Smartphone buyer's guide: April 2016

€300-€400

We skipped its siblings, but the Xiaomi Mi 4s is not easy to overlook. We supposed not long since this is published, the price will fall to the sub-€300 range (it's off by just a few euro) and it's easily better than the 4i and 4c, assuming you can find a unit.

So, c, s, i, what's in a letter? The Mi 4s uses the same Snapdragon 808 chipset as the 4c, but you get 3GB of RAM as standard and 64GB of storage, plus (!) a microSD slot. This is the big thing - the others have limited storage, this is well above average. And for once, the hybrid slot isn't such a hassle, even if you use a second SIM you're still left with plenty of storage.

You still get a 5" 1080p screen, a 13MP/1080p camera, but the 3,260mAh battery offers better endurance (almost a day over the 4c). The Xiaomi Mi 4s is the only one of the three with a fingerprint reader too. So, while it's €50 or so pricier, you really get your money's worth.

The Huawei Honor 7 is in the same "just over €300" category and it too is a metal-clad phone. It has a slightly bigger screen, at 5.2" 1080p, and you're getting an Android 6.0 Marshmallow update. The GPU performance is nothing special and the battery life is not as good as the Mi 4s'.

The camera sounds more impressive with a 1/2.4" sensor with 20MP resolution, though it still tops out at 1080p videos, which are of very poor quality. At least the selfie cam is higher resolution (8MP vs. 5MP). There are a couple of versions - both with 3GB RAM and a microSD slot while the built-in storage is a choice between 16GB, 32GB (for the Enhanced version) and 64GB.

We talked about the Galaxy S5 in the previous chapter, but for less than €50 more you can get the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016). Sure, it's not water proof, but it looks better with its metal frame and two 2.5D Gorilla Glass panes.

The 13MP f/1.9 camera also has optical image stabilization, which didn't arrive in the S-series until the S6. The chipset is nothing special though, and so you lose 2160p video. Unlike the Galaxy S5, though, the Marshmallow update for this one is yet to be confirmed. Also, the battery is sealed, but you get more mileage out of it.

The HTC One A9 is an all-metal alternative to the Galaxy, with an excellent 5" 1080p AMOLED screen to boot. Also, it launched on Android 6.0 Marshmallow, so no worrying about upgrades, and its 13MP camera has OIS (but can't record 2160p video either).

This phone will lead the midrange of HTCs offerings, with the HTC 10 as the flagship (its design was based on the A9). The battery life is a bit of a disappointment though, the small 2,150mAh unit is only good for 46h between charges. It's pricey compared to the A5 (2016) and downright expensive compared to the (much less attractive) Galaxy S5.

A €100 upgrade over the Z3 Compact, but the Sony Xperia Z5 Compact pays off with a next-gen 23MP camera (1/2.3" sensor) and a new chipset (Snapdragon 810). You also get a fingerprint reader. On the downside, the battery got a small bump in capacity but the new chipset dropped the Endurance to a still-great 86 hours. Also, the sides of the phone do not look as good.

Time to venture into the larger screen sizes, let's go really big - the 6" Sony Xperia C5 Ultra Dual comes to mind. Besides the large 1080p screen, the phone also boasts a wide-angle 13MP/1080p selfie camera with flash, which is almost identical to the 13MP/1080p camera on the back.

The C5 Ultra has relatively slim bezels, but it would never be called "compact." The glossy finish doesn't look great at this size and, more disappointingly, you only get a 2,930mAh battery that offers 62h of Endurance (56h if you use two SIMs). 1080p video quality is not perfect and there's no 2160p option.

Let's reign in the size and look at a couple of upgrades over the previous chapter. The LG G4 improves the image quality of its 5.5" QHD screen compared to the G3. The camera is an even bigger improvement and the 16MP optically stabilized shooter produced some of the best photos and 2160p videos we saw last year. It has a bright f/1.8 lens and Laser AF to help out the big 1/2.6" sensor and the video mode has extensive manual controls.

The design is slightly curved and we're particularly fond of the genuine leather back options (a feature normally reserved for much more expensive phones; the plastic cover isn't very nice).

The Motorola Moto X Style builds on the X Play from the previous chapter. It has a bigger, sharper screen, at 5.7" QHD, and a more powerful chipset (same as the G4). It features the same IP52-certified water resistant coating too.

It does improve the camera with 2160p video and the 5MP selfie cam has an LED flash. The Moto X Style also boasts stereo speakers around the screen. Not bad for a €100 upgrade. If you're ready to spend a bit extra, the Motomaker offers leather and wood back options too, so you get more choices than even the LG G4 offers.

€300-€400 we skipped and why

The HTC One M9 falls in this price range as the One A9 and it offers stereo speakers, faster chipset and a 20MP camera with 2160p videos over the A9. The former flagship has a similar 5" 1080p screen (LCD) and better battery life to boot, plus an upgrade to Marshmallow.

Unfortunately for HTC, the One M9 never found much success and it represents an end of the line. The phone had its issues - unstable performance (throttling kicks in after the S810 chipset heats up), the camera produces noisy photos and the 2160p videos are not the best, the bezels around the screen make the phone bigger than a 5" handset needs to be. Still, some might pick it over the A9.

HTC One M9

Then there's the OnePlus 2. The brand has some dedicated fans, but we just didn't find its second-generation device compelling enough to pick over the LG G4. They are both different and similar at the same time.

The OnePlus 2 boasts a 5.5" screen (but 1080p), a Snapdragon 810 chipset (but downclocked), a 2160p camera with OIS and Laser AF (but 13MP stills), 64GB storage option (but no microSD slot), optional wood and carbon backs, the list goes on.

OnePlus 2

In this chapter we skipped the Huawei G8 because the Honor 5X is just better value, the Huawei Mate S deserves more attention. It boasts a 5.5" screen - an AMOLED! - in its all-metal body.

While we're fans of AMOLED, the Mate S just doesn't offer enough over the 5X to justify the price premium of about €150. It still has a 13MP/1080p camera (with a bigger sensor and OIS, though), the chipset is faster, but the battery capacity and life dropped.

Huawei Mate S