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Alex Cobb
Guest
Now that the holidays are over, many of you might be in the market for a new smartphone. A lot of new phones will be announced in the coming months, so it might make sense to sit tight, but this is a great time of the year for deals. There are so many choices based on features and price points, so if you’re planning on buying a new phone now, this guide will make it a lot less daunting.The best way to divide up your options is to categorize potential devices by the person receiving it. A first smartphone for a tween or preteen may not be the best option for a techie, and the best option for the techie will definitely not be the best choice for family members of an older generation. That’s why this guide will be divided up by type of individual. So read on to find out the best Android phones that are available right now.
Youngster‘s first phone
A preteen could need a phone for many reasons, like calling and texting friends, playing games, or keeping track of their busy schedule. What a first-time smartphone user does not need is a top-of-the-line device with a Snapdragon 800 processor, 2K screen, and a price tag exceeding that of a used car. The key here is to keep it affordable and simple. Last year and in years prior, the value phone options were awful. Your best hope for saving a buck was to get a low-end samsung phone with a 500 MB RAM and a 1 GHz single core processor. However, in 2014, Motorola changed the game of budget smartphones with the Moto G and Moto E.
The Moto E is the perfect phone for a first-time smartphone user, like your tween. The device is sold for $130 off-contract, and includes a Snapdragon 200 processor, a qHD screen, and 1 GB of RAM, which is perfect for getting into the world of technology. 4 GB of storage will be plenty to store the basics on the device, and a 32 GB SD card will handle the rest. The rear camera is 5 MP, but unfortunately there is no front-facing camera, which is typical of budget devices. 
If you’re feeling a bit more generous, the Moto G is a step up at $180, and offers better specs for more fun for your burgeoning future technophile. Expect to see a 720p 5-inch screen, a Snapdragon 400 quad-core processor, and 1 GB of RAM. The storage is doubled, bringing it to 8 GB, but expandable storage is still an option. The rear camera is a modest improvement at 8 MP, and the front camera is a huge improvement because it exists, unlike on the E.Both devices have powerful batteries for their respective sizes, and both offer customizable shells to add your specific color to the normally black or white device. Another great aspect to a Motorola phone is the OS. Android is a great operating system, and although many Android manufacturers adulterate the OS with skins and extra apps, Motorola tends to be mostly true to Google’s vision for Android, with very little bloat added.
Buy Moto E
Buy Moto G
The Technophile
One thing that really sets the Android OS apart from its competition is the ability to tinker with it. Many a techie came to the operating system years back in order to be able to play around with their phone a little more, and Android has changed little since then as far as openness goes.
Since the open-source OS was founded, the Nexus has been the prime example of what Android should be, and this year’s model was hardly a disappointment. The Nexus 6 is a monster in all senses of the word, with a 5.96″ 2K screen at 493 ppi, a Snapdragon 805 processor, 32 or 64 GB of storage, and 3 GB of RAM. The camera is finally a marked improvement over previous models, which has long been a problem with the Nexus line. The rear camera is 13 MP and the front is 2 MP. It’s still not the best on the market, but this is a phone for techies, not artists.If tinkering is your thing, the Nexus 6 is your phone. There is hardly a device line on the market with more developer support amongst the community than the Nexus line. Even after three years, my Galaxy Nexus still has a plethora of ROMs to choose from, so the Nexus 6 threads on the XDA developer forums are positively inundated with potential ROMs for this beautiful device.
Some may find the nearly 6″ screen too large, but when compared to the previous model, the Nexus 5, the major problem is not the size—it’s the price. The device will cost $650 off-contract for the 32 GB device and $700 for the 64 GB model, which is a solid $300 more than what the Nexus 5 costs, so if you’re a dedicated Nexus user, or have thought about getting a Nexus phone for a while, don’t expect the sweet deals of years past.
Buy Nexus 6 on Google Play
Buy Nexus 6 on Motorola
The Artist
As an artist, your phone should be an extension of your creative spirit and act as a home-away-from-home for your creative endeavors. Although most people believe that “artists use Apple products,” for those that still have their sense about them, Android has a lot to offer to those looking to create on their devices.
