The 5 Best Phones I've Ever Owned, Ranked

My Top Five Favorite Phones of All Time

Throughout the years, I've owned numerous phones—both personal devices and those used for extended reviews at How-To Geek and affiliated publications. However, five stand out from the crowd, each memorable for its reliability, design, or significant upgrade from its predecessor. These are phones I used as my primary device for at least a year.

5. LG Nexus 5

Google's 2013 flagship, the Nexus 5 (an LG collaboration), made a lasting impression. Powered by a Snapdragon 800 chipset and running Android 4.4 KitKat, its 5-inch 1080p IPS display and 8MP camera were impressive for their time, especially upgrading from my previous Wi-Fi-only Samsung Galaxy Player 5. The speed and camera quality were outstanding. Android 4.4 KitKat remains a personal favorite Android version, and the inclusion of Google Now (the precursor to Google Assistant) and its informative home screen were highly beneficial. I particularly miss the clean Holo interface design and the superior functionality of the Google Now page compared to the modern Google Discover. Sadly, my Nexus 5 succumbed to hardware issues.

4. Motorola Moto G 4G

The 2014 Moto G 4G, a budget-friendly 4G phone, was a compact device with a 4.5-inch IPS LCD screen and a Snapdragon 400 chipset with 1GB of RAM. While speedy, the Android 5.0 update initially caused memory leaks, though later 5.1 updates and custom ROMs resolved this. My favorite feature was the interchangeable backplates—it came with black, but I added bright orange and white options. This customization, while not as extensive as Moto Maker on flagship models, was a welcome addition.

3. Apple iPhone 15

My current phone, the iPhone 15, is admittedly unremarkable in its uniqueness. Reviewed extensively for How-To Geek after its 2023 pre-order, it's provided reliable service for over a year with minimal issues. For me, this is the ideal smartphone experience. Folding screens, custom Android ROMs, and Linux devices present too many compromises for daily use. The 6.1-inch OLED display is superb (though I prefer a slightly smaller phone), the USB-C port is convenient, and the cameras are excellent. The 12MP 2x telephoto lens functions surprisingly well as a macro lens, although my Sony Alpha a5000 remains my go-to for professional-quality shots. Dual eSIM functionality is fantastic for travel, and I've utilized satellite connectivity several times. The iPhone 15 may lack flair, but its reliability and functionality make it one of my best phones. A battery replacement is planned later this year, but I anticipate continued use.

2. Samsung Galaxy S10e

The 2019 Samsung Galaxy S10e offered an affordable, compact flagship experience. I purchased it for its smaller size and the dual-SIM capability (crucial for international use). This phone excelled in many areas: a great 5.8-inch AMOLED screen, IP68 water and dust resistance, a headphone jack, multiple cameras, a blazing-fast side-mounted fingerprint scanner, and a microSD card slot. I still miss the instantaneous unlocking of the S10e's fingerprint sensor compared to the sometimes slower Face ID on my iPhone (especially when masked). However, battery life was limited by its size, and the camera processing (overly vivid) wasn't ideal.

1. Google Pixel (1st Gen)

The original Google Pixel remains my all-time favorite, used for the longest period. Purchased in 2016 (the smaller model, not the Pixel XL) after my Nexus 5X failed, it boasted a fantastic aluminum and glass design, a headphone jack, a decent fingerprint reader, and a USB-C port (years ahead of Apple's adoption). The camera was exceptional, consistently praised as one of the best smartphone cameras of its time. It served me well for years, with a battery replacement around year two. Its speed, reliability, excellent camera, and bootloader unlockability made it an exceptional device.

Honorable Mentions: While not making my top five, the extremely orange ZTE Open (Firefox OS), OnePlus 5T, and iPhone SE 2022 deserve recognition. The OnePlus 5T suffered from poor camera quality, and the iPhone SE 2022's Lightning port and LCD screen prompted my upgrade.

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