There’s no denying that smartphones are the predominant consumer technology in the world at the moment. Over a billion smartphones were sold each of the past two years, with growth coming in at a fairly impressive 23 percent from 2013 to 2014. Growth is projected to decrease slightly in future years (around 12 percent in 2015), but it’s obvious by now, smartphone usage will be the principal manner people will access the Internet going forward.

As a result, manufacturers look to take advantage of this trend by releasing devices cyclically. One problem many of these manufacturers are having is that devices that were built two years ago aren’t that much different than the ones that are being offered at a premium price today. While this hasn’t halted demand for these devices, manufacturers will need to find other options to outfit their newest offerings with. Here are three devices that will be available in the coming months, each with a different operating system. Each is designed to be the OS’ flagship device, and while there’s plenty of competition from other manufacturers, these three present users the options and functionality they are looking for in a high-end smartphone purchase.

Samsung Galaxy Note 5
Samsung is the talk of the industry today. With their line of s-model phones and Note phablets, they have sold more smartphones over the past two years than any other manufacturer; cornering nearly a quarter of the market in 2014 (24.6%). In projecting the demand, all variables point to the Galaxy Note 5 being a popular item when it is released this summer. As with their flagship device, the Galaxy s6 and last year’s Note 4, this year’s iteration will come with an available Edge option. Samsung has integrated a useful design where the display wraps around the side of the phone to produce a small bar where users can get notifications, control application deployment, even quick-start useful in-phone applications that run in the sidebar interface.

Specifications of the Galaxy Note 5
Display: 5.66-inch Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen with 1440 x 2560 resolution made from Gorilla Glass 4
Operating System: Google Android v5.1.1 (Lollipop)
Processor: Samsung octa-core Exynos 7420
Memory: 32 GB, 64 GB, and 128 GB models available; 4 GB RAM
Cameras: 16 MP camera with optical image stabilization, 5 MP front-facing camera
Battery: 4,100 mAh
Communication: NFC, Bluetooth v4.1, Wi-Fi, Infrared, microUSB
Other features: Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, gesture, UV, heart rate, Sp02, integrated s-pen

Apple iPhone 6s
Apple has been producing world-class smartphones for almost a decade now, and the iPhone 6s is seemingly no different. With users expecting greatness out of every Apple device, it’s becoming harder for the world’s most profitable company to continue wowing their fans. That doesn’t stop them from rolling out a new version of the device every year. This year’s version will feature the brand-spanken-new A9 processor, which aims to exceed Samsung’s Exynos 7420 processor for computing power. There are also rumors that the newest iPhone will get a body upgrade, after the bendgate snafu reared its ugly head last September. As with the iPhone 6, there will be a 6s plus model that features a larger display.

Specifications of the iPhone 6s
Display: 4.7-inch Retina display with 750 x 1334 resolution with ion-strengthened glass and an oleophobic coating
Operating System: iOS 9
Processor: Apple A9
Memory: 32 GB, 64 GB, and 128 GB models available; 2 GB RAM
Cameras: 12 MP camera with phase detection focus, 5 MP front-facing camera
Battery: Li-Po 1,810 mAh
Communication: Bluetooth v4.1, Wi-Fi, v 2.0, reversible connector
Other features: Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer

Microsoft Lumia 940
Windows Phone hasn’t made a big splash in the market since before the first iPhone was released, despite the overwhelmingly positive reviews of the (formerly Nokia) Lumia line of phones. Microsoft may just have something now with their recent release of Windows 10. Microsoft promises to have one single interface that works on every device, including smartphones. That kind of cross-platform congruence could turn out to be a huge benefit to users that want to use the same interface on every device.

Specifications of the Lumia 940
Display: 5.2-inch display with 1440 x 2560 resolution with Gorilla Glass 4
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10
Processor: Dual-core 1.82 GHz, Qualcomm MSM8992 Snapdragon 808
Memory: 32 GB, 64 GB models available; 3 GB RAM
Cameras: 20 MP camera with phase detection focus, 5 MP front-facing camera
Battery: Li-Ion 3,000 mAh
Communication: NFC, Bluetooth v4.1, Wi-Fi, microUSB 2.0
Other features: Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, sensor core

These three smartphones represent some of the best the market has to offer, and each manufacturer offers an alternate device (Samsung Galaxy s6, s6 Edge, s6 Edge+; iPhone 6+, and Lumia 940 XL) to give users the ability to choose a different design with similar user interfaces if so inclined. Each OS has its own strengths and weaknesses when compared with the other devices on the market. At Argentum IT, we keep up to date on new consumer technology to provide our clients with a valuable resource when searching for new mobile technology solutions. Give us a call at (502) 473-6407 to learn more.