Hottest 100 Christmas gadget guide
Christmas is not just a time for giving, but a time for gadgets. This is a compilation of the best technology from 2014 for you to wrap up for others, or yourself.
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Christmas is a not just a time for giving, but a time for gadgets. The Hottest 100 Christmas gadget guide compiles the best technology of 2014 for you to wrap up for others, or yourself. In this second chapter of the epic guide, Jennifer Dudley-Nicholson and Rod Chester make big calls on the best flagship and basic smartphones this holiday season.
FLAGSHIP SMARTPHONES
Samsung Galaxy Note Edge
This flagship smartphone delivers something never seen before in Australia: a curved edge. The “premium” version of the Note 4, aptly named the Galaxy Note Edge, offers a 5.6-inch screen with an extra spine that curves to the right, delivering app shortcuts, widgets, and a space for unorthodox, scrolling notifications. Other features include a 16-megapixel camera with optical image stabilisation, S Pen stylus, 2.7GHz quad-core chip, and crisp Quad HD screen.
Samsung
$1249
samsung.com/au
- Pros
- — First phone with curved edge
- — Excellent display resolution
- — Powerful multi-tasking software
- Cons
- — Curve reduces screen size to 5.6 inches
- — Won’t work with Gear VR headset
- — Not waterproof like the Galaxy S5
LG G3
There are plenty of reasons to choose LG’s top-of-the-line smartphone. Its 13-megapixel camera snaps sharp shots thanks to laser-guided autofocus, its take on Google Android software is an impressive balance between customised and uncluttered, and its 5.5-inch screen offers a high, Quad HD resolution. The On button at its back may take some getting used to, however.
LG
$729
lg.com.au
- Pros
- — Laser-guided, 13-megapixel camera
- — Crisp, 5.5-inch Quad HD screen
- — Customisable, user-friendly take on Google Android
- Cons
- — Can lag when redrawing homescreens
- — Not waterproof like some rivals
- — No fingerprint scanner for security
Sony Xperia Z3
This flagship phone has a camera like no other. Sony has upgraded the 20.7-megapixel shooter inside the Xperia Z3 so it shoots better photos in low light, thanks to an unprecedented 12,800 ISO. The new phone is also more waterproof than before, surviving dunks in up to 1.5m of water, and boosted its battery to 3100mAh. It’s a capable choice for photo-loving mobile photographers.
Sony
$849
sonymobile.com/au
- Pros
- — 20.7-megapixel camera with better lowlight performance
- — Waterproof and dustproof body
- — Two-day battery life
- Cons
- — 5.2-inch screen is not Quad HD
- — Persistent Google search bar on homescreens
- — No fingerprint scanner for security
Apple iPhone 6
The biggest change between this iPhone and the last is just that — it’s bigger. Apple has caved to demand and boosted its flagship phone’s screen size from 4.7 inches to 5.5 inches, and it’s a change for the better. Although it still has an 8-megapixel camera, the iPhone 6 has an improved autofocus system. Other changes include a faster chip, NFC for Apple Pay (yet to come to Australia), faster wi-fi, and improvements from iOS 8, from better ways to manage messaging to a new keyboard that suggests words as you type.
Apple
$860-$1129
apple.com/au
- Pros
- — 5.5 inch screen
- — TouchID fingerprint scanner
- — Better autofocus
- Cons
- — Battery life not as good as 6 Plus
- — Not waterproof
- — Apple limits use of NFC
Huawei Ascend Mate7
This fresh flagship from Chinese challenger Huawei is a solid phablet offering. For fewer dollars than its peers, the Mate7 offers a crisp 6-inch screen, a 13-megapixel rear camera, 5-megapixel front camera, and a fingerprint sensor on its rear panel for easy unlocking. The Mate7 also runs Google Android software quickly thanks to an eight-core chip and 3GB RAM, and it does so for some time thanks to a 4100mAh battery.
