Nexus 6P Review

The Nexus 6P is Google's current flagship Android phablet, but with a 5.7-inch display and cheaper price it won't stretch your hand or your wallet quite as far as its predecessor, the Nexus 6.

Sony Xperia X Review

 DESIGN

The Sony Xperia X looks just like the Xperia Z3+. And the Z3. And the Xperia M5 . And pretty much every phone the company has released in the past five years.

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 Review

 The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 is a large phone that's either a game changer or deal breakerfor longtime fans of the Android phablet, now that it has a premium look and feel.

OnePlus 2 Review

The tricky second album. That's probably the best way to describe the OnePlus 2. After the surprise success of the OnePlus One there were big expectations for its successor, so has the fledgling Chinese brand delivered?

Moto X Style Review

The Motorola Moto X Style arrived as part of a duo earlier this year, with the Moto X Play sliding in below the flagship X Style.

Google Nexus 5X Review

The Nexus 5X is more than just a normal-sized phone at a smaller price, though. Its 12.3MP camera is able to capture quality low-light photos, and the specs are just fast enough for most people.

HTC One M9 Review

The HTC One M9 is a phone built on precision. It's a brand realising it made a pretty much perfect phone with the One M8 and doubling down on its greatest strength to try and win over more customers.

BlackBerry Priv Review

BlackBerry 10 suffered from a severe lack of top-flight applications, and an interface which wasn't quite as intuitive for the general public as the now familiar Android and iOS.

That's all been addressed, with the BlackBerry Priv sporting Google's stock Android platform, and with it access to the app-packed Play Store.

Coupled with a tasty sounding display, some handy BB apps and BlackBerry's legendary keyboard the Priv is finally helping the Canadian firm to make some positive strides in the market. But is it all a little too late again from the firm that was left behind by the original smartphone revolution?

The BlackBerry Priv's 5.4-inch QHD display, Snapdragon 808 processor, 3GB of   RAM, 32GB of internal storage and 18MP rear camera means it stands up against the flagship competition of 2015 – the problem is, it's arriving around six months later.

   With a SIM-free cost of £559 (US$699, around AU$975) the BlackBerry Priv    certainly carries a flagship price tag – and there's another problem here, in that its    rivals have all dropped in price since launch, and thus are cheaper.

   You can pick up a brand new Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, HTC One M9, LG G4,  Nexus 6P or Sony Xperia Z3+ for less than the Priv – and these are some of the  best phones in the world.

   The BlackBerry Priv has its work cut out then, if it's going to convince people to  part with more cash and shun the established names in the Android market.

   In the US that's about to become a little easier as the original AT&T exclusivity  deal is going to come to an end some point at the start of 2016.

   The 'Priv' name stands for Privacy, but on the box it also says Privilege, so things  are a little confusing from the outset. But it's not all bad news, as BlackBerry has  managed to make a surprisingly good handset.

Design

The BlackBerry Priv is a smartphone I've been genuinely excited to see, as it brings something different to the Android market, and I was pretty content when I got it in my hands.

 It's been years since I had a slider phone – I loved my Nokia N95 – and the satisfying sound and action as you pop open and close the BlackBerry Priv will no doubt transport you back to the early noughties, when slider phones were big business.

There's a slight metal ridge towards the bottom of the Priv, between the screen glass and front-facing speaker, enabling you to get your thumb under and push the handset up to reveal the keyboard.

Push the screen two-thirds of the way up the keyboard and the Priv will complete the sliding pop action for you. I found myself idly playing with the slider throughout the day – there's something comforting about flicking the Priv open and closed.

Satisfying slide action aside, the BlackBerry Priv isn't exactly small, and nor is it lightweight. At 147 x 77.2 x 9.4mm the Priv is sizeable in the hand, although not completely dominating.

I was able to hold it one-handed and perform basic tasks, but for intensive periods of writing you'll want to hold on with both mitts, especially when you consider that the Priv tips the scales at 192g.

Flip the phone up to reveal the keyboard and the height extends to 184mm, which feels very top-heavy when you're tapping away on the keys – but more on that in the next section.

