Sony Xperia Z3 review: Superb design and capabilities that best the Apple iPhone 6

Summary: Sony doesn't release too many smartphones on US carriers, but T-Mobile has a real winner here with the Z3. Matthew not only tested one out, he bought his own and put aside the iPhone 6 Plus

By Matthew Miller

T-Mobile Sony Xperia Z3

I bought a Sony Xperia Z2 from Handtec back in May and thought it was the phone for me. While it was great, the rumors of a Z3 kept me from keeping it. Now that I have spent a week with the new T-Mobile Sony Xperia Z3, I am extremely pleased I waited for this upgraded model — which may be the best Android phone available today.

After selling that Xperia Z2 on Swappa and moving through a few other phones in the last couple of months, my most recent infatuation has been with the Apple iPhone 6 Plus. But I now have at least 10 reasons (keep reading this review) for preferring the Sony Xperia Z3 over the iPhone 6 Plus..

I checked out the evaluation Z3 for just two days before ordering my own and returning the review unit. The Xperia Z3 gives me a high end device with waterproof characteristics at a reasonable price, along with the great benefits of T-Mobile ownership. T-Mobile customers should take a serious look at the Z3 before buying a new smartphone.

Specifications

• Processors: Snapdragon 801 2.5GHz quad-core processor and Adreno 330 GPU
• Display: 5.2-inch 1920 x 1080 pixels resolutioin IPS Triluminos
• RAM: 3GB
• Internal storage: 32GB and microSD storage support up to 128GB
• Cameras: 20.7-megapixel rear and 2.2 megapixel front facing
• Radios: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, DLNA, ANT+, MHL 3.0
• Battery capacity: 3,100 mAh with stated talk time up to 21 hours
• Other features: Waterproof and dust tight (IP65 and IP68 ratings), Sony 3D surround sound technology with dual front facing stereo speakers
• Dimensions: 146 x 71.88 x 7.62 mm, and 152 grams

The T-Mobile variation of this device addresses one concern I have with overseas models and the last Z2 I owned, the integrated storage. Every high end smartphone should come with at least 32GB so it is great to see T-Mobile and Sony launched a version here with 32GB rather than the 16GB on most all other Xperia variants.

Looking at the other Sony Xperia Z3 specifications, the only one that isn't the highest available on Android today is the processor. The Snapdragon 805 processor is available on the Galaxy Note 4 and Nexus 6.

On the hardware

It is rather stark to grab a Sony Xperia Z3 and then a Samsung Galaxy S5. One is clearly a much better built device and in my opinion you won't find an Android device with a better fit and finish. If Apple built an Android device, it would probably look and feel much like the Xperia Z3.

Sony fixed its Xperia displays with the Z2 and the same one is found on the Z3. The side bezels are pretty narrow and the top and bottom don't even bother me any longer knowing that stereo speakers are present.

I love Sony's silver central power button positioned along the new rounded metal edge. The corners are made of plastic to help with drop survival while metal wraps the rest of the edges. The glass back concerns me a bit, but I will just have to hold on to it a bit tighter.

Sony includes a couple of contacts on the left side and for about $25 you can pick up a dock on Amazon and charge the Xperia Z3 wirelessly. I wish that Qi charging was including, but the dock solution works well and provides you with a nice bedside clock.

A physical camera capture button is found on the lower right side and this is something I love having on a smartphone. While nearly all Windows Phone devices have this button, very few Android models include it.

The same 20.7 megapixel camera from the Z2 is found on the back of the Z3. It does a solid job of capturing photos, but I honestly expect more from Sony and hope they can continue to improve it with software updates.

Like HTC and others, Sony includes a Stamina Mode on the Z3 so you can manage your battery and make sure your phone never dies when you need it. I have been going longer than a full heavy day with the Z3 and with the Stamina Mode there are no worries at all about having an integrated large capacity battery.

Sony was one of the first to integrate waterproof capability in its smartphones and as a person living in a wet part of the world, it is something I find almost essential today. Now that I run with a phone for safety and to capture images on the go, I need a waterproof phone or a case that keeps the phone safe and sound.

