Talk Android Staff Picks: Best Android Phone for 2014

2014 was an amazing year for Android phones. We not only saw some of the best high-end phones ever, budget phones found their groove as well. The Talk Android staff might not agree on what the best phone is, but one thing we do agree on is that you really can't go wrong with the majority of flagships that launched in 2014. Hit the break to see what our picks are for the best Android phone from 2014.

Robert Nazarian

This was no easy task because there were so many good phones in 2014. What can be a great phone for one person might not be for someone else because of several factors. For some people, it's the display, while others might prefer better battery life or camera quality. For me, the phone of the year is the one that was able to achieve high marks in the majority of categories. Both the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and the LG 3 are two phones that meet this criteria. They both have solid displays, fantastic processors, great battery life, top of the line cameras, and quality builds.

So how do I pick one to be the best? It comes down to what I am willing to put in my pocket on a daily basis, as well as recommend to my friends and family. Sure it's priced a little higher and it might be a tad too big for some people, but the Note 4 is one hell of a phone. It's actually the first Samsung phone that I thoroughly enjoyed reviewing. The only negative is TouchWiz and that can be (mostly) eliminated with a 3rd party launcher. It might have been a tough year for Samsung in terms of sales, but the Note 4 out shined every other Android phone, at least in this reviewer's opinion.

Jeff Causey

When asked to make a decision about the best smartphone of 2014, I found myself struggling to come up with anything. The obvious choice for me would be the LG G3, since that is what I ended up getting for myself mid way through the year. The G3 has proven to be everything I hoped for in my latest smartphone purchase. It is fast, the screen is stunning, the UI is less intrusive than the Touchwiz UI I had on the Samsung Note 2 it replaced, the battery life is excellent, and the camera is good enough to occasionally replace my DSLR in some situations. The Knock On feature has spoiled me as I find myself trying to tap on other devices, forgetting they don’t have that feature, and now the placement of the buttons in the middle of the back of the device seems normal to me.

All that said, I have a friend who went with a Samsung Galaxy S 5 this year and he enjoys many of the same benefits. From the little bit I’ve seen him using his device, I think maybe the Samsung camera app has a few more features available. Overall though, there seems to be little to distinguish the devices other than subjective preferences. The same seems to be true for the other flagship devices that came to market this year like the HTC One (M8), the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, or even devices like the OnePlus One, the Sony Xperia Z3, or even the Nexus 6.

I also had a thought to go in an entirely different direction and declare the new iPhone the best smartphone of the year. That would not be because I think anyone should go out and buy an iPhone. Rather, I think Apple’s release earlier this year demonstrated just how dominant Google’s Android operating system has become as well as the choice that Android device manufacturers have brought to market. Android fans no doubt are aware that Apple has been “inspired” by features found in Android for years now. However, Apple’s changes this year, especially in terms of changes to their hardware specs, seem to have exposed Apple as trailing far behind in the design of devices for consumers. It also seems that general consumers may no longer automatically look to iPhones as the “standard” for a smartphone with the device’s appeal becoming more and more limited to Apple fans. Nevertheless, this choice would not really help the consumer hoping to buy a smartphone.

At the end of the day, I am still drawing a blank. There are lots of new and unique devices that came to market in 2014, like new flagships from HTC, Samsung and LG, all of which are excellent devices. Likewise, there is a nice tier of new companies and devices entering the market like the OnePlus One. Even Google’s Nexus 6 helps the company get back into the top end of the market. It seems like perhaps the manufacturers and their devices have matured to the point where you cannot go wrong no matter what you pick. Even though it means I’ll have to abstain from selecting a smartphone of the year for 2014, which I find disappointing, I think it is a win for consumers and that is a very good thing.

Jared Peters

Picking the best phone of 2014 has been tough, since there haven't been any devices that drastically changed from the previous versions in their lineup. Samsung's Galaxy S 5 stuck to Samsung's typical design, LG's G3 smoothed out the rough edges from the G2, and the latest Moto X didn't stray too far from what the original was made to do. Out of all of the phones released this year, though, nobody made refinements better than HTC.

The HTC One (M8) improved on last year's HTC One in almost every way, including an improved design, moving to on-screen navigation buttons instead of the M7's off center capacative buttons, and bringing back a microSD card slot. The M8 still has room for improvement, but for the most part, it offered one of the most compelling Android packages without too many unnecessary features and bloat. Plus, HTC has taken Android updates more seriously than most other OEMs, and with programs like HTC Advantage, the M8 really solidified what HTC wants to be in the Android market.

Everyone knows HTC has been dealing with some extremely tough competition from other Android manufacturers, but the M8 has put HTC back on track to have a great year in 2015.

Jack Holt

The Galaxy Note 4 – Honestly, it was a toss up between the 2014 Moto X and the Galaxy Note 4. I've used both extensively and I'd say the Note 4 comes in an edge over the Moto X.

For me, I can't get over the camera of the Note 4. The OIS helps a lot with noise, and I've found the camera to be consistent in taking good shots where the Moto X takes OK shots at best.

Even with the Moto X 2014 having Android 5.0 already, I found myself missing a lot of things about the Note 4. Plus, with the Note 4's new metal construction, I found the phablet pretty solid to hold despite being bigger. The dimple in the Moto X is nice for hand placement, but I found it awkward for my fingers while holding it. While I miss the water-resistance of the S5 and the Moto X, the Note 4's camera, screen and battery life make up for it.

As far as premium phones go, the Note 4 is where it's at for 2014.

Justin Herrick

It seems that every hardware manufacturer made tremendous progress with their phones this year. Samsung expanded beyond using solely plastic and finally took on metal. Motorola realized that specifications do matter, and gave consumers what they expect of a flagship. And LG harnessed cutting edge technology encased in a slim and light body. What about HTC? The Taiwanese company proved a lot by doing little with the One (M8).

The One (M8) is gorgeous, especially in its true Gunmetal Grey color. It has a unibody that is 90% metal. The phone does not feel like a piece of cold, hollow metal. The One (M8) has a curved rear that allows it to sit comfortably in the hand with an adequate amount of weight. It is neither a feather nor a brick. And the phone ditched its predecessor's two-button layout in favor of on-screen buttons. So the front of the One (M8) is smooth, complimented by the powerful BoomSound speakers.

Turn on the crisp 5-inch Super LCD 3 display and you will find that the software is modern with an appropriate amount of color. Sense is not an overbearing miniature circus like what Samsung and LG have going on (albeit both companies have eased-up on that). HTC included useful features and not to be different. BlinkFeed, Motion Gestures, and the Duo Camera are all assets.

Now, there are bound to be haters regarding the Duo Camera setup. However, I found the One (M8)'s camera to be perfectly able of producing clean shots. Sure, it does struggle in dark settings even with the dual-LED flash. Are there any phones that don't? I hung a canvas in my living room that is comprised of photos taken only by the One (M8).

There is no indication that HTC tossed around ideas and hoped it would all come together. The takeaway from the HTC One (M8) is that it feels complete.

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So that's our picks. We love to hear yours. Let us know in the comments.