's also an extremely expensive one. Inside, it's the culmination of Samsung's triumphs and past mistakes learned from--TouchWiz is actually useful rather than a Disney adventure, features are well thought out and the phone looks stunning clad in Gorilla Glass 5 and aluminum. The Note 7 has a 5.7" Super AMOLED 2560 x 1440 display with HDR video support, the same excellent cameras as the Galaxy S7 family, a Snapdragon 820 processor, 4 gigs of RAM and a 64 gigs of storage plus a microSD card slot. It has the S Pen, both fingerprint and iris scanner and much more. |
All major carriers |
Aug. 2016 |
 |
| Huawei Honor 8 2016 continues as the year of the affordable but really good Android phone, particularly unlocked models that are sold direct and via retailers rather than carriers. There's the OnePlus 3, Alcatel Idol 4S, ZTE Axon 7, the Moto G4/G4 Plus and now the Huawei Honor 8. The Honor sub-brand is Huawei's affordable line that targets Millennials, though I don't see why a 13 year old or 70 year old wouldn't also like the phone. It's a stunning looking phone clad in 2D glass and metal, and it's very pocketable at 5.2". The Android 6.0 Marshmallow smartphone flirts with high end design and features at a relatively modest $399 price tag for the 32 gig model. There's good CPU performance, a really lovely full HD display and solid cameras too. |
Unlocked GSM |
Aug. 2016 |
 |
| Moto Z and Moto Z Force Finally, modular phones done right, at least if you're hankering to slap on nifty accessories. The Moto Z and Z Force aren't the kind of modular that requires you to assemble core parts from building blocks, rather they work with magnetic Moto Mods like the JBL stereo speaker back, a projector and extended batteries. They're the first phones to break from Moto's attractive, but well-worn look and feel. Gone are the complexly curved sides, thick middle body and unibody construction. Instead we have a modern and somewhat angular design that's actually very slim, unlike the old Moto design that got chubby toward the middle. Inside it's all flagship power with the 2.2 GHz Snapdragon 820, 4 gigs of RAM, a fingerprint scanner, NFC and your choice of a good 13MP camera on the Moto Z and an excellent 21MP camera on the Moto Z Force. We look at the Droid Edition of these phones, which means they're on Verizon Wireless. |
Verizon |
July 2016 |
 |
Alcatel Idol 4S (with VR Goggles) Alcatel impressed us with last year's Idol 3, it proved that a relatively inexpensive phone could still be stylish and slim with decent specs. The $399 Idol 4S with VR Goggles is the company's highest end phone yet, and it does indeed share some specs with much more expensive phones-- it's slim at 7mm, is really good looking with black glass on the back and chamfered metal on the sides and it has a QHD 5.5" AMOLED display that has 600 nits of brightness. 8MP and 16MP cameras grace the front and back and the usual goodies like NFC, WiFi 802.11ac and a fingerprint scanner are what we'd expect on a flagship. The midrange 1.8 GHz Snapdragon 652 is actually a quicker performer and the phone has 3 gigs of RAM and 32 gigs of storage. Alcatel tries to set the Idol 4S apart with the inclusion of VR goggles, but they prove to be the weakest link. The phone is unlocked for use with any GSM carrier, and this US-centric model has 4G LTE for AT&T, T-Mobile and others. |
Unlocked GSM |
July 2016 |
 |
| Moto G4 and Moto G4 Plus The 4th generation Moto G and Moto G Plus unlocked Android smartphones sell for $199 and $249 respectively-- that's a lot of phone for the price, both literally and figuratively. The Moto G4 and G4 Plus are big phones with 5.5" IPS full HD displays. They're identical except for the fingerprint scanner on the front of the G4 Plus and a high resolution camera with PDAF and laser autofocus. The phones run Android 6.01 Marshmallow on the 1.5 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 CPU with Adreno 405 graphics and 2 gigs of RAM (you can get the G Plus with 4 gigs for more money). They work on both CDMA and GSM carriers: that means the big 4 US carriers and smaller regional and prepaid carriers. |
Unlocked for use with CDMA & GSM carriers |
July 2016 |
 |
| Samsung Galaxy S7 Active This is the rugged version of the Galaxy S7 that's exclusive to AT&T in the US. The S7 Active has the same excellent core specs as the standard S7: Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 CPU with Adreno 530 graphics, 4 gigs of RAM and 32 gigs of storage plus a microSD card slot. It has the same 12MP rear camera, front 5MP camera and S Health with heart rate monitor and blood oxygen monitor. The phone runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow with Samsung's TouchWiz UI and app suite. It has a rugged casing that meets IP68 specs for water and dust resistance and it has a shatterproof 5.1" Gorilla Glass 4 display (also QHD Super AMOLED like the regular Galaxy S7). |
AT&T |
June 2016 |
 |
| HTC 10 The HTC 10 is a unibody metal phone with a 5.2" QHD Super LCD 5 display in Gorilla Glass with subtly curved edges. It runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow with HTC's tasteful Sense UI on the top dog Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 CPU. It has 4 gigs of RAM, 32 gigs of internal storage and a micro SD card slot. The phone has a 5MP front camera, 12MP rear camera, a high quality audio DAC with headphone amplifier, LTE 4G and a USB-C 3.1 port. |
Most major carriers |
April 2016 |
 |
| LG G5 The LG G5 is LG's mainstream size flagship Android smartphone for 2016. The LG G5 has a 5.3" QHD IPS display, and it runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow with LG's UI. This is LG's first metal bodied phone, and it's available in several colors. It runs on Qualcomm's fastest mobile CPU, the 1.6 GHz Snapdragon 820 and it has 4 gigs of RAM and 32 gigs of storage. As you'd expect from LG it has both a removable battery and a microSD card slot as well as an IR blaster. The phone has a very good 16MP rear camera plus a rear 8MP extreme wide angle camera. Its most innovative, though perhaps not most sucessful feature is the modular Friends that can add functionality. |
All major carriers |
April 2016 |
 |
| iPhone SE This is Apple's best attempt at an affordable iPhone. It truly is much less expensive than the flagship iPhone 6s, but it has the same CPU, RAM and excellent rear camera as the more expensive model. The iPhone SE has the body of the iPhone 5s-- that Leica inspired one that's still my personal favorite iPhone design. It's available in 4 colors and it has a 4" Retina IPS display. Obviously, it's pretty pocket-friendly and it's also wallet friendly with a starting price of $399. |
All major carriers |
April 2016 |
 |
| Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge The Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge make up for the proverbial sins of the father-- they bring back dear hardware features that Samsung axed when it released the radically redesigned Galaxy S6, s6 edge and s6 edge+. That means the microSD card slot and water resistant features are back--combine those with stunning looks, the fast new Snapdragon 820 CPU, a revised camera that handles low light (and good lighting) well, bigger batteries and striking QHD AMOLED displays and you've got two flagship Android 6.0 Marshmallow smartphones that earn their high price tags. |
All major carriers |
March 2016 |
 |
| Microsoft Lumia 950 XL Microsoft's first flagship Windows phone in some time sports a 5.7" QHD AMOLED display, the top of the line Snapdragon 810 CPU and it has a Windows Hello camera that knows you when it eyeballs your eyes. The larger companion to the Lumia 950 is the bigger, faster model for those who want the best Microsoft and Windows 10 for phones have to offer. It has a removable battery, 32 gigs of storage, a microSD card slot and one of the better cameras on the market. This is an unlocked GSM phone that Microsoft sells direct and it has two SIM card slots. |
Unlocked GSM |
Feb. 2016 |
 |
| Huawei Honor 5X (video review) Huawei's new very affordable unlocked GSM Android smartphone, the $199 Huawei Honor 5X. The aluminum-clad phone has a 5.5" full HD 1920 x 1080 IPS display, and it runs Android 5.1.1 Lollipop with Huawei's Emotion UI 3.1 (EMUI) on the 1.5 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 octa-core CPU with Adreno 405 graphics. It has 2 gigs of RAM, 16 gigs of storage and a microSD card slot. This is a dual SIM 4G LTE phone that's compatible with GSM carriers such as T-Mobile and AT&T in the US. |
Unlocked GSM |
Feb. 2016 |
 |
| ZTE ZMAX 2 The affordable ZTE Zmax 2 is available in the US as an AT&T GoPhone (prepaid, no contract service) and unlocked overseas. This 4G LTE Android phone sells for $99 full retail on AT&T, and it's not bad for that extremely low price. It has a 5.5", 1280 x 720 display, a removable 3,000 mAh battery and a microSD card slot. It runs a fairly clean version of Android 5.1 Lollipop on the quad core 1.2 GHz Snapdragon 400 CPU with 2 gigs of RAM and 16 gigs of storage. It has single band WiFi 802.11n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, a front 2MP camera and a rear 8MP camera with LED flash. This is a video review. |
AT&T (GoPhone) |
Jan. 2016 |
 |
| OnePlus X OnePlus disrupted the market with their first Android smartphone, the OnePlus One. It was a big phone with very good specs for a few hundred dollars less than the big name competition at release in April 2014. The new even more affordable X is stunning to look at, clad in glass and metal with a colorful AMOLED display. Not bad for just $250 unlocked with no contract or monthly payments. It has the quad core 2.3 GHz Snapdragon 801 CPU with Adreno 330 graphics, 3 gigs of RAM and 16 gigs of storage.The phone has 4G LTE, but the band selection is a little weak. |
Unlocked GSM |
Dec. 2015 |
 |
| Microsoft Lumia 950 It's been a long time since we've seen a high end Lumia phone. More than a year, in fact. Microsoft is back at it with the Lumia 950, a 5.2" smartphone that's the first to run Windows 10 for phones. The Lumia has a pleasing AMOLED display and it runs on the same 1.8 GHz Snapdragon 808 CPU as many of today's popular Android phones. It has an ample 3 gigs of RAM, 32 gigs of storage and there's a microSD card slot to expand storage. The Lumia 950 has an excellent 20MP rear camera with Zeiss lens, and it supports Microsoft Continuum that allows you to turn your pocket-friendly phone into a desktop PC stand-in. The phone is $550 unlocked for use on GSM networks and AT&T also sells it. |
AT&T and unlocked GSM |
Dec. 2015 |
 |
| Nexus 6P This may well be Google's best Nexus phone yet, at least if you're a fan of big screen smartphones. As you might expect, the Nexus 6P runs the latest version of Android, with no custom UI overlays or bloatware to bog it down. What you might not expect is the sexy unibody anodized aluminum casing, available in 3 hues. This Huawei-built phone is a classy piece, and it's fast too with the top dog Snapdragon 810 8-core CPU inside, 3 gigs of LPDDR4 RAM and 3 storage options. It has capable cameras, a lovely 5.7" QHD AMOLED display and a beefy battery. It's sold unlocked for use with any carrier (CDMA too) with a reasonable $499 starting price. |
Unlocked (GSM & CDMA) |
Dec. 2015 |
 |
| LG V10 Gimmick or great? The LG V10 is a little of both. The big screen LG has a secondary front display--a narrow strip at the top that provides shortcuts, status and can act as a control area for apps like the camera. Speaking of the camera, this phone has two front facing cameras; one ultra-wide angle and the other with a more normal view. On to the normal stuff! The LG V10 runs Android 5.1.1 Lollipop (sorry, not 6.0 Marshmallow that's shipping on a few recent phones) on the high end Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 6-core CPU. It has 4 gigs of RAM and 64 gigs of storage, and there's a microSD card slot. The phone has a 5.7" Quantum IPS+ display and it runs at QHD 2560 x 1440. |
AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon |
Dec. 2015 |
 |
| BlackBerry Priv Leave it to BlackBerry: just when you thought hardware keyboards were a thing of the past, they release a new model with a QWERTY keyboard. Nope, it doesn't run BlackBerry OS, it runs Android. The Priv is a 5.4" QWERTY slider, the likes of which we haven't seen in some time. The curved display, carbon fiber back and metal keyboard rails are chic and classy-- and distinctly BlackBerry. As is that keyboard with the waterfall sculpted keys and little OS touches that bring some of the things we loved about BlackBerry OS to Android. The phone has a 1.8 GHz Snapdragon 808 CPU, 3 gigs of RAM and 32 gigs of storage-- nice enough specs for a power user. Other goodies include an 18MP rear camera with a good quality lens, a high resolution display and a microSD card slot. |
AT&T, Verizon and Unlocked GSM |
Nov. 2015 |
 |
| HTC One A9 The HTC One A9 is HTC's "more affordable" but still stylish Android smartphone. It bears more than a passing resemblance to the iPhone 6s, but once you get past that, you'll admire the quality aluminum casing and slim design. The One A9 is available unlocked and via carriers, and it has a 5" 1080p AMOLED display, 32 gigs of internal storage and a microSD card slot. It runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow with HTC Sense software on the Snapdragon 617 midrange CPU. The rear 13MP camera is a great improvement for HTC and it takes pleasing photos. |
GSM + CDMA Unlocked and via carriers |
Nov. 2015 |
 |
| Nexus 5X The more affordable of the 2015 Google Nexus phones is no slouch: it has a 5.2" full HD 1920 x 1080 IPS display, a very capable 12.3MP rear camera (the same as found on the Nexus 6P), a front 5MP camera, dual band WiFi 801.ac with MIMO, Bluetooth 4.2, NFC, GPS with GLONASS and a 2,700 mAh battery. It's slim and light and it has more 4G LTE bands than you can list in one breath. It runs the new Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS on the capable Snapdragon 808 CPU. Better yet, the price starts at $379 and it's unlocked for use with any carrier, including CDMA carriers like Sprint and Verizon. Of course, AT&T and T-Mobile work too. |
GSM + CDMA Unlocked |
Oct. 2015 |
 |
| ZTE Axon Elite The Axon Elite is ZTE's latest entry in the Axon line of GSM unlocked Android smartphones with fairly high end specs. The phone runs Android 5.0.2 with ZTE’s MiFavor 3.2 UI on the octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 CPU with Adreno 430 graphics. It has 3 gigs of RAM and 32 gigs of storage. The Axon Elite has a 5.5”, 1920 x 1080 IPS display (401 PPI) and is an international LTE 4G unlocked GSM phone with 2 nano SIM card slots. |
GSM Unlocked |
Oct. 2015 |
 |
| iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus For an "s" year, the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus offer significant improvements over the last generation of this extremely popular phone family. The size and look remain the same, though there's a new rose gold color that blushes pink. The 4.7" iPhone 6s and 5.5" iPhone 6s Plus sport newer and significantly faster Apple A9 CPUs with double the RAM for a nice performance boost. Both front and rear cameras are much higher resolution and Apple's finally joined the 4K video recording bandwagon. The casing is more rigid and the Touch ID fingerprint scanner recognizes your fingerprint nearly instantaneously. Lastly there's 3D Touch for new interactions with the touch screen. Not bad for an off cycle year. |
All major carriers, also available unlocked |
Sept. 2015 |
 |
| Moto X Pure Edition (2015, aka Moto X Style) Another year, another Moto X. For 2015 things get really exciting with the Moto X Pure Edition (Moto X Style overseas); it's a much more powerful phone than anything we've seen under the Moto X, G and E labels, and it's much bigger. The Moto X Pure Edition has a 5.7" QHD display and a fast Snapdragon 808 CPU with 3 gigs RAM. Other goodies include a microSD card slot, 21MP rear camera, and the usual Moto Maker customizable backs, trim and colors. This is an unlocked phone that works on all major US carriers (GSM and CDMA) with a starting price of $399. |
Unlocked, works with all major carriers (GSM and CDMA) |
Sept. 2015 |
 |
| Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3 4.7" We reviewed the 5.5” version a few months ago, and as you might expect, this is the small hands and small pockets edition with a 4.7” IPS 1280 x 720 “Technicolor” display. The specs are a bit lower than the bigger Idol 3, but so is the price, and this unlocked GSM 4G LTE phone is a bargain at $179 full retail (no contracts, no payment plans required). It runs Android 5.0 Lollipop on the 1.2 GHz Snapdragon 410 quad core CPU with 1.5 gigs of RAM and 16 gigs of storage. It has a microSD card slot, single band WiFi 802.11n, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC and a GPS. |
