Washington - Hayley Tsukayama takes a look at the smartphones that made the cool cut with their 2014 releases.
iPhone 6
Get it: If you must have the latest iPhone
Skip it: If you're super happy with your current phone accessories
What's there to say, really? The iPhone 6 is the latest flagship smartphone from Apple and improves on the previous model in all the usual ways. It's lighter, brighter and — for a twist — bigger than its predecessor.
This phone has a 4.7-inch screen, a bit of a bump from the four-inch screen on the iPhone 5s. It also has a faster processor and new camera features that let you shoot in slow motion. New smartphone chips also mean you can pay for things by tapping your iPhone against some card readers (with fingerprint authentication, of course). There's also a nascent health data program designed to help you track your fitness; that still needs some work. Overall, the improvements make it well worth having to buy a new case for your phone.
iPhone 6 Plus
Get it: If you really love watching movies on your phone
Skip it: If your pocket is your favourite place to keep your phone
In this corner, weighing in at 5.5 inches is the iPhone 6 Plus, a godsend for Apple fans who want to ditch their tablets. Apple's given the iPhone 6 Plus all the bells and whistles it gave the 6 — payment chips, health data tracking and faster performance — plus better battery life and software that makes shaky phone videos look rock solid. The extra screen real estate also makes it great for doing a little more serious work. For video watching and filming, the iPhone 6 Plus is wonderful. Still, it will stretch your pocket and your pocketbook.
Nexus 6
Get it: If the screen is all that matters to you
Skip it: If you want a big phone to shoot lots of video
The Nexus 6, the latest co-branded effort from Google and Motorola, is a monster of a phone with a six-inch screen. It comes with the advantages of being as pure a Google phone as you can get. It has Google's latest Android operating system, Lollipop, and its layout has none of the annoying clutter that often plagues other Android phones.
This phone is powerful, has a gorgeous screen and is seriously ready for all your video and work needs. It has some drawbacks as well. While its screen is great for video, the phone doesn't have a great camera to shoot with, especially as compared with others of its size and price. That's not enough to mar an all-around great phone, but still worth considering.
HTC One M8
Get it: If you want an all-around fantastic phone
Skip it: If you want a status piece
The HTC One M8 is solid from stem to stern. Though a little heftier than other phones of its size, this 4.7-inch-screened beauty boasts a nice body, a good screen and strong performance. It also has front-facing speakers, which make it easy to share music and videos without muffling the sound. Yet it doesn't have standout features strong enough to lure dedicated iPhone or Samsung Galaxy users into its fold. Even a nifty camera feature that lets users change the focus of a picture after the snap doesn't lift it over the edge. Luckily, the HTC One M8 also has the unusual distinction of having both Android and Windows Phone models, which gives users a little more flexibility than its rivals.
Lumia 635
Get it: For a low-priced phone that's a good value
Skip it: If you have to have the latest apps
Microsoft doesn't get a lot of recognition for its phones, but the 4.5-inch Lumia 635 is a standout in the field thanks to its relatively low price.
Windows Phone may not have a lot of converts, but for those who use a lot of Microsoft products such as the Office suite, OneDrive or Skype, this phone offers a lot of smart integration. It also has Cortana, Microsoft's answer to Siri, which works a little more conversationally and smoothly than its Apple counterpart. Microsoft suffers on the app front — the latest and greatest can take a while to show up on its phones, if at all — but if you want a good phone at a low price, give this one a whirl.
Galaxy Note 4
Get it: If handwritten notes and scribbles are your thing
Skip it: If you have a tablet
Another entrant in the phone-tablet hybrid world, the 5.7-inch Galaxy Note 4 is looking not only to satisfy your need for both types of devices, but also to supplant the old-fashioned notepad. It has a stylus to make doodles and quick notes and an easy method for annotating. It's certainly not a device for everyone — lots of people were happy to leave the stylus behind with the Palm Pilot — but Samsung has smartly integrated some handwriting recognition and other useful bits of software to make the extra accessory feel like more than an afterthought. The new Galaxy Note, with its textured plastic case, feels a bit cheaper than its competitors, but it packs just as much power and polish in its software.
The Washington Post