Sony sells noise-cancelling earbuds that work with the Z2 and Z3. As a daily train commuter, these are awesome to have working with the Z3.

In my opinion, Apple and HTC are the current leaders in smartphone design and when you hold one of these devices you feel like you spent your money well. The great thing about Sony is that they take this same attention to design detail and include all of the best Android specs to create a superb smartphone experience.

A few phones have designs that keep me flipping the phone around in my hand and the Z3 is one of those devices. It is very pocketable, especially for a 5.2 inch display smartphone, and feels great in your hand.

Pros	Cons
Awesome metal and glass design	Cover to access the microUSB port
Waterproof capability	Device is slippery and easy to drop
Physical camera capture button
microSD expansion card slot
3GB RAM, 20.7 megapixel camera, other high end specs
Loud front-facing stereo speakers
Long battery life

On the software

The Sony Xperia Z3 launches with Android 4.4 with the promise that Android Lollipop (5.0) will be released in the next few months. I won't go into detail on Android KitKat since the OS has been covered extensively over the past year.

Sony has one of the lightest skins available in the Android world, but let's take a bit closer look at what you can expect on the Z3 since it is different than stock Android.

Sony additions: Sony does bring some of its branded experiences to the Z3. Sony has long been known for the Walkman and you will find this as the music player on the Xperia Z3. It is an attractive and functional application and I am working to load up all my music on my microSD to enjoy it with the noise-cancelling earbuds on the Z3. You can also sign up and use Walkman to access Sony's subscription service.

Sony also includes Movies, Movie Creator, OfficeSuite, PlayStation, Sketch, Smart Connect, Sony Select, TrackID, Video Unlimited, What's New, and Xperia Lounge. While I am not sure we need additional service options with Google Play loaded on Android devices, Sony isn't overbearing with these services either.

Movie Creator creates highlight movies with your photos and videos. HTC launched this idea with the HTC One M7 and since then many others, BlackBerry, Motorola, and Sony for example, have implemented a twist on highlight videos.

Sony PlayStation gamers will love the Z3 and to be honest I did start looking at the PS4 after I bought the Z3. Sony provides the capability to connect the Z3 to the PS4 and also use the DualShock 4 Controller with the Z3.

While the iPhone camera does a great job and Apple has improved the functions with more options on the iPhone 6, Sony provides an extensive collection of camera modes on the Z3. Some of the modes are silly, but others are quite useful. You can take slow motion and time-lapse videos with the Z3, along with many other advanced scenes.

T-Mobile additions: Thankfully T-Mobile is the one major US carrier that limits how much bloatware is added to its phones. On the Z3 you will find T-Mobile Name ID (subscription service), T-Mobile My Account, Mobile Hotspot, T-Mobile TV, Visual Voicemail, and Device Unlock. After you pay off the phone, you can SIM unlock your phone with the Device Unlock application.

A couple of these are subscription services, Name ID and TV, but those are the only two I would like to remove. The rest actually help you manage your account and control your wireless connections.

The fantastic T-Mobile services that came through various Uncarrier initiatives include Wi-Fi Calling and unlimited streaming of music services. While Wi-Fi Calling is excellent at my house, I use the free texting via Gogo while flying around the country on Alaska Airlines. It is very convenient to stay in touch with my family on the airplane without having to pay for wireless service.

Pricing and availability

The Sony Xperia Z3 is available now for $630 or $26.25/month for 24 months. This is a reasonable price for a high end smartphone. By comparison, the 16GB iPhone 6 is $649, but has no capability for memory expansion. The 32GB Nexus 6 is available for $649 as well, again with no capability to expand that storage capacity.

The competition

There are plenty of high end smartphones available today that compete against the Xperia Z3. The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, Nexus 6, BlackBerry Passport, Moto X, Samsung Galaxy Note 4, Galaxy S5, and more are available now.

