I get asked quite a lot about "What is the best phone?". Although that can be quite a subjective decision, I like to think my advice is impartial and being a techie at heart, I always believe the best phone is the one with the best technology.
Sure, there are people out there that say iOS (the interface on iPhones) is better than Android (the interface on most other smartphones like the Galaxy, the HTC One etc) but I think it is about much more than that. The interface really comes down to personal preference - I don't think it makes the phone any better or worse. Sure, there are some features within the interface system which might make it your favourite, but its really the technology that makes the phone superior or not.
So I have put together this small table which compares some of the main hardware parts of the latest phones. I'll give you my conclusion at the end!
Phone | Screen | Camera | Memory | Weight | Processor |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
iPhone SE | 640x1136, 4in (326ppi) | 12MP | 16/64GB | 113g | A9 Dual-core 1.84 GHz Twister |
iPhone 6S | 750x1334, 4.7in (326ppi) | 12MP | 16/64/128GB | 143g | A9 Dual-core 1.8GHz Twister |
iPhone 6S Plus | 1080x1920, 5.5in (401ppi) | 12MP | 16/64/128GB | 192g | A9 Dual-core 1.84 GHz Twister |
iPhone 6 | 750x1334, 4.7in (326ppi) | 8MP | 16/64/128GB | 129g | A8 Dual-core 1.4GHz |
iPhone 6 Plus | 1080x1920, 5.5in (401ppi) | 8MP | 16/64/128GB | 172g | A8 Dual-core 1.4GHz |
iPhone 5S | 640x1136, 4in (326ppi) | 8MP | 16/32/64GB | 112g | A7 Dual-core 1.3GHz |
Samsung Galaxy S7 | 1440 x 2560, 5.1in (577ppi) | 12MP | 32/64GB | 152g | FAST! |
Samsung Galaxy S6 | 1440 x 2560, 5.1in (577ppi) | 16MP | 32/64/128GB | 138g | Exynos 7 Octa 7420 (2.1 & 1.5GHz) |
Samsung Galaxy S5 | 1080x1920, 5.1in (432ppi) | 16MP | 16/32GB | 145g | Snapdragon Quad Core 2.5GHz |
Samsung Galaxy S4 | 1080x1920, 5in (441ppi) | 13MP | 16/32/64GM | 130g | Exynos Quad Core 1.6GHz |
HTC 10 | 1440x2560, 5.2in (565ppi) | 12MP | 32/64GB | 161g | Dual-core 2.15 GHz Kryo & dual-core 1.6 GHz Kryo |
HTC One (M9) | 1080x1920, 5in (441ppi) | 20MP | 32GB | 157g | ARM Cortex A57/A53 (2 & 1.5GHz) |
HTC One (M8) | 1080x1920, 5in (441ppi) | Dual 4MP | 16/32GB | 160g | Snapdragon Quad Core 2.3GHz |
Sony Xperia Z5 | 1080x1920, 5.2in (428ppi) | 23MP | 32GB | 154g | Quad-core 1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 & Quad-core 2.0 GHz Cortex-A57 |
Sony Xperia Z3 | 1080x1920, 5.2in (424ppi) | 20.7MP | 16/32GB | 152g | Snapdragon Quad Core 2.5GHz |
Motorola Moto G (3rd Gen) | 720x1280, 5in (294ppi) | 13MP | 8GB | 155g | Quad-core 1.4 GHz Cortex-A53 |
Motorola Moto X | 720x1280, 4.7in (312ppi) | 10MP | 16/32/64GB | 130g | Dual-core 1.7 GHz Krait 300 |
Motorola Moto G | 720x1280, 4.5in (326ppi) | 5MP | 8/16GB | 143g | Quad-core 1.2 GHz Cortex-A7 |
LG Nexus 5X | 1080x1920, 5.2in (423ppi) | 12MP | 16/32GB | 136g | Quad-core 1.44 GHz Cortex-A53 & dual-core 1.82 GHz Cortex-A57 |
LG Nexus 5 | 1080x1920, 4.95in (445ppi) | 8MP | 16/32GB | 130g | Snapdragon Quad Core 2.3GHz |
LG G5 | 1440x2560, 5.3in (554ppi) | 16MP | 32GB | 159g | Dual-core 2.15 GHz Kryo & dual-core 1.6 GHz Kryo |
LG G4 | 1440x2560, 5.5in (534ppi) | 16MP | 32GB | 155g | Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 Hexa Core 1.8GHz |
OK, this has been updated with some of the newer phones (28/05/2016).
Some of the things to look out for above are the screen size in inches and the PPI (pixels per inch). The screen size is important as phones are tending to get bigger. I don't know about you, but I don't like a big phone, like the iPhone 6 Plus for example. But also look at the PPI - the higher this number, the crisper the screen to look at.
Also look at the memory - all you iPhone users out there that get an iPhone on contract, these network providers will give you the lowest possible memory iPhone as it is cheaper for them. And then when the iOS gets upgraded, you find you have no space left for the upgrade and need to start deleting things, probably starting with your precious photos! I would say, don't get anything less than a 32GB model.
My conclusion is that the Samsung Galaxy S7 is probably one of the best phones on the market right now but closely followed by the LG G5.
What I would say is that generally Apple phones are not very high-spec'd (I mean, they have only just increased the pixel count from 8MP to 12MP whereas other manufacturers are and have been way ahead!). When they are released there is usually one or two redeeming features, but they hardly stack up to the competition. I mean, they look nice (whatever!) but I want performance from a phone. if you're going to get an iPhone, I would recommend the new iPhone SE as it is stronger than the very flimsy 6 and 6S and is quite well equipped.
When I get a phone, I want to know the screen is clear and sharp, it is fast, it has enough memory for me to load all my apps on it, can take decent photos and is quite easy to use. On the list above, most of the latest phones easily compare favourably against iPhones.