BlackBerry has followed in Samsung's footsteps when it comes to the screen, as the Priv sports dual-curved sides just like the Galaxy S6 Edge and Galaxy S6 Edge+. The edges aren't quite as pronounced as Samsung's implementation, but it still generates an eye-catching effect which draws the eye in.

The glass front surrounded by a metal rim, which is raised at the top and bottom to protect the screen when it's face-down, makes the Priv appear suitably premium. Pick it up, though, and the illusion is somewhat shattered.

BlackBerry has clad the back and sides of the Priv in what it calls a tensile weave, which basically means it's not metal or glass, but what feels like plastic.

It's the same finish as found on the Q10 and Z30 , and while it does have a nicer finish than the plastic Samsung used to insist on splashing on its flagships it's certainly no match for the elegance of the iPhone 6S, One M9 or Galaxy S6.

The plus side here is that the material is extremely grippy, and the rounded edges of the BlackBerry Priv means it can be held securely in hand.

 I found the plastic covering to be a little creaky in places too, and applying just a small amount of pressure on the side below the power/lock key generated a squeaking noise from the handset.

That doesn't scream 'high level of craftsmanship', but my review handset was one of the very first Priv handsets off the production line, so hopefully this will be addressed in later batches.

The rear of the Priv is dominated by a sizeable, protruding Schneider-Kreuznach camera sensor, with a dual-LED flash to its side. These, plus the iconic BlackBerry logo, are the only features on the flat rear of the handset.

On top you'll find trays for the nanoSIM and microSD card, while on the base a centralized microUSB port resides next to a headphone jack.

All in all, the BlackBerry Priv is a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to design. I love the slider action and the dual-curved display, but it's let down by a weighty construction and creaky plastic.

Microsoft Lumia 950 Review

Design

The Microsoft Lumia 950 does its best impression of an average Android phone, almost as if it's trying to get you to buy it, take it home and say, "Too late! You're running Windows now." It reminds me a lot of my Nexus 5X in size, color and styling.

It doesn't measure out to be the thinnest or lightest phone of its size, with dimensions of 145 x 73.2 x 8.25mm and a weight of 150g. But it's still a nice fit for one-handed use with a little extra stretch. The boxy design is palm-friendly, and the thicker-than-normal bezel means you'll never accidentally touch the display.

You'll also never mistake this for a "premium" handset, either. The Lumia 950 is enveloped with a one-piece plastic shell that overlaps its Gorilla Glass 3-protected screen.

While the front is in a glossy black, the rear cover comes in matte white or matte black. Gone are the fun, vibrant colors of orange or lime green, as seen from last-generation Windows phones.

Microsoft played it safe with colors, and it did the same with the microSD card slot and removable battery. It has both, while other phone manufacturers (namely Samsung) have axed these key features, much to the chagrin of vocal critics.

The microSD card and battery are easily accessible behind the removable plastic cover, a boon for professional users. Even the expandable storage slot can be accessed without removing the battery (but the same doesn't apply to the the stacked nano SIM card underneath of it).

Powering that 3,000mAh removable battery is a USB-C port on the bottom frame with fast charging capabilities. I still hate carrying around an extra cable, as much as I appreciate the reversible connection. It'll be easier once microUSB is further phased out of devices at the end of 2016.

The top of the Lumia 950 frame has a normal headphone jack, while the right side houses a power button and volume rocker, or more accurately the volume rocker and power button. They're in reverse order from many of today's phones, and that's how Nokia had them.

Sadly, there's no double-tap-to-wake function. In fact, the only way to turn on this phone is to press that tiny power button on the right side.

I was hoping to see a pair of front-facing speakers, but there's one in the back of this phone, right next to the camera. At least the 20-megapixel (MP) camera is flanked by a fancy triple LED flash on its left side, and there's no significant camera bulge, like on the Nexus 5X.

Instead of the speakers I was asking for, I got something else that's long been on my wish list: a dedicated camera button. Truthfully, I've been asking for this for a while, to the point where I have gotten used to – and like – the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 double tap mechanic for launching the camera app, but I'll certainly take this, too.