Unlocked GSM |
Sept. 2015 |
 |
| Samsung Galaxy Note 5 The fifth generation Samsung Galaxy Note goes high style with a glass and metal design that matches the Samsung Galaxy S6. Undeniably the best looking Samsung phablet to date, the Galaxy Note 5 is also faster, has an even better display and some of the best cameras you'll find on a phone. Like the Samsung Galaxy S6 and the new S6 Edge +, the Note 5 runs Android 5.1 and TouchWiz on the 2.1 GHz octa-core Exynos 7420 CPU with 4 gigs of RAM and fast UFS 2.0 storage. It has a 5.7" QHD Super AMOLED display, fingerprint scanner, heart rate monitor and the venerable S Pen, but it loses the removable battery and microSD card slot that were staples of previous Note models. |
All major US carriers |
Aug. 2015 |
 |
| Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+ The super-sized version of the Galaxy S6 edge sports a stunning 5.7" QHD Super AMOLED display with side curves. The phone is available in gold and black, and it's a stunning looking piece. Inside, it's mostly the same internals as the Note 5 (minus the pen) and Samsung Galaxy S6. It runs Android 5.1 and TouchWiz on the 2.1 GHz octa-core Exynos 7420 CPU with 4 gigs of RAM and fast UFS 2.0 storage. The edge+ has a 5.7" QHD Super AMOLED display, fingerprint scanner, heart rate monitor and a front 5MP camera and rear 16MP camera. |
All major US carriers |
Aug. 2015 |
 |
| Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime (video review) An affordable Android smartphone offered by Sprint, T-Mobile and Cricket in the US. The phone runs Android 5.1.1 Lollipop with Samsung TouchWiz software on the quad core 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 CPU with Adreno 306 graphics. It has 1.5 gigs of RAM and 8 gigs of internal storage. The 5” 960 x 540 TFT display won’t win resolution awards, but it has decent colors and brightness. The smartphone has a removable 2600 mAh battery, a microSD card slot, single band WiFi 802.11n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS and NFC. It has a sharp 5MP front camera with a wide angle lens and a rear 8MP camera with LED flash that can shoot 1080p video. |
Sprint, T-Mobile and Cricket |
Aug. 2015 |
 |
| Moto G 3rd Gen The Moto G 3rd generation is by no means the best Android phone you can buy, but it may be the cheapest good phone you can buy. And I mean really cheap-- $179 full retail for a name brand phone with good warranty and support and 4G LTE? Wow. The specs aren't scraping below your knees either: it has a quad core 1.4 GHz Snapdragon CPU, a quite decent 13MP camera with two-tone LED flash, a sharp 5MP front camera and a generously sized 2740 mAh battery. Throw in a nice looking 5" HD display, IPX7 water resistance, an SD card slot and a variety of back cover colors plus the option to build your own look on the Moto Maker website, and you're getting a lot for your money. |
Unlocked GSM, unlocked CDMA |
Aug. 2015 |
 |
| LG G Stylo Like LG phones but find the LG G4 too rich for your wallet? The LG G Stylo shares the same styling, Android 5.0 Lollipop and it has a big screen too. In fact at 5.7", the IPS display is larger than the G4's, but it's lower resolution. The LG G Stylo is available on Sprint, Boost Mobile, MetroPCS and T-Mobile for $250 to $288. That nets you a set of quite good cameras, a quad core Snapdragon 410 CPU, 4G LTE and a removable 3,000 mAh battery. |
Sprint, T-Mobile, Boost, MetroPCS |
July 2015 |
 |
| Huawei P8 lite (video review) An affordable GSM unlocked Android smartphone for the US market that sells for $249 full retail unlocked. The P8 lite is very slim at 0.3” and it weighs 4.76 ounces. It has dual SIM card slots and it supports 4G LTE on AT&T and T-Mobile in the US (along with smaller GSM carriers that piggyback off those networks). It is not compatible with Sprint or Verizon since those carriers use CDMA rather than GSM. The phone has a 5” LTPS 1280 x 720 display with Gorilla Glass 3, a 2200 mAh battery that’s sealed inside and single band WiFi 802.11n plus Bluetooth 4.0. It runs Android 4.4.4 KitKat with Huawei’s EMUI 3.0 UI on the 1.5 GHz Snapdragon 615 with Adreno 405 graphics. It has a 5MP front camera and 13MP rear camera. |
Unlocked GSM |
July 2015 |
 |
| Microsoft Lumia 640 XL This big screen Windows Phone is easy on the wallet, selling for $249 full retail and 99 pennies with contract. The 640 XL has a 5.7" display, a removable 3,000 mAh battery, 4G LTE and a microSD card slot. It runs Windows Phone 8.1 update 2 on the quad core Snapdragon 400 and it's upgradable to Windows 10 for phones. It has a 5MP wide angle front camera and a capable 13MP rear camera. We look at the AT&T version in this review. |
AT&T |
July 2015 |
 |
Samsung Galaxy S6 Active The rugged sibling to the standard Galaxy S6 is exclusive to AT&T in the US. It has the same goodies inside, including the extremely fast 2.1GHz Exynos octa-core CPU, 3 gigs of RAM, a heart rate monitor and Samsung's best in class rear 16MP camera. The Active is water and dust resistant, and you can submerge it up to 3 feet deep for 30 minutes. It's also designed to withstand drops, something the glass and metal Galaxy S6 and S6 edge cringe at. Even better, battery capacity is significantly higher at 3500 mAh, though alas it's not removable. |
AT&T |
June 2015 |
 |
| Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3 An inexpensive unlocked phone doesn't have to feel like a handful of compromises. Take the Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3, a stylish and extremely slim $249 Android 5.0 Lollipop phone with a 5.5" full HD IPS display, a respectable though not class-leading Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU, good battery life and even more rare--4G LTE for US carriers. If you use a GSM carrier like AT&T and T-Mobile, then the Idol 3 will work, with no need for a contract or renewals. You can also use it overseas for travel. The OneTouch Idol 3 runs on the octa-core, 64 bit Snapdragon 615, a midrange CPU. It has 2 gigs of RAM, 16 gigs of storage and a microSD card slot. It has dual band WiFi 802.11ac, Bluetooth, NFC and a GPS. |
Unlocked GSM |
May 2015 |
 |
| Asus ZenFone 2 The no-contract, unlocked GSM ZenFone 2 is available in two versions for $199 and $299. Both have 5.5", 1920 x 1080 full HD IPS displays, a good 13MP rear camera, front 5MP camera, dual band WiFi 802.11ac, Bluetooth, NFC and a microSD card slot. They're powered by Intel CPUs and the $199 model is clocked at 1.8 GHZ, has 2 gigs of RAM and 16 gigs of storage. The $299 has a 2.3 GHz Intel CPU, 4 gigs of RAM and 64 gigs of storage. That's pretty nice for the price. The US ZenFone 2 is available from Amazon. |
Unlocked GSM |
May 2015 |
 |
| HTC One M9 The HTC One M9 is every bit as gorgeous as the One M8. In fact it has a little more polish, literally and figuratively, and I'd say it's the best looking One yet, though some might have trouble telling the M8 and M9 apart at first glance. The HTC One M9 runs Android 5 Lollipop with HTC Sense software on the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 octa-core CPU clocked at 2 GHZ. It has 3 gigs of RAM, 32 gigs of storage and a microSD card slot HTC stuck with the same 5" 1920 x 1080 LCD 3 display as the M8, but upgraded the rear camera to a traditional 20MP model. |
all major carriers |
May 2015 |
 |
| LG G4 The LG G4 is the company's best high end smartphone yet. With an evolution of the LG G3 design that makes a 5.5" phone seem manageable, a comfortable curve and new leather backs that simply look stunning, it's hard not to like the looks. The LG G4 has a QHD IPS quantum 5.5" display, a truly impressive 16MP camera with a fast f/1.8 lens and OIS, a sharp 8 megapixel front camera and a removable 3,000 mAh battery. The phone runs Android Lollipop 5.1 with LG UI on the 1.8 GHz Snapdragon 808 CPU with 3 gigs of RAM and 32 gigs of storage. The LG G4 will be available on most carriers in June. |
All major carriers |
May 2015 |
 |
| Samsung Galaxy S6 & Galaxy S6 Edge What a difference a year makes. Samsung's new mainstream sized flagship phones for 2015 are every bit as attractive and elegant looking as the iPhone 6 and HTC One M9. Clad in glass and aluminum, both the GS6 and S6 Edge are classy and attractive phones whose looks match the excellent features inside. From the scrumptious 2560 x 1440 Super AMOLED displays to the fast 2.1 GHz Exynos octa-core CPU these phones are winners. There's a much more reliable fingerprint scanner, a sharp 5MP front camera and an excellent 16MP rear camera with OIS and 4K video capture. Editor's Choice 2015. |
All major carriers |
March 2015 |
 |
| LG G Flex 2 Let's face it, the original LG G Flex wasn't a huge sucess-- the specs were lacking and the phone was too big for most. The LG G Flex 2 remedies these issues, and it's actually a fine phone that might charm you with its attractive and comfortable curve. The LG G Flex 2 runs on the new 2 GHz Snapdragon 810 octa-core CPU and it has a pleasing curved 5.5" full HD P-OLED display that's color saturated and sharp. The phone has the same very good rear 13MP camera with OIS as the LG G3 along with dual band WiFi 801.11ac, NFC and an AV remote. The smartphone is flexible and the back has a self-healing finish that's somewhat scratch resistant. |
AT&T, Sprint |
March 2015 |
 |
| Moto E (2nd Gen) A $150 phone is both easy to love and hard to like. On one hand the bar is set low, so low that we're thrilled when the important bases are nicely covered: a solid quad core CPU, an IPS display and good voice quality. Throw in LTE 4G and a name brand you can trust, and you've got a phone that's hard to dislike. The Moto E is an unlocked GSM phone that will work on any GSM carrier and it runs Android 5.0 Lollipop on the new quad core 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 with 1 gig of RAM and 8 gigs of storage. It has an IPS display and a 5MP rear camera. Pretty good stuff for the price. And for those who eschew 4G, there's a 3G version for $119. |
Unlocked GSM |
March 2015 |
 |
| BlackBerry Passport (video review) BlackBerry is back with a flourish. The Passport is certainly a unique phone that's wider than the average supesized smartphone. Though it's a challenge to hold and pocket, the design affords a useful wider display and roomy hardware keyboard that's a joy to use. The specs are thoroughly modern with a quad core Snapdragon CPU, high resolution rear camera and of course 4G LTE. We look at the AT&T version. |
AT&T |
Feb. 2015 |
 |
| OnePlus One The OnePlus One Android phone isn't new and shiny anymore- it's been on the market (in a fashion) for 6 months. The One has held up well though, with specs that still look good and a price that's hard to beat: $299. The drawback? You can only buy One Plus' only smartphone offering through a challenging invite system. The OnePlus One is an Android 4.4 smartphone running CyanogenMod (at least for now) on the Snapdragon 801 CPU with 3 gigs of RAM and 16 or 32 gigs of storage. It has a sharp 1080p IPS display clad in Gorilla Glass and an attractive matte polycarbonate casing-- good stuff for the price. |
Unlocked GSM |
Jan. 2015 |
 |
| Google Nexus 6 This year Google is attacking the phablet market with their 6 inch Nexus 6. It's back to the high line too, with the device priced at $649 full retail and unlocked. The big 4 US carriers will also offer the Nexus 6, so you'll have payment and contract plan options. The Nexus 6 runs on the fastest CPU currently available in an Android smartphone, the quad core 2.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 with Adreno 420 graphics and 3 gigs of RAM. It's available in 32 and 64 gig capacities. It has 4G LTE on 12 bands, WiFi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.1, NFC and a GPS. Surprisingly for Google and Moto, who don't have the best track record with phone cameras, the Nexus 6 has a capable 13MP rear camera with a Sony sensor. |
All major carriers, unlocked |
Dec. 2014 |
 |
| Sony Xperia Z3v Verizon's version of the Xperia Z3 looks like an Xperia Z2, but it has the updated CPU and camera of the Z3. It adds Qi wireless charging, and as ever has that distinct Xperia look with glass front and back. The phone is water resistant and it has a vibrant 1080p IPS Triluminos display. It's powered by the 2.5GHz Snapdragon 801 quad core CPU with 3 gigs of RAM, 32 gigs of storage and a microSD card slot. This Android 4.4 smartphone has an excellent 20.7MP camera with a large Exmor RS sensor and Sony G lens. |
Verizon |
Dec. 2014 |
 |
| Nokia Lumia 830 Think of the Lumia 830 as the affordable and slightly more pocketable version of the excellent Nokia Lumia Icon and Lumia 930. It has the same elegant design with a metal frame, but it adds goodies like a removable battery and microSD card slot. The specs are dropped down from the more expensive Lumia Icon, and the Lumia 830 has a 5", 1280 x 720 IPS display and it runs on the 1.2GHz quad core Snapdragon 400 with Adreno 305 graphics and 1 gig of RAM. The real star of the show beyond the classy chassis is the 10MP rear PureView camera with a fast Carl Zeiss lens and OIS (optical image stabilization). That might not be a class-leading camera resolution, but the photos and videos are quite good for a midrange phone. |
AT&T |
Nov. 2014 |
 |
| Samsung Galaxy Note Edge We've seen phones that have curved glass simply to have curved glass. The Samsung Galaxy Note Edge, the curvy twin to the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, has a curved display with a purpose. Sure it takes the Note 4 design and makes it look cool and different, but that waterfall curve on the right side gives us a secondary 160 pixel display to interact with. The Samsung Galaxy Note Edge is otherwise the same as the excellent Note 4. It has a QHD 5.6" Super AMOLED main display (enhanced with curved Gorilla Glass 3 and a curved AMOLED panel underneath that adds the 160 x 2560 edge display), a removable faux leather back cover, metal sides and it runs on the Snapdragon 805 quad core 2.7GHz CPU with 3 gigs of RAM and 32 gigs of storage plus microSD card slot. The excellent 16MP rear camera with 4K video recording is here too. |
AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon |
Nov. 2014 |
 |
| Motorola Droid Turbo The long-lived Droid line of Android smartphones on Verizon Wireless featured angular, masculine designs, raucous screeching robot startup sounds and industrial wallpapers. Moto has evolved, and the Droid Turbo is a more modern and less ominous phone. There's more to the Droid Turbo than updated looks and a cleaner OS: its specs outdo the 2014 Moto X and all flagship Android phones currently on the market except the Samsung Galaxy Note 4. The Droid Turbo runs on the latest, greatest Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 quad core CPU with Adreno 420 graphics, 3 gigs of RAM and 32 or 64 gigs of storage. It's called the Turbo because it comes with Moto's turbo charger in the box, and that's a charger that supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 for extreme quick charging. It has a 3900 mAh battery- impressive, as is the QHD AMOLED display. |
Verizon |
Nov. 2014 |
 |
| Samsung Galaxy Note 4 That fabulous phablet is back and better than ever. The Note 4 is the most stylish looking big phone from Samsung yet, thanks to metal sides and a refined design. The S Pen is here for precise writing and drawing, and the striking 5.7" Super AMOLED display runs at an impressive 2560 x 1440 resolution. The Note 4 runs on the new 2.7GHz Snapdragon 805 quad core CPU with Adreno 420 graphics and it has 3 gigs of RAM and 32 gigs of storage. Other goodies include a fingerprint scanner, health monitor, 4K video recording and a removable battery. Editor's Choice 2014. |
all major carriers |
Oct. 2014 |
 |
| Sony Xperia Z3 Compact Sony proves that good things come in small packages. The 4.6" Z3 Compact sports flagship specs and a striking design, yet it's one of the few small pocket and hands friendly Android phones. It's ever so slightly smaller than the iPhone 6 and Samsung Galaxy Alpha with which it competes and it weighs just 4.55 ounces. The phone is water resistant and it has a colorful and sharp Triluminos display. The Z3 Compact runs on the same 2.5GHz quad core Snapdragon 801 as the 5" and larger competition, and it has dual band WiFi ac, an excellent rear 20.7MP rear camera with large Exmor RS sensor, LTE 4G that works with AT&T and T-Mobile in the US and a big 2600 mAh battery. If you're hankering for a smaller phone and use a GSM carrier, be sure to check it out. |
Unlocked GSM |
Oct. 2014 |
