Ranking the current Android Phones

[effreyj]

Here's how I'd rank the 2015 Android phones:

1 - Nexus 6P: I own this phone, and it's the first phone I've ever felt has no compromises. Fast updates, unlocked, great build quality and materials, camera, long battery life, etc.
2 - Galaxy Note 5: The most powerful hardware, but it's expensive and has lots of bloatware and Touchwiz
3 - Moto X Pure: Unlocked, mostly stock, active display is much better than ambient display, great price point, super customizable, but camera and battery life not as good as my top 2
4 - Blackberry Priv: great build quality and keyboard if you're into that, but a little bit if a niche phone, plus still on lollipop
5 - LG V10: Solid, powerful hardware and great camera, but LG software is definitely the worst of all the OEM's
6 - Nexus 5X: My wife owns this phone and it's a pretty good experience. Stock android, fast updates, great value, but a little under-powered and the software is a little more buggy that on my 6P.
7 - LG G4: I used to own this phone. It's really ergonomic and has a great camera, but the LG software drove me mad and it felt laggy at times.
8 - Galaxy S6: My mom has this phone. Really nice build quality and overall experience, but tons of bloatware and Touchwiz. Battery life is not good.
9 - HTC One A9: Solid premium feeling phone, unlocked, Sense is definitely better than Touchwiz and LG, but I prefer stock. Camera and battery life just so-so.
10 - Droid Turbo 2: High-end specs, long battery life, unbreakable, nearly stock plus Moto customizations. It's too bulky and Verizon exclusive, meaning you need to deal with all of the VZW bloat and slow updates.

 

[effreyj]

All the people want the 6P for its hardware, and I'm here dreaming about its aluminum plating. Note 5 with custom ROMS would do nice as well

Yeah, it feels super premium. I usually use phones with thin cases (I ordered the Ringke Fusion Crystal Clear case), but it's not arriving until 12/29, so I've been using it naked since I got the phone last week. I'm kinda not looking forward to putting it in a case because of how nice it feels, but at the same time I'm terrified of dropping it and having the screen crack.

 

[Aquila]

Based on what we know today, I'd go:

1. Nexus 6P
2. Note 5
3. Nexus 5X
4. Moto X Pure Edition
5. LG V10
6. Nexus 6
7. LG G4
8. Sony Xperia Z5
9. Moto X Play
10. Nexus 5

Or something like that. The Priv and A9 aren't far behind the top 10 list to me, but they're definitely not in the list.

 

[fatboy97]

I'd add one note to #3...

Unknown when or if you will see all updates to the Moto X PE. The Moto X (2014) PE did not see 5.1.1. Moto might have learned a few lessons from the 5.0 early release, but they are not pushing all updates.

 

[effreyj]

I'd add one note to #3...

Unknown when or if you will see all updates to the Moto X PE. The Moto X (2014) PE did not see 5.1.1. Moto might have learned a few lessons from the 5.0 early release, but they are not pushing all updates.

I don't think it's necessarily bad if they skip a version. What's more important is security updates and getting major version updates in a timely manner. Moto X Pure is definitely always going to be faster than Galaxy S, Note, LG, etc.

 

[Hammertong]

That is a bit like rating the best coffee or the best ice cream. Everyone has his own preferences. There is no accounting for personal taste.

 

[effreyj]

That is a bit like rating the best coffee or the best ice cream. Everyone has his own preferences. There is no accounting for personal taste.

1 - Cookies and Cream
2 - Mint Chip
3 - Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
...

 

[anon(5630457)]

Here's how I'd rank the 2015 Android phones:

1 - Nexus 6P: I own this phone, and it's the first phone I've ever felt has no compromises. Fast updates, unlocked, great build quality and materials, camera, long battery life, etc.
2 - Galaxy Note 5: The most powerful hardware, but it's expensive and has lots of bloatware and Touchwiz
3 - Moto X Pure: Unlocked, mostly stock, active display is much better than ambient display, great price point, super customizable, but camera and battery life not as good as my top 2
4 - Blackberry Priv: great build quality and keyboard if you're into that, but a little bit if a niche phone, plus still on lollipop
5 - LG V10: Solid, powerful hardware and great camera, but LG software is definitely the worst of all the OEM's
6 - Nexus 5X: My wife owns this phone and it's a pretty good experience. Stock android, fast updates, great value, but a little under-powered and the software is a little more buggy that on my 6P.
7 - LG G4: I used to own this phone. It's really ergonomic and has a great camera, but the LG software drove me mad and it felt laggy at times.
8 - Galaxy S6: My mom has this phone. Really nice build quality and overall experience, but tons of bloatware and Touchwiz. Battery life is not good.
9 - HTC One A9: Solid premium feeling phone, unlocked, Sense is definitely better than Touchwiz and LG, but I prefer stock. Camera and battery life just so-so.
10 - Droid Turbo 2: High-end specs, long battery life, unbreakable, nearly stock plus Moto customizations. It's too bulky and Verizon exclusive, meaning you need to deal with all of the VZW bloat and slow updates.

