Under Construction
2016
Model | Price1 | Rank/Score | Screen | Rear Camera(s) |
TR | CR | BB | ZD | Size | Resolution |
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge | $750 |
1 |
79 |
4.7 | 9.8 | 5.5" | 1440 x 2560 | 12MP | |
Samsung Galaxy S7 | $650 |
2 |
80 |
- | 9.8 | 5.1" | 1440 x 2560 | 12MP | |
Galaxy Note 7 | $700 |
4 |
|
- | _ | 5.7" | 1440 x 2560 | 12MP | F/1.7 |
iPhone 6S | $650 |
7* |
77 |
- | 95 | 4.7" | 1334 x 750 | 12MP | |
iPhone 6S Plus | $750 |
5 |
73 |
4.8 | 9.5 | 5.5" | 1920 x 1080 | 12MP | f/2.2 |
iPhone 7 | $650 |
|
|
- | _ | 4.7" | 1334 x 750 | 12MP | |
iPhone 7 Plus | $770 |
|
|
- | _ | 5.5" | 1920 x 1080 | 12MP | f/1.8, f/2.8 |
Sony Xperia Z5 | |
6* |
|
- | _ | 5.2" | 1920 x 1080 | 23MP | |
Moto Z | $520 |
6 |
|
- | _ | 5.5" | 1440 x 2560 | 13MP | |
ZTE Axon 7 | $520 |
7 |
|
- | _ | 5.5" | 1440 x 2560 | 20MP | |
HTC 10 | $625 |
8 |
77 |
- | _ | 5.2" | 1440 x 2560 | 12MP | |
ONEPLUS 3 | |
9 |
|
- | _ | 5.5" | 1080 x 1920 | 16MP | |
LG G5 | $525 |
10 |
78 |
4.6 | 8.6 | 5.3" | 2560 x 1440 | 16MP | |
Nexus 6P | $500 |
9* |
73 |
- | _ | 5.7" | 2560 x 1440 | 12.3MP | |
Sony Xperia Z5 Compact | |
10* |
|
- | _ | 4.6" | 720 x 1280 | 23MP | |
Galaxy Note5 * | $700 |
|
75 |
- | _ | 5.7" | 1440 x 2560 | 15.9MP | |
1. Price off-contract. Instead of a discounted price up front when you sign up for a 2 year contract, many carriers (Verizon, AT&T, ...) now bill you monthly.
- Best phone 2016: the 10 top smartphones we've tested: | TechRadar
CR - Consumer Reports
* Previous 2016 rank
See Samsung Galaxy Note 7 review: The sexiest large-screen phone ever - CNET
See 2016 Verizon smart phone comparison
2015
Model | Memory | $ w/ contr. | Rating | OS | Size | Screen | Cam- era | Video | NFC5 | Phone | Processor |
Integ- rated | Mem slot1 | CR2 | PC Mag | sz | Resol. | Tech | bands5 | type | speed |
iPhone 5c | 8 | n | free | 73 | 4 | iOS 9 | 4.9x2.3 | 4 | 1136x640 | 8MP | 720p | | | 6 | A6 | |
iPhone 5S | 16 or 32 | n | $100, $150 | 73 | 4.5 | iOS 9 | 4.9x2.3 | 4 | 1136x640 | 8MP | 720p | | GSM,CDMA,LTE | 7 | A7 | 1.3 GHz |
iPhone 6 | 16, 64 or 128 | n | $200 - $400 | 77 | 4.5 | iOS 9 | 5.4x2.6 | 4.7 | 1344x750 | 8MP | 720p | y | GSM,CDMA,LTE | 7 | A8 | 1.4 GHz |
iPhone 6 Plus | 16, 64 or 128 | n | $300 - $500 | 73 | 4 | iOS 9 | 6.2x3.1 | 5.5 | 1920x1080 | 8MP | 720p | y | GSM,CDMA,LTE | 7 | A8 | 1.4 GHz |
iPhone 6s Plus | 16, 64 or 128 | n | $300, | | | iOS 9 | 6.2x3.1 | 5.5 | 1920x1080 | 12MP | 720p | y | GSM,CDMA,LTE | 7 | A8 | 1.4 GHz |
Samsung Galaxy S5 | 16, 32 | y | | 79 | 4.5 | Android 4.4 | 5.6x2.8x.32 | 5.1 | 1920x1080 | 16 MP | 1080p,4K | y | GSM,CDMA,LTE | | Quad 801 | 2.5 GHz |
Samsung Galaxy S6 | 64, 128 | n | $300, $400 | 77 | 4.5 | Android 5.0 | 5.6x2.8x0.27 | 5.1 | 2560x1440 | 16 MP | 1080p,4K | y | GSM,CDMA,LTE | 8 | Octa 7420 | 1.5 GHz |
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge | 64, 128 | | | 77 | 4 | Android 5.0 | 5.6x2.8x0.27 | 5.1 | 2560x1440 | 16 MP | 1080p,4K | y | GSM,CDMA,LTE | | Octa 7420 | 1.5 GHz |
Samsung Galaxy Note 4 | | y | | 75 | 4.5 | Android 4.4 | 6.0x3.1x0.33 | 5.7 | 2560x1440 | 16 MP | 1080p,4K | y | | | Quad 805 | 2.7 GHz |
Samsung Galaxy S7 | | | | | | Android 5.0 | 5.6x2.7x0.31 | 5.1 | 1440x2560 | 12 MP | | y | | | | |
LG G3 | | y | $100 | 78 | 4.5 | Android 4.4 | 5.8x2.9x0.35 | 5.5 | 2560x1440 | 16 MP | 1080p | y | GSM,CDMA,LTE | 4 | Quad 801 | 2.5 GHz |
LG G4 | | y | | | 3.5 | Android 5.0 | 5.9x3x0.39 | 5.5 | 2560x1440 | 16 MP | 1080p | y | GSM,CDMA,LTE | | Quad 810 | 1.4 GHz |
HTC One M9 | 32 | y | $200 | 76 | 4.1 | Android 5.0 | 5.7x2.7x0.37 | 5 | 1920x1080 | 20 MP | 4K | y | | | | |
1. A microSD slot to expand Memory
2. CR - Smartphone Ratings | Consumer Reports
