Smart buys: four previous-gen smartphones worth buying today at discounted prices
As smartphone makers get around to introducing new models, it's only natural to see the old ones being offered at discounted prices. However, as it turns out, not all smartphones are created or priced equal.
In some cases, devices that have lost their appeal as months passed largely maintain their launch-day price. In other cases, however, smartphones that still pack a mean punch are offered at hefty discounts.
We did some digging around, and we're ready to talk about the top five 2015 smartphones that are worth purchasing in March 2016.
Keeping the lights on is a 3000mAh battery, that offers only average autonomy. However, you can always buy a second battery and take advantage of the phone's ability to swap batteries on the go.
Other advantages include the 16MP primary camera, one that offers a manual mode to facilitate the capture of amazing photos in the hands of a skilled photographer, as well as a tanned leather back option that adds a bit of elegance to what's otherwise an unimpressive build. Furthermore, the device has been already updated to Android 6.0 Marshmallow, and will probably get the next major Android iteration as well.
Compared to the new LG G5, the G4 is far less impressive, that's for sure. On the other hand, the new LG G5 will be priced at about twice as what its predecessor is currently going for. Currently sold at the price of a mid-range model, the LG G4 is definitely worth buying today.
The Samsung Galaxy S7 may be the talk of the town today, but its predecessor, the Galaxy S6, is still one of the best Android smartphones you can currently get your hands on. At the moment, an unlocked Samsung Galaxy S6 with 32GB of internal storage and one year of US warranty goes for just $479.99.
On the software side, the Galaxy S6 is currently being updated to Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Unfortunately, it looks like Samsung has delayed updating its 2015 flagships to the latest version of Android, which makes us a bit skeptical about the phone getting a timely update to Android N.
With the Galaxy S7 just around the corner, chances are that the Galaxy S6 will start being offered at even lower prices, so keep your eyes open for hot deals on the phone.
At $349, the Motorola Nexus 6 is still a decent pick for a beastly-sized Android phablet with the promise of timely Android updates - both major launches and security patches - by the end of the year.
In some cases, devices that have lost their appeal as months passed largely maintain their launch-day price. In other cases, however, smartphones that still pack a mean punch are offered at hefty discounts.
LG G4
The LG G4 landed back last April 2015 as a sub-premium smartphone. At the moment, T-Mobile is selling the handset for just $350 up front, while B&H Photo Video has the unlocked flavour of the phone available at $380.
The handset may be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 chipset - a SoC that integrates a hexa-core CPU, not an octa-core one like the Snapdragon 810 - but the overall performance of the phone is quite satisfactory. In the memory department, the LG G4 comes with 3GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, as well as a microSD card slot.
Keeping the lights on is a 3000mAh battery, that offers only average autonomy. However, you can always buy a second battery and take advantage of the phone's ability to swap batteries on the go.
Samsung Galaxy S6
The Samsung Galaxy S7 may be the talk of the town today, but its predecessor, the Galaxy S6, is still one of the best Android smartphones you can currently get your hands on. At the moment, an unlocked Samsung Galaxy S6 with 32GB of internal storage and one year of US warranty goes for just $479.99.
The Exynos 7420 chipset is paired with 3GB of RAM to offer sufficient processing power for any task you can imagine while the 5.2-inch 1440x2560 Super AMOLED display offers one of the best multimedia experiences on any smartphone. Other advantages include a beautiful glass-and-metal sandwich design, a 16MP primary camera that offers excellent performance, as well as an accurate fingerprint sensor.
On the software side, the Galaxy S6 is currently being updated to Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Unfortunately, it looks like Samsung has delayed updating its 2015 flagships to the latest version of Android, which makes us a bit skeptical about the phone getting a timely update to Android N.
Motorola Nexus 6
The Motorola Nexus 6, the original premium Nexus phablet, launched all the way back in September 2014. Following the launch of the Huawei Nexus 6P, Motorola has since discontinued the Nexus 6, but the phone can still be purchased unlocked from Amazon, where it's currently going for $349.99.
In terms of processing power, the Nexus 6 is able to handle almost everything you throw at it, despite the fact that the Snapdragon 805 chipset is a bit outdated by modern flagship standards. Other notable specs include a massive 6-inch display with a resolution of 1440 by 2560 pixels, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage space, and a 13MP primary camera.
Like all Nexus smartphones, a major strong point of the Nexus 6 is the promise of timely Android updates. The device currently runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow, and it will get also get Android N when the new OS version launches later this year.
At $349, the Motorola Nexus 6 is still a decent pick for a beastly-sized Android phablet with the promise of timely Android updates - both major launches and security patches - by the end of the year.
If you want to get an inexpensive Android smartphone, check out the Motorola Moto G (2014). The 8GB version of the handset is currently available for just $100 at multiple retailers.
Definitely, the specs of the Motorola Moto G (2014) are not going to impress anyone after 18 months of commercial availability. Before shrugging at the hardware specs, however, do bear in mind that we're talking about a smartphone that costs just $100 unlocked.
The 2014 Motorola Moto G comes with a 5-inch IPS display running a resolution of 720 by 1280 pixels. The processing power is ensured by a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 chipset paired with 1GB of RAM. In the imaging department, the Moto G (2014) features an 8MP primary camera and a 2MP secondary shooter on the front.
The 2014 Motorola Moto G comes with a 5-inch IPS display running a resolution of 720 by 1280 pixels. The processing power is ensured by a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 chipset paired with 1GB of RAM. In the imaging department, the Moto G (2014) features an 8MP primary camera and a 2MP secondary shooter on the front.
Also notable is the fact that the Moto G (2014) is now being updated to Android 6.0 Marshmallow in the US.
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