Best smartphones to look forward to in 2014

With the pace of smartphone evolution moving so fast, there's always something waiting in the wings. No sooner have you spied the latest handset, then there's anticipation of something else, the next big thing.

We've rounded up the best smartphones for 2014, those we consider to be the best across all platforms, and we've regularly updated that list as the smartphone world has evolved over the last year from 2013 in to 2014. You can find those in our Best smartphones 2014 feature.

Here we're looking at those phones that haven't yet launched, those we know are coming, or are anticipated. Some will be rumour, some will be fact, but here we'll cut through the speculation to highlight those phones we really want to see.

We'll be updating this list on a regular basis, with those device rumours we think are credible and exciting, and devices just announced but yet to hit the shelves. With Mobile World Congress 2014 bringing us a number of phones, there's plenty to consider.

HTC M8/new HTC One

We've known since July 2013 that the next HTC flagship handset is referred to internally as the HTC M8, the successor to the M7, the device that became the HTC One. With HTC saying that the "One" name is here to stay, it's safe to predict that the final commercial name will be new HTC One or HTC One (2014) or something like that.

As for the specs, it looks like HTC will be bringing the M8 up to the mark with a 2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset, a 5-inch 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution display and Android 4.4 KitKat with Sense 6.0. There's little to surprise in there and we suspect most of the attention will be on the metal body construction as HTC looks to repeat the luscious looks of the 2013 HTC One.

One change appears to be the addition of an extra camera sensor on the rear of the handset, designed to improve focusing, low light shooting and depth of field.

We'll be keeping a close eye on HTC and bringing you any news we hear on the next HTC handset. The HTC One will be launched on 25 March at an event in London and New York, so more will be revealed soon.

Samsung Galaxy S5

So many of the rumours weren't true. There's no bump in resolution, no metal body, no radical change in the UI. Instead there's a fingerprint scanner and a heart rate sensor, with Samsung eyeing-up fitness.

But the Samsung Galaxy S5 is still going to be one of the hottest phones of the year. It has a 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display with a 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution and there's no lack of power with a 2.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 chipset.

Speed is on the agenda with a 16-megapixel camera that will focus fast, as well as a Download Booster offering to pull in files over Wi-Fi and 4G simultaneously.

There's a whole collection of smart camera and software features, as well as a new focus on battery life, with the SGS5 offering a low power mode to make sure you stay connected for longer. The Samsung Galaxy S5 will be available globally on 11 April.

Sony Xperia Z2

The talk of Mobile World Congress has been the Sony Xperia Z2. It takes the Xperia Z1 - launched only 6 months ago - and refines it. The screen expands to 5.2-inches and it gets itself a 2.3GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor and 3GB of RAM, so it could be one of the fastest phones around.

It's large though, as the previous model was, but it's definitely better. With added software refinement and Android 4.4 KitKat, it's more polished and offers more features than the previous device.

Most of the rumours were true: there are front-facing speakers to boost the sound quality, but also noise cancellation through the supplied headphones. There's 4K video, as well as stabilisation.

There's no confirmed launch date, but we suspect April, although the phone is on pre-order for £599.

LG G3

LG has seen a return to form in 2013, with the LG G2 doing a lot to restore faith in the company's smartphone ambitions. That, and the new Nexus 5, see growing anticipation for LG's next flagship device, the LG G3.

The LG G3 is said to land with a 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution display, with a slight increase in size. One of the strengths of the G2 is packing a larger 5.2-inch display into a handset that's smaller than some rivals (like the Xperia Z1), so we'd expect to see the same again: more display without the bulk.

There's talk of LG using it's octa-core Odin chipset to power the G3, as well as looking at a fingerprint scanner for security.

LG G Pro 2

LG has now officially launched the LG G Pro 2, although it's initially a Korean handset only, with no news on whether we'll see it in other territories.

The LG G Pro 2 has a 5.9-inch 1080 x 1920 resolution display, 2.3GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset, 3GB of RAM, and LTE connectivity. The G Pro 2 has a 13-megapixel camera with optical image stabilisation on the rear, capable of 4K video capture.

It looks like a strong competitor for the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and should be a great phablet.

Nokia Lumia Icon

Nokia has been going from strength to strength in 2013, making Windows Phone a much more attractive proposition over the past 12 months. The best device so far has been the Lumia 1520, as it breaks new ground for Windows Phone, pushing the display resolution up and making better use of the space available.

The Nokia Lumia Icon brings those phablet skills down to a 5-inch device, but it's a Verizon exclusive. The Lumia Icon has a full HD display, along with a 20-megapixel PureView camera and a 2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset. That's something that might grab the attention of those getting tired of Android.

