If you're a Samsung fan but would rather stick to a phone than a phablet then the S6 is just what you're looking for. With Samsung finally answering build-quality criticisms, it follows in the trend of the Galaxy Alpha and with a metal and glass body. There's also a quad-HD screen, plus plenty of other radical new features, including a super-fast Samsung Exynos processor (paired with 3GB of RAM), and a redesigned fingerprint scanner that works a lot more like Apple's Touch ID and, you know, actually works. The Samsung Galaxy S6 was unveiled at a Samsung Unpacked event on 1 March 2015, and went on sale on 10 April 2015. Prices start at £599 SIM-free. Read our and learn more about the here.
A second version of the Samsung Galaxy S6 launched alongside the standard S6 at MWC. It follows the trend set by the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Note Edge, but with two curved screen edges rather than one and a marginally higher-capacity battery than is found in the S6. In other respects the specs are in line with the standard S6, but expect to pay a premium for that fancy screen. Learn more about the here, which went on sale in the UK on 10 April 2015. Prices start at £760 SIM-free for the 64GB version.
A Samsung Galaxy flagship launch is traditionally followed by several variants, most importantly a compact version, but we've also seen variants that offer, for example, improved cameras or more ruggedised designs. The Samsung Galaxy S6 mini is likely to arrive a few months after the standard Samsung Galaxy S6, perhaps in late July/early August, and will be a more compact version of its bigger brother with a slightly slimmed down spec. We expect to see a 4.7in full-HD screen, a slower-clocked Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor, perhaps 2GB of RAM and 16- and 5Mp cameras. You can read our here.
Yet another rumoured Samsung Galaxy S6 variant, the Active should be a rugged version of the Samsung Galaxy S6. It's a credible theory, given that the Samsung Galaxy S6 no longer features waterproofing. Plus, with an S4 Active and S5 Active before it, we could well see an S6 Active, but probably not until the summer. We've rounded up all the here.
Samsung has confirmed its Galaxy A7, a gorgeous phablet with a 6.3mm unibody metal chassis, a 5.5in Super AMOLED screen and a 64-bit octa-core processor. The Samsung Galaxy A7 is not yet on sale on the UK, but will come in both single- and dual-SIM variants. Read all about the here.
Best new smartphones 2015: HTC One M9
We are massive fans of the , and the HTC One M9 is even better. Although HTC has kept the full-HD screen rather than the quad-HD screens seen in the new Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge, the HTC One M9 is a very attractive phone with some impressive performance. You can check out our here, and learn more about the HTC One M9 release date, price and specs here. The phone went on sale in the UK on 31 March from £569 SIM-free, making it £30 cheaper than its rival the Samsung Galaxy S6.
Best new smartphones 2015: HTC One M9+
A 5.5in-screen phablet version of the HTC One M9 is the One M9+ - and this is the one we were waiting for, with a Quad-HD screen and a fingerprint scanner. It's been announced only in China, with UK availability and pricing not yet confirmed - that's if it ever comes to the UK officially. Read more about the here.
After all the rumours that the Sony Xperia Z4 would be delayed until September, the Z4 has now been officially unveiled in Japan. However, we're still waiting on details of a UK launch. The phone isn't too disimilar to the Sony Xperia Z3, with a 5.2in full-HD screen and Sony's usual waterproofing protection. It's a bit slimmer and has a faster processor, too. Read more about the here.
Huawei's latest flagship has a gorgeous unibody metal design that's stylish enough to rival HTC and Apple, yet it undercuts the price of those smartphones with a starting price of 499 Euro, or £357. There is a standard 5.2in Huawei P8, or a huge 6.8in P8 max. The phone and phablet should have gone on sale in the UK this week, with a worldwide launch following 15 May. We're unable to find them for sale right now, but keep your eyes peeled - they're worth hunting down. For more info check out our , and .
Best new smartphones 2015: LG G4
LG is calling the G4 the 'most ambitious smartphone yet', which is focused on delivering 'comfortable elegance, a great visual experience and a human-centric user experience'. We stand by our statement that the was the very best phone you could buy in 2014, and things just get better with the LG G4 - although opinion is divided on that leather case (also available in ceramic versions). Key specifications include a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor, a 5.5in Quad HD IPS Quantum display, 32GB of storage (with microSD support) and a 3000mAh removable battery. The G4 was unveiled at a press event on 28 April, and will go on sale on 28 May from £500 SIM-free. Read all about the LG G4 here, and check out our LG G4 hands-on review.
Best new smartphones 2015: LG G Flex 2
The G4 isn't LG's only exciting new smartphone for 2015. At CES 2015 it unveiled the G Flex 2, a curved-screen handset. The G Flex 2 is a 5.5in-screen smartphone with a 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 octa-core chip, and it features self-healing technology. Read all about the LG G Flex 2 here.
Part of the reason we're so excited about the upcoming Microsoft Lumia 940 is that it will be one of the first handsets to run full Windows 10 - Microsoft is to finally tackle the Windows Phone apps problem by running one OS across phones, tablets, PCs and laptops. The Lumia 940 has the beefiest spec of any Windows Phone we've seen too. Check out all the Microsoft Lumia 940 UK release date, price and specs rumours here, and find out more about Windows 10 for phones here.