 |
| Moto G (2nd Gen, 2014) The next generation Moto G increases screen size to 5", adds a microSD card slot and increases camera resolution while keeping the same low $179 full retail price as the first gen model. This is an unlocked GSM phone that works with AT&T, T-Mobile and other GSM carriers (not Sprint or Verizon) and it's a quad band world phone with 3G. It has a 720p LCD display, 1.2GHz quad core Snapdragon 400 CPU, 1 gig of RAM and 8 gigs of storage. Once again, it's a hard phone to beat for the price thanks to good styling, quality components and decent specs. |
Unlocked GSM |
Oct. 2014 |
 |
| Samsung Galaxy Alpha This is the first Samsung Galaxy to have a metal frame around the edges (the Galaxy Note 4 will soon join it) and it's meant to be the classy model. It's also downsized and designed to compete with the 4.7" iPhone 6. The Alpha shrinks the standard sized flagship Galaxy S5 without dumbing down the specs too much. Thus the Alpha has a 4.7" Super AMOLED display, the same 2.5GHz quad core Snapdragon 801, 2 gigs of RAM and 32 gigs of storage. It has a 12MP camera that takes photos and videos that are nearly indistinguishable from the 16MP GS5 and it has a fingerprint scanner embedded in the home button. Sounds lovely if you prefer a more manageable size phone and better looks than the Galaxy S5. The drawbacks? No microSD card slot and the display resolution drops to 720p. |
AT&T |
Oct. 2014 |
 |
| iPhone 6 Apple's mainstream phone is larger now at 4.7", but it's still hand and pocket friendly. The IPS display is stunningly colorful and sharp with great viewing angles, and the newest iPhone is fast thanks to the Apple A8 dual core 64 bit CPU. The iPhone 6 has an aluminum body finished in silver, space gray or gold, and it's available with 16, 64 or 128 gigs of storage. It has a very good rear 8MP camera with fast lens and the Touch ID fingerprint scanner that will work with Apple Pay for mobile payments. Editor's Choice 2014. |
All major carriers |
Sept. 2014 |
 |
| Moto X (2nd gen) Once again Motorola mixes extreme fashion with a low price tag, but the 2014 Moto X amps up the specs to battle the flagship competition. The Moto X has a 5.2" AMOLED display, this time running at full HD 1080p resolution. It's wildly colorful with impressive contrast. The Android 4.4 KitKat phone will get the upgrade to Android L and it runs on the Snapdragon 801 quad core CPU clocked at 2.5GHz, just like other high end phones. You can order it with your choice of 25 different back colors, including 4 wood and 4 leather options, and it's one of the best looking smartphones money can buy. The Moto X is available as an unlocked GSM phone with LTE 4G and both AT&T and Verizon sell it too. |
AT&T, Verizon and unlocked GSM |
Sept. 2014 |
 |
| iPhone 6 Plus It's Apple's first phablet, or really big smartphone if you hate that label. The iPhone 6 Plus has a 5.5" full HD IPS display that's one of the best, long battery life, a crazy slim design and as ever an attractive unibody aluminum design. The phone runs iOS 8 on Apple's dual core, 64 bit A8 processor with multi-core graphics and 1 gig of RAM. You can get it with up to 128 gigs of storage and in your choice of silver, space gray or gold. Is it a handful? Yes it is. Is it wonderful for watching videos and playing games? You bet! Editor's Choice 2014. |
All major carriers |
Sept. 2014 |
 |
| HTC One E8 If you like the HTC One M8 but want to save $100 or don't like the M8's metal casing, the E8 might be for you. It has the same iconic design as the One M8 along with the BoomSound front-facing stereo speakers and 5" SLCD 3 full HD display. In fact, it has the same Snapdragon 801 quad core 2.3GHz CPU and 2 gigs of RAM too. The HTC One E8 has a traditional 13Mp rear camera, front 5MP camera, 4G LTE with Sprint Spark, 16 gigs of internal storage and a microSD card slot. The phone runs Android 4.4 KitKat with HTC Sense 6 software. |
Sprint |
Sept. 2014 |
 |
| HTC One M8 for Windows The HTC One M8 for Windows: it's everything you loved about the HTC One M8... unless you're an Android person that is. Given the name, you've already figured out this is the Windows Phone version of the M8, and if you're a fan of that elegant smartphone, you'll be thrilled to hear the hardware hasn't changed a bit. The HTC One M8 for Windows has a 5" full HD display, a quad core Snapdragon 801 CPU, 32 gigs of storage plus a microSD card slot and of course HTC BoomSound stereo front-facing speakers. It runs Windows Phone 8.1 Update 1 and is initially exclusive to Verizon Wireless, though it will be coming to AT&T and T-Mobile. |
Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile |
Aug. 2014 |
 |
| HTC One Remix The HTC One M8's little brother sports an aluminum unibody design and looks much like the first generation HTC One. The somewhat more compact and midrange Remix keeps the excellent BoomSound stereo speakers and SLCD3 display, while downsizing to 4.5" and 1280 x 720 resolution. The Remix runs on a quad core Snapdragon 400 CPU with 16 gigs of storage and a microSD card slot. It has a very good 5MP front camera and a 13MP rear camera. |
Verizon |
Aug. 2014 |
|
| Samsung Galaxy S5 Sport Yes, it's another Samsung Galaxy S5 variant. This time we look at the Samsung Galaxy S5 Sport, currently exclusive to Sprint in the US. It's a more sporty version of the GS5 that's available in zingy red or electric blue, and it has a grippy outer casing. Inside you'll find the exact same internals, battery and camera as the Galaxy S5 original flavor. The GS5 Sport has an excellent Super AMOLED 1920 x 1080 display, 2.5GHz quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 CPU with Adreno 330 graphics, 2 gigs of RAM and 16 gigs of storage. It has a microSD card slot, an IR blaster and 4G LTE with world GSM roaming. |
Sprint |
Aug. 2014 |
 |
| Nokia Lumia 635 This is a wildly affordable 4G LTE Windows 8.1 smartphone that's available on AT&T and T-Mobile for just $99 to $168 full retail. It has a 4.5" IPS display, removable battery and swappable back cover shells. The phone runs on a quad core Snapdragon 400 CPU with 512 megs of RAM and 8 gigs of storage, expandable via microSD cards. It has Cortana, Microsoft's new voice assistant, a 5megapixel rear camera and a GPS with GLONASS. |
AT&T GoPhone and T-Mobile |
July 2014 |
 |
| LG G3 The LG G3 is the company's flagship Android smartphone for 2014, and it's a big one, literally and figuratively. Actually, for a 5.5" phone, it's surprisingly compact, and it's not much larger than the smaller-screen HTC One M8 and Samsung Galaxy S5. The G3's biggest claim to fame is the impressively high 2560 x 1440 IPS display--that's the same resolution as high DPI Windows 8 laptops, but crammed into a 5.5" screen for 538 PPI density. Is that overkill? Sure it is, but it's great for marketing in a world where better than HD and 4k are big buzzwords. Editor's Choice 2014. |
All major carriers |
July 2014 |
 |
| Amazon Fire Phone Amazon's first smartphone runs Fire OS 3.5 with full access to Amazon's many services, including Kindle, Prime Instant Video, Amazon Music and Audible. It has a 4.7" HD display that's bright and very attractive and it has Dynamic Perspective for 3D effects. The Fire phone runs on a 2.2GHz quad core Snapdragon 800 CPU with 2 gigs of RAM and 32 or 64 gigs of storage. The phone has a very good rear 13MP camera with optical image stabilization and Amazon's Firefly feature that identifies products, TV shows and movies. |
AT&T |
July 2014 |
 |
| Samsung Galaxy S5 Active The more rugged sibling to the Samsung Galaxy S5 can withstand a drop of 4 feet onto a flat surface, and it has the GS5's water and dust resistance. The Active has the same flagship specs and features as the standard S5 except it has no fingerprint scanner. It has a vibrant Super AMOLED HD full HD display and it runs on the new 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad core CPU with 2 gigs of DDR3 RAM. Other features include an excellent 16MP rear camera, 4G LTE and a removable back and battery. |
AT&T |
July 2014 |
 |
| Asus PadFone X The Asus PadFone has been around for two years, but a model hasn't made it to the US until now. The question is, is it too late or is the timing just right? The timing might be just right for adoption by average folks who want both a tablet and a smartphone and for enthusiasts in the US who weren't quite daring enough to order an import. The PadFone X is available on AT&T for just $199 with contract. That price nets you both the phone and the tablet dock. Now that's pretty sweet. The PadFone X is a flagship level Android smartphone with a 5" full HD IPS display, 2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad core CPU, 2 gigs of RAM and a 13 megapixel camera. The tablet dock transforms the Padfone into a full HD tablet. |
AT&T |
June 2014 |
 |
| Moto E The Moto E is just $129, no contract. Wow. For a phone with a nice enough design, interchangeable and colorful back covers, the latest 4.4 KitKat OS, a pleasing display and good voice quality, that's crazy. This is an unlocked GSM world phone, so you can use any GSM carrier's SIM (there are AT&T and T-Mobile friendly models), and you'll get 3G but no 4G LTE. The most affordable Motorola Android smartphone has a dual core Snapdragon CPU, a 5MP rear camera and a 4.3" qHD 960 x 540 display. |
Unlocked GSM |
May 2014 |
 |
| Samsung Galaxy S5 The Samsung Galaxy S5 is the manufacturer's flagship mainstream size Android phone for 2014, and it sports a new fingerprint scanner and heart rate monitor. It has a best of breed 5.1" Super AMOLED HD display running at 1920 x 1080 and it runs on the new 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad core CPU with 2 gigs of DDR3 RAM. As you'd expect from Samsung, it's very slim yet it has a removable battery and a microSD card slot. The rear 16 megapixel camera is one of the better models on the market and it can even shoot decent 4K video. The GS5 runs Android 4.4 KitKat with Samsung's TouchWiz UI and software. It's available on all major and some regional carriers. Editor's Choice 2014. |
All major carriers |
April 2014 |
 |
| HTC One M8 We liked the first HTC One quite a lot, and this year's model address many of its (sometimes small) shortcomings while bringing us one of the most gorgeous phone designs yet. The HTC One M8 is or will be available on all major carriers and it runs Android 4.4 KitKat with HTC Sense 6 for a tasteful and light customization of the OS. It's the first phone to ship with the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad core CPU for modest speed gains and it has 32 gigs of storage plus a microSD card slot. The 5" full HD LCD is sharp and bright, and the new 5 megapixel front camera will be a hit with the video chat crowd and selfie fans. Is it perfect? Not quite, but it's good enough to win our Editor's Choice award. |
All major carriers |
April 2014 |
 |
| Nokia Lumia Icon The Nokia Lumia Icon has a striking 5" full HD Clear Black OLED display with outdoor brightness mode and heightened touch sensitivity for gloves. Like the Lumia 1520 and top Android smartphones, it runs on a 2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad core CPU with Adreno 330 graphics and 2 gigs of RAM. It has has dual band WiFi 802.11ac, Bluetooth, NFC, GPS and a front HD webcam. The 20MP PureView camera that can shoot DNG RAW files? It's every bit as good as the excellent Lumia 1520 camera. |
Verizon |
March 2014 |
 |
| LG G Flex Some folks have given the LG G Flex a hard time for being downright odd: it's a curved 6" Android smartphone with some flexibility to avoid breaking. The curve actually feels good in the hand, cuts down on glare and makes this otherwise huge phone a bit more manageable. Inside the specs are all flagship with one exception: a 2.2GHz quad core Snapdragon 800 CPU, 2 gigs of RAM, 32 gigs of storage, a huge battery and a capable 13 megapixel camera that can shoot 4k video. But the display resolution is relatively low at 720p, and that hurts. Is that enough to doom the G Flex? Read our review to find out. |
AT&T, Sprint & T-Mobile |
Feb. 2014 |
 |
| Sony Xperia Z1S The Xperia Z1S is the T-Mobile version of the well-received Xperia Z1, Sony's newest flagship Android phone. The 5" smartphone has a full HD Triluminos display and a stunning black glass black plus Sony's signature slim and angular Xperia look. The 20.7 megapixel rear camera makes this the highest resolution Android camera phone, and image quality is indeed excellent. The Xperia Z1S has top specs including a 2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad core CPU, 2 gigs of RAM and 32 gigs of internal storage. The phone has dual band WiFi 802.11ac with WiFi calling and mobile hotspot, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS as well as NFC. |
T-Mobile (unlocked GSM as Z1) |
Jan. 2014 |
 |
| BlackBerry Z30 The company's first "big" smartphone, the BlackBerry Z30 is a 5 inch phone running BlackBerry OS 10.2. It has much in common with the 4.2" Z10: it's a touch screen slab phone with a dual core Snapdragon CPU and a 720p display. The Z30 has a 1280 x 720 Super AMOLED display, 4G LTE, an 8 megapixel rear camera with a fast f/2.2 lens, a micro HDMI port and a microSD card slot for storage expansion. The build is classier and jazzier than the Z10, with a carbon fiber pattern back and a brushed metal front. |
Verizon and unlocked GSM |
Jan. 2014 |
 |
| Moto G We need more phones like the Moto G, lots more. The Moto G is a well made, yet it's an extremely affordable unlocked GSM smartphone from a trusted manufacturer that sells for just $179 retail. No contract or payment plans required, it's simply that inexpensive. Of course you won't get flagship specs or a giant screen for that price, but it's a classy looking device with good build quality, reasonable speed and a colorful display. The Android 4.3 phone has a 4.5" HD display and it runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 CPU with Adreno 305 graphics and a gig of RAM. It's available with 8 or 16 gigs of storage and it has a 5 megapixel rear camera. |
Unlocked GSM (works with AT&T and T-Mobile) |
Dec. 2013 |
 |
| Nokia Lumia 1520 And now for those who want something smaller than the Nokia Lumia 2520, we have the Nokia Lumia 1520 smartphone, released at the same time as Nokia's first Windows tablet. The Lumia 1520 has a few firsts as well: it's the first Windows phone phablet, the first with a full HD display and the first to sport a quad core processor. Nice! Though the 6" Lumia 1520 might be too big for some, there's no denying the temptations of a Windows Phone that finally competes spec for spec with flagship Android phones. And the Lumia manages to beat most with its 20 megapixel main camera with dual LED flash and Carl Zeiss lens. |
AT&T |
Dec. 2013 |
 |
| HTC One max The HTC One max is largely what we expected: a bigger version of the successful HTC One. That's good news and bad: certainly getting even more HTC One in your hands has appeal if you are fond of phablets or really big phones. The bad news is that we'd hoped HTC would push the envelope and improve specs and features in the 8 months since the 4.7" HTC launched. The One max has a 5.9" Super LCD display running at full HD resolution, a 1.7GHz Snapdragon 600 processor, 32 gigs of internal storage and the same 4MP Ultrapixel camera used in the HTC One. |
Sprint, Verizon |
Nov. 2013 |
 |
| Google Nexus 5 You get what you pay for, and sometimes a bit more when it's a Google Nexus product. The new Nexus 5, based very loosely on the lovely LG G2 and made by LG, is a bargain of a phone though it's not perfect. The Nexus 5 has a 5 inch full HD IPS display, the latest generation Snapdragon 800 quad core CPU with Adreno 330 graphics, 2 gigs of RAM, LTE 4G on a host of bands, a front 1.3MP camera and a rear 8MP camera with LED flash. It's sold directly by Google and it's unlocked for use with any carrier. No contract required! The 16 gig model is $349 and the 32 gig model is $399, and the phone is available in your choice of black or white. Is this the phone for you? Read our review and watch our video review to find out. |
Unlocked for use with most carriers |
Nov. 2013 |
 |
| verykool S470 Not everyone is up for a contract renewal or wants to jump on those new monthly payment plans that let you get a new phone every year (or even more frequently) for a price. So what happens if you break or lose your phone, or you simply want to move up to an Android smartphone without breaking the bank? The verykool S470 "Black Pearl" is just $230 with no contract or commitment and it has a good feature set for the price: a 720p IPS display, 1.2GHz quad core CPU, dual SIM card slots (full size SIM cards), 3G HSPA+ 42Mbps and an 8MP rear camera. |
