TECH:Best Android phones 2014

See the best Android mobile phones on the planet right now

1. Samsung Galaxy Note 3

 



We all knew it was coming, but now its official – the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is here. Toting a new and improved faux leather back, that’s available in a myriad of colours, as well as a 5.7-inch full HD display, this is the ‘phablet’ to beat. Samsung has also beefed up the software features, adding in an improved S-Note app and useful quick menu. Powering this rather large device is quad-core processor, paired with 3GB of RAM and you’ll have a choice between 32GB or 64GB of internal storage.

Price: £600 | Samsung

2. Samsung Galaxy S5


 
While many were expecting a major change for this year's flagship Galaxy S model, Samsung has instead played it safe, keeping a very similar design to the S4. The S5 does thankfully replace that slimy back with a new fabric like design. The display has been upped to 5.1 inches and it packs a 1080p, full HD resolution, while it's all powered by 2GB RAM and a 2.5GHz quad-core processor. Your photos will be taken care of thanks to a 16 meg snapper on the back, which now has a few more tricks up its sleeve - like UHD video recording and a Lytro like depth of field feature. A load of new health benefits are here too, a heart rate monitor on the back for instance. Similar to models that went before, Samsung has overlaid Android (this time Kit Kat 4.4) with its TouchWiz UI, so you'll have to make do with those overly colourful icons.
 
3. HTC One M8






Here at T3 we were massive fans of the HTC One. It picked up a five star review and numerous gongs at the T3 Gadgets Awards 2013. So it’s safe to say that we’ve been pretty excited about what the Taiwanese company has in store for its 2014 model. Dubbed the HTC One M8, the new device looks pretty similar to the previous model, though it’s a little more curved and slightly larger due to the brand-new 5-inch, 1080p display. Under that aluminium unibody shell is Qualcomm’s 801 processor, clocked at 2.3 GHz and 2GB RAM, plus there’s 16GB storage, though this can be expanded through micro SD up to a whopping 128GB.

One of our favourite new features though is the added depth sensor placed above the 4-ultrapixel camera; this lets you adjust the focal point of your snaps even after you’ve taken them.

Blinkfeed and Sense have both seen upgrades, with a flatter look and more customisability, while a host of gestures are included to make navigation and phone unlocking much easier.

Price: £529


3. LG G3


Spec hunter? Then you'll love LG's slick 2014 flagship. An update to the already impressive G2, the G3 ups the game in almost every area, with a Snapdragon 801 processor, 3GB RAM, wireless charging and a large 3,000mAh battery. But it's the, frankly rather large, phablet like 5.5-inch display that steals the show. Boasting a 2K resolution, this screen is amongst the best out there and displays pictures and video in near perfect quality. Another feature we love is the new laser tech on the 13MP snapper, which speeds up auto-focus and makes capturing shots much quicker.Price: £410 | LG


4. Google Nexus 5



So, it’s finally here, the successor to the bargain Nexus 4, the Nexus 5 ups the specs in almost every area, including a bigger screen, faster processor and, hopefully, a better camera. It’s also the first device running the latest version of Google’s Android OS, 4.4 Kit Kat.

Google has bumped the size up to 5-inches, increasing the ppi to 445 and the resolution to 1920x1080. This full HD, 1080p display puts it right up there with the big boys like the HTC One, Sony Xperia Z1 and Samsung Galaxy S4. Another area, another improvement for the Nexus 5, which now ships with a really quite powerful, top of the line 2.3GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, along with 2GB RAM and is available in both 16GB and 32GB flavours.

The same 8-megapixel snapper is on board, though it now features optical image stabilisation to try and ensure your shots are a tad less blurry.

Price: £299 (16GB) £339 (32GB) |

5. Sony Xperia Z1 Compact


Finally, there's a top tier Android device that doesn't cut a load of corners in order to take it from a 5-inch phone to a 4.3-inch version. This is basically last year's Z1, but in a shrunken down frame and with a 720p display. Under the hood you'll find,a Snapdragon 800 along processor, along with Android 4.3 and that fantastic 20-meg snapper. It's also waterproof, if you fancy taking your phone into the shower.