Huawei
$699
huawei.com/au
- Pros
- — Crisp, 6-inch touchscreen
- — Slender, 185g body
- — Massive battery for long life
- Cons
- — Less polished form than big-name rivals
- — Runs an older version of Google Android
- — Huawei adds its own software skin
BASIC SMARTPHONES
Sony Xperia Z3 Compact
This is indisputably the most powerful compact smartphone on the market. Despite its slender form, Sony has packed a 20.7-megapixel rear camera with greater lowlight sensitivity, 2.2-megapixel front camera, 2600mAh battery for two days of life, and a 4.6-inch screen into the same area a 4.3-inch screen once sat. Its slim body is also waterproof, making it handy at the beach, though its screen resolution remains the same.
Sony
$699
sonymobile.com/au
- Pros
- — Feature-packed device in smaller form
- — 20.7-megapixel camera
- — Waterproof body
- Cons
- — Screen resolution remains unchanged
- — Plastic trim may not appeal to everyone
- — Persistent Google search bar can annoy
Oppo N1 Mini
This “Mini” phone offers a 5-inch touchscreen so there’s a chance only the price is on the smaller side. This handset, from Chinese upstart Oppo, is unusual for its 13-megapixel camera that rotates up to 195 degrees around to service what’s in front of the phone as well as what’s behind it. It runs Google Android software with a 1.6GHz chip and 2GB RAM, making it functional but not speedy.
Oppo
$539
oppomobile.com.au
- Pros
- — Large screen for a budget phone
- — 13-megapixel camera
- — 4G connectivity
- Cons
- — Rotating camera vulnerable in a drop
- — Only modestly powerful
- — Only 720p screen resolution
Motorola Moto G 2014
You might not expect much smartphone for $299 but Motorola could change your view. The second Moto G released this year features a larger screen (now five inches), an 8-megapixel camera, front-facing cameras and space for a memory card. Dual SIM ports also feature in this phone for use with overseas SIMs. Its modest 1.2GHz chip and 1GB RAM is hardly cutting-edge, and it doesn’t connect to 4G networks, but the package is impressive value.
Motorola
$299
motorola.com.au
- Pros
- — Dual SIM ports
- — Eight-megapixel camera
- — Generous 5-inch screen
- Cons
- — No 4G connection
- — Screen offers only 720p resolution
- — Slower processor than many smartphones
Nokia Lumia 830
Microsoft calls this phone its “affordable flagship”. It offers a 5-inch touchscreen to show off the latest Windows 8.1 software, a generous 2200mAh battery, 1.2GHz quad-core chip, wireless charging, and a built-in motion sensor for use with fitness apps. Its 10-megapixel PureView Zeiss camera also features optical image stabilisation, and the phone comes in bright colours with a metal trim.
Nokia
$579
nokia.com.au
- Pros
- — 10-megapixel Zeiss-powered camera
- — Wireless charging for convenience
- — Attractive, colourful form
- Cons
- — Screen only features 720p resolution
- — 0.9-megapixel front-facing camera
- — Limited range of Windows apps
HTC One Mini 2
This smaller version of HTC’s flagship phone offers many of its headline features in a pocket-friendly package. That includes a metal body, dual front-facing speakers, and the company’s BlinkFeed social networking, news and calendar stream. It also adds a 13-megapixel rear camera and 5-megapixel front camera for sharp selfies. A 4.5-inch touchscreen shows it all off.
HTC
$599
htc.com/au
- Pros
- — Pocket-friendly at 137g
- — 13-megapixel camera delivers sharp results
- — 5-megapixel selfie camera
- Cons
- — Less powerful chip
- — Only 1GB RAM
- — Priced higher than rivals
Hottest 100 Christmas gadget guide
CHRISTMAS is not just a time for giving, but a time for gadgets. We've compiled the best technology from 2014 for you to wrap up for others, or yourself. Part 1: Cameras
Hottest 100 Christmas gadget guide
Christmas is not just a time for giving, but a time for gadgets. This is a compilation of the best technology from 2014 for you to wrap up for others, or yourself.