Unlocked for use with GSM carriers |
Nov. 2013 |
 |
| Samsung Galaxy Note 3 There's no denying that the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 continues to top the charts as best phablet. Since the original Note shipped a few years back, we've seen occasional competition for the bigger than a phone but smaller than a tablet crown, but Samsung's combination of a relatively compact and light body, S Pen digital pen and custom software still make the Galaxy Note 3 the best phablet at the high end. The third generation Note has a 5.7" full HD Super AMOLED display, a very fast 2.3GHz quad core Snapdragon 800 CPU with 3 gigs of RAM, our beloved S Pen with note taking and art apps, a capable 13MP rear camera and the usual LTE 4G, GPS, NFC, Bluetooth and WiFi 802.11ac. |
AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon |
Oct. 2013 |
 |
| iPhone 5c This is the first time Apple introduced two new iPhone models at the same time: the iPhone 5c and the iPhone 5s. While the iPhone 5c is basically an iPhone 5 in more playful colors, it's certainly more exciting than leaving us with the choice of buying this year's model or last year's at a discount. In fact, the iPhone 5c makes us realize how viable that older model still is, with fast performance, the usual excellent (albeit small) 4" Retina Display and a capable 8MP rear camera. |
AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon and unlocked |
Sept. 2013 |
 |
| iPhone 5s The iPhone 5s features Apple's new A7 CPU and a fast PowerVR multi-core GPU that's twice as fast as the iPhone 5 and 5c. The latest flagship iPhone sticks with the Leica inspired metal design and 4" Retina Display, and Apple has added a gold color option. The updated 8MP iSight camera with larger pixels takes noticably better low light shots and the front FaceTime camera offers sharper and brighter video chats. The new iPhone features a Touch ID fingerprint sensor so you can unlock the phone with a press of a finger. The smartphone runs iOS 7 and as usual is available in 16, 32 and 64 gig capacities. Editor's Choice 2013. |
AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon and unlocked |
Sept. 2013 |
 |
| LG G2 This is LG's best Android smartphone to date. From the glorious 5.2" full HD IPS display to the capable 13 megapixel camera to the new super-fast Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad core 2.26GHz CPU, the phone is a winner. Despite the larger display, the G2 is no bigger than the smaller-screen Galaxy S4 and HTC One, thanks to the edge-to-edge display. The phone has a generous 3,000 mAh battery, dual band WiFi 802.11ac, NFC and a capable 2.1MP front camera. |
AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile |
Sept. 2013 |
 |
| Moto X Finally, an Android smartphone that caters to ergonomics and usability with handy features like an active sleep screen that keeps you informed and always-on voice command. The Moto X will be available on all major US carriers and it has a 4.7" 1280 x 720 AMOLED display, 1.7GHz dual core Snapdragon S4 Pro CPU with custom processors to handle voice and motion recognition (Moto calls this their X8 processing platform), 2 gigs of RAM, 16 or 32 gigs of storage, WiFi ac, Bluetooth 4.0 LE + EDR, NFC, a front 2MP camera and capable RGBC 10MP rear camera. |
AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile |
Sept. 2013 |
 |
| HTC 8XT Finally, Windows Phone 8 comes to Sprint in the guise of the stylish HTC 8XT. A close relative of the HTC 8X and 8S, the Sprint version has a colorful though not particularly high resolution display, that unique tapered HTC design and a boldly colored soft touch casing. The phone has a 1.4GHz dual core Snapdragon 400 CPU with a gig of RAM and 8 gigs of internal storage. It has a microSDXC card slot for storage expansion, LTE 4G, and a very capable 8 megapixel rear camera with a backside illuminated sensor and 1080p video recording. |
Sprint |
Aug. 2013 |
 |
| Motorola Droid Ultra Verizon and Motorola's newest Droid for fall 2013 has much in common with the Moto X. They share the same Moto X8 mobile computing platform with a dual core 1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro CPU plus contextual computing cores and Adreno 320 graphics. They both offer always listening voice command, an active sleep screen that keeps you informed and they have 10MP cameras with an RBGC sensor. Where they diverge is in looks and size. This is all Droid with a dark, masculine and techno look. It has the usual red wallpapers and ominous Droid startup sound. Like previous Moto Droid smartphones it has a Kevlar casing, but this time its encased in your choice of high gloss red or black. The Ultra has a 5" AMOLED 720p display. |
Verizon |
Aug. 2013 |
 |
| Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 Here in the US, we don't get tablets that do cellular voice as do lucky consumers in Europe. The Mega-sized Galaxy with a 6.3" display is large enough that it could do double duty as a small tablet. Yet it's still a phone and it has the usual calling features, speaker and built-in mic. This is a mid-range device with a fairly low price tag, but for those who use data and apps more than calling, the Mega 6.3 still has what it takes to be productive. It has a 1.7GHz dual core Snapdragon 400 CPU, 1.5 gigs of RAM, 8 gigs of storage and a 1280 x 720 PLS display. |
AT&T |
Aug. 2013 |
 |
| Nokia Lumia 1020 The Nokia Lumia 1020 is the latest, greatest Windows Phone 8 flagship smartphone, and it's got something very special: a 41 megapixel Nokia PureView camera that reinvents zoom. It's not as bulky as the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom and it looks much like the Lumia 920, complete with a curved polycarbonate unibody design, curved Gorilla Glass 3 display and 4.5" ClearBlack AMOLED display that's outdoor viewable and glove friendly. The Lumia 1020 is exclusive to AT&T in the US right now, and it's available in matte white, black and yellow. It has 4G LTE, dual band WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC and a GPS with GLONASS. The camera has a Xenon flash, Carl Zeiss Tessar f/2.2 6 element lens and a backside illuminated sensor. Does it steal the show? If you're a shutterbug, the answer is a definite "yes". |
AT&T |
July 2013 |
 |
| Sprint Vital The Sprint Vital, made by ZTE, is a mid-priced phone with a big display, 4G LTE and a refreshingly clean Android experience. Priced at $99 with contract after rebate, the Vital is a lot of phone for the price. You get a bright, sharp and colorful 5” display with wide viewing angles, a capable dual core Snapdragon CPU and a 13 megapixel camera with flash.The Vital runs on a 1.5GHz dual core Snapdragon S4 CPU with a gig of RAM and 8 gigs of storage. |
Sprint |
July 2013 |
 |
| Samsung Galaxy S4 Active If you love the Samsung Galaxy S4 but need a water and dust resistant smartphone that can survive poolside splashes and an accident with cocoa powder when baking, the Galaxy S4 Active is your phone. It has the same internals, software and apps as the non-Active model, and that means you get a very fast 1.9GHz quad core processor, 2 gigs of RAM, 16 gigs of storage and Android 4.2.2 with Samsung TouchWiz software. The phone has an 8MP camera (a downgrade from the GS4) but as a consolation it has an underwater photo mode. |
AT&T |
July 2013 |
 |
| BlackBerry Q10 This is the BlackBerry that Bold and Curve users have been waiting for. It has a thoroughly modern OS that's fast, great at multi-tasking and secure, and it maintains that hardware QWERTY keyboard BlackBerry users love. For those who talk and text more than surf the web and watch videos, the BlackBerry Q10 is your phone. The keyboard is excellent and the phone has very good voice quality. Inside, it runs on the same internals as the already released BlackBerry Z10: 1.5GHz dual core Snapdragon CPU, 2 gigs of RAM, 16 gigs of storage and a microSD card slot. It has 4G LTE, WiFi, Bluetooth, a GPS and NFC. There's a front 2MP camera and a rear 8MP camera with HDR. The Q10 runs BlackBerry OS 10.1 and it has a 3.1" touchscreen. |
AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon and unlocked GSM |
June 2013 |
 |
| LG Optimus G Pro The LG Optimus G Pro grows on us the more we use it. No pun intended; yes it's a large 5.5" Android smartphone, but the narrow design makes it easier to hold-- it feels like a phone, just bigger. The G Pro runs on a quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 CPU, and that's currently the fastest CPU on the market. with 2 gigs of RAM and 32 gigs of internal storage, it's got top shelf specs. The removable battery, microSD card slot and excellent 13 megapixel camera round up a very solid feature set. But the real selling points are the full HD 1920 x 1080 IPS 5.5" display and $199 on contract price that's less expensive than the Samsung Galaxy Note II. |
AT&T |
May 2013 |
 |
| Nokia Lumia 928 Verizon Wireless customers who had a crush on the Nokia Lumia 920: it's your turn now. The new Nokia Lumia 928 is now available for $99 on contract, and it's every bit as good as the 920. Nokia has updated the styling with straight sides and the phone has lost a wee bit of weight, but it keeps the 4.5", 1280 x 768 display spec, very good 8.7MP PureView camera and 32 gigs of internal storage. The Lumia 928 has an AMOLED ClearBlack display and it runs on a 1.5GHz dual band Snapdragon S4 CPU. |
Verizon |
May 2013 |
 |
| Sony Xperia ZL The Sony Xperia ZL is the more affordable and slightly smaller sibling to the Xperia Z flagship Android smartphone. In fact, Sony claims it's the smallest 5" full HD smartphone on the market, and we believe they're right. For a phone with a very large display it's slightly shorter than the 4.7" HTC One and both narrower and shorter than Sony's own Xperia Z. In terms of internals and display, the ZL is identical to the Z, but it costs a bit less because it has a plastic back and isn't waterproof like the Z. It runs on a1.5GHz quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro CPU with 2 gigs of RAM and it has a very good 13 megapixel camera. This is an unlocked GSM phone with LTE 4G. |
Unlocked GSM |
May 2013 |
 |
| Samsung Galaxy S4 This is Samsung's 2013 flagship Android smartphone. Yes, you could call it an evolutionary device, but the new features (love 'em or hate 'em) are more than evolutionary. When a phone watches you and responds to your movements, that's something new and exciting (and sometimes crazy making). Perhaps it's a revolutionary smartphone trapped in an evolutionary casing? The Samsung Galaxy S4 has a 5" full HD Super AMOLED display, a 1.9GHz Snapdragon 600 quad core CPU with 2 gigs of RAM and an excellent 13 megapixel camera. |
AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon |
May 2013 |
 |
| HTC One The HTC One has the perfect storm of smartphone features, from its fast and brand new Snapdragon 600 quad core CPU to its stunning full HD 4.7" display and impressive UltraPixel camera that laughs at darkness. Then there's the striking aluminum casing that gives the iPhone 5 a run for your money and excellent BoomSound stereo speakers up front where they belong. Better yet, it's available on three of the top four US carriers and HTC sells an unlocked GSM edition for those who like their autonomy and unlocked bootloaders. Editor's Choice 2013. |
AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon and unlocked GSM |
April 2013 |
 |
| LG Lucid 2 It's hard to beat free, and the LG Lucid 2 is free on contract with Verizon Wireless. For your money (so to speak) you get a smartphone running Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean on a 1.2GHz dual core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus CPU with a gig of RAM and 8 gigs of internal storage. The phone has a sharp 4.3" IPS qHD display, a microSD card slot and a removable battery. The phone has a 5MP rear camera with HDR that can shoot 1080p video and the usual LTE 4G,WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS. |
Verizon |
April 2013 |
 |
| BlackBerry Z10 The all new BlackBerry OS 10 is here on RIM's first new phone in quite some time. The BlackBerry Z10 is a slab touchscreen smartphone with a 4.2" IPS screen running at 1280 x 768. It has a removable battery and microSD card slot, an increasingly rare set of features. The phone runs on a 1.5GHz dual core Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU with a gig of RAM and 16 gigs of storage. It has a 2MP front camera and rear 8MP camera with LED flash and backside illuminiated sensor. The Z10 is fast, fun and stable: BlackBerry is off to a good start. |
AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon and unlocked GSM |
March 2013 |
 |
| Samsung ATIV Odyssey The Samsung ATIV Odyssey is the manufacturer's first US Windows Phone 8 smartphone. Available on Verizon Wireless for $49 with contract, Samsung obviously wasn't shooting for a flagship device, and they've yet to bring the higher end ATIV S to the US. The ATIV Odyssey is akin to the Galaxy S III Mini and it has a colorful 4" Super AMOLED display running at 800 x 480 in a very compact form. The smartphone runs on the standard Windows Phone 8 internals: a 1.5GHz dual core Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU with a gig of RAM. It has 8 gigs of internal storage and a microSD card slot. It has 4G LTE and a 5 megapixel rear camera. |
Verizon |
Feb. 2012 |
 |
| Pantech Discover Pantech isn't known for their high end phones, but that's changing with elegantly designed, well equipped Android smartphones like the Pantech Discover. The phone has a 4.8" display running at 1280 x 720 and a sleek design that doesn't look the least bit cheap though the phone is only $49 on contract with AT&T. The Discover has a 1.5GHz dual core Snapdragon S4 CPU with a gig of RAM and 16 gigs of internal storage and a microSD card slot. The Discover has large side-facing stereo speakers and a 12.6 megapixel rear camera with LED flash. |
AT&T |
Feb. 2012 |
 |
| HTC One X+ How do you make a very good thing even better? If it's a smartphone you add a few more cores while cranking clock speed, increase battery capacity and cram in 64 gigs of internal storage. That's the HTC One X+, available exclusively on AT&T in the US. It's the mid-cycle spec bump to keep the phone competitive with the Samsung Galaxy S III, LG Optimus G and other high end phones. The iconic unibody polycarbonate design, superb 4.7", 1280 x 720 Super LCD2 display with 312 ppi pixel density and smooth and reliable performance are here from the One X. But the One X+ moves up to the new NVidia AP37 1.7GHz quad core Tegra 3 CPU, making it faster than both our US One X with the dual core Snapdragon and the international 1.5GHz Tegra 3 One X. |
AT&T |
Jan. 2013 |
 |
| LG Spectrum 2 The LG Spectrum 2 takes high end specs down to a mid-level price. At $99 with contract, it has many of the same specs and features as $199 Android smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S III. The smartphone has a lovely 4.7" IPS display running at 1280 x 720 that's protected by Gorilla Glass. That's the same resolution as other current high end Android smartphone on the market except the full 1080p HTC Droid DNA. It runs on the usual 1.5GHz dual core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus CPU with a gig of RAM and 16 gigs of internal storage. The phone has NFC, a sharp 8MP rear camera with LED flash and a microSD card slot. |
Verizon |
Jan. 2013 |
 |
| HTC Droid DNA Look out Samsung Galaxy Note II, there's a new kid on the block, at least if you're a Verizon Wireless customer, and that's the HTC Droid DNA. The HTC Droid DNA is one of our top smartphones for 2012. It has a slim and elegant design despite the big 5" display. That Super LCD 3 display is an impressive 1920 x 1080 resolution. The Droid DNA is one of the few quad core Snapdragon S4 Android smartphones on the market, and it earns top benchmark numbers. The phone has 16 gigs of storage, an excellent 8 megapixel camera, LTE 4G, NFC and it runs Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean with HTC Sense 4.0+ software on top. |
Verizon |
Dec. 2012 |
 |
| Nokia Lumia 822 The stylish HTC 8X Windows 8 smartphone has some competition from the much less expensive Nokia Lumia 822 on Verizon Wireless. While the Lumia lacks the HTC's keen styling and vibrant color options, it's half the price and offers Nokia's value added apps that verge on must-haves. Inside it's all good with the same 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual core CPU that you'll find in the flagship Nokia Lumia 920, HTC 8X and high end Android phones. It has a gig of RAM and 16 gigs of internal storage. The phone has a capable 8MP camera with Carl Zeiss lens and a microSD card slot. |