The words "Microsoft" are above the screen, and there's an on-screen Windows logo acting as the home button on the front. Around back, just off-center is another Windows logo. You'd never know it was a Microsoft phone without these, meaning Microsoft's fitting in just fine with cheap phones made of plastic these days.

Display

Windows 10 Mobile has a dark theme turned on by default, and it really lets the deep blacks and Microsoft's familiar blues shine on this 5.2-inch AMOLED display.

The quad HD resolution at 2,560 x 1,440 doesn't hurt either, packing 564 pixels per inch (ppi) into this 16:9 display. That's sharper than the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus and ties the Galaxy S7, but it doesn't come close to matching Apple and Samsung's brightness levels.

Brightness has become more important for me than resolution ever since we hit 1080p. I'm now more interested in seeing my smartphone in bright sunlight at the beach, not being able to appreciate extra pixels too small to detect with the naked eye. The Lumia 950 does well enough outdoors and has wide enough viewing angles, but it could be brighter at its max.

Apple iPhone 6 Plus Review

As you’d expect, the iPhone 6 Plus’ Full HD display is the centre of attention. Image quality is sumptuous from the off, with brightness soaring high enough to fend off even bright sunlight, and image quality that marries pin-sharp clarity with rock-solid contrast and rich, believable colour reproduction. And at 401ppi, the iPhone 6 Plus has the most densely pixel-packed display of any Apple device to date.

Interestingly, the iPhone 6 Plus’ display lags a little behind its smaller sibling in terms of its technical performance, but it’s not far off. We measured a maximum brightness of 493cd/m² and a contrast ratio of 1,293:1, and the colour accuracy is excellent, too. The IPS panel served up a very slightly wider range of colour than the iPhone 6, covering 95.5% of the sRGB colour gamut, and was only slightly less colour-accurate, with an average Delta E of 2.58 and a maximum deviation of 5.33. To the naked eye, the iPhone 6 Plus’ display is nothing less than superb; moreover, we noted none of the backlight inconsistency that afflicted our test sample of the iPhone 6.

In terms of power, there’s scant difference between the two. As the same 1.4GHz Apple A8 chip is the driving force in both handsets, it came as little surprise to see a nigh-on identical set of scores in the SunSpider, Geekbench and Peacekeeper benchmarks. What’s really impressive, though, is that the iPhone 6 Plus’ gaming performance doesn’t suffer due to its higher-resolution screen. Despite pushing twice as many pixels as the iPhone 6, the iPhone 6 Plus managed a very respectable average of 42.7fps in the GFXBench T-Rex HD test.

One area where the iPhone 6 Plus comprehensively betters the iPhone 6 is battery life. Even with the demands of GFXBench stressing the GPU, the iPhone 6 Plus achieved a projected runtime of 3hrs 26mins. This isn’t the best result we’ve seen by any stretch, but what’s impressive is that it maintained an average frame rate of 53fps throughout the test. By way of comparison, the Samsung Galaxy S5 lasts almost an hour longer, but it artificially limits the frame rate to less than 20fps.

The iPhone 6 Plus turned in some excellent figures in our other battery tests, too. In our 720p video-playback test, where we calibrate the display to a brightness of 120cd/m² and activate flight mode, the handset used only 4.9% of its battery capacity per hour – a figure that puts it just ahead of every Android flagship out there. It didn't quite repeat the feat in the 3G audio-streaming test, but it still fared very well indeed. With the screen off, a pair of headphones connected and a podcast streaming, the iPhone 6 Plus used only 2.1% of its battery capacity per hour. 

In practice, those numbers add up to a phone that is astonishingly long-lasting. Having spent a year in the company of the iPhone 5c, our experience of upgrading to the iPhone 6 Plus has been a revelation: we now regularly get two days of use out of the handset, and sometimes the best part of three. The only downside? The sumptuous screen and fantastic performance mean that we regularly find ourselves spending more time gaming than we ever did previously – and in our experience, lengthy matches of World of Tanks are a great way to kill the battery in short order. You've been warned.   

