Best top 10 Android phones 2014

1. Samsung Galaxy S5:

 

 

While many were expecting a major change for this year's flagship Galaxy S model, Samsung has instead played it safe, keeping a very similar design to the S4. The S5 does thankfully replace that slimy back with a new fabric like design. The display has been upped to 5.1 inches and it packs a 1080p, full HD resolution, while it's all powered by 2GB RAM and a 2.5GHz quad-core processor. Your photos will be taken care of thanks to a 16 meg snapper on the back, which now has a few more tricks up its sleeve - like UHD video recording and a Lytro like depth of field feature. A load of new health benefits are here too, a heart rate monitor on the back for instance. Similar to models that went before, Samsung has overlaid Android (this time Kit Kat 4.4) with its TouchWiz UI, so you'll have to make do with those overly colourful icons.

2. HTC One M8:

 

Here at T3 we were massive fans of the HTC One. It picked up a five star review and numerous gongs at the T3 Gadgets Awards 2013. So it’s safe to say that we’ve been pretty excited about what the Taiwanese company has in store for its 2014 model. Dubbed the HTC One M8, the new device looks pretty similar to the previous model, though it’s a little more curved and slightly larger due to the brand-new 5-inch, 1080p display. Under that aluminium unibody shell is Qualcomm’s 801 processor, clocked at 2.3 GHz and 2GB RAM, plus there’s 16GB storage, though this can be expanded through micro SD up to a whopping 128GB.
One of our favourite new features though is the added depth sensor placed above the 4-ultrapixel camera; this lets you adjust the focal point of your snaps even after you’ve taken them.
Blinkfeed and Sense have both seen upgrades, with a flatter look and more customisability, while a host of gestures are included to make navigation and phone unlocking much easier.

3. LG G3 review:

 

Spec hunter? Then you'll love LG's slick 2014 flagship. An update to the already impressive G2, the G3 ups the game in almost every area, with a Snapdragon 801 processor, 3GB RAM, wireless charging and a large 3,000mAh battery. But it's the, frankly rather large, phablet like 5.5-inch display that steals the show. Boasting a 2K resolution, this screen is amongst the best out there and displays pictures and video in near perfect quality. Another feature we love is the new laser  tech on the 13MP snapper, which speeds up auto-focus and makes capturing shots much quicker.

4. Google Nexus 5:

 

So, it’s finally here, the successor to the bargain Nexus 4, the Nexus 5 ups the specs in almost every area, including a bigger screen, faster processor and, hopefully, a better camera. It’s also the first device running the latest version of Google’s Android OS, 4.4 Kit Kat.
Google has bumped the size up to 5-inches, increasing the ppi to 445 and the resolution to 1920x1080. This full HD, 1080p display puts it right up there with the big boys like the HTC One, Sony Xperia Z1 and Samsung Galaxy S4. Another area, another improvement for the Nexus 5, which now ships with a really quite powerful, top of the line 2.3GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, along with 2GB RAM and is available in both 16GB and 32GB flavours.
The same 8-megapixel snapper is on board, though it now features optical image stabilisation to try and ensure your shots are a tad less blurry.

5. Sony Xperia Z1 Compact:

 

Finally, there's a top tier Android device that doesn't cut a load of corners in order to take it from a 5-inch phone to a 4.3-inch version. This is basically last year's Z1, but in a shrunken down frame and with a 720p display. Under the hood you'll find,a Snapdragon 800 along processor, along with Android 4.3 and that fantastic 20-meg snapper. It's also waterproof, if you fancy taking your phone into the shower.

 

Top 10 phones