Verizon |
Dec. 2012 |
 |
| Nokia Lumia 810 The Lumia 810 is a close relative to the Nokia Lumia 822 on Verizon and the Lumia 820 on AT&T. It has a 4.3" ClearBlack AMOLED display running at 800 x 480 resolution. The display's colors, black levels and touch sensitivity are impressive, and like the flagship Lumia 920 on AT&T, it works with gloves and fingernails. This Windows Phone 8 smartphone runs on a 1.5GHz dual core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 CPU with 1 gig of RAM. It has 8 gigs of storage, and you can use a microSD card to store your music, videos and documents. The phone has a very good 8MP rear camera with Carl Zeiss lens. |
T-Mobile |
Dec. 2012 |
 |
| Samsung Galaxy Note II You know the Samsung Galaxy Note was one of our top picks last year, right? Well, the Samsung Galaxy Note II, a 5.5" smartphone or phablet is even better. Bigger display, much faster CPU than our US first gen Note, a better camera and more S Pen features. The Note II is available on all major US carriers, with a $299 price tag with contract. The Note II has a 1280 x 720 Super AMOLED HD display that works with both touch and the included S Pen. It runs on Samsung's quad core Exynos CPU with MALI 400 graphics and it has 2 gigs of RAM. Other amenities include a micro SD card slot, LTE (except on T-Mobile) and a removable 3,100 mAh battery. |
AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon |
Dec. 2012 |
 |
| Google Nexus 4 The Google Nexus 4 Android smartphone hardly needs and introduction. It's Google's latest and greatest contract-free, pure Google experience phone, and it's very reasonably priced at $299 for the 8 gig and $349 for the 16 gig. For that price you get a cutting edge Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro quad core CPU running at 1.5GHz, 2 gigs of RAM and Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. The Nexus 4 is made by LG and shares much of its internals with the excellent LG Optimus G. It's compatible with AT&T and T-Mobile voice and 3G HSPA+ in the US. |
unlocked GSM, T-Mobile |
Dec. 2012 |
 |
| HTC 8X The HTC 8X Windows 8 smartphone is one of the best looking and pleasing phones to hold in the hand. The soft touch finish and pyramid design with tapering sides is comfy and grippy, and the phone looks like none other on the market. The HTC 8X has a 4.3" Super LCD II display with Gorilla Glass running at 1280 x 720 and it runs on a capable 1.5GHz dual core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 CPU with Adreno 225 graphics. The phone has an excellent 8MP rear camera with backside illuminated sensor and it uses HTC's ImageChip. |
Dec. 2012 |
AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon |
 |
| Nokia Lumia 920 The Windows Phone 8 flagship smartphone for the launch of Microsoft's newest phone OS has a great combo of features. From the super-sharp and bright 4.5" IPS display to an iconic polycarbonate housing in your choice of 5 colors, the Lumia 920 is a sweet smartphone. It runs on a 1.5GHz dual core Snapdragon S4 CPU with a gig of RAM and 32 gigs of internal storage. It has LTE 4G, dual band WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0 and NFC. The 8.7 megapixel PureView camera takes excellent photos and 1080p video and features optical image stabilization to take the blur out of shaky-handed shots. The phone is fast, fun and easy to use and it won't break the bank either. |
AT&T |
Nov. 2012 |
 |
| Motorola Droid RAZR M The Motorola Droid RAZR M is everything that the Droid RAZR was, but less. It's smaller and much less expensive than the RAZR was at launch. Despite the price, you get most everything that was captivating about the Droid RAZR: a slim design with a Kevlar back, Gorilla Glass and a water resistant nano-coating. It still packs a 4.3" Super AMOLED qHD 540 x 960 display, and the CPU has been updated, so the RAZR M is considerably faster thanks to a 1.5GHz dual core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 CPU. The $99 with contract smartphones has an 8 megapixel rear camera, dual band WiFi, NFC and Bluetooth 4.0. |
Verizon |
Nov. 2012 |
 |
| LG Optimus G LG's new flagship phone has what it takes to fight the competition from Samsung and HTC. This Android 4.0 smartphone is available on AT&T and Sprint, and it packs an excellent 1280 x 768 IPS display into a slim 0.33" casing with a patterned glass back. This is the first US smartphone to run the 1.5GHz quad core Qualcomm S4 Pro CPU with Adreno 320 graphics and it's by far the fastest in most tests. The phone has LTE 4G, NFC, dual band WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0 and a GPS. The Sprint version has a 13 megapixel camera AT&T version has an 8MP rear camera. Both run LG's Optimus UI with compelling features that we actually find useful, even if we're still not fond of their icon selection. |
AT&T, Sprint |
Oct. 2012 |
 |
| Motorola Droid RAZR HD The Motorola Droid RAZR was a hit last year on Verizon Wireless, and Moto's back this year with the natural evolution of that iconic smartphone: the Droid RAZR HD features a larger, higher resolution display and a faster CPU. And just as with last year's Droid RAZR models, there's a MAXX option with a larger battery and a slightly thicker casing for $100 more. The RAZR HD has a 4.7" Super AMOLED HD display running at 1280 x 720 and a 1.5GHz dual core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual core CPU. And yes, there's Kevlar and Gorilla Glass for good looks and durability. |
Verizon |
Oct. 2012 |
 |
| iPhone 5 Apple's latest iPhone is the first to feature a larger 4" Retina display with a 16:9 aspect ratio that's perfect for watching TV shows and video. As ever, it's one of the sharpest displays on the planet, and despite the larger display, the iPhone hasn't gotten that much larger. The iPhone 5 is available on AT&T, Sprint and Verizon in the US, and all models have LTE 4G for very fast data speeds. The iPhone 5 features Apple's new A6 CPU and triple core GPU that keep up with the fastest Android phones in the US. It has an 8MP rear camera that can shoot panoramas and a much improved 720p front video chat camera. The iPhone 5 runs iOS 6 and as usual is available in 16, 32 and 64 gig capacities. Editor's Choice 2012. |
AT&T, Sprint and Verizon |
Sept. 2012 |
 |
| Samsung Galaxy Stellar If you're on a tight budget or are a first time smartphone buyer not looking to break the bank while you test the waters, the Stellar is worth a look. No, it doesn't have stellar high end features, but you get a lot for free on contract. The smartphone runs Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich with both TouchWiz and newbie-friendly starter UI options. It has a 1.2GHz Qualcomm S4 CPU with a gig of RAM and front and rear cameras. This is an LTE phone with dual band WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0 and a GPS. |
Verizon |
Sept. 2012 |
 |
| Pantech Flex The Pantech Flex is a lot of phone for just $49.99 on contract with ATT. Soon to be joined by the similarly priced LG Escape; the Flex offers some reasonably high end features like a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 CPU (the same as that used on the Samsung Galaxy S III and HTC One X ), LTE 4G and a qHD 4.3" Super AMOLED display. It's a slim and good looking phone, and doesn't have that chunky budget look of previous Pantech models in this price range. |
AT&T |
Sept. 2012 |
 |
| Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE It's hard to find a smartphone with a hardware QWERTY keyboard these days. Happily, Motorola still invests in that form factor, from the Droid line on Verizon to the new Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE on Sprint. Though the Photon Q isn't quite as sleek as the Droid, it packs top-notch features like a 1.5GHz Qualcomm S4 CPU (currently the top performing smartphone CPU in US phones), a gig of RAM, LTE, an 8 megapixel rear camera plus front video chat camera and Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich. |
Sprint |
Sept. 2012 |
 |
| T-Mobile myTouch and myTouch Q (by Huawei) T-Mobile's affordable pair of Android smartphones list for just $49.99 with contract yet they're capable if somewhat dated smartphones. Both have identical specs that include a 1.4GHz CPU, a 4" 800 x 480 LCD display that's sharp and 4G with WiFi calling and the Mobile Hotspot feature. The myTouch is a a slab design phone and the myTouch Q has a roomy QWERTY slide-out keyboard. The phones have a 5MP rear camera, T-Mobile's Genius Button and they run Android 2.3.6 Gingerbread. |
T-Mobile |
Aug. 2012 |
 |
| Samsung Galaxy Note (T-Mobile) T-Mobile in the US is the latest to offer this impressive Android 4.0 smartphone with a 5.3" Super AMOLED HD display running at 1280 x 800 resolution. Like the AT&T version it has a 1.5GHz dual core Qualcomm S3 CPU with Adreno 220 graphics, a gig of RAM and 16 gigs of storage. The Note has a Wacom dual digitizer with both capacitive touch and an active digital pen that's precise and pressure sensitive. The phone has 4G HSPA+ 42Mbps, a front 2MP camera and a rear 8MP camera with LED flash. Other goodies include dual band WiFi with WiFi calling and mobile hotspot, Bluetooth, a GPS and NFC. |
T-Mobile |
July 2012 |
 |
| Motorola Atrix HD The bargain priced Android smartphone with high end features! The Atrix HD looks more like the Motorola Droid RAZR than prior Atrix models, and that means a beveled Gorilla Glass front and Kevlar back. The phone runs a clean version of Android 4.0.4 on the same 1.5GHz dual core Qualcomm S4 CPU used in the HTC One X and Samsung Galaxy S III. It has 4G LTE, dual band WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, a front video chat camera and a rear 8MP camera with LED flash. The ColorBoost 720p LCD display is one of the Atrix HD's best features: it's colorful and extremely sharp. |
AT&T |
July 2012 |
 |
| Sony Xperia Ion The Xperia Ion might not be getting a lot of marketing love, but it's a sweet phone. For $99 on contract with AT&T, you get an award winning design with a sleek glass front and curved metal back, LTE 4G and a 12MP camera. The phone has a 4.6" 720p Mobile Bravia display that's simply stunning, and a 1.5GHz Snapdragon dual core CPU. The bad news? It ships with Gingerbread, but it will get ICS as an over the air upgrade. |
AT&T |
July 2012 |
 |
| HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE Is bigger always better? Not for those of you who simply can't stand carrying today's gargantuan phones.The third generation Droid Incredible by HTC may be smaller than the 4.8" Samsung Galaxy S III and other big boys on Verizon Wireless, but it has plenty of top notch features. A sharp 4" Super LCD display running at qHD resolution, a 1.2GHz dual core Snapdragon S4 Krait CPU and a sharp 8 megapixel camera with BSI sensor and simultaneous 1080p plus still photo recording grace the feature list. This is a video review. |
Verizon |
July 2012 |
 |
| Samsung Galaxy S III (T-Mobile and Sprint versions) The 2012 edition of Samsung's top of the line Android smartphone features a 4.8" Super AMOLED 720p display, a very fast 1.5GHz dual core Snapdragon S4 CPU, 2 gigs of RAM and 16 gigs of storage. It has an excellent rear 8MP camera, clear voice and LTE on the Sprint, Verizon and AT&T versions. |
All major carriers |
June 2012 |
 |
| HTC EVO 4G LTE This is the phone to beat on Sprint. Like the original EVO years ago, it has the right combo of good looks, high quality materials and top off the line features that makes for a true flagship smartphone. As you can guess from the name, this 4.7" Android ICS smartphone has LTE 4G, though Sprint doesn't actually have an LTE network up and running yet. You'll get WiFi and 3G to fall back on until LTE hits your area, and the phone has NFC with Google Wallet that works now. The EVO 4G LTE runs on an extremely fast yet power frugal Snapdragon S4 1.5GHz CPU that benchmarks near the top of our tests. It has 16 gigs of storage and a microSD card slot for expansion. Also on board is HTC's excellent 8MP camera with BSI sensor and a dedicated image processing chip. |
Sprint |
May 2012 |
 |
| HTC One X It's hard to not fall in love with the HTC One X on AT&T. The polycarbonate unibody design is stunning, the 720p Super LCD wraps around the front of the phone in a show of colors and crispness and the phone is fast thanks to Qualcomm's fourth generation Snapdragon "Krait" 1.5GHz CPU with Adreno 220 graphics. If that's not enough, the 8MP camera has a BSI sensor, fast lens, 1080p video recording with neato options like panorama, slow motion video and simultaneous video and photo recording. Oh, and there's fast LTE 4G with HSPA+ to fall back on, great call quality and more. Editor's Choice 2012. |
AT&T |
May 2012 |
 |
| LG Viper 4G LTE The LG Viper is Sprint's most affordable LTE smartphone, and it sells for $99 with contract. In addition you get free Dropbox cloud storage and a Google Wallet credit in your account. As you'd guess, the Viper is a mid-tier phone, but it has a few nice perks like NFC with Google Wallet and a 700 nit brightness IPS display that looks very sharp and colorful. The phone has a 4", 800 x 480 display and it runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread-- sorry, no ICS here. This is a video review. |
Sprint |
May 2012 |
 |
| Samsung Focus 2 The Focus 2 is Samsung's first LTE Windows Phone, and it's more portable and affordable than the Nokia Lumia 900 and HTC Titan II LTE Windows Phones on ATT. The Focus 2 has a 4" Super AMOLED display running at the usual 800 x 480 resolution, and it's powered by the same 1.4GHz Snapdragon second generation CPU used in many current Windows Phone 7.5 Mango smartphones. The Focus 2 fights the popular Lumia 900 with its low $49.99 price tag with contract. |
AT&T |
May 2012 |
 |
| Samsung Galaxy Nexus (Sprint) The Samsung Galaxy Nexus on Sprint is one of the carrier's first LTE phones. It's the first Android phone to run Android OS 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich too. The Galaxy Nexus has a 4.65" Super AMOLED display running at 1280 x 720, and it has a dual core 1.2GHz TI CPU with hardware graphics acceleration. This is a video review. |
Sprint |
May 2012 |
 |
| HTC One S The One line is HTC's new flagship for 2012, and the One S sits at the top of T-Mobile's spring lineup. It features an anodized aluminum unibody design that's incredibly thin, and a very fast Snapdragon dual core 1.5Hz CPU based on the new 28nm process. It has a colorful 4.3" qHD Super AMOLED display and a capable 8 megapixel camera that can shoot photos while also shooting 1080p video. The smartphone has 42 Mbps HSPA+ on T-Mobile's network, WiFi Calling and 16 gigs of storage. |
T-Mobile |
April 2012 |
 |
| HTC Titan II Sequels aren't always that exciting, but when you take an already popular and solid smartphone and add exciting features like LTE 4G and a whopping 16 megapixel camera, you've got our attention. The second generation Titan on AT&T still features a 4.7" Super LCD and a 1.5GHz Snapdragon CPU, but the exterior has gotten a cosmetic lift with pleasing and un-slippery soft touch finishes and a curved chin with curved glass. The Titan II has a front video chat camera, and the usual WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS and FM radio. But it's that big screen and 16MP camera that really steal the show. |
April 2012 |
AT&T |
 |
| Nokia Lumia 900 This is Nokia and AT&T's latest flagship phone, and it's refreshing to see Windows Phone get the leading role. The Lumia 900 looks a lot like its little brother the Lumia 800 that's sold overseas. The Lumia 900 stretches the luscious ClearBlack AMOLED display to 4.3" and adds LTE 4G for fast data. The Nokia is distinctive, attractive and durable thanks to a sculpted unibody polycarbonate housing and Gorilla Glass display. It runs Windows Phone 7.5 Mango on a 1.4GHz Snapdragon CPU with 16 gigs of storage, and it has a front video chat camera and an excellent 8MP rear camera. The smartphone sells for just $99 with contract. |
AT&T |
April 2012 |
 |
| LG Lucid Verizon Wireless' top Android LTE smartphones sell for $199 to $299, so you figure there's a catch when a phone costs on $79 on contract. In the case of the capable and very attractive LG Lucid, you actually get a very nice Android 2.3 smartphone with serious style. The Lucid has a 4" IPS display that's very colorful, sharp and bright. It has a 1.2GHz dual core Snapdragon CPU that's plenty fast and 4G LTE. The phone has an 800 x 480 display and a 5MP rear camera. This is a video review. |
Verizon |
April 2012 |
 |
