Three Phones from 2015 Still Worth Every Penny
Xontech has proven to be a great personal resource when looking at the future of smartphone technology and when I need opinions on current models. I’d highly recommend taking a look at some of their other posts such as this interesting piece on Microsoft’s smartphone market share.
Now that we are well past the holiday season and firmly into 2016, some of the best smartphones from 2015 are starting to get forgotten. Yet when you need to upgrade or replace your smartphone, you can’t wait around for the right day or season.
Fortunately, there are still plenty of options available to you that will satisfy nearly any smartphone whim or need. Last year was a year filled with flagships that still sail at full speed, so don’t get distracted by the incredibly costly and untested options of tomorrow. You want tested value and quality, and these phones have withstood the tests of market opinion and time.
Here are a few favorites to consider:
iPhone 6s
Perhaps this is a little obvious, but the iPhone is the one of the most popular smartphones in the business for a reason. One of the most recent and well-received releases by Apple is the iPhone 6s, which is an update to the also recently released iPhone 6. The two look exactly the same (although the 6s is sturdier), so it comes down to what is under the hood.
What is inside is a quicker iPhone with more room for improvement. The processors on the inside allow you to move faster than any iPhone (and most other smartphones) before it, and the 16GB hard drive is disappointing but acceptable. It has been designed with iOS9 in mind, and it delivers perfectly. All you need to know is that it is a quality Apple product. You can probably make your decision from there.
If you already have a recent iPhone and are happy with it, then you are probably best just waiting another generation or two for an upgrade. Otherwise making the iPhone 6s a top priority is an excellent choice.
Nexus 6P
For those looking for a non-Apple option, the Nexus 6P is an excellent choice. It has some great features, such as a Type-C USB connector for faster changing and a rich screen and camera, that give you an advanced visual experience. It uses Android 6.0 and gets the job done with most of the built-in applications that you could wish for.
The metal body makes this phone look and feel great, and you need to know about the hardware inside. It’s sporting 3GB of RAM and at least a 32GB internal hard drive. Those are strong numbers by any standards, but when combined with a Snapdragon 810 processor, you have an amazing smartphone experience that many professionals said was the best of last year.
The camera isn’t perfect in poor light (but no smartphone camera is), and it might be a bit heavier than some of the competition out there. Yet for the price, there is no smartphone on the market that can beat it. It is a great all-around option for the average user who wants a little extra kick in their smartphone.
BlackBerry Priv
The BlackBerry Priv is not for everyone, but it is the clear choice for its intended market. BlackBerry smartphones have always been targeted towards security conscious professionals, and this one’s no different. BlackBerry has finally acquiesced to using Android, but they’d added some extra security features, such as additional encryption and verification settings so that your work information is safe.
Anyone who is a fan of a standard (read: not a touch screen) keyboard will find immediate satisfaction in this device. It slides out, saving space and allowing for a larger screen on the already large screen. Tiny hands may need to adjust at first. Otherwise the feel of the device is great, with a screen that feels natural to use and a configuration of peripheral slots that is natural to understand.
It is an expensive device at around $700, but if you’ve gotten this far with interest in the device, then you will want to take a look at more details.
Other Considerations
In addition to upgrading your phone, you might also want to consider adding a few other things as well to make the most of your purchase:
- You will want to equip your phone with a Virtual Private Network (VPN) so that you can freely use public networks without the fear of data interception by hackers. A VPN is a service that connects your device to an offsite secure server using an encrypted connection. Without one, an amateur with a sniffer program can sit in a café sipping coffee while saving all your personal information onto a hard drive. It’s easy to find a recommended VPN for your new smartphone, and nearly all of them have an application you can use.
- You will also want to get yourself a case for your smartphone. Unless you get one with a contract with your service provider, your new device will cost several hundred dollars. You should protect that investment. The cost of a case is a small price to pay, and a quick online search is all it takes to find a compatible one.
- You may want to invest in some malware protection and useful apps as well. Apple products are relatively safe, but Android and Windows phones have been frequently targeted by malware in the past. That isn’t going to change.
The above phones certainly aren’t the only ones that you should be looking at. Try to think of them at baselines or starting points for you to go off of as you get yourself an upgrade. Do you have any other thoughts on what some of the best smartphones of the year are? Do you have anything to say about the state of the market or any first-hand experience with the products mentioned? Please leave a comment below and join the conversation.
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