Cell Phone Reviews | Cell Phones Review | PCMag.com
Apple - iPhone - Compare Models
Phones - CNET
4. Note: Apple lists video recording a 720p while PC Mag says it is 1080p
5. NFC - Near Field Communication - Allows Apple Pay (iPhone only) or Google Wallet (Android only)
6. Multiple bands let you use your phone overseas.
2012 resolutions
e I was not mobile-friendly.
iPhone 5 [1136x640]
Samsung galaxy S3 [1280x720])
GSM Bands - frequency MHz
Most common (see links below for a list by country)
US - 850, 1700, 1900
Canada - 700, 1700, 1900, 2600
Puerto Rico - 700, 1700
Latin America - 700, 1700, 1800, 2600
Caribean - 700, 1700 1800, 1900
Africa - 800, 1800, 2600
Australia, New Zealand 700, 1800
Asia - 1800, 1900, 2300, 2500, 2600
Japan - 700, 900, 1500, 2100
Middle East - 800, 1800, 2600
Europe - 800, 1800, 2600
Quad-band phones - 850, 1900, 900, 1800
iPhone 6- 700, 850, 900, 1700, 1800, 1900, 2100, 2600
Samsung Galaxy S6 - 700, 800, 850, 900, 1700, 1900, 2100, 2600
Cellular frequencies - Wikipedia
List of LTE networks - Wikipedia
GSM World Coverage Map- GSM Country List by frequency bands | worldtimezone.com
Samsung Galaxy Note 5 vs iPhone 6s Plus | ZDNet
Some comments. See above link for more.
The LG G4, Samsung Galaxy Note 5 (S6, S6 Edge, S6 Edge+ too), and iPhone 6s/6s Plus have cameras that will please everyone. Various testing results from a number of websites have shown that the cameras all perform about the same. The advantage of the Android devices is that serious camera enthusiasts get RAW file support. It's a joy to know that the Android platform has finally caught up with the iPhone in terms of camera performance.
The S Pen functionality is the key differentiator for the Note 5 and while I did not use it too much in the past, the fact that I can pop out the S Pen and take a quick note on the go with the display off has justified my Note 5 purchase. I work in an environment where voice notes disrupt other engineers so writing quick notes with the S Pen is a major bonus.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 has a higher resolution display, fast processor, S Pen technology, ample fast RAM, fantastic camera, enhanced mobile payment technology, amazing design, and more so if I was to purchase just a single device there is no justifiable reason I wouldn't choose the Note 5.
Memory:
16GB basic some music and pictures
64GB Average user - thousands of songs, lots of apps, a decent amount of photos and video
128 GB Hardcore 15,000 songs, 200 pictures/day, 10 movies
Phones - CNET
2012
U.S. Operating System market share Aug. 2012
Android 53% (Samsung, HTC, Motorola and others)
iOS 34% (Apple)
Blackberry 8% (RIM)
Microsoft 3.6%
Symbian 0.8
U.S. Market Share by manufacturer
Samsung 30.6% (Galaxy, ...)
Apple 18.7% (iPhone)
Nokia 4.9%
RIM 4.5% (Blackberry)
HTC 3.2%
Motorola 1.7
2011
Most popular Smartphones:
Blackberry - Most installed base
iPhone - Top model in sales
Android - Top OS in sales
Verizon Smart phones
Verizon | Cost2 | kbd | Bro | screen | score3 | WiFi hs | Cam Mp | OS | Notes |
Apple iPhone 4 | $200 | TS | y | 3.5" 640x960 | EC 4.5 | y | 5 | iOS | |
Droid 2 | $200 | Kb | y | 4.3" 480x854 | EC 3.5/8.3 | y | 5 | Android | |
Droid X | $150 | TS | y | 4.3" 480x854 | EC 4.5 | y | 8 | Android | |
HTC Thunderbolt 4G | $250 | TS | y | 4.3 480x800 | EC 4 | y | 8 | Android | 4G |
Samsung Continuum Galaxy | $50 | TS | y | 3.4" 480x800 | 4 | y | 5 | Android 2.1 | |
BlackBerry Bold | $100 | Kb | n | 2.45 320x240 | 4/7.7 | n | 3.2 | BB | SIM card with GSM for europe |
BlackBderry Curve | free | Kb | n | 2.5 320x240 | | | | BB | |
BlackBerry Storm2 | $200 | TS | n | 3.25 480x360 | 3 | n | 3.2 | BB | |
All have data plans for e-mail, bluetooth and color displays.