I feel differently than you. The Nexus 6P seems to have too many compromises for me, including the lack of OIS, no wireless charging, problems with screen cracking in cold weather (I'm in Minnesota...can't have a phone that does that up here), and pure Android just seems so boring to me.

If I had to make a list of the top phones this year, I'd go:

1. Note 5
2. LG V10
3. S6 active--most of the greatness of the Galaxy S6 (minus fingerprint scanner), plus an IP68 rating and a much bigger battery
4. Nexus 6P
5. LG G4
6. Xperia Z5 Premium
7. A9

I had the Priv for almost a month, and the terrible cameras and terrible battery life totally killed whatever hope I had in that phone. I feel bad for the guy who purchased it from me for almost full retail on Swappa.

 

[anon(5630457)]

That is a bit like rating the best coffee or the best ice cream. Everyone has his own preferences. There is no accounting for personal taste.

You're exactly right.

 

[Rem3Dy]

I'd add one note to #3...

Unknown when or if you will see all updates to the Moto X PE. The Moto X (2014) PE did not see 5.1.1. Moto might have learned a few lessons from the 5.0 early release, but they are not pushing all updates.

Moto X PE already received Marshmallow, what are you talking about?

 

[candrusiak]

I dropped my 6P on a tile floor before I got a case on it. Dented the upper right corner noticeably but the screen didn't break. Seems to be made of stern stuff.

 

[Matthew Osterlund]

My list is a little short, because I can only properly give my opinion on phones that I have actually used.

1. Moto X Pure Edition- It's the only phone I have. Just received 6.0. Unlocked. Fast! Closest to Pure Android you can get outside of a Nexus. Battery is noticeably better with Doze. Motorola Software- Can't live without it! Very good camera apart from low light. Moto Maker. Last, but not least....Price!!

 

[fatboy97]

Moto X PE already received Marshmallow, what are you talking about?

I'm talking about the Moto X (2014) PE as an example for the Moto X PE... the Moto X (2014) did just received Marshmallow a couple days ago, but has had a very bad track record of receiving updates.

 

[fatboy97]

I don't think it's necessarily bad if they skip a version. What's more important is security updates and getting major version updates in a timely manner. Moto X Pure is definitely always going to be faster than Galaxy S, Note, LG, etc.

Ok, ok... security updates are important... I forgot what they called that last security issue, but since the Moto X (2014) PE did NOT get that update or fix until the Marshmallow update a couple days ago... is that a security update you should be concerned about? I think it should be.

A very good reason to think twice about any Moto being close to the top of this list. And for me a good reason to buy a Nexus 6P after only being on the Flag Ship device by Moto for only one year. Just one person's opinion.

 

[syspry]

Good list, I mostly agree. The 6p would definitely hit the top of my list as well, but I look at the totality of the phone rather than buying a phone by honing straight in one one single feature it may or may not have. Especially when you have to sacrifice freedom from OEM+Carrier bloatware, delayed updates, and OEM Android forks notorious for sub-optimal performance. For example I couldn't deal with being stuck with all of those those just to get OIS for the occasional video recording. If I did that, I'd still be stuck on Lollipop's horrendous battery drain (and other) bugs until around February next year. Considering when some of these phones came out in the fall of this year, that's a pretty large percentage of the year or two of ownership. Also take into consideration what is probably the most heated topic you see on this forum every time the next version goes live: "when is [phone brand] getting [android version]??"

 

[D13H4RD2L1V3]

~Look at all these phones! So kawaii desu!~​

Alright. It's only several days until 2015 is gone forever, so I thought I'd share my personal Top 5 phones of all time list. They're not all Android phones as one of them uses a different OS. Here we go. Starting from #5

#5 - Apple iPhone 6S (WHAT?! AN IPHONE? Yep, I put an iPhone in because in terms of hardware, it's mighty impressive. The A9 processor packs a whole lotta punch from it's 2-cores, with super-strong single-core performance and multi-core performance rivaling that of the Exynos 7420. NVMe storage and fast LPDDR4 RAM complete the exceptional hardware package coupled with an great 12MP camera. iOS is still not my cup-of-tea for being somewhat barebones in nature, battery life is below-average on the non-Plus variant and 16GB base is inexcusable. Still, it's an impressive hardware showcase, especially the usage of ultrafast NVMe storage)

#4 - Motorola Moto X Pure Edition (If the OnePlus One was the phone that started the new wave of midrange phones with flagship punch without the flagship price, the XPE kicked it into maximum overdrive. For $399, or $449 for a 32GB model, you get high-end specifications, stock Android, all the flagship features and Moto Maker to make your phone your phone. Camera is the best one Moto has put out by far, although lack of OIS hurts it, and battery life is solid but unspectacular. But it's a lot of phone for the money.

#3 - Samsung Galaxy Note 5 (The Note is one phone-line with tons of aficionados. No phone of this size offers tons of usability and flexibility thanks to the S Pen and other software features. The Note 5 offers a sleek and beautiful design with extremely powerful performance and greater multitasking potential thanks to 4GB of LPDDR4 memory and fast UFS storage. The S Pen has also been improved in terms of ergonomics and gains a strangely satisfying clicking-mechanism, though less-mindful users may break the device if it's wrongly inserted. It also packs in a 16-megapixel Sony Exmor RS IMX240 with an f/1.9 lens for an awesome camera. TouchWiz is improving but still overzealous in some places and the lack of expandable storage might turn off some buyers. Despite those, the Note 5 is still a great phone and is still the benchmark for proper phablets done right.)

