Top business smartphones of 2015
The smartphone. It’s our calendar, our point of email triage, our communications line to the world – and just one of the ways we get our jobs done. Smartphones have become a consumer must-have in Canada, but so much of what we do on them is related to our work, so we’re back with our annual review of what smartphones are best for business. Rather than ranking them, we’re giving you the details and letting you decide which device fits your needs.
Google Nexus 6P
Google offered two different Nexus phones for the first time in 2015, and the 6P is the premium handset manufactured by Huawei. Running stock Android Marshmallow 6.0, it’s the most attractive Android device on the market and may offer the best value.
Apple iPhone 6S
No review of top smartphones can be done without talking about the iPhone. While this year’s update with the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus was more about incremental improvements than big, flashy changes, it might be the best year to buy an iOS device yet – if that’s what you’re in the market for.
Sony Xperia Z5
The latest successor for Sony’s winning Xperia Z series continues to hit the mark, further improving on the series with killer features like a fingerprint unlock, a faster processor, and a better camera. The Android device may offer the best battery life on the market, which alone is worth the consideration of power users.
LG G4
LG has always come close to meeting the high standards set by other smartphone manufacturers, but fallen just short of matching them. The LG G4 sets out to change that trend with improved performance, some features you won’t find on other smartphones, and a really good camera. Plus, it’s not as hard a hit on your wallet.
Samsung Galaxy Note 5
Samsung Galaxy devices used to be different because of the large screen size they offered. Now that’s just the norm, so Samsung is making sure to put itself above the others with the most powerful hardware on the market, the best camera found in an Android device, and a solid design.
BlackBerry Priv
The BlackBerry Priv was one of the most attention-getting phones of the year – even topping Google’s search terms for technology in Canada – and for good reason, with BlackBerry featuring an OS made by another company for the first time. The phone also featured a unique slider design to give access to a full QWERTY keyboard and included unique security features for an Android device.
Read the full review. / Watch our video hands-on.
Samsung Galaxy S6
With its move to premium glass & metal materials for the body, the Galaxy S6 is the best looking device Samsung has ever made. A compact phone compared to others on the  market now, it still fits in a 5.1″ screen that is incredibly crisp. Add improved specs, updated fingerprint scanner, and an amazing camera and this device is tough to beat.
Motorola Moto X Play
Unlike the 2014 model, the Moto X Play is now more of a mid-range rather than premium device, but it’s easily one of the best mid-range Android smartphones you can buy today. Despite its lower specs on paper, the Moto X Play performs well, and its battery life is outstanding. It also has an excellent camera, and is one of the few smartphones to currently run the latest version of Google’s OS.
Google Nexus 5X
Regardless of which model you choose, Google’s new Nexus phones are amongst the best released this year, with the Nexus 5X boasting many of the no-compromise 6P’s advantages, including an excellent camera, Nexus Imprint fingerprint reader and all of the security advantages of running the latest version of Android, for a much more reasonable price.
Microsoft Lumia 950 XL
A premium device that can go toe-to-toe with the best Android and iOS phones on the market, the Lumia 950 XL is packed with features, such as a USB Type-C port, dual-SIM slots and an IR iris scanner, along with key features that other manufacturers have long forgotten, such as removable batteries and storage expansion. Unfortunately, it’s probably a bit too expensive for someone who wants to just try a phone running Windows 10.