Kbd - Keyboard - TS-Touch Screen, Kb - Tactile keyboard on the front (Blackberry) or pull out.
Bro - Web Browser
2. Cost with 2 yr contract
3. score PC Mag/cnet EC-Editors Choice
WiFi hs - Hotspot allows 5 or more WiFi devices to connect thru the phones 3G link
The name "Droid" (™ Lucas films) was licensed by Verizon. There is no difference in Droid phones from Verizon and Android (™ of Google) phones.
Smart Phones 2009
CR = Consumer Reports
CNet review (EC=Editors Choice):
14% of mobile phones sold in 2008 were smartphones.
Cell Phones | Ver- izon | T-Mobile | Cin- gular | Blue- tooth | Other | Camera | Data | Screen | ZDNet rating |
LG VX8000 | X | | | | | 1.3 M | EV-DO | 176x220 |
LG VX9800 | X | | | | | 1.3 M | EV-DO | 320x256 |
Samsung_SCH-i730 | x | | | x | WiFi | 1.3 M | EV-DO | 240x320 |
Samsung SCH-a790 | | | | | | 0.3 M | | 176x220 |
Samsung ZX20 | | | | x | | 1.3 M | HSDPA | 176x220 |
Mot RAZR V3 | | x | | X | | 0.3 M | GPRS | 176x220 | 7.0 |
Mot V330/360 | | x | | X | | 0.3 M | GPRS, EDGE 4 | 176x220 | 7.0 |
BlackBerry 7105t | | x | | X | | | | 240x260 |
Nokia N90 | | x | x | x | | 2M | y | |
Nokia 8801 | | x | x | x | | 0.5M | GPRS, EDGE | 208x208 |
Samsung SGH p735 | | x | | | | 1.3 M | | |
Samsung SGH-T809 | | | | 2 | | 1.2 M | GPRS, EDGE 10 | 320x240 |
Nokia 6230 | | | x | x | | | | |
Samsung SCH-a650 | X | | | | | | | |
Sony-Ericsson K700i | | x | | x | FM | y | GPRS | 176x220 | 7.6 |
BlackBerry 6230 | | | | | | | | 160x100 mono |
BlackBerry 7100 | | | | x | | | GPRS | 240x260 color |
BlackBerry 7250 | | | | x | | | CDMA 2000 | 240x160 color |
BlackBerry 7290 | | | | x | | | GPRS | 240x160 color |
BlackBerry 8700c | | | | x | | | EDGE, GPRS | 320x240 |
Upgrades:
Upgrading your phone thru a dealer gives you a good discount on a new phone $70-100 for a $300-400 phone, but requires you to sign a new 1-2 year contract with your provider.
Another option is to get a used phone on ebay.
With a GSM phone (AT&T or T-Mobile) you can just replace the SIM card with the one from your old phone (It can be from a different manufacturer). You have to stick to a phone from the same carrier (AT&T or T-Mobile) unless you get a unlocked phone which will work with either.
In 2009 I got a 3 1/2 year old Blackberry 8700 (2.5G) phone for $44. The same unlocked phone would cost about twice as much.
You can use pre-paid SIM with you and pop it into your phone in case there was ever a time when you wanted to have phone service but not be reachable by your usual number.
The easiest way to make sure everyone is compatible is to call the wireless provider with the phone's electronic serial number (ESN).
It is on the back of the phone (maybe behind the battery).
CDMA phones (Verizon, Sprint) in the US do NOT have a similar capability.
CDMA phones in China and S. Korea use a R-UIM card which does have this capability and is compatible with SIM cards.
Terms:
See Mobile Phone Technologies
See Also:
Mobile Phone Technologies
Mobile Phone Accessories
Smart phone and tablet apps
Mobile Phone Services
Blackberry
iPhone 6 vs Samsung Galaxy S5: Do you go Apple or Android?, Oct., 2015
Mobiledia.com
MobileTechReview.com
ZDNet
Cell phone buying guide at Cnet
Mobile Phone Service Providers
Ringtones
Mac iSync: Supported mobile phones
iSync doesn't work with Blackberry's. Try:
- BlackBerry Desktop Manager (Sept. 2009) www.blackberry.com/mac
- Information Appliance Associates' PocketMac for BlackBerry 4.0
PocketMac for BlackBerry works very much like Apple's iSync
- According to butterscotch.com Missing Sync is a better option but has a cost associated with it.
AT&T phones with QWERTY Keyboards
Sony Ericsson Software
Return to products
last updated 24 Aug 2016
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