Dozens of smartphones have been released in the past year alone, each claiming that it is the latest “flagship” and “top of the line.” Among these phones are the Samsung Galaxy 6, Note 5, and the iPhone 6S. Along with these phones come updated and refreshed operating systems – iOS 9 for iPhone and Lollipop for Androids.
In terms of new features, iOS 9 includes split screen on multiple devices, added Notes integration through Safari and other applications, improved native Maps functionality and new shortcuts. As for under the hood upgrades, iOS 9 offers improved battery life and security as well as responsiveness in regards to animations, scrolling and CPU and GPU efficiency. All of these new features work perfectly together on the new iPhone 6S, which has new hardware such as an upgraded processor and 2GB of RAM.
Helena Rasul, who has been using the iPhone 6 for the past few months and has iOS 9 on her phone, states that “The hardware of the phone is beautiful and is a total upgrade from the 4S that I used to have. The camera is amazing and has an 8MP capture, and the one on the front is perfect for FaceTime and Skype. When it comes to the software, I use the new Notes feature that’s built in for when I’m reading an article online.”
Nick Beltran, an avid Android user who purchased the Note 5, remarks that “I tend to use/check my phone about 4 hours a day. This system, the Note 5, is really good for allowing me to waste my time with other things. For example, I really love fighting games. Being able to check messages quickly and without having to unlock my phone every time is great so I can jump right back into the action.”
Updates for Lollipop include a flat redesign, clearly and beautifully showcased on the new S6 and S6 Edge. There is also a new sync feature which picks up your browsing, searches, songs that you recently played and pictures that you looked at and makes them viewable across all devices, with the goal of enhancing productivity. There are also more discreet notification settings for your lock screen and even more security features like Guest Mode. The most notable competitor is the S6 Edge, mostly because of its design. It has curved edges which complement its 2560 x1440 pixel Quad HD Super AMOLED display, making colors pop and games look gorgeous – even if used for just productivity. All in all, these phones are the main competitors for the best flagship smartphones this year.
