Now that 2015 is behind us, it will only be a few short months before we start seeing the next batch of flagship smartphones going on sale, as well as newer versions of our budget favourites. In particular, phones such as the and are both likely to be released before spring, which rather puts a bit of a dampener on anyone thinking about buying a top-end handset before then. Of course, as newer models start replacing old ones, there's a good chance you'll still be able to pick up one of last year's top handsets for a lot less than their shinier successors, making them even better bargains than they were before. Naturally, we'll be updating this article with new smartphones as and when we get them in for testing, but right now you won't find anything better than the phones we've listed below.
If you're not quite sure about which smartphone is right for you, be sure to check out our handy buying guide on page two to help you narrow down your choice. We explain everything from which operating system you should go for to screen quality, battery life and performance, and how much storage you'll need. We also explain whether you need 4G and the best ways to buy your new handset.
Battery life in-depth
One of the things that everyone wants from a smartphone is the best possible battery life, as it's the one thing that has actually gotten worse over the years, with pretty much every single phone having to be charged at least daily. Here at Expert Reviews we test all of our phones at the same screen brightness, so there's a level playing field. We test by playing back a video, which requires the screen to be on and the processor working quite hard. What this test gives us is a comparison between phones, so we can see which one has the best battery life overall. However, I should point out that this is a continuous stress test, with phones lasting for longer in day-to-day life.
Even so, being able to compare phones in this way helps you make the right decision about the handset that's right for you, choosing the one with the longest battery life if you're going to spend a lot of time away from a power socket. All of our main phone reviews have battery life scores in them, but if you want to see how all of the current flagship phones stack up (as well as all of the other models released last year), you need to read our article before you choose which handset to buy.
Contract or up-front?
While most of us buy our phones on contract, there has been a growing number of SIM-only deals, designed for people that have bought their phone outright. So, which one is the right way to do it? Well, it largely comes down to budget and how much up-front money that you've got. With a phone contract, you don't have to put much money down up-front, instead paying the cost of the phone over a set period (24-months is usual). This increases the monthly price and means that you're also paying interest on the phone purchase, but you can get the latest handsets without having to pay a huge amount for them.
With SIM-only you need a large lump sum, but you don't pay interest on it, can sell and upgrade whenever you like and you have lower monthly payments. Expert Reviews investigated the question in greater deal, including resale values of handsets to help you make the right decision.
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