| ZTE Fury The ZTE Fury on Sprint is only $20 with contract and $220 without contract, but it has a few goodies like an IPS Gorilla Glass display, good reception and the usual WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS. The Fury has a 3.5" 320 x 480 display (by no means high res, but it's sharp), a 1GHz single core Snapdragon CPU and a 5 megapixel rear camera with LED flash. |
Sprint |
March 2012 |
 |
| Samsung Galaxy Note There's nothing quite like the Galaxy Note. This Android smartphone is a pocket tablet with a 5.3" display running at an impressive 1280 x 800 resolution, just like 10" Android tablets. That means the Super AMOLED HD display is extremely sharp and it boasts the usual super-saturated colors and deep blacks. The phone has a Wacom dual digitizer and comes with a pen that tucks neatly into a silo. Throw in a sharp 8MP camera, a fast dual core CPU, a strong GPS and 4G and you've got an amazing Android smartphone. This review covers the AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note and the international version. |
AT&T, Unlocked GSM |
Jan. & Feb. 2012 |
 |
| Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX Love the Droid RAZR on Verizon, but want incredible battery life by LTE 4G smartphone standards? Look no further than the RAZR MAXX, which is the same phone as the Droid RAZR but with a 3300 mAh battery. This Android smartphone has a 4.3" qHD Super AMOLED display and a 1.2GHz dual core CPU. The MAXX is only 0.35" thick, and it has an 8 megapixel rear camera that can shoot 1080p video, LTE 4G, a front video chat camera and 16 gigs of internal storage. It's strong too, thanks to Gorilla Glass on the front and Kevlar on the back. |
Verizon |
Feb. 2012 |
 |
| Motorola Droid 4 The long-lived Droid line gets better with every revision, and the Droid 4 is the first of the QWERTY Motorola Droids to have 4G LTE on Verizon Wireless' expansive network. The Droid 4 has the best slider keyboard in the business, with simply luxurious backlighting and excellent tactile feel. The Droid 4 runs Android OS 2.3.6 Gingerbread and will get OS 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. It has a 4" qHD display, a 1.2GHz dual core TI CPU, a gig of RAM and 16 gigs of storage. Dual cameras and the usual WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS round out the features. If you're in need of a keyboard, the latest Droid is worth a look. |
Verizon |
Feb. 2012 |
 |
| LG Spectrum After a lukewarm reception for the LG Revolution, things are looking up with the well-outfitted Spectrum. This LTE 4G Android smartphone has a lovely 4.5" IPS display running at 1280 x 720 resolution and a fast Qualcomm S3 1.5GHz dual core CPU. It has a front video chat camera and a capable rear 8MP camera that can shoot 1080p video. Reception on LTE is very good as are download speeds. But doe the Spectrum have what it takes to compete against Verizon Wireless' other high end Android phones like the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, Motorola Droid RAZR family and the HTC Rezound? Read on to find out. |
Verizon |
Jan. 2012 |
 |
| Pantech Burst AT&T has been aggressive with their LTE phone pricing, and the Pantech Burst is their latest pleasant surprise. For only $50 on contract, you get a fast Qualcomm Snapdragon dual core Android smartphone with 4G LTE and a sharp and bright 4" Super AMOLED display. The Burst isn't particularly thin but it's not bad looking and it feels and looks well made. It offers good voice quality and fast data both on LTE 4G and HSPA+. If you're looking for a fast Android smartphone with LTE but don't want to spend too much, be sure to check out the Burst. |
AT&T |
Jan. 2012 |
 |
| Nokia Lumia 710 The Lumia 710 might not be Nokia's flagship Windows Phone, but it's a great phone for $49 with contract. This Windows Phone 7.5 Mango smartphone has a sharp 3.7" ClearBlack display, a 1.4GHz Snapdragon CPU and a very good 5 megapixel camera. The Lumia 710 is available on T-Mobile and it has quad band HSPA+ 4G along with WiFi, Bluetooth and a GPS. The design is distinctly Nokia, and we like the rounded corners and complex curves that you don't usually see on a budget-priced smartphone. |
Jan. 2012 |
T-Mobile |
 |
| Samsung Galaxy Nexus (Verizon) The Samsung Galaxy Nexus on Verizon Wireless is no doubt one of the hottest phones of 2011. This is the first time you can get a Google's reference Android smartphone from one of America's largest carriers with a contract in store easily. It's the first Android phone to run Android OS 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich too. The Galaxy Nexus has a 4.65" Super AMOLED display running at 1280 x 720, and it has a dual core 1.2GHz TI CPU with hardware graphics acceleration. And there's lucsiously fast LTE 4G too. Is it worth all the hype? We'd say so. Read our full review to find out. |
Verizon |
Dec. 2011 |
|
| Samsung Galaxy Nexus (unlocked GSM) The Samsung Galaxy Nexus is undeniably one of the hottest phones of 2011. After all, like the once-a-year iPhone, there's only one official Google pure Android experience phone each year. The phone runs on a 1.2GHz TI dual core CPU with a gig of RAM, and it's the first phone to run Android OS 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. It has a gorgeous 720p Super AMOLED display, 16 gigs of internal storage and the fastest camera we've seen on a smartphone. Alas, like the Nexus S, there's no expansion card slot. |
Unlocked GSM |
Dec. 2011 |
 |
| HTC Titan HTC knows about livin' large, after all they created the at the time mammoth and ground breaking HTC HD2 and HD7S. Now that big phones are the trend, they've once again made one of the largest screen phones on the market: 4.7". The Titan joins the Samsung Focus S and the Samsung Focus Flash on AT&T as their first wave of Mango smartphones. It has a 1.5GHz Snapdragon CPU, an excellent 8 megapixel rear camera and a front 1.3 megapixel video chat camera. Like the Focus S and Focus Flash, it has HSPA+ 4G 14.4 and the usual WiFi, Bluetooth and a GPS that works with Bing Maps and AT&T Navigator. |
AT&T |
Dec. 2011 |
 |
| LG Nitro HD The LG Nitro HD is definitely a phone worth getting exciting about. What's so hot about this Android smartphone? It has a 720p IPS display, and LG makes some impressive mobile displays. It runs on the same dual core 1.5GHz Snapdragon CPU as the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket and the slightly lower clocked HTC Vivid, and it has an excellent 8 megapixel rear camera. Good stuff, no? Better yet, the Nitro HD has true 4G LTE on AT&T. |
AT&T |
Dec. 2011 |
 |
| Samsung Focus Flash The Samsung Focus Flash is AT&T's most affordable second gen Windows Phone running OS 7.5 Mango. At $49 with a 2 year contract, it's a bargain. You get the same 1.4GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU found in the $199 Samsung Focus S, and the usual Windows Phone standards like an 800 x 480 resolution touch screen, WiFi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, a front camera and a GPS that works with Bing Maps and ATT Navigator. This is a video review. |
AT&T |
Dec. 2011 |
 |
| Samsung Focus S The Samsung Focus S is one of three new Windows Phone Mango 7.5 smartphones on AT&T. It joins the HTC Titan and the smaller and more affordable Focus Flash, and it features Samsung's Super AMOLED Plus display for super-rich colors and deep blacks. The Focus S shares a lot of DNA with the Samsung Galaxy S II on AT&T, and like the GS II it has a 4.3" display, an 8 megapixel rear camera and a very similar casing. The phone is only 0.33" thick and it weighs just 3.9 ounces. The Focus S has HSPA+ 14.4 for "4G" on AT&T, Zune music and video, XBOX Live gaming, WiFi, Bluetooth and a GPS that works with Bing and AT&T Navigator. |
AT&T |
Dec. 2011 |
 |
| HTC Radar 4G The HTC Radar 4G is T-Mobile's first Windows Phone 7.5 Mango smartphone. This is a second generation Windows Phone with middle of the road specs and a price to match. It's $99 with contract and it has a 1GHz second gen Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU with 8 gigs of storage and HSPA+ 4G. The phone has a front video chat camera that works with Tango and a rear 5 megapixel camera with a fast f2.2 lens with an illuminated backlit sensor. This is a video review. |
T-Mobile |
Dec. 2011 |
 |
| HTC Vivid The HTC Vivid is a lovely high end phone with enticing specs and a vivid (sorry, but it is) qHD display. Though its 4G LTE launch mate, the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket, shows it up in some, but not all, respects, we can still recommend it, especially for HTC fans. The HTC Vivid it has a 1.2GHz dual core CPU, a lovely 4.5" qHD display and HTC's high end 8 megapixel camera with 1080p video recording. It runs Android OS 2.3 Gingerbread with HTC Sense 3.0 software. |
AT&T |
Nov. 2011 |
 |
| Samsung Captivate Glide Can't get enough Samsung TouchWiz and Super AMOLED goodness? Wish the Captivate or Samsung Galaxy S II had a hardware keyboard? Samsung's latest mid to high end Android smartphone on AT&T gets you some keyboard love. The Samsung Captivate Glide has a slide-out hardware keyboard married to a 4" Super AMOLED display, Android OS 2.3 Gingerbread and a 1GHz Nvidia dual core Tegra 2 CPU. Not too shappy for $149 with contract. |
AT&T |
Dec. 2011 |
 |
| HTC Rezound The HTC Rezound is a member of Verizon Wireless' "big three" group of high end Android smartphones for the holiday 2011 season. It joins the Motorola Droid RAZR and Samsung Galaxy Nexus and has top specs: it's the US' first 720p smartphone display, it has a fast 1.5gHz dual core CPU, LTE 4G and a promised upgrade to Android OS 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The phone has excellent build quality and it comes with a set of Beats Audio earbuds in the box. |
Verizon |
Nov. 2011 |
 |
| Nokia Lumia 800 Love the Nokia N9 but afraid of the high price tag, new OS and dead end path? Not problem, the N9's twin is here as the Nokia Lumia 800 running Windows Phone 7.5 Mango. It shares the same physical design, polycarbonate unibody design and luscious AMOLED display too. We take the Euro unlocked version for a spin, which happily has AT&T 3G HSPA 14.4 for good data speeds. The phone has a 3.7" AMOLED Gorilla Glass display that runs at 800 x 480 resolution, and 8MP camera and a 1.4GHz CPU. |
Unlocked GSM |
Nov. 2011 |
 |
| Motorola Droid RAZR The Motorola Droid RAZR seems to have it all; it's the perfect date in the phone world. It's slim, has a hard body, a dazzling Super AMOLED smile and it's smart too thanks to a 1.2GHz dual core CPU. This Android smartphone is only 7.1mm thin, and it has a 4.3" display, an 8 megapixel rear camera that can shoot 1080p video, LTE 4G, a front video chat camera and 16 gigs of internal storage. It has Webtop and is compatible with the Motorola Lapdock, and it has HDMI out. Is this enough for a lasting relationship? Read our review to find out. |
Verizon |
Nov. 2011 |
 |
| Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket Got LTE? If you're an AT&T customer in one of their fifteen 2011 launch markets, the Skyrocket is an enticing variant in the sucessful Galaxy S II line. The Skyrocket has true 4G LTE with fallback to pretty zippy HSPA+ 21Mbps. The phone has a 4.5" Super AMOLED Plus display running at 800 x 480 resolution, and a dual core 1.5GHz CPU that's impressively fast. Throw in a large battery, two excellent cameras and Samsung's TouchWiz UI on top of Android OS 2.3.5 Gingerbread, and you've got an exhilarating smartphone. The Skyrocket and HTC Vivid are AT&T's first LTE phones. Editor's Choice 2011. |
AT&T |
Nov. 2011 |
 |
| Nokia N9 The Nokia N9 is Nokia's last hurrah before they make the switch to being a Windows Phone manufacturer. It runs their customized version of the MeeGoo OS that's based on Linux, and it's a thoroughly modern and beautifully designed touch-based OS. The N9 has a 3.9" AMOLED display with anti-glare technology and Nokia's black technology. Blacks are deep, colors are vivid and glare is indeed less of an issue vs. most touch screen phones. It's 854 x 480 pixels with Gorilla Glass, an accelerometer and an ambient light sensor. The phone runs on a 1GHz CPU. |
Unlocked GSM |
Nov. 2011 |
 |
| HTC EVO Design 4G An affordable EVO with WiMAX 4G and an elegant, high quality design. That's the HTC EVO Design 4G. It has HTC's signature liberal use of metal and soft touch finishes and it feels solid in the hand. The phone has a 4" qHD Super LCD, and that means it's sharp looking and also more pocketable. This $99 with contract phone has a 1.2GHz single core Snapdragon CPU, front video chat camera and a rear 5 megapixel camera with LED flash that can shoot 720p video. Voice quality is good and HTC Sense 3.0 is on board for your UI pleasure. The phone supports the full range of Sprint services including Sprint TV and Sprint Music Plus. |
Sprint |
Oct. 2011 |
 |
| iPhone 4S The iPhone 4S hardly needs an introduction: it's Apple's latest and greatest (yes greatest) iPhone yet, and it's available on three of the big four carriers. Each carrier uses the same hardware, with only software and firmware differences setting them apart. The iPhone 4S has a dual core Apple A5 CPU that's twice as fast as the iPhone 4, and it's available in three storage capacities. It uses the same 3.5" Retina Display as the iPhone 4, and it has an improved 8 megapixel camera that can shoot 1080p video. It runs the new iOS 5 operating system and it has the remarkable Siri voice-activated personal assistant. |
AT&T, Sprint and Verizon |
Oct. 2011 |
 |
| Motorola Atrix 2 The Motorola Atrix 2 has crept out from under the iPhone 4S' coattails this weekend for a mere $99 on contract. That doesn't mean the Atrix 2 isn't an excellent high end Android smartphone. What's improved from the original Atrix? The Atrix 2 has a larger 4.3" qHD display that's more colorful and brighter. Text is easier to read on the larger display, and movies are more enjoyable too. The phone has HSPA+ 21 Mbps, and we indeed got faster speeds vs. 14.4 Mbps AT&T. The Atrix 2 has Webtop and works with the optional Lapdock 100 that turns it into a an ultraportable notebook of sorts. |
AT&T |
Oct. 2011 |
 |
| HTC Rhyme HTC and Verizon market this phone to women because it comes in a lovely plum color, is well accessorized and it isn't too huge. It's a stylish unibody phone with a 3.7" 800 x 480 display, a 1GHz single core Snapdragon CPU and dual cameras. This is a 3G phone and it runs Android OS 2.3 Gingerbread. It comes with a dock, earbuds and an LED charm that indicates incoming calls and other notifications. This is a video review. |
Verizon |
Oct. 2011 |
 |
| Pantech Breakout Verizon Wireless' 4G LTE phones have been a bit pricey, averaging $299 with contract. The Pantech Breakout is their first budget-priced LTE Android smartphone, and you're probably wondering what's the catch. The Breakout has mid to high midrange specs that include a 1GHz single core CPU, a 4" 800 x 480 capacitive touch screen, a 5 megapixel camera that can record 720p video, a front video chat camera and of course 4G LTE on Verizon's network. Not too shabby for $99 with contract. |
Verizon |
Oct. 2011 |
 |
| HTC Amaze 4G The Amaze is the improved version of the popular HTC Sensation 4G on T-Mobile. It has a faster CPU, faster 4G and a better camera. This Android smartphone has a qHD Super LCD display and it runs on a 1.5GHz dual core Snapdragon CPU with a gig of RAM and 16 gigs of internal storage. It has a very good 8 megapixel rear camera that can shoot 1080p video and a front 2MP video chat camera. This is a video review. |
T-Mobile |
Oct. 2011 |
 |
| Samsung Galaxy S II (T-Mobile) In this video review we take a look at T-Mobile's version of the very popular Samsung Galaxy S II. Like the Sprint version, it has a 4.5" Super AMOLED Plus display and it's super-thin. The smartphone runs Android OS 2.3 Gingerbread and has the standard excellent Galaxy S II 8 megapixel rear camera and a front video chat camera. T-Mobile went with a dual core 1.5GHz Snapdragon CPU instead of Samsung's best in class Exynos CPU for compatibility with the phone's 42 Mbps HSPA+ 4G chipset. How's performance in terms of CPU and 4G speed? Check out our review to find out. |
T-Mobile |
Oct. 2011 |
 |
| Samsung Galaxy S II (AT&T) One of the hottest high end phones of 2011 has made it to AT&T, and it's virtually unchanged from the overseas version. That's not a bad thing since the phone keeps the manageable yet capacious 4.3" Super AMOLED Plus display and super-fast Samsung Exynos dual core 1.2GHz CPU that sets a new limit for speed. This Android super-phone has an 800 x 480 capacitive touch screen, 4G HSPA+, an admirable 8 megapixel main camera plus front video chat camera. Did we mention that it's literally pencil-thin? The Samsung Galaxy S II has earned our Editor's Choice award, and should be on your short list when shopping for a smartphone on AT&T. Editor's Choice 2011. |
