Smartphones are some of the most coveted devices on the planet. Which is why chances are relatively good that at least one person on your list will be asking for one.
But the smartphone market is awash with options ranging from handsets with gigantic 6-inch screens to those that are a bit more modest. Which should you slide under the tree this year? Check our list to find out.
iPhone 6$199 with a two-year contract through AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon. $27.08 per month for 24 months through T-Mobile.
The iPhone is still the best overall smartphone around. Apple’s latest iteration of its popular handset gets a thinner, sleeker look (just don’t sit on it), as well as a larger, crisper 4.7-inch Retina HD display. There’s also a new and improved 8-megapixel iSight camera that takes spectacular photos and of course Apple’s updated iOS 8 operating system, which offers improvements such as Handoff, which lets you continue work you started on your iPhone or iPad on your Mac. Oh, and don’t forget Apple Pay, which allows you to pay for items at a store’s checkout register using your phone.
There are some drawbacks to the iPhone 6, though. It still doesn’t have a microSD slot that lets you expand the phone’s storage, or a removable battery. Apple Pay is also still limited to select retailers, so don’t expect to ditch your credit card anytime soon. And the operating system as a whole, iOS, isn’t as flexible or tweakable as its main competitor, Android.
Still, the iPhone 6 is the phone that is most likely to please your non-fussy smartphone shopper.
Buy it for: The person who wants a phone that just works.
Galaxy Note 4$299 with a two-year contract through AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon. $31.24 per month for 24 months through T-Mobile.
Apple’s iPhone 6 may be the best all-around smartphone, but when it comes to big-screen behemoths, Samsung’s Galaxy Note 4 is king. This handset packs a gorgeous 5.7-inch display, a built-in stylus for jotting down notes directly onto the phone’s screen, and multitasking features that let you run multiple apps onscreen at the same time. Which means you can check Twitter and Facebook at the same time. Social media overload!!!
And unlike Apple’s 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus, the Note 4 comes with a microSD card slot for increasing the phone’s storage capacity, which is great for people with tons of movies, TV shows, photos, and music.
The Note 4 also has an excellent 16-megapixel rear camera with optical image stabilization (OIS), which helps eliminate blurring caused by camera shake. Still, while photos taken with the Note 4 look great in daylight, they fall short of those taken by the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in low-light situations.
Buy it for: The person who wants a phone with a big screen that can seemingly do it all.
Moto X (2nd Gen.)$99 with a two-year contract through AT&T and Verizon. $499 unlocked for T-Mobile or AT&T.
Some people love Google’s Android operating system but hate the additional software phone makers slather it with. If you have someone like that on your holiday shopping list, then you’ll want to get her Motorola’s second-generation Moto X phone.
This handset features a beautiful 5.3-inch display and can be made to order with a customizable back panel and accent colors. You can even engrave a short message to your recipient on the phone’s back.
As far as Android phones go, this is the one to beat thanks to its impressive build quality and strong performance.
The downside? Well, the Moto X doesn’t have the best camera, so don’t expect your shots to be as crisp or vibrant as those taken with something like the iPhone 6 or Note 4. What’s more, the Moto X doesn’t come with a microSD card slot or removable battery.
Still, the Moto X offers more than enough excellent features to overcome those flaws.
Buy it for: The Android purist who wants a premium, customizable, and perhaps colorful smartphone.
Nokia Lumia 1520$199 with a two-year contract through AT&T. $584 unlocked.
Microsoft’s Nokia Lumia 1520 is the big-screen phone for people who don’t want an iPhone or an Android device. Running on Microsoft’s simple, attractive Windows Phone 8 operating system, the Lumia 1520 comes with a 1920 × 1080, 6-inch display, and a 20-megapixel rear camera that captures exceptional photos. There’s even a Nokia Camera app that lets you manually control things like the camera’s aperture, white balance, and focus.
Though the Lumia’s battery is not removable, the phone does come with a microSD card slot for increasing the phone’s storage capacity.
You might have heard that Microsoft’s Windows Phone isn’t exactly up to snuff compared with Apple’s iOS 8 or Google’s Android, but the truth is that the operating system has come a long way and offers what is arguably the most elegant-looking interface of any smartphone OS.
Unfortunately, Windows Phone still lacks many of the same apps available for iOS and Android, including favorites like Snapchat and Venmo. Microsoft has worked hard to improve its smartphone app library, but it lags behind the competition and likely will for some time.
Buy it for: The person who wants a smartphone with a powerful camera and beautiful display but doesn’t mind missing out on some apps.
HTC One M8$199 with a two-year contract through AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon. $24.40 per month for 24 months through T-Mobile.
So you’re shopping for someone who wants a phone as sleek as the iPhone but runs Google’s Android OS? Then get the HTC One M8. Wrapped in an all-metal body, the One M8 is the most beautiful Android phone on the market.
Its 5-inch, 1920 × 1080 display provides excellent visuals, and its dual front-facing BoomSound speakers offer the best audio quality of any smartphone.
Running on Android KitKat, with an update to Lollipop on its way, the One M8 features strong performance, and a cool dual-camera setup around back that lets your gift recipient snap a photo and adjust its point of focus on the fly.
As with the Nokia Lumia 1520, the One M8 features a microSD card slot for increasing its storage space, but its battery can’t be removed.
Buy it for: Someone who wants a phone that’s as good-looking as an iPhone, but isn’t an iPhone.
OnePlus One$299 unlocked
The OnePlus One is easily the best value in smartphones. Priced at $299 without a two-year contract, the One offers many of the same features as its big-name competitors, such as the iPhone and Galaxy Note, at a fraction of the price.
Packing a 5.5-inch display, the OnePlus One runs on a modified version of Google’s Android called CyanogenMod, which offers improved customization options versus the standard Android OS.
It’s an excellent phone for the price, but it does have some downsides, namely its subpar camera performance and the fact that the backlighting for its front physical buttons is too dim. Oh, and you need to register for an invitation to even buy it.
Still, for $299, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better deal.
Buy it for: The person who wants a top-of-the-line smartphone with a twist.http://www.jesen.com.cn/en/about.asp
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