The Z3 satisfies me over all the others due to these ten features:

• Waterproof rating: I run with my phones and often in the rain so I need a waterproof phone to help me stay fit.
• microSD storage: It is nice to pop a microSD card in and out as you capture photos and videos, as well as making it easy to transfer documents.
• Indicator light: I like having a small subtle light to inform me when a notification is present. It is also helpful to have different colors for different types of notifications.
• 3GB RAM: I still can't believe Apple only launched its new iPhones with 1GB of RAM. You won't have any trouble multi-tasking with the Z3.
• Front-facing stereo speakers: All phones should at least have one speaker on the front, but I prefer dual speakers like HTC provides.
• Physical camera button: Nothing beats pressing and holding a camera capture button to launch the camera. The Z3 feels more like a camera than a phone at times.
• Active noise-cancelling earbuds: I commute a couple of hours a day on the train and also travel via plane about once a month. Having noise-cancelling earbuds, with smart controls, is awesome.
• FM radio: While some people may not appreciate having a FM radio, it is a great way to enjoy music, news, and sports without consuming data.
• DLNA support: One thing that drives me crazy about my iPhone is that I cannot easily share photos and videos with family and friends on a large TV.
• USB OTG: It is incredibly convenient to pop in the Truffol Dual OTG USB stick and transfer files to and from my PC when on the road.

Conclusion

Sony has a limited presence in the US with most of its devices being sold either overseas or at the US Sony Store as unlocked models for AT&T and T-Mobile customers. Verizon just recently launched theSony Xperia Z3v, which is a variation of the Z3 I bought from T-Mobile.

Some people complain that Sony launches new smartphones too often, but that is definitely not the case in the US. This latest model is an amazing piece of technology and is clearly one of the best smartphones available today. While the Apple iPhone 6 is a well built and designed smartphone, it is clear that Sony also knows how to design a phone for the masses.

I tried using my iPhone 6 Plus and still do like it, but just like in the past I tend to get bored with iPhones after about a month. Android offers more for my needs and the Sony Xperia Z3 is the one for me.

I also find that Sony's RF signal is better on the Z3 than what I see on the iPhone 6 Plus. My iPhone 6 Plus often drops to 3G or worse in the exact same locations where the Z3 keeps hold of a LTE signal.

Contributor's rating: 9.5 out of 10

Credit:http://www.zdnet.com/sony-xperia-z3-review-superb-design-and-capabilities-that-best-the-apple-iphone-6-7000035400/

Finally, a smartphone battery that lives up to its claims: Sony's Xperia Z3 lasts for TWO days - even when streaming videos and making calls

• Official testing revealed the Xperia Z3 lasts, on average, for 48 hours
• This included using a so-called Typical Smartphone User usage profile
• This involved using the device for approximately five hours over 24 hours
• Testers used the device for calling, texting, checking social networks, playing games, using the camera, listening to music and streaming video 
• And reviews of the device have since matched these claims 

By: Victoria Woollaston

Sony unveiled its Xperia Z3 smartphone in September with the bold claim that its battery lasts an almost unprecedented two days.

And while manufacturers have a tendency to exaggerate about such features, reviews of the device suggest Sony wasn’t lying.

Initial testing revealed that not only does the device last, on average, for 48 hours before it needs charging again, this is the case even when streaming music, making calls and watching videos.

Initial testing revealed that not only does Sony's Xperia Z3 (pictured) last, on average, for 48 hours before it needs charging again, this is the case even when streaming music, making calls and using the phone for an average of five hours over a 24-hour period

Sony’s claims were made using a so-called Typical Smartphone User usage profile.

This involved using the device for approximately five hours over a 24-hour period, for a range of ‘typical usage scenarios’.

SONY XPERIA Z3 SPECIFICATIONS 

Dimensions: 146 x 72 x 7.3mm

Weight: 152g

Screen size: 5.2"

Screen resolution: 1,920 x 1,080 

Battery: 3,100mAh Li-ion

Internal storage: 16GB (with expandable storage up to 128GB) 

Rear camera: 20.7MP

Front-facing camera: 2.2MP

They included calling, texting, surfing the web, checking social networks, playing games, using the camera, listening to music and streaming video.

In tests, the phone’s default settings were applied, which included setting the display brightness to 100 nits, with battery stamina mode turned off.

Nits are used to determine the brightness and readability of a display, and the Xperia ranges from four to 713 – meaning 100 is towards the dimmer end, but not at the minimum.