AT&T |
Sept. 2011 |
 |
| Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch Sprint is first to market with a US version of the Samsung Galaxy S II, and it's a winner. They've increased the display a bit to a pocket stretching 4.5", and it's still that super-rich Super AMOLED Plus technology. The phone has a dual core 1.2 GHz Samsung Exynos CPU with GPU, and it's by far the fastest mobile CPU in a shipping phone. The smartphone runs Android OS 2.3.4 with Samsung TouchWiz software, and it has 16 gigs of internal storage along with WiFi, Bluetooth and a GPS. The phone has 4G WiMAX and 3G on Sprint's network, and a beefy battery to combat the drain. |
Sprint |
Sept. 2011 |
 |
| Sony Ericsson Xperia Play 4G Now you can get your game on with Sony Ericsson's first Playstation Certified phone on AT&T as well as Verizon. AT&T has bargain-priced this capable Android 2.3 Gingerbread smartphone at $50 with contract. It has a slide-out Playstation controller that's a working copy of the console controller. It makes gaming much more enjoyable and you can select from a healthy selection of titles in the Market once you've played through the included games. The Xperia Play has a second gen 1GHz Snapdragon CPU with Adreno 205 graphics, an absolutely lovely 4" capacitive touch screen, 4G and dual cameras. |
AT&T |
Sept. 2011 |
 |
| Motorola Droid Bionic We're not sure if the Bionic can rule all machines for long, but for right now, it's top dog among Android phones. The Droid Bionic has it all: a dual core 1GHz CPU, LTE 4G on Verizon Wireless, a 4.3" qHD display and an 8MP camera. There's plenty of on-board storage plus a 16 gig microSD card, a front video chat camera and a beefy battery that Moto somehow managed to squeeze into the Bionic's 0.4" thin chassis. Do we like the latest Droid? Yes we do, and it's worth a serious look if you're in the market for a flagship Verizon smartphone. |
Verizon |
Sept. 2011 |
 |
| BlackBerry Torch 9850 RIM's all new full touchscreen phone runs BlackBerry OS 7 on the same 1.2GHz CPU as the Bold 9930 and Torch 9810. It has a 3.7", 800 x 480 capacitive multi-touch display that's very sharp and bright. There's no hardware keyboard here, but the virtual one is pretty decent, and the phone is fast. It has a 5 megapixel autofocus camera, WiFi, Bluetooth and a GPS. It's a world phone with a GSM SIM card slot. |
Sprint and Verizon |
Aug. 2011 |
 |
| Motorola Photon 4G One of our top picks among Sprint's late summer 2011 Android smartphones, the Motorola Photon 4G has a sharp 4.3" qHD display, an 8 megapixel camera, HDMI-out and 16 gigs of internal storage. This is both a world phone with GSM for roaming and a WiMAX 4G smartphone. It runs Android OS 2.3 Gingerbread on a 1GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 CPU. |
Sprint |
Aug. 2011 |
 |
| BlackBerry Bold 9900 It's been quite some time since RIM introduced a new BlackBerry smartphone. Now we've got three new touchscreen 'Berries launching together. In this review we look at T-Mobile version of the Bold 9900. This is definitely RIM's best BlackBerry yet, with a perfect keyboard, capacitive touch screen, 1.2GHz CPU and plenty of RAM. The Bold 9900 has 4G HSPA+ and a much improved web browser with a more social BBM. |
T-Mobile |
Aug. 2011 |
 |
| Samsung Conquer 4G When a new 4G phone comes out on Sprint, it usually sells for $199 or more with contract. The Samsung Conquer 4G sells for just $99 at launch, but it has some features you'd expect from a more expensive phone like 4G WiMAX, a 1GHz Snapdragon CPU, Android OS 2.3.4 Gingerbread (minus TouchWiz) and solid call quality. If you're after a 4G phone on Sprint and don't want the year old HTC EVO 4G or a QWERTY slider in the $99 bracket, the Conquer 4G is worth a look. |
Sprint |
Aug. 2011 |
 |
| HTC Wildfire S If you're looking for your first touchscreen smartphone, prefer small phones or just don't want to spend much money (free via T-Mobile.com is hard to beat), the HTC Wildfire S sings its tiny siren song to you. This small, lightweight but stylish phone has all the Android basics, though it's display resolution and CPU are a bit outdated. It feels responsive in everyday tasks though, and we like that it runs Android OS 2.3.3 Gingerbread with HTC Sense, which is newbie-friendly. |
T-Mobile |
Aug. 2011 |
 |
| LG Thrill 4G The LG Thrill 4G is a hard smartphone to beat for $99. it's got all the high end trimmings, including a glasses-free 3D display and 5 megapixel 3D camera. The Thrill has a 4.3" display and it runs on a dual core 1GHz CPU with Android OS 2.2 Froyo and LG's pleasing UI customizations. The phone is large and solidly built, with LG's signature soft touch back that's highlighted with a metal strip that houses dual camera lenses and an LED flash. It has HSPA+ 4G, WiFi, Bluetooth and a GPS. We particularly like the selection of 3D apps and LG's adjustable 3D effect. It's fast, 3D is fun and this is the first phone that makes us want 3D. |
AT&T |
Aug. 2011 |
 |
| BlackBerry Torch 9810 The Torch 9810 is AT&T's second generation Torch with a much faster CPU, a higher resolution display and the new BlackBerry 7 OS. The smartphone has a very solid slider, excellent build quality and a very sharp VGA capacitive touch screen. Other goodies include a much improved web browser, BBM 6 with new social integration, a better camera that can shoot 720p video and HSPA+ 4G. The Torch keeps up with the big boys thanks to its 1.2GHz CPU, 768 megs of RAM and 8 gigs of internal storage. It's a Torch on steroids. |
AT&T |
Aug. 2011 |
 |
| BlackBerry Bold 9930 It's been quite some time since RIM introduced a new BlackBerry smartphone. Now we've got three new touchscreen 'Berries launching together. In this review we look at Verizon Wireless' version of the Bold 9900, that goes under the 9930 heading to indicate it's the CDMA version of the latest Bold. This is definitely RIM's best BlackBerry yet, with a perfect keyboard, capacitive touch screen, 1.2GHz CPU and plenty of RAM. The Bold 9930 has a 5 megapixel camera that can shoot 720p video, a much improved web browser and a more social BBM. |
Verizon |
Aug. 2011 |
|
| T-Mobile myTouch 4G Slide The myTouch line has evolved from mid-range Android smartphones to top dog status on T-Mobile. The myTouch 4G Slide is a well-made phone with high ends specs like a 1.2GHz dual core CPU, 768 megs of RAM and an 8 megapixel camera with backlit sensor that takes great photos and 1080p video. If QWERTY hardware keyboards are a must, do check out the 4G Slide. |
T-Mobile |
July |
 |
| Motorola Droid 3 Are you a member of the Droid a year club? Here's the latest entry from Verizon Wireless and Motorola, the Droid 3. It's an evolutionary step from past Droids, but that doesn't mean we don't really like this high quality QWERTY slider Android smartphone. Beyond the usual excellent materials and soft touch finish, we love the new 5 row keyboard, and the combo of Android OS 2.3 and a dual core 1GHz CPU keep this phone moving fast. The larger display runs at qHD resolution, and as per usual, Motorola squeezes particularly good speeds out of the Droid 3's 3G radio. Like the Droid 2 Global, the Droid 3 is capable of GSM roaming overseas. |
Verizon |
July 2011 |
 |
| HTC Status (Video Review) HTC and AT&T's affordable and cute QWERTY messenger is the closest you'll get to a Facebook phone. It has a Facebook button that launches the app, and it supports Facebook chat. There's plenty of other social networking and messaging goodness in this compact Android 2.3 Gingerbread smartphone with HTC Sense software. We like the excellent hardware keyboard, but the 2.6" display is a bit small. The Status has a front video chat camera and a rear 5 megapixel autofocus camera that takes decent shots. The phone has the usual GPS, WiFi and Bluetooth, and it runs on an 800MHz CPU. |
AT&T |
July 2011 |
 |
| HTC EVO 3D The HTC EVO 4G is a hard act to follow. Sprint's former flagship phone was a real crowd pleaser thanks to its at the time fast CPU, large display and 4G. How do you top that? Double the cores while increasing CPU speed, raise display resolution and throw in a 3D display and camera. That's the EVO 3D, a 1.2 GHz dual core Android OS 2.3 Gingerbread smartphone with WiMAX 4G, a qHD4.3" display and a glassless 3D display (don't worry, it does 2D too). The phone is built like a tank, yet it's good looking and it's slim despite the beefy battery inside. If you're looking for the new flagship phone on Sprint, this is it. |
Sprint |
June 2011 |
 |
| Samsung Exhibit 4G The Samsung Exhibit 4G is an embarrassment of riches at a bargain price. For $99 with contract and $299 without contract, you get a lot of high end features like an 800 x 480 display, a 1GHz Hummingbird CPU and 4G HSPA+. The Exhibit has front and rear cameras, WiFi calling and WiFi mobile hotspot, Bluetooth and a GPS. It runs Android OS 2.3 Ginberbread. |
T-Mobile |
June 2011 |
 |
| HTC HD7S AT&T's fourth Windows 7 device comes almost 8 months after they launched their intial trio of Microsoft's completely new smartphone lineup. The HD7 is an improved version of T-Mobile's HD7 with an upgraded 4.3" Super LCD, a tweaked 5 megapixel camera and the "no do" OS update pre-installed. We definitely love the large display for gaming and video watching too with the kickstand deployed. The HD7S is a great Netflix phone, an impressive XBOX gaming smartphone and it handles music beautifully. Since it's a Microsoft OS, you can count on MS Exchange and a solid MS Office suite. As always, we thoroughly enjoy the Metro UI, and HTC's elegant and robust industrial design. |
AT&T |
June 2011 |
 |
| Sony Ericsson Xperia Play Get your game on with Sony Ericsson's first Playstation Certified phone. This Android 2.3 Gingerbread smartphone has a slide-out Playstation controller that's a working facsimile of the console controller. It makes gaming much more enjoyable and your characters won't fall prey to inadequate touch screen controls when playing compatible games. The phone comes with 6 games and you can download and buy 50 more from Verizon's V Cast App store. The Xperia Play has a second gen 1GHz Snapdragon CPU with Adreno 205 graphics, an absolutely lovely 4" capacitive touch screen, 3G and dual cameras. If you're a gamer, you should check out this phone. |
Verizon |
June 2011 |
|
| HTC Sensation 4G T-Mobile and HTC's new flagship Android smartphone is hard not to love. It's got a lovely and classy unibody design, the latest Android phone OS and a 4.3" qHD 960 x 540 pixel display vs. the usual 800 x 480. The dual core 1.2 GHz Snapdragon CPU with Adreno 220 graphics keeps things like 1080p video, 3D games and Adobe Flash humming along smoothly and the main 8 megapixel camera can even shoot 1080p video. This is the first US phone to run HTC Sense 3.0, and we give it a thumbs for usefulness and good looks. The Sensation 4G it has 4G HSPA+ and a mobile hotspot feature along with the usual WFi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0 and a GPS. |
T-Mobile |
June 2011 |
 |
| Motorola XPRT Sprint's version of the Droid Pro on Verizon is a higher end QWERTY-bar Android smartphone with a 3.1" display, Android OS 2.2 Froyo with Motoblur software and a 1GHz CPU. It has 3G EV-DO Rev. A and GSM for world roaming. If you're looking to move from a BlackBerry, the XPRT wants you. |
Sprint |
June 2011 |
 |
| LG Revolution Verizon's third 4G LTE phone has a 1GHz single core Snapdragon CPU, a 4.3" capacitive touch screen and 16 gigs of internal storage. It runs on Android OS 2.2 Froyo with software customizations by LG that we like overall. This is one of the few Android phones to ship with Netflix pre-installed and combined with 4G, it's a portable movie lover's dream. Like the Droid Charge and HTC Thunderbolt, this is a large phone and battery life is LTE-challenged. The Revolution has a front 1.3MP video chat camera and rear 5MP main camera along with the usual WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS. |
Verizon |
June 2011 |
 |
| Motorola Droid X2 The original Droid X was one of our top picks among Android phones in 2010. The Droid X2 updates the CPU and display while leaving the elegant design and high quality materials alone. We aren't complaining; as sequels go, the Droid X2 is solid. It has a dual core 1GHz Tegra 2 CPU, a good helping of internal storage and a very sharp qHD 540 x 960 pixel 4.3" display. The phone runs on Android OS 2.2 with a tasteful dose of Motorola software, and it has 3G EV-DO Rev. A. Other amenities include HDMI out, an 8 megapixel camera that can shoot 720p video, Bluetooth, WiFi and a GPS. If your need for speed expresses itself in CPU lust rather than 4G download speeds, this Moto is worth a look. |
Verizon |
May 2011 |
 |
| HTC Trophy Verizon's first Windows 7 phone is solid: it has HTC's usual elegant styling and good build quality, world GSM roaming capabilities and Redmond's new phone OS that we really like. The Trophy has a 3.8", 800 x 480 capacitive touch screen, a 1GHz CPU, 16 gigs of storage and a 5 megapixel camera. It has 3G on Verizon along with WiFi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth with A2DP stereo and a GPS. Like all Windows Phone 7 smartphone, it has XBOX gaming and Zune music and video services. |
Verizon |
May 2011 |
 |
| HP Veer 4G One of the smallest smartphones on the planet, the diminutive Veer weighs just 3.6 ounces and will fit in a tiny jeans pocket. It looks like a miniature Palm Pre Plus and does all the same things the Pre does too. Though usability suffers when you shrink a phone this much, the Veer could appeal to those upgrading from features phones and those who despise behemoth smartphones. The Veer 4G runs webOS 2.12 on an 800MHz CPU and it has 4G HSPA. Other goodies include WiFi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth, a GPS and 5 megapixel camera. |
AT&T |
May 2011 |
 |
| Samsung Infuse 4G The Infuse 4G is an easy phone to fall in love with: it has a gorgeous and huge 4.5" Super AMOLED Plus display yet it's very slim and potentially pocketable. This Android OS 2.2 Froyo smartphone runs Samsung TouchWiz on a 1.2GHz Hummingbird CPU with graphics acceleration that indeed hums along nicely. The battery capacity verges on extended with 1750 mAh of power and the phone has HSPA+ 21 Mbps 4G with HSUPA uploads (no speed cap here). Throw in 16 gigs of storage and two cameras with a very good 8 megapixel rear main camera and you've got a summer blockbuster on AT&T. |
AT&T |
May 2011 |
 |
| Nexus S 4G The fast, clean and attractive Nexus S has made its way to Sprint and gained 4G in the process. The Nexus S 4G, like the GSM version, remains one of our favorite smartphones, even though it's not a new kid on the block. 4G is a very welcome addition and the Nexus S 4G has a vivid 4" Super AMOLED display, 1 GHz Hummingbird CPU, NFC, both front and rear cameras and 16 gigs of storage. Android OS 2.3.4 Gingerbread steals the show here in its pure form, complete with Gtalk video chat. Since it's a Google branded phone (though made by Samsung), timely OS updates should be yours with this phone. |
Sprint |
May 2011 |
 |
| Droid Incredible 2 HTC's second generation Incredible is a really solid Android smartphone that's eclipsed by flashier big screen 4G phones on Verizon. That doesn't mean it isn't a solid buy, especially if you're looking for a Verizon Wireless phone with GSM capabilities for world roaming. The Incredible 2 has a 4" Super LCD touch screen that's very sharp, a second generation 1GHz Snapdragon CPU, front and rear cameras with 8 megapixels of goodness at the rear, and it runs Android OS 2.2 Froyo with HTC's excellent Sense software. It's good looking and well made too. |
Verizon |
May 2011 |
 |
| Droid Charge Verizon's second 4G LTE phone is made by Samsung and it boasts their best-in-class 4.3" Super AMOLED display that puts HD plasma TVs to shame. The Charge has very fast 4G on Verizon's ever-expanding LTE network and it runs on a 1GHz Hummingbird CPU with hardware graphics acceleration. This Droid is s sharpshooter with dual cameras, and the rear camera takes sharp shots and 720p video. The Charge will set you back $299 with contract-- even more than the direct competitor HTC Thunderbolt on Verizon. Is it worth the extra bucks? Read our review to find out. |
Verizon |
April 2011 |
 |
| Kyocera Echo First a dual screen notebook in the Acer Iconia 6120, and now a dual screen Android phone. The Kyocera Echo received a minor bashing after it was announced, but now that we've had it hands-on for a week, it's actually a pretty innovative and useful smartphone. The Echo has two 800 x 480 pixel, 3.5" displays and it can run dueling apps or span an app across the entire display. It runs on a 1GHz Snapdragon CPU, has 3G and a 5 megapixel shooter that can take 720p video. The design might not win a Milan design award, but it has a certain Steampunk look that just might grow on you. |