Apple iPhone 6 Plus review: Features and call quality

In terms of features, there’s nothing to separate the two new iPhones. We’re pleased to see that 802.11ac has finally made the cut; Bluetooth 4 is now accompanied by NFC in readiness for the forthcoming Apple Pay contactless payment system; and, of course, there’s the now familiar Touch ID sensor embedded in the home button. Call quality is nigh-on identical to that of the iPhone 6, that is to say crisp, clear and full-bodied. There is a difference, however, in speaker quality: the iPhone 6 Plus houses a larger, louder speaker than that of its stablemate. We’d have no qualms listening to radio broadcasts, music or even watching movies without using headphones. The clarity and quality on offer are highly impressive for a smartphone.

Apple iPhone 6 Plus review: Verdict

The iPhone 6 Plus will be simply too big, too unwieldy for smaller hands, but for those who can handle it, it's easy to see the appeal. In situations where you’d normally find yourself swapping a smartphone for a tablet – on the sofa in the evening, say – you probably won't feel the need with the iPhone 6 Plus. The display is large and sharp enough to make web browsing a slick, pleasurable experience, and the stormingly quick hardware makes for a device that never once slows down or lags in everyday usage. Factor in the superb screen and camera, and in many ways the 6 Plus makes a great halfway house between a smaller-screened iOS device and the IPad mini.

In our time with the 6 Plus, however, we did miss having a phone that we could sling in a trouser pocket or a cycling jersey without a second thought. If you’re the kind of person who values pocketability and portability over all else, neither this nor any of the giant-screened flagships from rival manufacturers will fit the bill. They’re all simply too large.

Even if you are one of the increasing number who doggedly subscribe to the “bigger is better” mantra, there remains one major hurdle to overcome: the price. Just as with its smaller sibling, we’d pointedly ignore the 16GB iPhone 6 Plus. With no recourse to add extra storage via a microSD slot, that simply isn’t enough to make the most of such a capable, powerful device. Set your sights on the 64GB model, however, and you’ll only get enough change from £700 to buy a packet of McCoy’s. It’s enough to put a lump in anyone’s throat.

Be in no doubt, this is a luxurious, high-performance phablet in every sense, but just as with the iPhone 6, Apple is demanding a daunting premium for its work. And with stunning, and arguably more versatile, phablets such as the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 also vying for your hefty wodge of cash, there's one key question you should ask yourself before splashing out: do you prefer Android or iOS? Rest assured that whichever you choose, your money will buy you one of the best phablets out there. 

iPhone 6 Plus Review

Update: We have revisited the iPhone 6 Plus, which is now packed with iOS 9.3, and fully updated our review to reflect the new features and lower price.

A 5.5-inch iPhone. That might not seem so unusual now, but when it first appeared it was something which would have sent a shudder down the spines of a collective of die-hard Apple fans, as it was a handset some thought we'd never see from the Cupertino-based outfit.

It arrived alongside the iPhone 6 – Apple's 2014 flagship smartphone – which measures 4.7 inches, making it more welcoming to a wider array of palms than the supersized iPhone 6 Plus.

Many of you, especially those of an Android persuasion, may be wondering what all the fuss is about – after all, the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 turned up with a 5.5-inch display years ago.

• Compare: all the bset iPhone 6 Plus deals

Take a moment to glance at the history of the iPhone though, and you'll see why the iPhone 6 Plus is such a big deal.

Previously Apple has only dealt in two screen sizes: a 3.5-inch display graced the first five generations of iPhone, and just three have had the pleasure of a larger 4-inch display.

5.5 inches then is a huge leap forward for Apple, moving its iPhone range into the uncharted waters of the phablet market currently dominated by Samsung and other Android devices.

It's less impressive now, with the launch of the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus reinforcing Apple's commitment to the larger screen sizes, and current rumors point towards more of the same with the iPhone 7.