During personal tests, the phone lasted for 45 hours before it ran out of energy completely.

A number of other tech sites have also managed up to two-day battery life during tests.

Engadget’s James Trew, for example, said: ‘The Xperia Z3 performs well and has epic battery life.

'In my personal usage, I regularly got two days of full use, or so near to two days that I'm loath to mark it down for the odd 10pm finish on the second day.’

In tests, the phone's display brightness was set to 100 nits. Nits are used to determine the brightness of a display, and the Xperia Z3 ranges from four to 713. During personal tests, the phone (pictured) lasted for 45 hours before it ran out of energy completely

By comparison, the battery on Apple’s iPhone 6 Plus (pictured) has been improved to last more than 24 hours on average. Sony's Xperia Z2 typically lasts 1.4 days, based on official tests

While, Michael Sawh from Trusted Reviews added: ‘You can comfortably get a couple of days use out of this and that’s without tapping into the battery saving power management modes.

‘It will push on further if you don’t have that brightness cranked up to the max as well.’

By comparison, the battery on Apple’s iPhone 6 Plus has been improved to last more than 24 hours on average.

‘At Sony Mobile, "flagship" now means offering a choice to consumers of enjoying a large screen Xperia Z3 for immersive entertainment or a more compact, lighter Xperia Z3 Compact that doesn't ask you to compromise on features,’ said Kunimasa Suzuki, President and chief executive officer at Sony Mobile Communications.

‘Consumers demand and deserve greatness from their smartphone - in design, camera and battery life.

‘That's precisely what we aim to deliver with Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z3 Compact.’

Credit:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2800469/finally-smartphone-battery-lives-claims-sony-s-xperia-z3-lasts-two-days-streaming-videos-making-calls.html

Get ready for Apple Pay: Here's how to use it

By: Jefferson Graham

SAN FRANCISCO — For years, companies have been talking about replacing credit cards with smartphones to pay for goods. But consumers have been slow to play along.

That could change on Monday when Apple unveils its Apple Pay program to an audience of over 10 million iPhone 6 and 6 Plus owners.

Apple Pay will also work with the company's new iPads — the Air 2 and Mini 3, which will be released Friday — but only for in-app purchases. To pay at retail, you'll need the new phones.

Left out is the network of over 500 million iPhones sold since 2007, but Apple doesn't mind — it wants to sell new phones and tablets and hopes its new mobile payments system will get consumers excited to upgrade.

The iconic firm has more than 220,000 retail locations that will accept payment on the new iPhones. Major payment networks Visa, MasterCard and American Express and more than 500 banks are on board. Retailers include such biggies as McDonald's, Macy's, Chevron gas stations, Walgreens and Panera Bread.

Apple touts ease of use: Instead of fumbling through a wallet for a credit card, just pull out the phone or tablet. There's also security — no second hands like waiters, valets or other parties will have access to your credit card information.

How to get started with Apple Pay?

• On Monday, update to iOS8.1, the new version of Apple's mobile operating system, via the software update tab in the settings section of your iPhone. The update will allow the new phones to work with Apple Pay.

• On the iPad or iPhone, open Passbook, the so far little-used app that first debuted in 2013 to store tickets, coupons and the like. You can add your credit card or iTunes debit info to the app by using the camera on the Apple device, and scanning your card.

• Look for a retailer that works with Apple Pay to give it a try on the iPhone 6.

Beyond the 220,000 retail locations, apps like Airbnb, Groupon, Lyft and Uber are also working with Apple on their apps to accept payment via the phone and tablet.

• To pay, hold down the TouchID fingerprint sensor on the Apple device and point it at the Apple Pay reader. At home with the iPad, just use your fingerprint instead of a password.

What happens if the phone or tablet is lost? Does all your banking and credit info go with it? Not if you're quick to act.

Apple touts using its Find My iPhone app, where from a computer you can put the device into "lost" mode and suspend Apple Pay.

Apple consumers tend to be such huge fans of the company that they often to rush in and try new offerings on the first days — and inevitably bugs pop up and Apple has to scramble to make quick fixes.

