The Best Smartphones for Autumn 2014

With news of the eagerly anticipated iPhone 6 on the horizon for September 2014, today’s smartphones are going to have to work hard to try and keep up with the alleged features which are keeping all gadget fanatics talking.

Apple have kept us in the dark thus far as to just what we should expect, sending out a teasing press release which proclaims: “9.9.2014. Wish we could say more.” They may not need to say more given the rumors that are already circulating – for one, we’re led to believe that the iPhone 6 handset will come in two sizes, and a new ‘iWatch’ is also on the horizon.

At the time of publication, I couldn’t reveal any more about the upcoming handset, but I have had the chance to get a look at some other (non Apple) smartphones that are getting rave reviews this autumn. Here are a few of my favorites.

Google Nexus 5

As part of Google’s quest for world domination, their extensive range of Android phones continues to impress. The Google Nexus 5 is the latest amongst the offerings, and boasts a huge variety of features including an 8MP front camera and large internal storage. The real fortune of the phone however is its capacity for gaming – equipped with a 2.23 GHZ quad-core Snapdragon 800 CPU, this little baby is more powerful than most computers. Mobile gaming has taken off massively in recent years, with sites like Uptown Aces offering more choice than ever in terms of speed, data usage and graphics. Sounds like a problem for most mobiles – not so with the Google Nexus 5.

Samsung Galaxy S5

An upgrade to the Samsung Galaxy S4, some critics argue that Samsung’s newest addition was directly influenced by the iPhone 5S, with the fingerprint scanner cited as evidence for this. However, rip off or not, this phone’s a tecchie’s dream thanks to its extensive features. For those who love a selfie, the Galaxy trumps the aforementioned Nexus with a 16MP rear camera, but you can also show off to your friends with the phone’s in-built accelerometer, compass, barometer and heart rate meter.

Sony Xperia Z2

You’ll never be left in the dark with this one –  the Sony Xperia Z2 boasts an amazing 740 hours’ standby time, perfect for using its sharp 20.7MP rear camera. Its processor isn’t quite as fancy as the Google Nexus 5, but it has other features which make it stand out from the rest, for example, an external memory card drive. It’s also, similar to the Samsung Galaxy S5, water resistant, so if you’re stuck battling the elements, you know you’re in good hands with the Sony Experia Z2.