BackMid-year smartphone buying guide
A look at how some of the big-ticket launches of 2015 have fared so far
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Last year, more than 1,100 new phone models were launched in India, according to a report by website 91mobiles.com. That means more than three phones were launched per day. This year has been equally manic, with popular brands such as Samsung, HTC, Micromax, OnePlus, Asus and Xiaomi of-fering new products, while new brands such as Meizu, Coolpad and Phicomm enter the fray.
What this means is that deciding which smartphone to buy can be a harrowing experience. To make everyone’s life easier, we picked out the best smartphones launched this year based on price, specifications, software and performance. We have reviewed all these phones previously. After an initial shortlist, we compared the selected phones with rival brands to see which of them offered something extra—it could be a feature that improves camera performance or one that offers smoother mail access.
TOP OF THE CHARTS
The LG G4 and the Samsung Galaxy S6 are the ultimate Android phones at the moment, with their unique design elements and powerful processors and cameras. But there are also affordable phones such as the ZenFone 2 and the Mi 4 that offer a smooth user experience and have fairly powerful specifications
LG G4
49,990*
Asus ZenFone 2
22,999
Samsung Galaxy S6
49,900
Xiaomi Mi 4
14,999
A CLOSE SECOND
If the G4 or the Galaxy S6 are not in your budget, there are some capable alternatives from Motorola and HTC. And if you don’t fancy Android, we have picked out the best BlackBerry 10 and Windows Phone options.
Motorola Moto Turbo
41,999
HTC One E9+
36,790
BlackBerry Leap
20,088
Microsoft Lumia 640 XL
15,499
JUST DIDN’T WORK
These two phones did not live up to expectations. The HTC One M9+ has a good design and efficient camera, but its performance doesn’t match that of the G4, Galaxy S6 or even the Moto Turbo.
The Sony Xperia E4 Dual’s specifications are inferior to even some lower priced phones.
HTC One M9+
44,999
Sony Xperia E4 Dual
12,190
*Prices may vary.
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