For the musicians out there, one Android Phone line has been the best device for giving the loudest, clearest sound for years: the HTC One. Although HTC is no longer partnering with Beats Audio, its BoomSound front-facing speakers are more than capable for all of your music listening needs. Whether you’re making something new with any of the many music composition apps on the Google Play store, or you’re listening to some of your favorite tunes for inspiration, the HTC One’s massive speakers can handle it all.The device itself is no slouch either: standard specs for 2014 on the device include a Snapdragon 801 processor, a 1080p 5″ screen, 2 GB of RAM, and Kitkat. Sound isn’t the only feature the HTC One excels in. The One’s dual rear ultrapixel cameras allow you to take excellent low-light pictures, and refocus the photo after it is taken. There is some debate over whether or not the HTC One’s ultrapixel/dual-lens camera is genius design or gimmick, but either way, it’s worth looking into.
Buy HTC One
Drawing, doodling, sketching, whatever you want to call it, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is the premium device for the job. Although any device can be used with a simple stylus, no other smartphone line has the S-Pen. As anyone who has played Draw Something knows, creating a picture with a stylus increases your natural smartphone doodling talents exponentially. To get a taste of how much you can do with a stylus, check out Shaun McBride in Samsung’s #NoteMyDay campaign or take a peek at some of the best Android apps for drawing and sketching. To add to the drawing fun, the phablet’s 5.7″ QHD (2560 x 1440) display will help you clearly see your work and show it off to your friends.The device itself is one of the most powerful of the year, with a Snapdragon 805 processor, 3 GB of RAM, 32 GB of storage, micro SD for expanded storage, a stellar fast charging 3220 mAh battery, and 16 MP rear camera with optical image stabilization. The Note is also packed with features that tend to be extremely useful, like One-Handed Mode, Smart Select, and some of the best multitasking on the market.
Buy Samsung Galaxy Note 4
The Businessman
Arguably, most top-of-the-line Android devices would work great for someone in the business world, but one of them stands out to me. A good business device needs a clever design, capable multitasking, and an enjoyable user experience.
The LG G3 is one of the high-end Android devices left unmentioned thus far that fulfills all of the requirements to be a perfect business phone. The large 5.5-inch QHD (2560 x 1440) display couples with QSlide to offer a fantastic multitasking experience, even with larger, office-based apps like spreadsheet or powerpoint applications.
The G3, despite having a 5.5″-inch screen, is compact with small bezels, has a comfortable shape, and sports convenient buttons on the back , making it very comfortable in the hand. The user experience is simple and not overly bulky, with extra apps and features that tend to help instead of hurt the user’s time using the G3. Features like Knock Code and Smart Notice are clever additions to Google’s already fantastic operating system.
As far as specs go, 3 GB RAM and an 801 processor run the device, and a 13 MP camera with OIS captured the world around you. You will also get 32 GB storage and expandable storage through the microSD to hold all your data, and a 3,000 mAh battery to power all of the productivity.
Buy LG G3
The Parents/Grandparents
For those not as well-acquainted with the technological revolution, getting accustomed to using a smartphone can be a daunting task. Most first-time smartphone users in the older generations aren’t power users, nor are they adept at taking advantage of all of the features of a device. They key with this demographic is giving them phones that ease the user into the smartphone experience.
As far as Android manufacturers go, the best company for helping a new user learn how to use a smartphone is Samsung. I’ve seen many a loved one learn to use a phone using a Samsung phone. The Samsung Galaxy S5 is the flagship device for Samsung in 2014, but with a feature called Starter Mode (or Easy Mode) any beginner can start off simpler for a few weeks as they get used to the new features and capabilities on their device.
The GS5 is a fantastic phone, with all the necessary specs to rub shoulders with the best of 2014, like a 1080p (1920 x 1080) 5.1-inch screen, Snapdragon 801 processor, and 2 GB RAM. Smart Features fill the device, some of them more useful than others. Samsung offers some lower-end devices as well, but in my experience, the cheaper you go with Samsung, the worse of an experience you have.
Buy Samsung Galaxy S5
These are my favorite phones based on type of individual. Do you have any that I missed? Let me know in the comments.
Come comment on this article: Here are the best Android smartphones you can buy right now [January 2015]
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