![]() |
Regular readers might have noticed — okay, must have noticed — that while we're consistent in standing behind our expert opinion, we live in no ivory tower and actively labor to include you into the conversation. For the most part, we do this through surveys (or polls), which typically garner a lot of attention and occasionally spawn some very interesting discussions. It's a sort of a win-win, as it's beneficial for both sides: we all learn something new every week.
In a bid to keep this spirit alive, instead of limiting the obligatory year-end look back and awards process, we thought we'd garner them currently trending PhoneArena Awards series with a Reader Awards counterpart. So instead of the editorial team at PhoneArena calling the shots, this time around we concede the stage to you — if temporarily — and give YOU the opportunity to crowd-source 2015's best in tech. At the very least, subsequent comparisons with the two competing selections ('ours' and 'yours') will give you some extra ammo for 2016.
Let's start with the three most important categories: Best smartphones, Best large smarpthones, and Best value-for-money phones of 2015.
Smartphones
![]() |
Phonearena polls
sort by
- PhoneArena Reader Awards: Best smartphone of 2015
- Apple iPhone 6s 15.97% (594 votes)
- Asus ZenFone 2 1.02% (38 votes)
- BlackBerry PRIV 2.74% (102 votes)
- Google Nexus 5X 2.66% (99 votes)
- HTC One M9 1.18% (44 votes)
- HTC One A9 0.73% (27 votes)
- Huawei P8 1.69% (63 votes)
- LG G4 9.01% (335 votes)
- OnePlus X 0.51% (19 votes)
- Microsoft Lumia 950 3.63% (135 votes)
- Motorola X Pure Edition (2015) 5.73% (213 votes)
- Motorola DROID TURBO 2 2.34% (87 votes)
- Motorola DROID MAXX 2 0.38% (14 votes)
- Samsung Galaxy S6 16.26% (605 votes)
- Samsung Galaxy S6 edge 25.59% (952 votes)
- Sony Xperia Z5 7.93% (295 votes)
- Sony Xperia Z5 Compact 2.63% (98 votes)
3720 votes
Phonearena polls
sort by
- PhoneArena Reader Awards: Best large smartphone of 2015
- Apple iPhone 6s Plus 9.85% (363 votes)
- Huawei Mate S 1.98% (73 votes)
- Google Nexus 6P 18.81% (693 votes)
- LG V10 8.52% (314 votes)
- Microsoft Lumia 950XL 4.51% (166 votes)
- OnePlus 2 1.38% (51 votes)
- Samsung Galaxy Note 5 35.86% (1321 votes)
- Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+ 8.17% (301 votes)
- Sony Xperia Z5 Premium 9.99% (368 votes)
- Xiaomi Mi Note Pro 0.92% (34 votes)
3684 votes
Phonearena polls
sort by
- PhoneArena Reader Awards: Best value-for-money phone of 2015
- Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3 2.97% (97 votes)
- Asus ZenFone 2 14.14% (462 votes)
- BLU Pure XL 2.27% (74 votes)
- Meizu m2 note 3.83% (125 votes)
- Microsoft Lumia 640 7.16% (234 votes)
- Motorola Moto G 2015 23.17% (757 votes)
- Motorola Moto E 2015 1.99% (65 votes)
- OnePlus 2 18.3% (598 votes)
- OnePlus X 15.55% (508 votes)
- Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 8.2% (268 votes)
- ZTE Axon 2.42% (79 votes)
3267 votes
Tablets and smartwatches
![]() |
The remaining two award categories aren't unimportant, of course, but are both relatively minor in comparison to the smartphone group: Best tablets and Best smartwatches of 2015. So they're part of the second wave.
With tablets, it's hard to argue against their declining relevancy in the market, with sales shriveling significantly as of late. There have been many proposed reasons for this drop in appeal, with their considerably longer life (you don't necessarily need the latest and greatest in order to simply consume media, which is what tablet users do most) and the rise of large-screened smartphones being central. Especially in terms of phablets, the line between a tablet and a really big phone have started blurring, and so people feel less and less inclined to invest extra money into dedicated devices that overlap in functionality with their handhelds.
As for smartwatches, even with most of the major players now part of the still nascent industry, demand is overall rather tepid. It'll be a while longer, perhaps, until manufacturers figure out some truly nifty use for these small wrist computers, or maybe they'll forever remain a tiny category that, ultimately, was over-hyped.
Our own musings aside, how do you vote?
Phonearena polls
sort by
- PhoneArena Reader Awards: Best tablet of 2015
- Apple iPad mini 4 7.56% (171 votes)
- Apple iPad Pro 12.28% (278 votes)
- Asus ZenPad S 8.0 1.06% (24 votes)
- Google Pixel C 8.13% (184 votes)
- Huawei MediaPad X2 2.43% (55 votes)
- Lenovo YOGA Tab3 Pro 1.63% (37 votes)
- LG G Pad X 8.3 1.24% (28 votes)
- Microsoft Surface Pro 4 43.97% (995 votes)
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8-inch 3.54% (80 votes)
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 9.7-inch 6.72% (152 votes)
- Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet 11.44% (259 votes)
2263 votes
Phonearena polls
sort by
- PhoneArena Reader Awards: Best smartwatch of 2015
- Apple Watch 14.22% (308 votes)
- Asus ZenWatch 2 2.4% (52 votes)
- Huawei Watch 13.16% (285 votes)
- LG Watch Urbane 8.82% (191 votes)
- Motorola Moto 360 2015 21.7% (470 votes)
- Pebble Time 2.77% (60 votes)
- Samsung Gear S2 36.33% (787 votes)
- Withings Activité 0.6% (13 votes)
2166 votes