Apple is looking to reach a previously untapped audience of smartphone users – those who demand a large screen – with 'productivity' the main buzzword being thrown around. A key market for the iPhone 6 Plus is Asia, where the general consensus seems to be bigger is better when it comes to smartphone screens.

In terms of specs and design there isn't a huge amount of difference between the iPhone 6 Plus and the iPhone 6, apart from the obvious size.

The iPhone 6 Plus does boast a couple of unique features however. It was the first iPhone to pack a full HD display, plus its bigger body means it houses a larger battery than its 4.7-inch brother.

Both sport A8 64-bit processors, 1GB of RAM, M8 motion coprocessors and 8MP rear-facing cameras – although the snapper on the iPhone 6 Plus benefits from OIS (optical image stabilisation), while the iPhone 6 makes do with EIS (electronic image stabilisation).

As with all Apple products the iPhone 6 Plus doesn't come cheap, and you may want to brace yourself because it's still one of the most expensive handsets around.

The iPhone 6 Plus has seen a price cut since the launch of the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus , but SIM-free the 16GB version still carries a lofty price tag of US$649 (£539, AU$1,079) – and that's just the start.

Apple has ditched the 32GB variant for both the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, with the next storage level coming in at 64GB, and for the 5.5-inch iPhone that equals $749 (£619, AU$1229).

There was also a 128GB model, but that's been discontinued, so if you need a boatload of storage you'll have to opt for the newer iPhone 6S Plus.

Even with price drops that makes the iPhone 6 Plus comfortably more expensive than rival phablets including the LG G4, OnePlus 2, Nexus 6P and Samsung Galaxy Note 4. It even rivals the Galaxy S6 Edge+ and Galaxy Note 5 for price.

It's big, it's expensive and it's inevitably played second fiddle to the iPhone 6 – so is the iPhone 6 Plus worth considering? Read on to find out.

Oppo F1 Plus review

Update: Oppo has yet to reveal release details for Android 6 Marshmallow software meaning you will likely have to wait a bit longer for the latest features on your Oppo F1 Plus. We'll be sure to update our review once the software is released.

The Oppo F1 Plus is an expensive-looking smartphone that's actually half the price of the current crop of flagships. If you'd like an iPhone 6S, but your budget won't stretch, this could be a contender.

At a cost of £299 (AU$599, around US$430), you get a lot of phone for your money. A decent battery, a 5.5-inch 1080p display, and an impressive 16MP selfie camera are just the beginning.

There's also a lightning fast fingerprint sensor, a whopping 64GB of internal storage (with microSD support for more), and a sexy, svelte, metallic body, which may leave you wondering where the compromises have been made.

If you've never heard of Oppo before, suffice to say it's a Chinese manufacturer that has done well at home and in emerging markets. It has gradually drifted toward the premium end of the budget market and is now looking to tempt Europeans with the best of its line-up.

And the F1 Plus definitely is tempting, but we also have to consider the MediaTek processor, Oppo's Color OS on top of Android 5.1 Lollipop, and the 13MP main camera. There's a whiff of style over substance here.

Design

When you first lay eyes on it, the Oppo F1 Plus looks a lot like an iPhone 6S Plus. It has a curvy metallic body and a comfortable feel.

Flip it over and you'll see a protruding camera lens at the top left and two horizontal bands breaking up the metal body that are there to improve antenna performance and ensure you can get a signal.

Design

When you first lay eyes on it, the Oppo F1 Plus looks a lot like an iPhone 6S Plus. It has a curvy metallic body and a comfortable feel.

Flip it over and you'll see a protruding camera lens at the top left and two horizontal bands breaking up the metal body that are there to improve antenna performance and ensure you can get a signal.

The lozenge design on the home button, which also houses a fingerprint sensor, is more reminiscent of Samsung. You have to actually press it to bring the F1 Plus to life and have it read your fingerprint and unlock, just like the last few Galaxy phones.

It's also on a par with them in terms of performance, only occasionally failing if your finger or thumb is wet or dirty.

