Top smartphone reviews of 2015

Last year our reviewers always had something interesting on their hands, but the fun for 2015 is now over. Time to see which of our reviews proved to be the most popular before CES kicks off and pulls the spotlight towards 2016 gadgets. This year marked a major turnaround for Samsung, which completely rethought its design with the Galaxy S6 and flexed its advanced manufacturing muscle with the Galaxy S6 edge. The S6 review was our most read this year and even then people were curious enough to check out the S6 edge review. The Galaxy S6 also starred in some of the best-read shootouts this year. Our Intergalactic camera shootout was the peak of the versus articles, but the S6 also brawled with the LG G4, HTC One M9, Apple iPhone 6 and Sony Xperia Z5. For all of Samsung's popularity, the Asus Zenfone 2 review breathed down the neck of the S6. That review was published a month later, so maybe with enough time the competitively priced mid-ranger could have taken the crown. Speaking of, the Motorola Moto G (3rd gen) review wasn't quite as popular as the Zenfone but it beat out all the rest for third place. LG's highlight was the G4, the V10 came too late in the game to score enough hits. At least LG had a flagship make its mark, our most-read Sony review was of the Xperia M4 Aqua. The Xperia Z3+ is much lower on the list and the Z5 isn't even on it. The rapid fire of Z3, Z3+ and Z5 may have caused some reading fatigue. Xiaomi did quite well too with the Mi 4i and Redmi 2 reviews garnering a lot of interest, ahead of other Android upstarts. If in 2015 you decided to take a break from fast-paced world of smartphones, now is a good chance to catch up with the reviews our readers found most interesting. .areview { border-bottom: 1px solid lightgrey; } .areview img { width: 288px !important; } Samsung Galaxy S6 review: Subject Zero The Samsung Galaxy S6 is not the next big thing. It's "project zero". The reboot. But was there really anything wrong with the S-line - the standard-setter, the home of the super droids? OK, design needed looking at for sure. But hey, other brands do facelifts - Samsung goes for a complete overhaul. Asus Zenfone 2 review: A balancing act World domination was surely on the mind of at least one top exec over at Asus headquarters, when the crew gathered to outline the Zenfone 2 game plan. The smartphone will be sold globally, and the stores in a few lucky countries already have their shelves well stocked. The company is aiming to sell 30 million phones this year, with the Zenfone 2 being a chief contributor to that number. Moto G (3rd gen) review: Good as gold It is hardly a surprise that the third generation Motorola Moto G is one of the most anticipated smartphones of 2015. After all, in less than two years after the first iteration of the smartphone (Moto G became the most successful phone in the company's history) made its debut, the Moto G product family has successfully redefined what a budget Android handset should look, feel, and perform like and how much it should cost. Galaxy S6 edge vs. Galaxy Note Edge: A camera shootout We had the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge with us for a short time so we took a stroll though Barcelona with a Galaxy Note Edge for an impromptu shootout. We also had an Apple iPhone 6 on hand so we snapped a couple of photos with that too. After all, with Samsung's new appreciation of metal frames the Galaxy S6 edge will look to attract converts. Galaxy S6 vs. Galaxy S5 vs. Note 4 vs. iPhone 6: Intergalactic camera shootout A quality camera has always been a big part of Galaxy flagships and Samsung is pushing new improvements every six months. The two-step cadence goes Galaxy S then Note then S again - we're at the Galaxy S6 step of this cycle and it's time for a retrospect of how image quality has developed since 2014. Samsung Galaxy A5 and A5 Duos review: Five star Samsung's newly found love for "premium build" is spilling down the ranks and if the new A-series get half the love and attention the S-line has been getting, it will be a job well done. The South Koreans are right to try and stir things up in the midrange to turn declining profits around. Flagships are to be admired from a distance, the average user would think, and spend their cash on gadgets that are simpler, safer and more...