[promo title=”Samsung Galaxy Note 3″][/promo]
The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is far from being released, so the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 remains one of the leading names in the phablet segment. If size matters to you, and you want a large phone with a great display, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is the obvious choice. AT&T offers the phone’s 32 GB version for $699.99 at the moment, so it’s certainly not a cheap solution, but hey, it’s aiming for the high-end of the market after all.
The Note 3 brings top of the line hardware (blazing-fast CPU and 3 GB of RAM), along with a lavish, humongous 5.7 inch, Super AMOLED display that runs at Full HD resolutions and is a complete beauty to look at. It also takes great pictures, and has a solid battery life thanks to its 3200 mAh battery. The only drawbacks would be the plastic finish and the hefty price, but if you like them huge and fast, you’re likely to be used to steep prices already.
[promo title=”OnePlus One”][/promo]
This is probably the least-known phone in our list, but it’s also the cheapest. It’s hard to come by, but if you order one from the manufacturer directly, it will cost you $300. Must be crappy then, right? Wrong! It’s better than the Nexus 5 in many aspects. It’s better than a lot of phones that cost twice as much. It’s just not enjoying that high level of marketing in Western countries yet. But this phone, albeit an underdog, is extremely, and we underline EXTREMELY, good!
It has a 801 Snapdragon CPU (2.5 GHz Quad-Core), a tweakable but great Android OS, a surprisingly good build quality (it makes the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 or S5 look like a cheap plastic toy in comparison), a wide range of visual customizations, and much, much more. It also has a great 13 MP camera. The downside is that you can’t get microSD support and that the battery is non-removable, but the former problem can be solved by opting for the 64 GB version that costs only $350. No, you can’t beat the OnePlus One in terms of value and price, you simply can’t.
There’s a catch however (isn’t there always one?) – the OnePlus One cannot be purchased from regular US carriers. You have to order one from the company that makes the phone, and currently, that’s only doable through invitations from the company itself or from friends who already own that. It’s hard to get one, that’s what we’re saying. But if you do manage to get your hands on the OnePlus One, you’ll be more than satisfied. There’s no phone that offers so much for so little.
[promo title=”Conclusions”][/promo]
As you can see, there are loads of deals for any pocket and preference. These phones are all good buys, and are going to keep you satisfied for a long time to come. Granted, there are more phones coming out this year (we’re particularly interested in the LG G3, the Note 4 and the Moto X+1 at this point), but for now, these are some of the best phones you can possibly buy without spending an arm and a leg.
What Android smartphones would you recommend, and why? Leave us your thoughts in the comment section below!