Best Android Smart Phones of 2014

There are now several manufacturers offering handsets that bring quality specs and yet come at a price that doesn't require you to take out a second mortgage or sign your life away to a carrier. In this article, we take a look at some of the best low-cost Android phones on the market.

Now, obviously the idea of “low-cost” is somewhat subjective. For some folks it is anything under $350, for others it might mean devices that are under $200. With this in mind, we’ll bring you a total of six devices: three that are under $200, and three that are under $350. This way everyone wins. We’ll also be sure to list a few honorable mentions and encourage our readers to let us know if there’s a phone you think deserves a mention for sporting reasonably solid specs at a rock bottom price.

Sony Xperia Z3

Sony's Xperia Z1 Compact was one of our favourite phones of early 2014, squeezing big performance into a lightweight, water-resistant chassis, and it's aiming to continue in the same vein with the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact. Price at Amazon $ 585.

Nexus 5

 If the Nexus 4 was a breakthrough for Google's smartphone brand, the Nexus 5 could well be the model that sees it stride ahead of the rest of the market. Why? Because it takes a successful formula and adds improvements all round, yet retains the big draw of the original – a very reasonable price. Price at Amazon $  420.

Samsung Galaxy s5

We wondered where the world's number one smartphone maker could go with the Samsung Galaxy S5. The Galaxy S4's 5in screen was already hitting the pocketable limit, and with so much tech already squeezed into that phone there surely wasn't much room for attention-grabbing extras. Available for $ 420.

Apple iPhone 6

 After years of mocking rivals for producing larger and larger screens, and sticking to its pocket-sized principles, Apple finally caved in this year, introducing not one larger-screened model, but two: the iPhone 6 with a 4.7in screen, and the iPhone 6 Plus with a 5.5in screen. It's quite a climb down on Apple's part, but it had to do it: another year with only a 4in screen on its flagship phone and consumers would have voted with their feet, steadily trickling away to Samsung, HTC, and LG's larger-screened alternatives. iPhone 6 is costing around $ 768.

HTC One M8

 The HTC One M8 is a smartphone with a lot to live up to. Its predecessor, the HTC One, was our favourite smartphone until the Nexus 5 rolled up – and in this generation it has tough competition on its hands already, in the form of the forthcoming Samsung Galaxy S5 and Sony Xperia Z2. You can get from Amazon at the cost of $ 650.

LG-G3

LG’s flagship phone, the LG G3, may not be the most recognisable of names, but its headline specs place it right alongside the big hitters of 2014. With a huge 5.5in "Quad HD" display and a host of upgrades over its predecessor, the G2, the G3 is gunning for top-flight rivals from Samsung, HTC and Apple. Pricing from $ 452.

Nokia Lumia 930

Nokia has announced three new smartphones – the Nokia Lumia 630 and 635, and the Nokia Lumia 930 – all of which will come with the new version of the mobile operating system preloaded. Available at Amazon for $ 478.