Best Phone for My Budget or Needs (Mid 2014)

[anon(8730639)]

The forums are full of threads like "What's the best phone under $400?" and those are getting annoying. To solve that, I've decided to create one thread with the best devices in specific price ranges.

I'm only going to include Android and Windows Phone devices because those are the devices I am most familiar with but also because there are very few iPhones and Blackberries to choose from (very easy to find the best one in your price range if you prefer those two).

Of course, prices are subject to change as is this list. If you have any devices that you'd like to add in specific categories, let me know. By the way, these will be in US dollars, for anyone outside of the US.

 

[anon(8730639)]

Low End: Sub $150

- Lumia 52x and 62x ($60-$150): There are so many low end Lumia devices that I can't list all of them as seperate devices in this list. They all have very small differences between them (usually one model is exclusive to a certain carrier or one has LTE and the other doesn't), which are very easy to figure out before buying one. For the most part, these devices are great and fly through Windows Phone without any problems.
http://www.windowscentral.com/nokia-lumia-520-review-most-affordable-windows-phone
http://www.windowscentral.com/t-mobile-nokia-lumia-521-windows-phone-budget
http://www.windowscentral.com/nokia-lumia-525-unboxing
http://www.windowscentral.com/nokia-lumia-620-review-windows-phone

- Moto E ($130): A relatively new device at the time of this writing, but has been pretty well recieved by the people who have tried it. It's a definete step down from the other Moto devices, but it's still a great little device running KitKat and having all of the extra Motorola apps. Its cheap, but doesn't feel cheap at all.

 

[anon(8730639)]

Mid Range: $150 to $300

- Moto G ($180-$220): This phone has taken over the mid range Android market in the months since it's release. No other Android phone (or phone in general) has a HD screen, quad core processor, and mostly stock Android (with KitKat and guaranteed updates to whatever comes next) all under $200. It's a great performer (even rivaling some 2012 and 2013 flagships) and should be at the top of your list for phones under $200. The recently announced LTE variant does cost $220 and has 4G LTE and a microSD card slot, making it a bit more expensive.
http://www.androidcentral.com/moto-g-review

- Lumia 630 and 635 ($159-$189): These phones are almost identical, apart from a few differences. They're the mid range devices that are launching Windows Phone 8.1 and are great little devices. Not too different from the previous 52x and 62x series, but most of the appeal of this device comes from the improvements that Windows Phone 8.1 brings (available out of the box).

- Lumia 925 (around $250 most of the time): This is on the list because of the great deals you can find on it. While in some places it can be $300+, it can often be found around $250. It's one of the best Windows Phones you can buy and has a great screen, camera, and build for the price. It's a great phone in general, but making it only a little bit more expensive than a Moto G means that it's one of the best phones you can get under $300.
http://www.windowscentral.com/nokia-lumia-925-review

 

[anon(8730639)]

High End: $300 to $600

- Nexus 5 ($350-$400): Fast updates, great hardware, great dev community, great price. The device to get if you prioritize Android updates and tinkering with your device over hardware features.
http://www.androidcentral.com/nexus-5-review

- Moto X ($350-$400): If you prioritize features over specs, this is the phone for you. It's specs are not as good as the latest flagships (even though it only came out last summer), but it's specs definetly get the job done and it's useful features like Touchless Control and the Motorola apps add value to this device. It also gets updates almost as quickly as Nexus devices and has an almost stock version of Android.
http://www.androidcentral.com/moto-x-review

- OnePlus One ($300-$350): Some of the best specs in a smartphone you can get right now at a price even lower than the already cheap Nexus 5 and Moto X. It has CyanogenMod 11S out of the box and allows a lot of customization.

 

[anon(8730639)]

Premium Flagships: $600+
(will add)