Best Android Phones [July 2014]

Phandroid

Best Android Phones [July 2014]

As July opens with few new handset releases or announcements, our monthly ranking of the best Android smartphones available begins to settle into its groove. While no new devices enter our top 5 from last month, there continues to be some slight shifts. This month that’s in no small part thanks to Google I/O and the announcement of Android L. Read on for our top picks.

Previously: June | May | April | March | February

5. Sony Xperia Z2

A potential Verizon release for the Xperia Z2 had us feeling hopeful about this handset, which offers a truly beautiful combination of hardware performance and device design. Unfortunately it seems by the time the handset sees a proper US release (if it ever happens), the Z2 will be an afterthought. In other regions, however, Android users have been privy to Sony’s latest flagship for some time. Regardless, this stylish handset has us hopeful for the future of Sony’s Android lineup.

4. Nexus 5

Just when we were ready to drop the Nexus 5 from our list, the handset gains some ground following last month’s Google I/O. The lack of a new Nexus handset announcement helps, but it’s the Android L developer preview that breaths a bit of life into the aging Nexus 5. Having said that, the Android L preview is just that — a preview. Still, it gives a glimpse of what to expect a few months down the road when the N5 will surely be among the first devices to receive a more polished build of the latest Android platform version, which includes a visual overhaul dubbed Material Design and plenty more. And that’s the true beauty of the Nexus 5. Despite specs that are starting to look a bit subpar in comparison to some of the other devices on our list, direct software support from Google will surely keep the handset relevant for quite some time.

3. Samsung Galaxy S5

Samsung’s recently announced Galaxy S5 LTE-A didn’t do much to improve the standard Galaxy S5’s stock. The LTE-A edition was everything we hoped for originally, only a few months late. The good news is we can’t beat ourselves up too bad about it. The more powerful edition of the Galaxy S5 remains exclusive to Korea, meaning the majority of the world only has access to the handset that launched earlier this spring. That phone features a brilliant Super AMOLED display and enhancements that include a fingerprint scanner and heart rate monitor all wrapped in a hardware and software package that is — for better or worse — quintessentially Samsung.

2. HTC One M8

HTC’s decision to release the One M8 ahead of competing flagships from Samsung and LG may have backfired slightly as the buzz pertaining to these new device launches has over the ensuing months drowned out much of the praise initially heaped on the phone. We still continue to champion the device as one of the best Android handsets out there with its savvy hardware design and smart software implementation. The One M8 doesn’t come with as many bells and whistles as the Galaxy S5 or LG G3, but its straightforward approach is one of the device’s best assets.

1. LG G3

While it still won’t be officially available worldwide for a few more weeks, the Korean edition of the device reviewed by Phandroid earlier this month told us all that we needed to know. The LG G3 is hands-down the Android phone to beat. While focusing on simplicity, LG put its efforts into improving core aspects of the smartphone experience. The result is a device that includes a Quad HD display, powerful processing, strong battery life, and a camera with laser-powered autofocus. Put this in a totally sleek package with an innovative hardware button arrangement and we have a winner.

Honorable Mentions

Variety is the spice of life, they say, so why limit our options to five phones? To help you be the most informed smartphone buyer you can be, here are five more currently available handsets that just barely missed a spot among the best Android phones out there.

1. OnePlus One — Still not the most readily available device, OnePlus has been slowly making up for a lack of initial availability that generated plenty of negative press for an otherwise great phone at an affordable price.


2. Oppo Find 7a — While Oppo isn’t a household name their Find 7a certainly stacks up against the mainstream competition. $499 for an unlocked model is nothing to shake a stick at either.


3. Samsung Galaxy Note 3 — As far as phablets go, the Galaxy Note 3 remains the device to beat. Stylus input offers a truly unique Android experience.


4. Moto X — If you want a device to express your personal style the Moto X is one of the first devices to consider. Customizable design options add an individual touch to this reasonably-priced midrange phone.


5. Huawei Ascend Mate 2 — Huawei wants to makes a splash in the US with the Ascend Mate 2, and while we found plenty of room for improvement, the Ascend Mate 2’s $299 price tag makes this phablet worth consideration.

Phones to look forward to

With the first half of the year now in the rear view mirror prepare for some big handset launches to closeout 2014. It all starts this month with the launch of a few interesting, if not all that powerful in terms of hardware, Android smartphones.

Amazon Fire Phone

Amazon’s long-rumored Android smartphone was finally announced last month and will ship out toward the end of July. The Fire Phone is far from a traditional Android device with Amazon’s custom Fire OS, but it will have no problems running the apps and games we love. Beyond that, the Fire Phone offers several unique features including Firefly for indetifying merchandise, music, movies, and more as well as Dynamic Perspective, which bring a whole new means of interacting with information on your smartphone display. Add in deep integration with Amazon’s digital content libraries as well as hardware compatibility with Fire TV and the retailer’s line of Kind Fire tablets and the result is a device that could seriously shakeup the smartphone landscape.