#2 - Google Nexus 6P, manufactured by Huawei (The Android phone that speaks for itself. Sleek metal-build, a Snapdragon 810 that actually works, stock Android 6.0 Marshmallow, a 12.3MP camera that works extremely well, excellent battery life, a nice AMOLED display, dual-front speakers, a fingerprint sensor and a great price. Only cons are the somewhat barebones nature, which is not a big deal, and lack of expandable storage, with doesn't seem to be a big deal since the 128GB model costs around the same as a 32GB GS6 at launch.) A great Android phone and the best Nexus to date.

#1 - LG G4 (Wait, how is this better than the Nexus 6P? Here's the fact. It's not. So why is it #1? Because this rank is based on my usage pattern and experience. The LG G4 packs high-end specs, a good but not outstanding design, great display, 32GB of storage, 3GB of LPDDR3 and some other cool stuff. The defining thing about this is the awesome 16MP Sony Exmor RS IMX234 that is coupled with an f/1.8 lens, 3-axis OIS, a sensor-size of 1/2.6", and an excellent manual-mode that takes full-advantage of the Camera2 API and the hardware. It's also the only phone in the list to have a removable battery and one of the 2 in the list that has an SD card slot. On the downside, battery life is average, LG UX is still overzealous and ugly in a lot of places and build quality is nothing to write home about. Still, it's an awesome phone and I am still using mine to this day, running Marshmallow. It's a joy to use.)

Here are 10 honorable mentions.

BlackBerry Priv - BlackBerry's first Android phone is a great one. A high-end handset packed with a great physical keyboard that is a joy to use. High price is it's main drawback, though. Would be #5 if this list was strictly for Android phones.

LG V10 - LG's best handset to date. Improved on the already-excellent G4 camera with manual video recording, 3-axis mic array and other cool features. Secondary display is a bit of a gimmick and the phone is pretty large, which is why it's not in the list.

OnePlus X - A budget phone without the budget feel. Slick premium look and feel, powerful performance from the still-capable SD801 and a competitive price. Invite system, customer support and it being near-useless on AT&T when it comes to LTE makes it miss the spot.

Samsung Galaxy S6 - Samsung's re-invigoration. Looks great, performs well, has a great camera and has improved software. Battery life is subpar, unfortunately.

Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3 - $250 nets you a phone that actually performs like a $350 device. Nice 1080p display, strong performance and overall usability make it a great value-minded all-rounder. Couple that with JBL-tuned front-speakers and it's great for media.

Google Nexus 5X, manufactured by LG - The smaller of the 2 Nexus devices this year, the 5X delivers great hardware in a more compact design and price. 2GB of RAM is an oddity and performance issues compared to the 6P are the only black marks.

Sony XPERIA Z5 - Sony's new flagship ticks all the right spots. High-end hardware, solid camera, smooth software, good battery life and features. Shame we don't get widespread availability in the US.

Motorola Moto G 2015 - Moto's midrange-budget offering gets even better, with a much improved camera, Android Lollipop and better battery life than before. The G Turbo is the one to look out for.

Microsoft Lumia 950 - The most impressive Windows Phone device to date. High-end hardware, great looks, Windows 10 compatibility and desktop mode with an accessory makes this a phone that is worth watching.

OnePlus 2 - A solid midrange offering, let down by somewhat buggy software, lack of NFC, USB 2.0-based USB-C port, lack of quick charging and invite system, which has since been abolished.

Alright, that's my list. I'm interested to see what you guys think.

Also, here's a bonus. From my top 3 phones, guess which one I'd pick as the best all-rounder.

 

[Gdwheel]

I only feel comfortable ranking the ones I have owned (at least for a couple week trial).

1. Galaxy S6 Edge+
2. Nexux 6P
3. Galaxy Note 5
4. LG V10
5. iPhone 6S Plus
6. LG G4
7. Blackberry Priv

 

[Zachary Boddy]

I'll put down my rudimentary list but I'll only explain it if someone asks. You know, because I'm lazy. Oh and it's not all Android.

1). Microsoft Lumia 950 XL
2). Motorola Moto X Style/Pure Edition
3). Huawei Nexus 6P
4). LG V10
5). Microsoft Lumia 950
6). LG Nexus 5X
7). LG G4
8). Microsoft Lumia 640
9). Motorola Moto G
10). Samsung Galaxy Note 5

The Blackberry Priv deserves an honorary mention as well. And I'll also throw an honorary mention in there for the last Nokia, the Lumia 830, even though it's a 2014 phone.

 

[Allenhardiman]

1. Galaxy Note5
2. Nexus 6p
3. LG V10
4. LG G4
5. Moto XPE
6. Blackberry Priv
Camera is one of the most important aspect in this, so...


Posted via the Android Central App

 

[Menno Gouw]

I will be getting the Nexus 6P soon too!