In less than two months we’ll be heading right into 2016. For me, the holidays always seem to go by much more quickly than the rest of the year does, so two months will feel more like 2 weeks to me. This also happens to be the time of year where new smartphone releases are slim to none, and for a lot of people this is the time to reflect on the releases we’ve had over the year and decide whether they want to get a new phone now or hope for something better next year.
And as I reflect over the 2015 line-up of flagships, I realize that this year has been pretty great for us. LG, Samsung, Apple, Motorola, and even Microsoft and BlackBerry have all added a positive impact to this year’s line of smartphones. Among all of the smartphones that have been introduced this year, here are some of my favorite smartphones and features that have influenced the smartphone market in 2015.
BlackBerry Priv
The BlackBerry Priv is more interesting devices to me as of late, and for a couple of reasons. Not only have I been waiting to see a tried and true BlackBerry/Android collaborative effort, but the Priv does a pretty good job at appropriately combining the two. The 5.4-inch display isn't considered too large or too small by today’s standards, and the fact that they were able to add a physical slide-out QWERTY keyboard is an awesome way to keep BlackBerry's traditional design on board.
Given that Android seems to headline in the news as one of the most (if not the most) vulnerable mobile operating systems out there in regards to exploits, bringing BlackBerry’s expertise on security into the mix was a smart idea and helps cover one of Android’s biggest flaws. BlackBerry is even able to bypass carriers in order to deliver Android security fixes to the Priv, which is awesome.
Lastly, it helps to see that BlackBerry put forth more effort into their camera this time around (an area they had never put a focus on previously) and kept the microSD card slot (up to 2TB of additional storage) that many manufacturers are omitting these days. Add that on top of the better-than-average battery life that the Priv touts, the Priv stands to be one of BlackBerry's most memorable devices.
Microsoft Lumia 950 and 950XL
I have a soft spot for the underdog, so I was admittedly pretty happy about the Lumia 950 and 950XL’s announcement earlier this year. Perhaps I was more excited because it’s been a long time since we’ve seen an actual Windows Phone (or Windows 10 Mobile) flagship show up on the market, but I think these phones are still a big step in the right direction for Microsoft.
I’m still not sure how Windows 10 Mobile itself will play out, but between the big update from Windows Phone to Windows 10 Mobile and the return of the beloved Lumia flagships, a small light in Microsoft’s dark corner of the mobile space has been shed – a light that will hopefully shine brighter as we continue to witness the rollout of Windows 10 Mobile over the next month or so.
Apple iPhone 6s and 6s Plus
I’m a little hesitant to put the iPhone 6s on this list, mostly because I’m really quite irritated at the fact that Apple still tries to sell 16GB base model devices. However, the iPhone 6s still had one major feature that I feel will end up influencing the mobile space in many phones in the near future, and that’s 3D Touch.
Apple was among the first (but arguably the most popular) example of revolutionizing the touchscreen by introducing multi-touch display, and while I don’t think 3D display will have nearly the same impact as the original iPhone did on revolutionizing the mobile space, I do think that it will become a standard in smartphones soon, assuming patents don’t get in the way.
LG Nexus 5X and Huawei Nexus 6P
Google’s Nexus line has also made a big splash this year by unveiling not one but two new Nexus devices.
The Nexus 5X is a big deal because it’s a revival of one of the most popular and beloved Nexus phones to date, the original Nexus 5 that was released in 2013. Touted as the “flagship without the flagship price” that year – something that wasn’t as common as it is now – the Nexus 5 had a lot of great qualities for a relatively cheap price tag at $349 full-price, unlocked, and off-contract. The device did seem to have issues with certain features like camera quality and poor battery life, but the Nexus 5X seems to have improved marginally on those issues. However, at $379 you shouldn't expect to get the very best in class, but it seems that LG and Google took those previous issues to heart and at least made the effort to improve upon them.
The Nexus 6P is another good option, especially for those who have a desire for a larger screen, a bigger battery, and more power. A bit more expensive, but still a couple hundred bucks less than you can expect to pay for other flagships on the market. It's also just a bit smaller than last year's 5.9-inch Motorola Nexus 6, which many people felt was too big.
LG V10
The LG V10 is another fairly large smartphone to add to the mix of phablets on the market with its 5.7-inch display, but I have to admit that the features of the V10 make it a tempting buy, even for somebody like me who isn't a big fan of larger devices.
Having a good camera on my smartphone is an important feature for me, and LG's V10 doesn't cut any corners when it comes to its camera. The V10 includes a 16-megapixel rear-facing camera and two 5-megapixel front-facing cameras, and the phone is packed with built-in features to enhance your photos right from your phone, either automatically or manually if you care to have more control over your photo and video editing.
The V10 also includes an always-on secondary display that sits atop the main screen, similar to the idea behind Samsung’s “Edge” display on the side of the Note 4 Edge and Galaxy S6 Edge and edge +.
There’s a lot to be impressed with from mobile this year, but these are my top favorite phones and features that I’ve seen introduced over the past 10 months. Readers, which phones piqued your interest the most in 2015? Which features were your favorite and why? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!