The Nokia Lumia Icon is now on pre-order, hitting stores on 20 February for $199 on a 2-year Verizon contract.

Nokia X

One of the most leaked phones, the Nokia X is something of an oddity. It's an Android phone, but has been removed from Google, so that you can have mixture of apps you'll find familiar from Nokia's Windows Phone. Falling somewhere between the too, you'll get access to Nokia's services, but it will also run Android apps.

There's no Google Play, however, but there will be a Nokia Store to give you apps and you can sideload apps. The biggest thing about the Nokia X, however, is price. They're affordable devices and although they won't give you the best of the smartphone experience, they might connect those who otherwise couldn't afford a smartphone.

Starting at €99, the Nokia X devices are definitely quirky.

Nokia Lumia 930

There's a new Nokia kid on the rumour block called the Lumia 930, said to be a 4.5-inch update of the 920/925 level of device. It's been mentioned that it will bring the top specs of the Lumia Icon to the rest of the world. Previously there was the Lumia 1520V, said to be a smaller version of the 1520, so we suspect they are the same handset.

The Lumia 930 is said to have a 4.5-inch 1920 x 1080 resolution display, a quad-core Snapdragon 800 chipset and a 20-megapixel PureView camera. With the Lumia 925 getting rather old, it sounds like a likely spec bump for this important flagship space for Nokia.

There's talk of a launch at Mobile World Congress 2014 at the end of February.

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is undoubtedly a great device. It's king of the phablets and has been a huge success for the company, helping remind us why big devices are also beautiful.

But for some, it's just too much. It's too big, it's too expensive and it's overkill: enter the Neo, to bring the Galaxy Note experience to a wider audience. Samsung has formally announced the Galaxy Note 3 Neo, but it looks like Neo won't be coming to the UK or US. Those in Poland, however, you're in luck.

The Galaxy Note 3 Neo features faux leather back, neatly dressing the 5.5-inch 720p AMOLED display, 1.6GHz quad-core processor and 8-megapixel camera. It sounds like the Note 2 in a new coat and that's pretty much what it is, with LTE thrown into the mix.

Nokia Lumia 620 review

Nokia made some nice high-end phones in years gone by, like, for example, the N95. But Nokia was never really about those phones, it was about affordable, reliable phones that everyone wanted to own, and that everyone could afford. There's not always money to be made at the top and bottom of the market, but if you can sell a lot of mid-range devices, you're likely to do well.

The Lumia 620 is something of a return to form. Removable covers, a sturdy feeling device, reasonable price and a solid operating system. It's all here, but with Nokia struggling to capture the market it used to dominate, does the 620 offer enough to lure people from those mid-range Android phones, or is it on a hiding to nothing?

Xpress-on covers!

We never understood the hysteria about interchangeable phone covers. Perhaps it's aimed at a demographic in which we do not belong. But they were a big deal on Nokias of old. And here, on the 620 they're back, to some extent.

Now, of course, covers are all about the back of your phone, because there's no front that isn't just screen. Nokia makes several different covers for the 620, but there's likely no end in sight for what third-party manufacturers will come up with. And, with the 820 Nokia has released 3D printing information, so customers can design and manufacture their own covers. It's only a matter of time before 620 owners can do the same.

What we love about the Nokia-supplied rear covers is that they have a two-tone free. This is most obvious on the lime green and yellow cover, where the outside is a fabulous bright green, but visible around the bezel is an inner yellow line. It looks top-notch and although green wouldn't be our first colour choice, it looks amazing.

Nokia sent us cases in white, bright blue, a pink and solid yellow. We liked them all, and they all cheer up the phone a great deal. Interestingly, all have a matte feel to them, except the lime green and yellow, which is very smooth and shiny.

Compact and solid

As for the rest of the design, beyond the cover, it's all quite standard.

On the right-hand side, there is a button for controlling the volume, power button and a hardware camera button. The micro-USB is at the bottom, leaving the left-hand side free of controls and sockets. On the top, there's a headphone connection and slip off the cover and you'll find the removable battery, microSD card slot and micro-SIM tray. We like how the 620 handles your SIM - it sits in a pull-out metal holder - it's a much more sensible method than others we've used and feels much less likely to get caught with hand-cut SIM cards.

The speaker is concealed at the bottom right of the phone, on its rear case. Covers therefore need to have a hole of some kind to allow the sound out unimpeded.

Interestingly, the headphone jack also forms part of the case, it connects to the phone with some recessed connections. This is worrying because if you pop the back on and off a lot, it could stop the headphone jack from working. And second, anyone who does want to make third-party or 3D printed cases will need to include this, adding to the complexity.

