Our Top Three Android Phones For Christmas

With Christmas coming up, it can be hard to know exactly what to get the loved ones in your life. However, I've never seen someone turn their nose up at a new cellphone. For those buying Apple products as gifts there's not too much thinking involved as Apple sells 4 models of phone. However, it gets much more complicated on the Android side of things with hundreds of models from tons of manufacturers being released each year its hard to tell the gold from the pyrite. To help you out we've assembled a list of five of our favorite Android phones from five different categories.

Best High-End Phone

Samsung Galaxy Note 4

Samsung coined the phablet with the introduction of the original Galaxy Note and the Galaxy Note 4 is a culmination of their years of experience with the form factor. The design is sleek and feels and looks well built and feels great in one-handed use which is a concept phablets struggle with. The 5.7 inch Quad HD Super AMOLED screen has amazing fidelity and its 515 ppi (pixels per inch) push this phone's display far beyond what Apple has to offer. Add in the top of the line CPU and 3 GB of RAM, as well as S-Pen functionality and the increasingly rare ability to utilize microSD removable storage, and you've got one of the most feature packed phones available today. However, this all comes at a price. The Galaxy Note 4 is one of the most expensive Android phones available.

Price:From $299.99 (on contract) to $825.99 (MSRP)

Best Mid-Range Phone

Google Nexus 5

Although this phone debuted over a year ago, it still keeps up with the big boys. The Nexus 5 is a stripped down version of LG's G2 flagship device, but don't let the plain (though attractive) design ascetic fool you. The Nexus 5 was a powerhouse when it was released in October of last year and there still isn't really anything you can throw at it to make it stop. The camera leaves quite a bit to be desired compared to today's flagship phones, but is adequate for everyday needs. The Nexus 5, as one of Google's developer models, also receives updates straight from Google, meaning no having to wait for carriers to slowly distribute updates (if they release updates at all.)

Price: Starting at $349.99 for 16GB storage.

Best Looking Android Phone

HTC One M8

The HTC One M8's brushed aluminum unibody chassis just drips class, and is in my opinion the best looking Android phone on the market. HTC really outdid themselves and this is one of the few Android phones to reach the level of Apple's design ascetic. Adding to the allure are the two loud speakers on the top and bottom of the device that sound great and allow for a smartphone rarity which is stereo loudspeaker output. The M8 is no slouch when it comes to internals either, with a 1080p Super LCD 3 screen, Snapdragon 801 CPU and 2 GB of RAM, the HTC One M8 will smoothly sail for years to come.

Price:From $99 (on contract) to $699.99 (MSRP).