Regardless of where the design cues originated, this is a lovely-looking phone and it feels reassuringly solid, though it weighs in at just 145g, which is very light for a handset this big. Consider that the Samsung Galaxy S7 weighs 152g and only has a 5.1-inch display.

There are no surprises in the button placement, with separate volume controls on the left spine and a power button on the right. You'll find the micro USB port and the 3.5mm headphone jack on the bottom edge.

The SIM slot is above the power button and it can accommodate either two nanoSIMs or a nanoSIM and a microSD card of up to 128GB in size.

The Oppo F1 Plus feels very comfortable to hold and, if your hands are big enough, it's pretty easy to use one-handed. The matte metallic finish gives way to a gloss, chamfered edge when it meets the display and this actually adds some grip, too.

Oppo also provides a simple, transparent gel case in the box to give it an extra layer of protection.

My F1 Plus review unit is gold, but you can also get it with a rose gold finish.

The Oppo F1 Plus makes a very good first impression and there's no arguing that this is a very polished design for a £300 (AU$599, around US$430) phone.

Xiaomi Mi5 review

This is one of those phones that you have to track down yourself, buy upfront and plug your own SIM card into, although for experienced users this is hardly a challenge. The question is, is the Mi5 is worth seeking out?

Spoiler alert: yes it is. At least that's my opinion, although there are some caveats with this phone too, and we'll get to those as we take a closer look at this interesting little device.

Design

There are two variants of the Mi5. I've been testing the basic version, which has what Xiaomi calls a '3D Glass' back, and comes in 32GB or 64GB storage options coupled with 3GB of RAM. There's also a Pro model that has a ceramic back, and comes with 128GB of storage and 4GB of RAM.

"Glass?" I hear you say. Don't panic though, because this glass is tough. How do I know? Because the Mi5 has slid off my desk twice since I received it. This is because the glass rear offers very little friction, and on both occasions I'd placed it either on top of another phone or on another low-friction surface. But those mishaps did at least demonstrate that this phone is far from fragile.

You may have preconceptions about the build quality of low-cost Chinese phones, but in this case I urge you to cast them aside. The Mi5 is completely solid in every way, and nothing about it would give the uninitiated any reason to believe it wasn't a high-end device.

The metal frame looks and feels like it could have been designed by Samsung, while the 5.15-inch screen extends so close to the edges of the phone you wonder how Xiamoi managed to build such a marvel.

The display is equally impressive when it's turned on. It has a pretty modest resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels, which, compared to phones like the Samsung Galaxy S7 and LG G5 is a little low – those phones have similar screen sizes, but 1440 x 2560 resolutions.

I'm not a fan of looking only at the numbers though, and I can assure you that the Mi5's display is bright, colourful and full of detail. It's an IPS-type screen, rather than an OLED, but that doesn't seem to have a huge impact, as it still offers the kind of ultra-vivid colours you'd see on the Galaxy S7.

Xiaomi has opted for a USB-C connector on the Mi5 – and if you don't know what that is, then just know that it renders your old charging cables entirely useless, and requires you to buy extra cables for anywhere you might want to juice up your phone away from where you keep your main charger.

I'm grumpy about USB-C in general, as at this stage it doesn't add much apart from the ability to plug the cable in either way round. In the long run USB-C will be a good thing, but you won't be saying that when your phone runs flat at work and you've left your charger at home.

One feature about which I'm far from grumpy is the fingerprint scanner on the front of the Mi5, which is concealed beneath the home button.

I initially concluded that this was some kind of magic – either that or it wasn't really scanning my fingerprint at all, and the whole thing was some sort of joke. Why do I say this? Because it's so fast that I simply didn't believe it could really be scanning anything.

My theory was quickly disproved, however, by using a different finger to try and log in to the phone – it didn't work. So the fingerprint scanner is just really, really efficient. I didn't expect that – although maybe I should have, because most fingerprint scanners these days are fast and work well.

The headphone jack is located at the top of the phone, and next to that is an IR blaster that you'll never use. If you really did want to use it, it could be employed to control your TV – but you have a remote for that already, and I've yet to be persuaded that this kind of extra functionality is of much value.