Sony | Hands-on

6. Motorola Moto G



We were impressed by the Moto's slick design and high-speed processor, despite being marketed as a low-budget smartphone. Its 5MP camera isn't up to the same high-definition action as other smartphones, but for a budget model it's a compromise you may be willing to make. Its 4.5" screen does boast the sharpest display in its class - 1280 x 720 with a pixel densty of 329ppi - higher even than the iPhone 5s. The storage isn't great at only 8GB or 16GB, but you do get an additional 65GB with Google Drive.

£135 (8GB), £160 (16GB)

7. HTC One Mini 2


Our obsession with HTC just keepg going with the release of this model, which appears to be jsut like the One M8 - for smaller hands. The display is only half an inch smaller than the M8's at 4.5", and the Mini 2 boasts rear 13MP and front-facing 5MP cameras, both wih 1080p HD video recording, and 1GB RAM - impressive for a device that's barely bigger than the palm of your hand.

For selfie fans (you know who you are) the Mini 2 comes pre-loaded with Touch Up, which sounds like handheld photoshop. HTC have also thrown in the same amplifiers as the M8 as well as upgrades of BlinkFeed and Sense.

With its curved edges and smooth aluminium case, we're quickly going weak at the knees for this cute new addition to the HTC range.

| HTC

8. Nokia X



Nokia’s first foray into the world of Android has given us three devices, the X, X+ and XL. Now, before you all get your hopes up about a Lumia styled device rocking Android 4.4, we’ve got something to tell you – this is purely a low-end device aimed solely at emerging markets. The Android OS running here is an almost unrecognisable version of 4.1.2, completely forked (similar to what Amazon does with its Kindle Fire) and looking very similar to Windows Phone. As it is forked, you won’t have access to Google apps like GMail and the Play Store, though Nokia says apps will still work. Specs wise, the X boasts a 4-inch IPS LCD at 800 x 480 resolution display, 3meg fixed focus snapped, 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor and 512MB RAM. The X+ ups the RAM by 256MB and includes a 4GB Micro SD card, while the XL ups the screen size to 5-inch (though the resolution is the same).

Available: Q2 | Nokia | Nokia XL,Hands-on

9. Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom


On first glance this may look like just another S4 Mini, turn it over though and you’ll see it’s much more. The rear of the device resembles a regular point-and-shoot camera, complete with zoom ring, xenon flash and 16 Mixelpixel sensor, making it particularly geared towards people eager to take good photos with their phone. Internally there is a 2330mA battery, dual-core processor and a meagre 8GB of storage.

Out now | Samsung

10. Huawei Ascend P6


Huawei has managed to cram a good amount of tech into this sleek and slim device, which measures just over 6mm in width. Inside the aluminium alloy frame is a quad-core processor, so multi-tasking should be stutter free and there’s an 8 megapixel snapper on the back. In terms of screen real-estate, you’re looking at a 4.7 inch display, covered in the super durable Gorilla Glass with a very respectable 312 ppi. Another bonus is that it’s running the very latest version of Android, Jelly Bean 4.2.2; however it is skinned with Huawei’s Emotion UI 1.6 interface so no vanilla Android here.

Price: £330 | Huawei


11. Acer Liquid S2


If recording video in 1080p is just not enough for you, the 6-inch display toting Acer packs the ability to shoot your video in glorious 4K. Along with this uber HD tech is a high-res screen, 13 mega pixel snapper, NFC and LTE connectivity. A load of nifty camera enhancements are included as well, including an auto tagging widget, panorama mode and control over the exposure./Acer/









  
ENJOY!!!! MEANWHILE LETS ALL ANTICIPATE//** SAMSUNG GALAXY NOTE 4 AND IPHONE 6//**