So should folks even bother trying Apple Pay next week?

Veteran Apple analyst Tim Bajarin of Creative Strategies thinks it's a safe bet to give it a shot.

"I don't think Apple would release this if the privacy and security issue was not solid," he says. "However, there could be glitches at the point-of-sales terminals during the initial roll-out, although those NFC-based terminals have worked pretty flawlessly so far."

And while Apple's network of 10 million new iPhone owners is a sliver of its total 500 million plus iPhone audience, Bajarin thinks the audience will greatly grow before the end of the year.

He estimates that Apple, which is launching Apple Pay only in the U.S. so far, will have sold 60 million new iPhone 6 and 6 Pluses by the end of the year. Half of the new sales will be in the U.S., and "that would mean that about 30 million of these NFC-based phones would be capable of using Apple Pay this year," says Bajarin.

Credit:http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/talkingtech/2014/10/19/how-to-use-apple-pay/17399647/

Can Huawei become China's first global brand?

By: Lina Yueh

Chinese goods are everywhere it seems. But few are name brands and most are associated with being cheap consumer electronics or white goods.

But one company is seeking to change that. Huawei may not be a name that many people in the West are familiar with, but that could be about to change.

The firm is the first Chinese brand to break into the ranks of the top 100 best global brands, according to Interbrand.

It is the world's biggest telecommunications company and one of the most innovative. It makes the networks that power the internet and mobile phone networks. If you took a peek, you'd find that Huawei is used by BT and Vodafone as they make the USB dongles that provide mobile internet access. They also now make smartphones.

But even if Huawei is technologically competitive with the big players, can it go that extra step and convince global consumers?

In other words, can Chinese companies transform innovation into desirable brands? The answer to that will matter for China's future, as the world's richest countries all have that in common - the ability to produce globally competitive companies.

To find out, I gained unprecedented access to Huawei and its premises. Traditionally media-shy, its current chief executive spoke to me in the first broadcast interview ever given by one of the rotating bosses.

Huawei's sprawling campus

Unlike most other Chinese companies, Huawei has a sprawling campus that is reminiscent of Silicon Valley. The green, open environment is designed to encourage innovation, collaboration, and they even provide on-site basketball courts and ping pong tables.

I met a young engineer who says that Huawei is the place to be for Chinese graduates. He tells me that all of his classmates want to work for a global, innovative company and they call themselves Huawei-ren or Huawei people. They are the Chinese version of Googlers.

The company provides leisure facilities on-site to encourage innovation

However, there are obstacles for Chinese private companies. It was only in the late 1980s when consumer markets developed. This is as the centrally planned economy was liberalised and private firms emerged.

But state-owned companies still dominate key sectors of the economy and they get the bulk of bank credit. Huawei was established in 1987 by Ren Zhengfei with five investors who each put in 3,500 yuan. They imported telecoms equipment from nearby Hong Kong, just across the Chinese border.

Huawei also faces specific challenges as telecoms is an industry that can engender suspicion of industrial espionage. Ren's stint in the Chinese army is a cause for concern in the US and other places such as Australia. Huawei denies all of the allegations made against the firm but it is still banned from bidding for US government contracts.

Yet by not being a state-owned firm, Huawei could not rely on government policy that promoted Chinese-foreign joint ventures to gain technology and know-how. Instead, the company innovated and did so cheaply, undercutting competitors to gain market share.

Workers at the company call themselves Huawei-ren

Another difference in the Chinese attitude towards innovation is that firms like Huawei innovate to serve a market need. In other words, they don't create something new and then look for a market for it.

For instance, I got to step inside one of their anechoic chambers. It eliminates echo so that they can test for interference from their antennae or handsets.

It's one of only a few such chambers in the world, but they tell me that their competitive advantage comes from their data. As they are in 150 countries and over one-third of the world's population uses their products, they have more data with which to test and then fine-tune and improve their products.

But the next stage still needs to be invention - something which is certainly recognised in China. Spending on research and development (R&D) has quickly risen to be among the highest in the world at about 2% of GDP.

