MWC 2015: The five best phones ranked and rated by 3dmobileworld Tech

The best and brightest from Barcelona.

MWC 2015 has seen its fair share of slick new devices, not to mention some major plans for how we’re going to use our phones in the future.

So, what has been the pick of the Barcelona show?

Is Samsung’s new Galaxy range enough to see off the ongoing threat of Apple’s iPhone?

And can HTC continue to make progress with its promising new One M9?

Ranked and rated, here are our five favourite new devices from MWC 2015.

1 Samsung Galaxy S6

Samsung’s latest, greatest flagship phone marks a huge departure from Galaxy S phones of old.

Gone is the hideous plastic which made last year’s S5 looks embarrassingly outdated.

In comes a new metal and glass design that finally puts Samsung in the same bracket as HTC and Apple when it comes to looks.

Indeed, the latter’s legal team may have something to say about the Galaxy S6’s design.

But that’s a debate for another day. A beefed-up processor, improved camera and less intrusive custom software make this the best phone revealed in Barcelona.

2 HTC One M9

It’s hard to argue with the highly anticipated HTC One M9.

2013’s M7 edition of the HTC One hit on a winning formula and by and large the Taiwanese company has stuck to its guns ever since.

That means the same all metal design which saw the M7 and M8 win plaudits, with a new 20-megapixel camera that finally ditches the Ultra Pixel tech which saw the snapper lag behind on older editions.

HTC reckons it’ll take better pics in low light. Its new Sense UI looks sharp and now has context aware apps which should put it in the same category as the excellent, if under utilised, Google Now.

3 Sony M4 Aqua

Sony has confirmed to us that it’s no longer going to release a flagship phone every six months.

That means MWC 2015 has been relatively quiet for the Big S in the phone stakes.

However, the new Xperia M4 Aqua is not to be sniffed at.

This mid–ranger is only set to cost €299 SIM free but packs an octacore processor, 13 megapixel camera and can withstand a soaking too. Sony may not be selling as many phones as it would like, but it’s still making impressive devices.

4 Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge

Samsung’s headline-grabbing act is certainly a cool and clever take on the modern smartphone.

Differentiating yourself with hardware is hard work these days, so kudos to Sammy for trying. However, it’s really hard not to see the Galaxy S6 Edge as little more than a gimmick.

The curved screens are cool, sure, but are they worth paying extra for? For us, at this early stage, no.

The best things about the Galaxy S6 Edge can be found in its regular stablemate: the same impressive, eyeball–stroking display, the fast processor, the improved UI and the top notch camera. Save your pennies.

5 Microsoft Lumia 640 XL

Microsoft hardly grabbed headlines at this year’s MWC. However, its Lumia 640 XL deserves a special mention.

The Big M has continued the recent Nokia tradition of wheeling out decent devices for not a lot of cash.

The 5.7–inch screen on this device packs a 1080p resolution. Not up there with the best, but then only true tech nerds can see the difference.

There’s a quad core chip, eight megapixel camera and a promise of an upgrade to Windows 10 later in the year.

The price? €189 up front. That works out at around £135. It may lag behind Android and iOS, but Microsoft can’t be accused of resting on its laurels.

Posted in: 3D HTC Mobile,HTC,HTC One,Samsung Galaxy S6