Screen and shout

The smallish screen was actually quite a surprise to us. At first glance, there's a little flicker and it looks like it might not be that good. But given a few moments during set-up - perhaps the coldness of the day and newness of the phone have a bearing - and things soon settled down. The screen is actually bright, more than bright enough to be seen outside, and reasonably detailed. We're not talking about high-end type resolution, but it's certainly good enough to use for any purpose.

Video looks great too. Fire up Netflix or any video app and you're looking at some really impressive quality within minutes. The screen also manages to control its brightness well - it's much less flighty in auto mode than most Android handsets we've seen and used.

Sound too, is an area in which the phone seems to punch above its weight. When it first rang, we were amazed by the amount of sound that came flooding out of the small speaker. It's loud enough to be heard in a busy room, or when tucked in your pocket. And when it comes to watching video, it's loud and clear too, so if you don't have headphones, or want to share with a friend - not on the N71 please - then that's an option too.

Via headphones, music sounded good, but not amazing. We flicked on Dolby Mobile though, and that seemed to improve the situation. Further improvements were to be had from tweaking the full EQ, and eventually we managed produce a sound that was very nice indeed. It might not be good out of the box, but there's certainly scope to get the sound you want from the 620.

Windows Phone 8

We've written about Windows Phone 8 at length, so there's no point going over it all here again. Let's say though, that we're fans. This might not be an operating system awash with third-party apps, but the favourites are here and work as well, or better, than they do on Android.

There are quirks, of course, but these are mostly quite minor troubles. We noticed that contacts from Google would sometimes be a bit sketchy. One of our friends, for example, could be found via the phone portion of the handset, but not via the SMS bit. Once we tweaked the options in his number to be a "mobile" not landline, we could see him in the text messaging area. It's sort of obvious why that's happening, but it still doesn't make any real sense.

In terms of apps, there's pretty much everything you want, although some parts are dire. Games, for example, are still a bit of a mess. But there are games, and when you play them there's no difference to how they work on Android or iOS. We love the fact that there's a Netflix app - that's a big part of our video-based entertainment these days. Twitter has an official app, it's beyond hopeless. When we tried it, it wouldn't let us sign in because our phone's clock was "set to the wrong time zone". It wasn't, but the Twitter app would have none of it, and refused to work.

Aside from that, the things you really want to do with the phone can be done out of the box, for the most part. Email support is utterly brilliant, with Hotmail - or Outlook.com as it's becoming - Gmail and Exchange support all provided without any real need to configure settings. It has to be said too, you'll love the Windows Phone email interface. It's clear, crisp and makes a lot more sense on these phones than the equivalents do on Windows 8.

The built-in keyboard is really good too, and that's something that honestly surprised us with a phone this small. The correction seems to get it bang on, most of the time, and the keys, while small, don't seem very hard to hit. It's actually just about the best virtual keyboard we've used, honestly. And voice recognition is good - actually, really good. In fact, it's usable for replying to text messages it's that good.

Navigation is good through Nokia Maps. It's a little less easy to use than Google Navigation, and it never feels quite as slicks as Google's app. But there's traffic information and the usual map and satellite views, which make it a decent tool for getting around. We like that you can download maps too, for when you're not in the UK and don't want to pay for data. Oh, and don't forget to download a voice pack too, so the phone can yell instructions at you. 

The SD Card

It's a bit confusing how Windows Phone handles SD cards. It turns out you can put music on your phone by simply chucking it on to a microSD card. Although the music app is, honestly, a little confusing and reluctant to tell you where it's sourcing its music. If you have an XBox music subscription, you can listen to lots of music while online. If not, then you'll be restricted to files on the phone or SD card.

If you're Windows 8 user, there's a "Windows Phone" app that allows you to copy data to and from the phone. It's a bit iTunes in some ways, as it also makes back-ups of your photos while you're syncing, which is nice. Music can be selected from your PC and synced via the app too, and it's both quick and easy to use, although it obfuscates what's going on, as is the current trend in Windows.

There's also Nokia Music, which is another way to get loads of free music. We love this service, and while it's somewhat limited, it's such a nice free benefit that it makes us smile every time we use it. Just as well there's Nokia Music though, because there's still no damn Spotify app. Boo!

When the phone detects a new SD card, it will also ask you if you'd like to use it for storing new photos and video. This is actually a very neat little feature, and we're pleased to see the phone using its brain, and asking logical questions, something that's all too rare in mobile devices.