Sprint |
April 2011 |
 |
| T-Mobile LG G2x Once in a while, a manufacturer really surprises us in a good way. LG, who'd been banished to entry and mid-tier phones, has come up with an Android superphone that's won our Editor's Choice award. Sure, the specs look great, but more importantly everything just works well and the materials and build quality are downright elegant. The G2x is T-Mobile's latest flagship phone, and it's the cousin to the LG Optimus 2x overseas. It has a dual core 1GHz Tegra 2 CPU, a really lovely 4" IPS display running at 800 x 480 resolution, 4G HSPA+, an 8 megapixel shooter than can do 1080p video plus a front video chat camera. Combine that with pure Android 2.2 Froyo and solid battery life, and you've got the T-Mobile G2x by LG. |
T-Mobile |
April 2011 |
 |
| Sidekick 4G The spirit of the Sidekick lives on thanks to Samsung and T-Mobile. Samsung has taken the sturdy, text-loving Sidekick design and infused it with the power and versatility of Android. The Sidekick 4G runs Android OS 2.2 Froyo on a 1GHz Hummingbird CPU. It has 4G HSPA+, WiFi 802.11n, Bluetooth and a 3 MP camera. Slide up the 3.5", 800 x 480 capacitive display to reveal a roomy full QWERTY keyboard. |
T-Mobile |
April 2011 |
 |
| HTC Thunderbolt The HTC Thunderbolt is Verizon's latest flagship Android smartphone. The Thunderbolt has Verizon's wickedly fast 4G LTE for download speeds ranging from 8 to 15 megs on the phone and sometimes faster when using the WiFi hotspot sharing utility that provides a broadband connection to your notebook, iPad or other device. We love the large 4.3" display and kickstand that lets you kick back and watch streaming movies comfortably and the phone's fast second gen Snapdragon CPU. The 8 megapixel rear camera takes sharp shots and 720p video and there's a front-facing camera as well. The Thunderbolt isn't perfect, but it is one of the top smartphones on the market right now. |
Verizon |
March 2011 |
 |
| HTC Arrive Sprint's first Windows Phone 7 smartphone is one of our favorites. The hardware design and quality are typical top-notch HTC and the unique hinge is robust. The Arrive runs the updated version of Windows Phone 7 that adds copy and paste along with a few other improvements, and it has 3G EV-DO. Rev. A. Specs are typical for the platform with a 1 GHz Snapdragon CPU, 16 gigs of storage, WiFi, Bluetooth, a GPS and a 5 megapixel camera that can shoot 720p video. The Arrive has a 3.6" display and a very good QWERTY keyboard. |
Sprint |
April 2011 |
 |
| Motorola Atrix 4G The Motorola Atrix is currently the fastest Android phone on the market, and it's one of the most innovative thanks to a line of super-accessories like the Lapdock and HD Multimedia dock that turn it into a laptop or desktop computer of sorts. It's all powered by Webtop Linux which runs smoothly on the dual core 1GHz Tegra 2 CPU. The Atrix also has the highest resolution among Android phones with a 4", 960 x 540 pixel display. It runs on Android OS 2.2 Froyo with Motoblur software and it has 4G HSPA+. |
AT&T |
March 2011 |
 |
| Nokia E7 The keyboarded companion to the Nokia N8 is here and it boasts superb hardware and an excellent QWERTY keyboard. The design and feel are top notch, but Symbian ^3 still lags behind more modern mobile operating systems when it comes to user interface and touch interaction. Still, it's hard to beat the E7's 8 megapixel camera, elegant hinge design and 4" AMOLED SuperBlack capacitive touch screen. The E7 is sold unlocked for use with any GSM carrier, and it has both T-Mobile and AT&T 3G HSDPA. |
Unlocked GSM |
March 2011 |
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| Samsung Galaxy S 4G Think of the Galaxy S 4G as a souped-up 2011 Samsung Vibrant. The Galaxy S 4G adds the latest amenities including a front video chat camera that works with Qik, 4G HSPA+, a beefier battery and Android OS 2.2 Froyo with Flash 10.1. It has a new back design to prevent accidental drops and it looks cool too. Otherwise it's business as usual with a 1GHz Hummingbird CPU, vivid 4" Super AMOLED display, WiFi including hotspot tethering and WiFi calling, Bluetooth and a solid GPS. |
T-Mobile |
Feb. 2011 |
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| HTC Inspire 4G AT&T is getting serious with Android now that their iPhone exclusivity is over, and the Inspire 4G is one lovely high end Android phone at a reasonable price. The Inspire 4G has HSPA+ 4G, a sharp 4.3" SLCD display running at 800 x 480 resolution and a second gen 1GHz Snapdragon CPU. The unibody aluminum alloy body is sumptuous and the 8 megapixel camera with dual LED flash does 720p video with aplomb. The Inspire runs Android OS 2.2 Froyo with HTC Sense software. It's quickly become one of our favorite Android smartphones. |
AT&T |
Feb. 2011 |
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| HTC EVO Shift 4G This is the keyboarded companion to Sprint's wildly successful HTC EVO 4G. Unlike the original EVO, the Shift 4G isn't a top of the line superphone, but rather a solidly built mid to high tier QWERTY Android phone that's well suited to business. It has an 800MHz second gen Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU, an 800 x 480 pixel 3.6" capacitive multi-touch display and a 5 megapixel camera. It runs Android OS 2.2 Froyo with HTC Sense software. The Shift has both 3G EV-DO Rev. A and WiMax 4G with Sprint's WiFi hotspot feature. |
Sprint |
Jan. 2011 |
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| iPhone 4 (AT&T) iPhone 4 (Verizon) It's June and you know what that means: a new iPhone model. The iPhone 4 once again had thousands of people standing in line at absolutely ungodly hours, waiting and hoping to get Apple's latest wonder toy. And the iPhone 4 is undoubtedly the best iPhone yet with a stunning industrial design, superb build quality, an excellent camera and free video chatting over WiFi. The Retina Display is extremely sharp and easy on the eyes and the smartphone is very fast. But all isn't perfect with the iPhone 4, and that gives the competition a little room to breath. |
AT&T and Verizon |
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| Motorola Cliq 2 The original Motorola Cliq wasn't all that, but the new Cliq 2 is a different animal. For $99 with contract, you get a 1GHz ARM Cortex-A8 CPU, a 3.7" multi-touch 854 x 480 display, 3G with 3G Mobile Hotspot and Wi-Fi calling, and the usual trio of Bluetooth, WiFi 802.11b/g/n and a GPS. The 5 megapixel autofocus camera with dual LED flash takes sharp shots and the phone runs nicely on Android OS 2.2 Froyo with Motoblur software. |
T-Mobile |
Jan. 2011 |
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| Samsung Nexus S The second Google phone is the follow up to the Nexus One and it's an evolved version of the Samsung Galaxy S, this time running Android OS 2.3 Gingerbread. Masterminded by Google and produced by Samsung, the Nexus S sticks with the successful Samsung Android superphone recipe: 4" Super AMOLED display that's best of breed, 1 GHz Hummingbird CPU with hardware graphics acceleration, 5 megapixel camera, 3G HSDPA 7.2 for T-Mobile US and overseas and 16 gigs of storage. This gloss black phone is sexy and slippery, and it's sold unlocked though it works best with T-Mobile in the US. It's the first Android OS 2.3 phone and it adds a few new hardware features including NFC (Near Field Communications), a curved Contour display. If you want a pure Android experience in an unlocked phone with high end specs, do check out the Nexus S. |
Unlocked GSM (avail. with T-Mobile contract and 3G) |
Dec. 2010 |
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| LG Optimus S The LG Optimus S is Sprint's most affordable Android smartphone; in fact it sells for less than some feature phones. That doesn't mean it's junk, in fact it's a solid Android smartphone that runs Android OS 2.2 Froyo on a 600MHz Qualcomm processor. The Optimus S is part of the Sprint ID trio of phones that makes customization of software and widgets easy based on your interests. The Optimus S has a 3.2" HVGA capacitive multi-touch display, GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth and a 3.2 megapixel camera. This is a video review of the phone. |
Sprint |
Nov. 2010 |
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| Samsung Focus The Focus is the hottest Windows 7 Phone on AT&T thanks to its stunning Super AMOLED display, slim design and user accessible microSD card slot. The display has eye-popping colors, is sharp and is quite viewable outdoors. The Focus, like all Windows 7 phones has a 1GHz Snapdragon CPU with graphics acceleration, plenty of internal storage, a 5 megapixel camera that takes very nice shots, a GPS, Bluetooth and WiFi 802.11n. Of the first launch group of US Windows 7 phones, the Focus is our favorite. |
AT&T |
Nov. 2010 |
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| BlackBerry Curve 3G 9330 Thanks to Verizon's bargain pricing, the latest Curve is the most affordable BlackBerry smartphone at introduction. That's not to say it's cheesy, in fact the design and materials are the best yet on the entry level Curve line. The Curve 3G is upgradable to BlackBerry OS 6, and that's its most exciting feature. Unfortunately, it still ships with OS 5, but we're hoping the upgrade will be out soon. In fact, we upgraded our phone with a pre-release versionof OS 6 for the Curve 3G and we liked what we saw. our review includes a video review of the Curve 3G running OS 6 and a video with OS 5. The Curve has 3G EV-DO Rev. A, a 2 megapixel camera, QVGA display, GPS, Bluetooth, WiFi and RIM's usual excellent QWERTY keyboard. |
Verizon |
Sept. 2010 |
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| Samsung Wave The Wave is Samsung's first smartphone running their new bada OS. If you crossed the Samsung Jet's OS and software with Android, you'd have something like bada. The hardware is top notch with a 3.3", 800 x 480 pixel Super AMOLED display that will toast your retinas with color and light. Other standard superphone amenities include a 1GHz processor, a sharp 5 megapixel camera that can shoot 720p video, WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS. This is an import GSM quad band world phone, and that means no contract subsidies through your US carrier and no US 3G. Still, it's interesting to see how bada has turned out and what Samsung can do with high end hardware design. |
Unlocked GSM |
July 2010 |
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| LG Octane No, the feature phone isn't dead yet, especially the QWERTY messaging kind. And the LG Octane follows in the footsteps of the long-lived and successful LG enV line of horizontal QWERTY flips phones that look like micro laptops when open. This Verizon phone features a larger outer dial pad and an LCD plus an internal QVGA display and full QWERTY keyboard. The specs are in line with the enV Touch (minus touch screen) and the phone has 3G, a 3.2 megapixel camera, V Cast Video, a GPS with VZ Navigator and Bluetooth with A2DP stereo. If you're not into the smartphone thing and want a solid and attractive messaging phone with that familiar Verizon feature phone user interface, the Octane is worth a look. |
Verizon |
Dec. 2010 |
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| Samsung Eternity II Do you like electric blue? And really cool bubble patterns on your phone's back? For better or worse, these two features stand out most on the Eternity II. While the first Samsung Eternity back in 2008 was one heck of a cool touch screen phone for its time, the Eternity II doesn't really add anything to that two year old formula. The second Eternity is inexpensive though, and we actually really do love that blue color. The phone is available on AT&T and it has a 3" resistive touch screen, FloTV, 3G HSDPA, a 2 megapixel camera, music player, Bluetooth and a GPS. The phone runs Samsung's TouchWiz UI and it comes with social networking software, streaming video and other goodies. |
AT&T |
August 2010 |
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| LG Sentio Touch screen phones might be all the rage, but not everyone wants a smartphone or a required data plan. The Sentio is an entry to mid-level touch screen feature phone that aims to capture the non-smartphone market. It has a 3" resistive touch screen and a very intuitive user interface complete with widgets. It's slim and nice looking and fits easily in a pocket. The Sentio has a GPS that works with TeleNav and Google Maps, Bluetooth, a microSD card slot and a 3 megapixel camera. The phone has plenty of social networking and email options and it runs on T-Mobile's 3G HSDPA network. But that resistive screen is just so-so. |
T-Mobile |
Aug. 2010 |
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| Palm Pre Plus The third time around, the Palm Pre is really hitting its stride. The Pre Plus on AT&T, like the Verizon version, features 16 gigs of storage and double the RAM of the Pre on Sprint. With a 3.1" capacitive multi-touch display, a fresh yet maturing webOS, full multi-tasking and a growing app catalog, this Palm breathes life into AT&T's ailing smartphone touch screen line. Other features include an improved slide-out QWERTY keyboard, a GPS that works with Google Maps and AT&T Navigator, 3G HSDPA, WiFi, Bluetooth and a solid camera that can shoot VGA video. Well worth a look if the iPhone doesn't float your boat. Heck, it's worth a look even if it does. |
AT&T |
May 2010 |
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| Sharp FX Think of the Sharp FX as a Sidekick minus the Sidekick OS. This multimedia-heavy feature phone has FLO broadcast digital TV, AT&T's streaming video, a capable music player with Napster support and a 3.5mm stereo jack. The FX has a roomy QWERTY keyboard, a resistive touch screen and solid build quality. The usual goodies are there too: a GPS with AT&T Navigator, Bluetooth with A2DP stereo and a microSD card slot. If you're looking for a multimedia messaging phone and don't want to get into the smartphone thing, the Sharp is a worth a look. |
AT&T |
August 2010 |
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| Samsung Restore Not into the touch screen craze? Just want a solid 3G messaging phone? The eco-friendly Samsung Restore is a full-featured messaging phone with EV-DO, Sprint TV, Sprint Navigation, the Netfront web browser and a solid music player that handles MP3 and AAC iTunes format music. The Restore has a roomy slide-out QWERTY keyboard, but when closed it looks like a normal candy bar phone with a standard number pad. It has a GPS, 2 megapixel camera, Bluetooth with stereo support and an SDHC microSD card slot. A nice mid-tier offering from Sprint and Samsung. |
Sprint |
July 2010 |
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| Nokia N8 The phone-loving world has had its eye on Nokia's first Symbian ^3 OS smartphone that's optimized for touch and ready for modern times. The N8 features a mind-boggling 12 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss lens and a Xenon flash that will blind your friends and illuminate the dark corners of your life. It snaps fantastic photos and 720p video. The phone has a 3.5" capacitive multi-touch AMOLED display that vibrant, Flash video support, a full HTML web browser, WiFi 802.11n, Bluetooth 3.0 and a GPS with Ovi Maps. other amenities include an FM radio and FM transmitter, 16 gigs of storage, a microSD card slot and aluminum casing. This is an unlocked GSM phone that supports both AT&T and T-Mobile 3GG HSDPA as well as overseas 3G. |
Unlocked GSM |
Oct. 2010 |
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| Microsoft Kin One and Kin Two Here are two phones you wouldn't believe came out of Microsoft's shop. With hardware made by Sharp (the folks who brought you the Sidekick), the KIN One and Two are playful and fun touchscreen QWERTY phones that target the youth market with heavy social networking. Their user interfaces are full of eye candy and work well with touch, yet they aren't like any other phone on the market. Both phones run the same software and share the same core features that include a fast Tegra CPU, plenty of storage, a slider QWERTY keyboard, an integrated Zune player that's similar to the Zune HD, EV-DO Rev. A 3G, WiFi, Bluetooth and high resolution cameras. These are QWERTY sliders and the larger KIN Two has more storage and an 8 megapixel camera vs. the KIN One's 5 megapixel shooter. They're sold by Verizon in the US. |
Verizon |
May 2010 |
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