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RANKED: The best smartphones in the world
REUTERS/Albert Gea
The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge.
Everyone may be talking about smartwatches this month, but they’re pretty useless unless you have a good phone too.
Here’s our ranking of the best phones you can buy right now.
We update this list approximately once a month. Our rankings are based on a variety of factors including design, software and hardware features, content selection, carrier availability, and price. We only consider phones that are available in the U.S. at the time of publication. We list approximate prices for what phones cost without a contract. Prices vary from carrier to carrier and retailer to retailer. You can see April’s smartphone rankings here.
#15 BlackBerry Classic
BlackBerry has gone back to the basics.
Its latest phone, the Classic, looks a lot like the BlackBerry Bold from a few years ago. It has a physical keyboard, trackpad, and larger screen. If you want a phone with a keyboard, the Classic is the best phone to buy.
Price: $449 unlocked from BlackBerry
#14 Nokia Lumia 830
The Nokia Lumia 830 is one of the newest phones from Microsoft. It runs the Windows Phone 8 operating system and has a sharp 5-inch screen.
Price: About $420 on AT&T
#13 HTC One M8 For Windows
The HTC One M8 For Windows is the best phone you can buy running the Windows Phone operating system. It has a gorgeous metal body and the new version of Windows Phone, 8.1, which includes the excellent digital assistant Cortana.
Click here for the HTC One M8 for Windows review >>
Price: Around $600
#12 LG G3
LG’s current flagship, the G3, has one of the sharpest displays ever put on a smartphone. It’s also massive thanks to its 5.5-inch display. That makes the G3 more like a phablet than a standard smartphone.
It’s a good Android phone, but LG put the power and volume keys on the back of the device, which is pretty awkward.
Warning: The LG G4 is coming in May or June, so you may want to wait.
Click here for the LG G3 review >>
Price: Around $500
#11 Samsung Galaxy Note Edge
The Note Edge is similar to the Galaxy Note 4, but it has a secondary screen on the side that changes depending on what app you’re using. The “edge” screen can also display information like news updates and other notifications when the rest of the screen is switched off.
Click here for the Galaxy Note Edge review >>
Price: About $950
#10 iPhone 5S
Apple’s iPhone 5S may be well over a year old, but it’s still a really good phone, especially if you don’t want a bigger screen. If you want a great iPhone experience at a discount, get the iPhone 5S. However, if you want the best experience, you’re better off spending the extra $100 on an iPhone 6.
Click here for the iPhone 5S review>>
Price: Starts at $549
#9 Nexus 6
Google’s newest flagship phone is the Nexus 6, a massive device with a 6-inch screen. It’s made by Motorola and is the first phone to run Lollipop, the new version of Android with a brand new design.
Click here for the Nexus 6 review >>
Price: Starts at $649.
#8 OnePlus One
What if you could get a smartphone with a huge 5.5-inch screen, great software, and zippy internal specs that rival the best smartphones?
That’s what Chinese startup OnePlus did with its flagship phone, the One. The OnePlus One only costs $300 unlocked, which is much cheaper than other premium phones like the iPhone 6 and Samsung Galaxy S5, which can cost $650 or more.
The downside? Supplies are extremely limited.
Click here for the OnePlus One Review >>
Price: $300 unlocked
#7 Moto X
Motorola’s new Moto X, which launched in September, is a strong contender for best Android phone. Similar to Google’s Nexus 6, the Moto X runs a nearly clean version of Android, meaning you get software updates a lot faster. The phone also looks really nice and has a 5.2-inch display.
Click here for the Moto X review >>
Price: Around $500
#6 HTC One M9
HTC’s newest flagship phone, the One M9, is a minor iteration over last year’s model. It has a better camera, slightly tweaked design, and faster processor. But other than that, it’s pretty much the same phone HTC made before.
Click here for the HTC One M9 review >>
Price: Starts at $650
#5 Samsung Galaxy Note 4
Samsung’s new Galaxy Note 4 is the best Android phablet you can buy.
It has an incredibly crisp 5.7-inch screen, the best display ever used on a smartphone. It also has a metal frame around the edges, which makes the phone feel a lot sturdier than previous versions. If you want a phablet-sized phone, the Galaxy Note 4 is one of the top devices you should consider.
Click here for the Galaxy Note 4 review >>
Price: About $750.
#4 Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is a variation on the company’s new flagship phone. It can do everything the “regular” Galaxy S6 does, but comes with a curved display that looks really nice.
Click here for the Galaxy S6 review >>
Price: About $750
#3 Samsung Galaxy S6
The Samsung Galaxy S6 is the best phone Samsung has ever made and the best Android phone you can buy.
It’s Samsung’s first phone with a premium metal and glass design. It also has the best camera and screen ever put on a smartphone.
Click here for the Samsung Galaxy S6 review >>
Price: Starts at about $650
#2 iPhone 6
If you don’t want a big-screen phablet, the iPhone 6 is the best phone you can buy. Unless you really like using Android or Windows Phones, the iPhone 6 should be your first choice.
Why? It’s the perfect mix of design, hardware specs, and app selection. Apple also finally caught up to its competitors by adding a larger screen to the iPhone 6. It’s 4.7 inches, up from the 4-inch screen on the iPhone 5S.
Click here for the iPhone 6 review >>
Price: Starts at $649.
#1 iPhone 6 Plus
The iPhone 6 Plus is the best phone for most people. Yes, the 5.5-inch screen is huge and may feel cumbersome to some, but you get the added bonus of incredible battery life. It’s also a lot thinner and easier to manage compared to other phablets.
If you’re trying to decide between the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus, go with the Plus.
Click here for the iPhone 6 Plus review >>
Price: Starts at $749.
Looking for a smartwatch?
Click here for 8 great alternatives to the Apple Watch >>
The post RANKED: The best smartphones in the world appeared first on Business Insider.