Nokia X2

Similar to the Fire Phone, the recently announced Nokia X2, an upgrade from the Nokia X announced earlier this year, offers its own twist on the Android platform. While users can expect an experience that rests somewhere between Google’s vision for their smartphone platform and Nokia’s Windows Phone offerings, it’s hard to argue with the  €99 price tag associated with the device. The Nokia X2 will go on sale later this month.

Rumor Mill

What’s on the horizon for the rest of the year and beyond? The rumor mill is always spinning, and the buzz is especially fervent around followups to a few phones that have appeared on our list in previous months. In Hollywood the sequel is hardly ever as good as the original. Will the same hold true for these smartphones?

Moto X+1

For the past several months rumors have suggested Motorola could be announcing its Moto X followup at any moment. July has arrived and nary an official word about the Moto X+1 has been uttered. We do, however, continue to see leak after leak revealing more of what to expect from the phone when it does launch. It looks to be a major upgrade over the X with a 5.2-inch display, Snapdragon 800 processor, 12MP camera, and more.

Sony Xperia Z3

While we still await the release of the Xperia Z2 in the US, the first signs of the phone’s followup have surfaced. A front display panel alleged to be from the Sony Xperia Z3 leaked last month, though we know little about the device (though its design doesn’t seem to be a huge leap from the Z2). If Sony follows its normal scrip, we might not get an official unveiling until CES 2015.

Samsung Galaxy Note 4

With summer officially underway we can begin counting down the days until fall, the time of the year Samsung typically likes to show off its latest upgrades to the Galaxy Note handset line. While we still await more info to form a clearer picture of what to expect, rumors currently indicate that Samsung could be crafting a redesigned Note 4 that will feature a few drastic departures from previous entires in the series.

Amazon Best Sellers

We don’t have room on our list for every smartphone out there, and while we tend to focus on the latest and greatest there are still plenty of older Android options that come with the benefit of reduced pricing. We’ve parsed down Amazon’s Best Sellers list to include only phones that haven’t already appeared in our rankings. Here is what that left us with.

1. Samsung Galaxy S4


2. LG G2


3. Samsung Galaxy Mega


4. HTC One M7


5. Motorola Droid MAXX


6. HTC One Max


7. Samsung Galaxy S3


8. Samsung Galaxy S4 Active


9. Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX


10. Samsung Galaxy S5 Active

What say you?

Here at Phandroid we like to think we know a thing or two about Android smartphones, but opinions will always differ. Not much changed in our rankings from June to July, but was more of a shakeup in order? What do you have for your best Android smartphones? Let us know in the comments below.

more info...

20 Best Android games from June 2014

June is officially over, which means it’s time to take a look back at what goodies it brought. The summer months are usually a hot time for new games. June was no exception. We saw a bunch of awesome new games launch last month. If you were busy swimming and grilling you probably missed a few. We have a list of the best 20 games to launch in June. Download a few of these to pass time while you’re traveling on vacation or when the AC goes out. Previous months: March, April, May

Angry Birds Epic

Rovio’s latest game starring the enraged fowl is a fantasy RPG. In Angry Birds Epic players take a team of birds into battle against the pigs. Each member of the team gets a turn to attack. Characters can level up with armor and weapons as they progress. If you’ve ever played a turn-based game you will feel right at home.

Blek

Blek is a puzzle game, but unlike anything you’ve ever played before. Players will have to draw lines through colored dots, while avoiding black dots. Lines drawn will be replayed, and repeated, to solve puzzles. Although seemingly easy at first, things really start heating up just as you’re getting into the swing of things.

Boom Beach

Boom Beach is a tower defense/attack strategy game where you fight an epic war against the evil Blackguard. You command troops to storm the beach of a fictional archipelago. The real fun, however, is in the online multiplayer. In this mode you build your own base and attack other players from around the world.

Castle of Illusion

This game may star Disney’s famous mouse, but don’t be fooled into thinking it’s for kids. Castle of Illusion first arrived as a great platformer in the 16-bit era. This month it made the leap to Android. When the evil witch Mizrabel kidnaps Minnie, it’s up to Mickey to brave the dangers of the Castle of Illusions to rescue Minnie. The game costs $10, but you won’t ever be bugged with that “freemium” nonsense.

CYBERGON

CYBERGON is a simple game with awesome graphics. You control a floating blue triangle on a Tron-like Grid map. The goal is to run your blue triangle into shapes of the same color. If you hit a different color you explode and the game is over. It’s a little like Snake, but you don’t grow, and the walls aren’t the only thing that kills you.