Battery

The battery is our one area of real concern. It's a modest, 1300mAh pack, which we think will struggle to get you through a whole day, especially if you're using push email and surfing the web a lot.

The good news is that you can just plop it out, and shove a new one in if it does die. That won't suit everyone, and it's a massive faff, but it's a lot better than on most phones these days, with their absurd sealed-in cells.

Camera

We actually like the camera on the 620. It's not going to blow your socks off, but neither is it a disappointment. One of the things we like is that its modest megapixel count make images fairly small but the detail in them is good, colour natural and there is much less of that smooshyness you get in the fine detail on budget Android cameras.

Video at 720p is fine, especially for YouTube and Facebook. Detail isn't amazing but, we have to say, the autofocus is exceptionally good. It's both quiet and quick, and within a few seconds has a lock. It's also good in close up mode, so there's more to the video of the Lumia than perhaps we expected.

iPhone vs. Android vs. BlackBerry vs. Windows Phone - Which phone should you get?

2013 iPhone buyers guide: How to choose between the iPhone and other phones, including Samsung Galaxy, HTC One, Moto X, Nexus, Nokia Lumia, BlackBerry, and more!

Apple has released the brand new, top-of-the-line, flagship iPhone 5s and less-expensive, colorfully fun iPhone 5c. But is either of them the right phone for you? While everyone here at iMore certainly believes the iPhone is still the best phone for most people, most of the time, we're lucky that every major platform now has one or more great phones for us to choose from as well. The iPhone may have the best overall user experience, the highest quality apps and games, the widest range of services, the biggest selection of accessories, and the best customer support, but there are also things the iPhone doesn't offer that other phones do, like much larger screens, physical keyboards, high power cameras, greater hardware options, or simply no Apple about them. How do you know which one is for you? Keep reading!

Most delightful interface and experience

Apple prioritized iPhone user experience from the get-go. It didn't have as many features as other phones of the time, but it had an interface that made every other phone look obsolete by comparison. From slide to unlock to pinch and zoom, it became a mainstream sensation. Over time, Apple's built on that with everything from FaceTime for incredibly easy video calls to Siri for incredibly engaging voice control. A lot of other companies throw a lot more features at the wall, hoping something sticks. Apple's focus on the best, more coherent, most usable features. iOS 7 makes it even better. They re-built the entire interface on top of a game-style physics and particle engine, so it's even more discoverable, playful, and powerful than ever before.

Plus, with the new iPhone 5s, you get Touch ID, a breakthrough fingerprint scanner that lets you unlock your iPhone and buy from the App Store and iTunes Store without having to enter any long, difficult passwords. Simply touch your finger to the Home button and you're in. And it can recognize up to 5 distinct fingerprints!

• Learn all about iOS 7
• Lean all about using the iPhone

Highest quality apps and games

Apple is neck-in-neck when it comes to sheer number of items in the App Store, but they're still way ahead when it comes to the quality of items in the App Store. Sure, every platform has more than its fair share of junk, but the best of the App Store is still unmatched. There's a simple reason for that: Early iOS developers came from the very design-centric, experience-centric Mac developer community. That set the bar very high. Likewise, some of the biggest and best gaming franchises came to the iPhone early, and still come to the iPhone first. While you can get a lot of name brand apps on multiple platforms now, many of the boutique apps are still iOS exclusive, including Tweetbot, Fantastical, Drafts, Screens, Twitterrific, Vesper, Launch Center Pro, Infinity Blade, Tiny Wings, Letterpress, and more. That's not even including Apple's own apps, some of the best in mobile, like GarageBand, and iMovie. Other platforms are attaining breadth. iOS has kept ahead on depth.

• Best apps for iPhone

Widest range of services

When you get an iPhone, not only do you get instant access to all of Apple's great services, like iCloud backups, and iTunes in the Cloud re-downloads, but you also get access to pretty much all of Google and Microsoft/Nokia's best services - like Gmail, Google Maps, Chrome, Google Drive, Google+, Hangouts, Outlook, SkyDrive, Bing, Skype, Here Maps, and BBM (BlackBerry Messenger) coming soon, and to the best third party services like Dropbox, Box, Spotify, Songza, Pandora, Netflix, Amazon Kindle and video, HBO Go, Hulu Plus, and many more. Apple doesn't offer their stuff on any other phones, but almost everybody offers everything on iPhone.

