New Android phones to get excited about in 2015

We've already seen some great smartphone releases in 2015, with the Samsung Galaxy S6, LG G4, HTC One M9 and Huawei P8 already gracing many people's palms. But the year is far from over and there's plenty more to come from the big manufacturers, as well as some possible surprises from up-and-comers. Read on for a list of the phones that AndroidPIT's most excited about seeing in 2015.




The next Nexus - Nexus 5 2015 ?

Google’s silly naming convention means we have no idea what the next Nexus will be called – the successor to the Nexus 6 can’t be the Nexus 7 – because Google used that two years ago for its 7-inch tablet, and some pundits believe Google will dump the brand completely in 2015. Who knows though, it could very well be the Nexus 6 2015.

Recent speculation suggests that Huawei will be at the helm of Google's next 2015 flagship, which would make sense for Google’s reach in China, and the company is already well-versed in producing quality hardware at attractive prices. Intriguingly, a Google video touting Project Fi revealed a mystery phone that many thought could be the next Nexus. The phone looks virtually bezel-less, and seems to have a similar design to the Nexus 5. Could this be the Nexus 5 2015? We hope so.

Xiaomi Mi5

Though it’s not sure that western markets are going to be able to get their hands on this one, we do know that Xiaomi is keen to enter the US market in the near future. This would suit us fine, because the Xiaomi Mi5 could be one of the best devices to ever be released on Android.

Rumors suggest the Mi5 will feature a bezel-less design, a 5.2-inch QHD display, and an octa-core Snapdragon 810 chipset with either 3GB or 4GB RAM. These fine specs could be rounded off by a 16MP camera and 3000mAh battery. It's early days yet, but we're excited already.

Project Ara

Project Ara won't produce a flagship. More intriguingly, it'll let you create your own phone, with your design, your preferred hardware and software features, and built to your own specifications. It will be unique to you, and this is why your phone might be the Android phone to get excited about in 2015.

We already got a glimpse at some of the capabilities of Project Ara - with unique components like a night-vision camera module - and the range of design opportunities that Project Ara presents are extremely exciting. Consider this: typical smartphone manufacturers can't include components to appeal to "niche" user interests because they are built to attract as wide a demographic as possible. It's not built for you, it's built for everyone. Project Ara is going to change this. What are you into? What do you want to see from a smartphone? Project Ara will let you create your own answers to these questions.
Project Ara: everything you need to know

Oppo Find 9

Chinese manufacturer Oppo brought a fantastic phablet to the Android table last year with the Find 7. It's no easy task to compete with the other names that dominate Android, but Oppo is doing just that, and we fully expect a Find 9 to appear later this year to take Oppo's intrepid journey into smartphone manufacturing to the next level.

Details on the Find 9 are a little thin at the moment, but early signs indicate Oppo could be pursuing a bezel-less design like the Sharp Aquos Crystal for the Find 9, on a square device bearing little semblance to the Find 7. Rumors suggest it could also feature a 5.5-inch QHD display, Snapdragon 810 octa-core chipset, and 4GB RAM, so it should be powerful as well as pretty.

Sony Xperia Z4 / Z4 Ultra

The Xperia Z4 had a surprisingly muted release in Japan in mid-April. It looked like a decent handset, following a similar design philosophy to its predecessor while kitting out the internals with a Snapdragon 810 octa-core chipset and shaving a few decimals of a millimetre off in thickness. It's still waterproof too, though this time there is no unwieldy flap covering the microUSB port.

In truth, the model that's being released in Japan didn't excite us too much either, but we're intrigued by rumors of an Xperia Z4 Ultra being in the works, which could pack a 5.5-inch QHD display, along with a metallic slate design.

There is a lot of speculation right now about what form the Xperia Z4 will take when it appears in the west - (Ultra version, compact, improved specs?) - so we're excited what it offers when it hopefully makes an appearance at IFA 2015 in September
Sony Xperia Z4 release date, news, specs and rumors

Samsung Galaxy Note 5

Thanks to the iPhone 6 Plus, Samsung no longer has the premium phablet market to itself - even though it created that market when everybody else was still mocking the idea of big-screened phones. That means the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 needs to be something special - a true Android phone to get excited about.

Rumors suggest an Ultra HD 4K display and a camera with up to 55 megapixels, although that resolution is possible rather than definite so far - if Sony’s sticking to 21 MP the presence of a higher resolution sensor in the Note 5 might be a gimmick rather than a great leap forward. In light of the success of Samsung's in-house Exynos chipset in the Galaxy S6, there are big question marks over whether Samsung would go back to a Qulacomm Snapdragon for the Note 5.If Samsung chooses to go with an Exynos - which we think is more likely - then that could spell the end of Samsung's relationship with Qualcomm for flagship phones.

We’d like to see wireless charging and two-day battery life too. The latest word on the grapevine suggests that the Note 5 could come with a dual-edge design, which we wouldn't mind one bit - if it's not too expensive.
Galaxy Note 5 news and rumors

OnePlus Two

Some firms could teach Google a thing or two about sensible names - the next OnePlus handset is almost certainly going to be called the OnePlus Two. After a split with Cyanogen Inc, OnePlus is going it alone and has already developed a new OS, Oxygen OS, for its second device. Here are the differences you should know about between Cyanogen OS and Oyxgen OS.

The now-familiar blend of great hardware and provocative marketing is likely to continue, and the device, currently codenamed Lettuce, should pack a 64-bit Snapdragon and Lollipop for a very good price. Count on OnePlus's invite-only purchase system to return also.
OnePlus Two release date, specs, news and rumors

Motorola Moto X 2015

The Moto X (2014) is a great phone at a great price, and we’re hoping the 2015 version addresses some of its weaknesses: the rubbish battery, the mediocre camera, the just-OK screen and the lack of stereo speakers and microSD slot. But will that be enough to keep Moto at the top of the table?

Which Android phone are you most looking forward to in 2015?