Dragon Finga

Dragon Finga is an awesome combination of marionette puppets and kung-fu fighting. You control multiple points of the character by frantically tapping all over the screen. For the more seasoned fighter there are combos and power-ups that can make your attacks even more effective. We love the look and feel of this game, but the typical “freemium” patterns hold it back.

Fluid SE

The best way to describe Fluid SE is Pac-Man crossed with a racing game. Your job is to zip around a track and collect dots while avoiding ghosts. Plan your path perfectly so you hit speed boosts and prevent wasted time while backtracking. The graphics are really cool, and we love the unique take on a racing game. Pac-Man would be proud.

Great Little War Game 2

Great Little War Game was a hit on Android, so naturally the developers created a sequel. This is another turn-based combat game with a few new features. There is now splash damage from attacks, and the game can be played on portrait mode. The graphics also got fine tuned, but for the most part this is the same great little war game you enjoyed in the past.

Hitman Go

“Hitman” may be in the title, but this game is nothing like the Hitman you’re expecting. Hitman Go is a board game-style puzzle game. Your job is to sneak around mansions, gardens, and more without alerting the guards or getting caught. Like most puzzle games there are optional objectives along the way. If you like stealth and puzzles this is the perfect game.

Monsters Ate My Birthday Cake

Monsters really love cake. In this game your goal is to retrieve Niko’s birthday cake. To do this you have to find your way through top-down puzzles. Along the way you will gain powers from friendly monsters to help you on your journey through Gogapoe Island. It’s cute, fun, and involves monsters and cake. What’s not to love?

Qvadriga

Most racing games these days feature motorized vehicles. Those games are great, but what if we went back in time to before cars? Qvadriga is a unique racing game that uses the dangerous chariots of old. This was when you could actually be killed in a race. Qvadriga is great because there is a ton of strategy involved. It’s not just about who goes the fastest.

Spy vs Spy

Spy vs Spy is an old game from the Atari starring characters from MAD Magazine. Since then it has been remade for countless modern consoles, and now Android. You play as either Spy or Spy (don’t worry it makes sense) and search an embassy for five specific items. The twist is that the other Spy is also searching for the same items. You can either find them all first, or kill the other Spy. Oh, and he is trying to kill you, too.

Super Gravitron

Super Gravitron was originally a mini game at the end of VVVVVV. The goal is to simply avoid flying blocks for as long as you can. That’s it. The game is so fun that the developer released it as its own game.

Superstar Soccer

Cartoon Network has pumped out some great Android games. Superstar Soccer is their newest addition to the lineup. In this game you can soccer as characters from many Cartoon Network shows, such as Finn, Gumball, Ben 10, and many more. It’s a simple soccer game with power-ups and multiplayer fun.

The World Ends With You

The World Ends With You debuted on the Nintendo DS back in 2008. Since then, the game has gotten a facelift courtesy of flashy new HD befitting of our modern mobile devices. It’s a classic RPG with an awesome retro anime art style. The game is a big pricey at $18, but if you’re looking for a great RPG on Android this is the one.

Topia World Builder

On the 8th day the lord said “let there be touchscreens,” and it was good. Topia World Builder is a sandbox game that lets you play god. You can create worlds with all the animals and plants you choose. There is really no other objective than to have fun creating a world. Get creative and start building the perfect place.

VVVVVV

VVVVVV is a 2D puzzle platformer. You control Captain Viridian, who is lost in an alternate dimension in search of missing members of his crew. Instead of jumping you are able to control the direction of gravity. This allows you to flip between floors and ceilings to get around the levels. The level of difficulty in this game is very high.

Walking Dead: Season 2

The uber popular Walking Dead games from Telltale are starting to trickle into the Play Store. This month we got Season 2 of the successful series. This game follows the same idea as the first season. Your choices determine the outcome of the game. It’s fun, scary, heart wrenching, and gory. Fans of the comic and TV show will love it.

Wave Wave

Wave Wave is a puzzle game that seems to have been made to give people seizures. It has crazy music, brightly colored geometric shapes, rotating levels, and is just generally pure insanity. Which is exactly why it’s so fun. The goal is to simply keep your line on the path without hitting obstacles. As you can see in the GIF, it’s anything but easy.

Wordbase

Wordbase is a unique take on word games. The goal is to make it to your opponents base by creating words. Think of it like a word search, except every word has to be connected somehow. The first person to connect enough words to reach the other side wins. You can use words to block your opponent, and get power-ups to give yourself an even bigger advantage. It’s a lot of fun. Previous months: March, April, May Did we miss any other great games from June? Which game is your favorite from this list? Let us know below!

more info...