Biggest selection of accessories

From protective to decorative cases, to macro and wide-angle camera lenses, the choice of iPhone accessories remains the best of any phone on the market. Part of that is due to the iPhones popularity. Part of that is due to Apple releasing new designs only once every couple years, and keeping designs on the shelf for 3-4 years. That means accessory makers can sell the same accessory for a lot of phones, for a long time, which is the best thing in the world for them - and for iPhone owners. Instead of worrying about making something for a wide range of phones, they can concentrate on making a wide range of things for the iPhone. No matter what kind of case you want, what capacity battery charger, what kind of photo mount or lens, what type of Bluetooth accessory, chances are you won't only find it, you'll find several different options to choose from.

• iMore store iPhone accessories
• Amazon iPhone 5s accessories
• Amazon iPhone 5c accessories

Best customer support

If you have an Apple Retail Store near you, there's no point choosing any other phone. Apple will not only sell you an iPhone, but they'll help you set it up and show you how to use it, give you free lessons on all the main features. More importantly, if anything goes wrong, they'll fix it for you or swap it for a new phone, usually while you wait. You can make a Genius Bar appointment, walk in with a broken iPhone, and thanks to Apple customer service and iCloud, walk out half and hour later with a replacement phone containing all of your stuff, that's essentially a clone of the one you walked in with. No one else comes close to matching Apple's level of customer service. Appallingly, no one else even tries.

• Find an Apple Store near you

iMore!

Even though the iPhone's user experience is unmatched, the app, accessory, and services unequaled, and the customer service the best in the business, there's still more you may need. That's where iMore comes in. We'll help you get used to your new iPhone, help you figure out which are the best apps, accessories, and services for you, and help show you all the things you can do with it, like photography, music, and more. And when you're ready, we'll help you upgrade to your next phone. Whether you keep up with us on the web, with our iPhone app, or via RSS, Twitter, App.net, Facebook, Google+iMore, YouTube, or iTunes, or some other way, you'll quickly find out the iPhone doesn't only come with great stuff, it comes with a great community!

Who should get the iPhone?

If you want a phone that just works, and that has all the great user experience, app and game, accessory and services, customer support and iMore community benefits, then the iPhone is for you. It's smaller than many competitors these days, doesn't have a hardware keyboard, and there's no giant camera bolted on, but it remains the single best phone in the world at what it does, and what it does it does very, very well.

Unless you have a very specific set of requirements or use cases that make something else a better option for you - see below - get an iPhone. You'll be glad you did.

• Read the full iPhone 5s review
• Read the full iPhone 5c review

Who should get Android instead?

If you absolutely need a bigger screen, anything from 4.3-inches all the way up to 6-inch "phablets", you should get Android instead. Apple probably won't make any iPhone that size until 2014 at the earliest, so if you need something between a phone and a tablet, and can't afford both, or if you need something that emphasizes the computing device more than the mobile phone aspect, you'll have to go elsewhere. Both the 4.7-inch HTC One and the ironically named 4.3-inch HTC Mini are great phones with excellent build quality. Samsung isn't quite as well made, but the 5-inch Galaxy S4 and the 6-inch Galaxy Mega are extremely popular and very large respectively. Google's Moto X provides a big screen in a small package and includes highly customizable back plates. LG's Nexus is the best option for those who want a big screen and a stock Android experience.

• Everything you need to know about Android, Samsung, HTC, Motorola, LG, and more

Who should get BlackBerry instead?

If a physical keyboard and a focus on communications above everything else are a deal-breaker for you, then Apple's iPhone will never fit your needs. BlackBerry, however, is phenomenal at hardware keyboards. They also rebooted their operating system, bringing them fully into the era of modern smartphone. The BlackBerry Q10 is currently the latest, greatest high-end keyboard BlackBerry. The BlackBerry Q5 is lower-end but still terrifically tactile. If you simply insist on being old school, a few BlackBerry 7 devices remain on the market as well.

• Everything you need to know about BlackBerry, the Q10, Q5, and more

Who should get Windows Phone instead?

Windows Phones come in a variety of screen sizes and price points, and all run Microsoft's elegant Metro (sticking with it!) interface and experience. The biggest reason to go with Windows Phone - literally - is the amazing camera available on the Lumia 1020. It's almost like they grafted a dedicated point-and-shoot onto the body of a phone. It's also got a big screen and some of the best build quality in the business.

• Everything you need to know about Windows Phone, the Lumia 1020, and more

Still undecided?

If you're still not sure about the iPhone 5s or iPhone 5c - or even the still-on-the-market iPhone 4S! - jump into our iPhone discussion forums and the best community in mobile will happily help you out. If you're not sure in general, head on over to your local big box or carrier show and ask to try them out. Don't settle for dummy phones, ask to use demo units, and ask a lot of questions. Then dive into Android Central, Windows Phone Central, and CrackBerry and the experts there will help you make a final, fantastic decision