Tech companies like Huawei consistently spend over 10% of their revenues on R&D, which is in the same league as the biggest global innovators. Half of Huawei's 150,000 employees work in R&D and it holds an impressive 49,000 patents, making it one of the top five patent filers worldwide.

Of course, spending on R&D doesn't necessarily translate into innovation. For instance, around a quarter of Chinese patents are in design, which are thought to be less innovative than invention patents. In the US, the figure is less than 10%.

But Huawei is working on cutting-edge research that I got to hear about, though didn't get to see, as it hasn't hit the market yet.

I met one of their top scientists, Prof Yang Qiang, who works in what Huawei calls its Noah's Ark. It's where they focus on innovation that could be used in five to 10 years.

He said that they are working on a universal translator where people can speak to each other in different languages and the software translates meaning and not just words. It sounds like Star Trek.

The artificial intelligence can even interpret jokes. So, I tried one: why did the chicken cross the road? (Answer: to get to the other side.)

So how would the same joke be told in China? According to Prof Yang: how do you put an elephant into the fridge? You open the door, and put it in.

The company is keen to show off its investments in R&D

Huawei's next strategic move is to make its name known not just to industry insiders but to the seven billion people around the world, chief executive Guo Ping tells me in the first ever broadcast interview the company has done.

He believes they can take on the market leaders because their innovation is centred on customer needs. But can they get global customers to choose their smartphones over Samsung and Apple?

The thing about history is that it rarely repeats itself. One advantage that Chinese firms have is that their home market has more than a billion people so they start with the advantage of scale. So it's possible that China will be the source of the next global giants.

Huawei is racing to develop a 5G network where a film can be downloaded in seconds

But its path is likely to be different.

In the 1980s movie Back to the Future, Michael J Fox's character Marty McFly travelled back in time to the 1950s. He met a scientist who demanded proof that he was from the future.

After Doc Brown scoffs at the idea of an actor (Ronald Reagan) being president, Marty points to the TV and says that in the future, Japan makes the coolest gadgets like VCRs. Doc turns to him and says now he is convinced that he's not from the future since "Made in Japan" is synonymous with cheap, low-quality stuff.

In roughly 30 years, Japan rivalled the United States and became the world's second-largest economy. Japanese manufacturing transformed from producing low-cost goods into launching world-beating companies such as Sony, Toyota, etc.

Now China has overtaken Japan economically, so could its companies become the next global competitors? Can "Made in China" become "Designed in China"?

Huawei is close and if it succeeds, that would point to whether China can make that difficult leap from imitator to innovator. And that could help China become a prosperous nation.

Credit: http://www.bbc.com/news/business-29628044

Lenovo to challenge Xiaomi on smartphones with new company in China

By: Michael Kan

In China’s smartphone market, Lenovo wants to fight fire with fire against rival Xiaomi by setting up a new mobile devices company that will use a separate brand, and leverage the Internet to sell directly to consumers.

The still unnamed company will help Lenovo “attack the fast-growing consumer mobile device market in China,” Lenovo said in a statement Wednesday.

Competitor Xiaomi was not named. But the new Lenovo company will operate with what sounds like a similar business model, according to details provided in the announcement.

Like Xiaomi, which has cultivated a huge fan base in China through its own website and social networking services, Lenovo’s new company will also focus on “close customer engagement”.

Sales, marketing and even product development by the company will rely on an “Internet-based business model,” Lenovo added in its statement.

Lenovo already has a thriving handset business in China that in the second quarter was about neck and neck with Xiaomi for the top spot in the country’s smartphone market, according to estimates from research firm Canalys and IDC.

Lenovo’s current smartphone business has been following a more traditional business model, and selling its products through China’s different mobile carriers, retail stores and its own online channels.

Xiaomi, on the other hand, has been disrupting China’s smartphone market, by largely selling its phones online directly to consumers. The company prides itself on engaging customers for input on product improvements, in addition to offering phones at cheap prices that have undercut competitors’ products.

Lenovo’s new company will become operational on April 1, with more details to come in the following months.

Other rivals in China, including Huawei Technologies and ZTE, have also been stepping up to compete with Xiaomi by focusing on online sales and offering phones at lower prices. In 2012, ZTE set up its own independently managed team to build a new smartphone brand called Nubia, which has grown in popularity in the country.

