2014 went down as the year that smartphones got bigger. There were phablets around before, thanks to Samsung (SSNLF) and its Galaxy Note line, but in 2014 virtually every smartphone you can name got super-sized.
Even long-time holdout Apple (AAPL) finally joined the party, boosting the display size on the iPhone 6 (arguably the best smartphone of 2014) and releasing a genuine phablet of its own in the iPhone 6 Plus.
The big display size growth spurt is dying down — after all, smartphones can only get so big — so what’s on tap for 2015? What smartphones are going to be making headlines this year?
Details for most releases are thin at this point, but the rumor mills are in high gear, spy shots are making the rounds, and there are some educated guesses about what certain manufacturers have up their sleeves.
We’ve put together a list of what are shaping up top be five of the best smartphones for 2015.
The Best Smartphones We’re Looking Forward to in 2015: Apple iPhone 6s
It has been four months since the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus set new launch records, and Apple has just now caught up with demand.
Based on historical precedent, it seems certain that 2015 will see the release of the iPhone 6s (and 6s Plus). Apple is in the habit of doing major new releases (new model numbers) every other year, with an improved “s” version in between.
Don’t expect the iPhone 6s to look much different from the iPhone 6, but it is still likely to be a contender for best smartphone of 2015.
The most likely upgrades at this point are a new A9 processor and an improved camera. Forbes thinks we could be looking at a dual-lens system with optical zoom, a feature that would help solidify the iPhone’s reputation as having one of the best smartphone cameras available.
The Best Smartphones We’re Looking Forward to in 2015: HTC One M9
The Samsung Galaxy S line may be the best selling Android smartphones, but HTC’s One series has the best look.
The HTC One M8 rivalled the iPhone 6 when it came to beautifully designed smartphones in 2014 and it was a solid performer to boot (read our review here).
Rumors are flying about the follow-up HTC flagship smartphone, known by the code name “HTC Hima.”
It may join the phablet club, expanding to a 5.5-inch display with Quad HD resolution. Naturally, it will run Android 5.0 (Lollipop). A Qualcomm (QCOM) Snapdragon 805 or even 810 CPU is reportedly on tap. HTC has a history of audio partnerships (including with Apple’s Beats Audio) and there is speculation the HTC One M9 may offer Bose sound this time around.
Finally, the future of HTC’s UltraPixel approach to cameras seems in doubt and the HTC One M9 may adopt a more conventional 16MP shooter.
We should get confirmation of details some time in March, when HTC’s flagship smartphone usually makes its debut.
The Best Smartphones We’re Looking Forward to in 2015: Samsung Galaxy 6S
The Galaxy S6 is one of the most important product launches of 2015.
Samsung didn’t sell as many Galaxy S5s as it expected last year, and the company’s mobile profits are under pressure. The Galaxy S6 has to be the best smartphone possible if Samsung is going to halt the slide.
After enduring frequent complaints about cheap looking plastic, Samsung began to experiment late last year with metal-framed devices like the Galaxy Alpha (pictured at right).
Expect the Galaxy S6 to incorporate some of that metal for a more premium look to compete against flagship smartphone rivals. The display seems likely to remain in the 5.1-inch size range, but will likely go from Full HD to QHD resolution.
There is also speculation Samsung may tone down its TouchWiz UI, after complaints that previous Galaxy S versions were confusing to use and with TouchWiz detracting from the Android user experience.
The Best Smartphones We’re Looking Forward to in 2015: Google Project Ara
Remember Google’s (GOOG,GOOGL) Project Ara?
In 2014, the concept of a modular smartphone that let users upgrade components instead of having to replace the entire device was exciting, but still in the future.
Google is planning to begin shipping the modular smartphones — with the basic frame costing as little as $50 — later this year. There are going to be bugs to be ironed out and the number of modules available will be limited at launch, but the future is here.
Being the first commercially available modular mobile device is going to make Project Ara the most interesting smartphone release in recent memory and it could well end up being one of the best smartphones of 2015.
The Best Smartphones We’re Looking Forward to in 2015: LG G Flex 2
Finally, a new smartphone that we’ve actually seen — LG was showing off the G Flex 2 at CES 2015.
The re-vamped LG G Flex 2 has the same innovative, flexible curved frame that last year’s original did, along with the same self-healing back that makes scratches disappear.
This year, LG has tweaked the design, making the display smaller (at 5.5-inches, it’s still plenty big), boosting resolution to Full HD and boosting performance with the powerful Snapdragon S10 processor.
Better yet, LG has dropped the launch price of the device from the $900 range of the original to be more in line with the $650 other manufacturers charge for their flagship models.
The original G Flex was interesting but expensive for its lackluster specs. The G Flex 2 is a much more appealing device that’s on track to be one of the best smartphones of 2015.
Unlike our other entries, you can already pre-order this one.
As of this writing, Robert Martin did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.