The and were released in September, and in the months leading up to that the rumour mill went mental. Be prepared for more of the same with the iPhone 7, which will launch in September 2015 running . As always, we're expecting a faster processor and some upgraded specs, but little change to the design. (Note that it will probably be called the iPhone 6s rather than iPhone 7, but we're sticking with iPhone 7 for now.) Check out all the and here.
Everyone always bangs on about Samsung's Galaxy S line-up, but it's the Note series that really impresses. The was unveiled at a Samsung Unpacked event prior to September's IFA tradeshow (3 September 2014), and right now sits at the top of our and charts. Like the new iPhone the Note 5 won't be released until September 2015, but it's going to be well worth the wait. Check out all the rumours here.
The new Nexus phone for 2015 is hotly tipped to be another . Google is reportedly in talks with both LG and Huawei, and a Huawei-made device has already leaked in an official Google promo video for Project Fi (now why would you do that, Google, when the only known device to work with Project Fi today is the ?). If Huawei is in line for the new Nexus 5 2015 that can mean only one thing - Google's going back to its high-end specs, mid-range price business model. That's probably not too unlikely, either, given its Q1 2015 earnings call, in which it revealed Google Play takings were up, but the 2014 Nexus devices hadn't done so well at their higher price points. Being a Chinese phone maker, with Huawei we could also see the first , finally bringing dual-SIM functionality into the mainstream in the UK. Alternatively, with LG onboard, we could be about to get another Quad HD Nexus phone. One thing is for sure, the new Nexus 5 2015 will be the first device to run , the latest Google OS that we expect to hear more details on in May's . For more details on the new Nexus 5 2015 check out our .
Xiaomi has officially unveiled its Mi Note and Mi Note Pro, with the latter hailed as the most powerful phone in the world. Both offer staggering value at £244 and £350 respectively, given their amazing specs. These two Chinese phones are fitted with 5.7in curved screens - the Mi Note full-HD and the Note Pro Quad HD. The Mi Note Pro in particular should offer unrivalled performance, thanks to a 2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 64-bit octa-core chip, a massive 4GB of RAM and Adreno 430 graphics. And still it's thinner than the iPhone 6 Plus. There's loads more to drool over in Xiaomi's juicy spec sheet too - read more about the here. The Mi Note went on sale in China on 27 January and sold out within minutes, while the Mi Note Pro will go on sale on 6 May. These phones won't officially go on sale in the UK, but it's probable that you'll be able to get them on or auction sites.
Best new smartphones 2015: Xiaomi Mi 4i
Xiaomi has taken the wraps off its Mi 4i, a plastic, upgraded version of its flagship Mi 4, with a low price tag of Rs. 12,999 (£136) yet some very good specs. It has a 5in full-HD screen with Sunlight display, a second-generation 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. Just 7.8mm thick, Xiaomi has still managed to squeeze in a 13Mp rear camera that lies flush to the case. It's dual-SIM dual-standby out the box, with both SIMs supporting 4G. The Xiaomi Mi 4i will go on sale on 30 April, but to buy one in the UK you'll need to go through unofficial channels. Read more about the .
Best new smartphones 2015: OnePlus Two
The is an amazing phone if you've managed to get hold of one. It's priced from £229 but has the spec to match a £600 smartphone, hence OnePlus marketing it as a 2014 flagship killer. According to OnePlus co-founder Carl pei, the OnePlus Two will surprise us, and is likely to focus on flagship-rivalling design rather than specs. He told our sister site PC World the OnePlus Two would arrive in June 2015, along with a second model - perhaps a OnePlus Mini? We expect to see a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor, 4GB of RAM, a 3300mAh battery and a 5.5in 2K screen. It will also run OnePlus' own OxygenOS, rather than Cyanogen. Check out all the OnePlus Two rumours here.
Best new smartphones 2015: Asus Zenfone 2
We've yet to get our hands on an Asus Zenfone 2, but the top-end model (ZE551ML) is now available at Amazon for £309.99. This powerful phone has a staggering 4GB of RAM and a 2.3GHz 64-bit Intel Atom Z3580 quad-core processor. For storage 32GB is fitted, and you can get more through microSD. There's 4G LTE support (dual-SIM, dual active), a 5.5in full-HD IPS screen, and 13Mp rear- and 5Mp front cameras. The stylish brushed-metal case is just 3.9mm thick at the edges. Running the fully customisable ZenUI software, the Zenfone 2 also has Trend Micro security preinstalled. The Asus Zenfone 2 is well worth a look.
The has seen phenomenal success, allowing the masses to enter the world of tablet computing. Tesco's taking a slightly different tack with its smartphone, however, which will be a high-end device with an aggressive price. Just the type of device we get excited about. The Tesco Hudl smartphone was supposed to be here in time for Christmas 2014, but Tesco put the project on hold. Despite recent financial problems causing , it remains committed to its mobile business. Check out all the here.
The Ubuntu phone is finally here in the form of the Aquaris E4.5 Ubuntu Edition. It costs €169 and runs a 1.3GHz quad-core processor with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage. More importantly, this is not an Android or iOS phone, it runs Ubuntu Linux - and that's interesting. You can find out more about the here.
Want a phone that's available now? Check out the best smartphones of 2015, best Android phones of 2015, best Windows Phones of 2015, best budget phones of 2015, best cheap 4G phones of 2015, best phablets of 2015 and best selfie smartphones of 2015.
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