Best Verizon Android phones (December 2015)

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With the largest network and an excellent selection of phones, it is no wonder why Verizon is largely considered to be the “top dog” out of all the major U.S. carriers. For those on Big Red’s network, there are quite a few options to pick from, including major flagships that are universally available on all carriers, as well as handsets specific to Verizon only.

With this in mind, we are bringing you the top phones in each of the following category: those above $500, those under $500, and those under $250. Keep in mind Verizon has done away with contract pricing. It’s also worth noting that some of these phones are even cheaper when purchased via Amazon, so we’ll try to include the relevant links to Amazon if we can find cheaper prices for you. So without any further ado, let’s dive right in!

Editor’s note – we will be updating this list as more devices hit the market.

Update, December 2015: This month we saw the Galaxy Note 5/S6 Edge+ reach the top spot, moving the Galaxy S6 down to second place. Since it’s been a little while since we last updated this list, we had some removing to do – the Galaxy Note 4, Galaxy S5, Droid Turbo, LG G3 and most of the budget options were removed as well to make room for the LG V10, Droid Turbo 2, Nexus 6P, Motorola Moto X Pure Edition and a few others.

Best phones above $500

#1 – Samsung Galaxy Note 5 & Galaxy S6 Edge+

Go big or go home, right? That’s the philosophy fans of these super-sized Samsung phablets definitely live by. But these handsets not only offer among the largest screen sizes in the industry, they are also some of the most capable devices available. Both the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+ are fast and have ample battery life. To make things even better, they look great. In fact, they take the design language the Galaxy S6 introduced, adopting a metal frame and glass body. You really can’t go wrong with either of these. And if you are a fan of edged displays, the Galaxy S6 Edge+ has enough curves to suit your needs.

The only issue is these bad boys won’t come cheap. The Note 5 is priced at $699.99, while the Galaxy S6 Edge+ starts at $768. Far from affordable, but definitely worth it if you care about screen size and performance. Not to mention, the Galaxy Note 5 has all those additional S Pen features for productivity buffs. You will also enjoy Samsung’s new design language and build quality, which is a much needed improvement over previous Note devices.

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Specs

5.7-inch Super AMOLED display with 1440 x 2560 resolution
Samsung Exynos 7420 processor
4GB of RAM
32/64GB of on-board storage, no microSD card slot
16MP rear cam, 5MP front cam
Non-removable 3000mAh battery
Note 5: 153.2 x 76.1 x 7.6 mm, 171 grams / S6 Edge+: 154.4 x 75.8 x 6.9 mm, 153 grams
Android 5.1.1 Lollipop

Buy the Galaxy Note 5 from Amazon – $699.99
Buy the Galaxy S6 Edge+ from Amazon – $768

#2 – Samsung Galaxy S6 & Galaxy S6 Edge

Samsung really hit the ball out of the park with its new Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge devices. These were the first to adopt a better design language and build quality, something that proved to be a success under most reviewers’ eyes.

These are essentially the same device, with the only difference being the obvious curved screen on the Galaxy S6 Edge. Aside from a few software enhancements on the Edge (and 50 mAh of battery), there are barely any other differences. Both are sleek, powerful, fast and well built. We must also mention the display and camera, which are among the best in the market!

While not as pricey as their larger brothers, the Samsung Galaxy S6 series is still up there. You can get the normal version for $576.00. Meanwhile, Verizon also sells the Edge iteration for $672.00.