Credit:http://www.pcworld.com/article/2834692/lenovo-to-challenge-xiaomi-on-smartphones-with-new-company-in-china.html

Best business phones? Android, iOS, Windows Phone, BlackBerry

Summary: There are some outstanding smartphones available for the business user and in this article Matthew Miller identifies the best ones running iOS, Android, Windows Phone, and BlackBerry.

By Matthew Miller

There are a few common features across smartphone operating systems that business users typically look for in a device. These include long battery life, solid hardware design, reliability, fast performance, ample storage capacity, good communications performance, and availability of key applications.

Each major smartphone platform offers several good candidates for the business user, but in this list we'll take a closer look at what I think is the top phone from each OS. They are arranged in order of current smartphone market share, not necessarily in order of my own personal preference.

Android 4.4: Samsung Galaxy Note 4

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is starting to ship to consumers in the US and continues to set the bar for Android smartphone specifications. The Note 4 satisifes the common features I listed above and Samsung marketing power will likely help Samsung sell millions of the device.

• Pros: Fantastic high resolution display, removable battery, microSD card slot, specs to keep you going for years, high quality design, excellent camera results, advanced S Pen functionality
  
  
• Cons: Non-functional fingerprint scanner, too much carrier bloatware, overwhelming notification area
  
  
• Price: $650 to $825, carrier dependent
  
  
• What user is this good for? There are very few phones left with removable batteries and if you are going to be in away from an outlet for days then the Note 4 may be for you. If you enjoy handwriting with a stylus, nothing beats the Note 4 S Pen experience. Samsung also employs Knox for security on the Android platform and is a natural choice for enterprise security.

iOS 8: Apple iPhone 6 Plus

The Apple iPhone 6 Plus launched last month and continues to impress me daily with battery life that just keeps on going, easily surpassing a full long day every single day that I have owned it. Apple went from one of the smallest phones to one of the largest and there is no better iPhone available today.

• Pros: High quality fit and finish, extensive app ecosystem, functional TouchID finger scanner, massive accessory market, very long battery life, landscape-optimized experiences
  
  
• Cons: No storage expansion option, may bend with excessive force
  
  
• Price: $749 to $949
  
  
• What user is this good for? If you are a fan of the iOS ecosystem, then there is only one iPhone to consider to carry you through more than a day. If you want to replace your iPad Mini with a phone, then this should satisfy your needs. The camera is excellent and everything 'just works.'

Windows Phone 8.1: Nokia Lumia 1520

There haven't been many new high end Windows Phone devices released in the US, so last year's Nokia Lumia 1520 retains the crown as the best device available. While the Lumia 930 is available outside the US, the Lumia Icon may be on the way out.

• Pros: Large, high quality display that is perfectly usable outside, well designed with use of high-end plastic material, microSD expansion card, very long battery life, responsive UI, one of the best smartphone cameras
  
  
• Cons: Very large phone, limitation on available apps
  
  
• Price: $585 for AT&T model
  
  
• What user is this good for? Windows Phone 8.1 offers a unique user interface and excellent integration into the Microsoft ecosystem. If you don't have special application needs, Windows Phone is perfectly fine as a modern smartphone OS.

BlackBerry 10: BlackBerry Passport

BlackBerry recently released the Passport and it comes with the best hardware QWERTY keyboard ever released. BlackBerry took a bold step with the Passport and it's refreshing to see a BlackBerry smartphone with top notch specs and a unique form factor focused on the enterprise user.

• Pros: Best ever QWERTY hardware keyboard, very long battery life, UI focused on efficient communications, functional BlackBerry Blend PC companion service
• Cons: Wide device may not be comfortable for all
  
  
• Price: $599
  
  
• What user is this good for? The BlackBerry Passport offers a fresh take on the smartphone with a tank of a device that seems to last forever. There is no question that hardware keyboard fans should pick up the BlackBerry and those with a BES will not find anything better than this.

Credit:http://www.zdnet.com/best-business-phones-android-ios-windows-phone-blackberry-7000034672/