Updated: Best Verizon phone 2014: 8 smartphone upgrades

Best Verizon phone: No. 5-8

Verizon is arguably the biggest carriers in the United States with the largest 4G LTE network and some of the fastest data speeds in North America. Big red's mobile plans are often also the most expensive in the country - especially with the extinction of unlimited data plans - but that's a trade off for one of the most reliable networks.

Of course, you'll also want to get the most out of your service by getting a great phone to go with it. But with so many choices in the mobile space, it can be hard to parse the champs from the chaff. Well sit back and we'll give you the lowdown on the best Verizon handsets that will include iPhones of course, some Android devices and even Windows phones.

LG G3

We're starting our tour of the best Verizon phone with the often forgotten LG G3. Despite being made with a faux metal body without the slightest bit of waterproofing as some other Android flagship devices, the LG G3 is still a solid and attractive handset.

What's more, it was also one of the first handsets to start the QHD craze with a 2,560 x 1,440 display. It's a new display resolution we're starting to see on more phablets, but the LG G3 comes with a slightly more restraint and less pocket bulging 5.5-inch sized screen.

The LG G3 also has some notable signature features including a back button for unlocking the device and triggering the shutter. Speaking of the camera, it also quick on focusing and has an optically image stabilized lens to boot.

Samsung Galaxy Note 4

Samsung's Galaxy Note has been a go to smartphone for phablets users for years. After seeing very littler iteration between the Note 2 and Note 3, the new Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is one the best and most powerful handsets around.

Firstly, the phablet comes with a 2,560 x 1,440 pixel screen as more handsets are beginning to push the display resolution beyond the 1080p envelope. Plus it's equipped with a blazing fast 2.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor and 3GB of RAM.

The Galaxy Note 4 is also one of the Samsung most well built handsets. The South Korean handset maker has been recently introducing new devices with a metal-rimmed body since introducing the Galaxy Alpha.

Moto G

In case you're shopping for a new handset on a budget you're best bet will be a Moto G. It comes at a very affordable $99 price but don't think that mean you're settling for a subpar device. The original Moto G was an excellent handset and the 2014 model is even better with a bigger 5-inch screen as well as an improved camera. That all said, the Moto G also has it fair share of issues including a chunky design and disappointingly short battery life.

Moto X

You knew it was coming (be honest), but the Moto X is a very good and noteworthy handset to include in our round up. Similar to the Moto G, Motorola has also bumped up the screen size a bigger 5.2-inches. This adds a little more screen real estate for web browsing and watching movies along with makes it a fair competitor amongst the flagship smartphone crowd.

The new Moto X has also been improved with an all-new aluminum metal frame, which adds some rigidity and a high-end feel to the handset. Some of our favorite features of the Moto X also return including customizable backs, an active display to efficiently display notifications as well as Motorola's patented always on-microphone to access the voice commands.

Best Verizon phone: No. 1-4

iPhone 6 (and iPhone 6 Plus)

The iPhone 6 marks one of the biggest shakeups for Apple's iconic handset in years. The latest comes with biggest screen ever used on an iPhone with a 4.7-inch display at the base model. Don't forget about the gargantuan 5.5-inch display on the Cupertino company's first phablet, the iPhone 6 Plus. These are also some of the thinnest iPhones Apple has ever made with a new design that closely mimics the iPad Mini's frame.

External aesthetics aside, Apple has also made some major internal updates on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus by adding NFC for the first time. It's what makes Apple Pay function. The camera has seen a major overhaul with the addition of phase detect autofocus as well as an optical image stabilized lens for the Apple phablet.

It's safe to say if you love smartphone photography, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus is the best handset to get. Especially given all the new image editing features packed into iOS 8. But even if you're not iPhoneographer, the iPhone 6 is a great handset you'll love for its build quality, speedy performance and just because it's a generally great device.

Nexus 6

Speaking of big shakeups, the Nexus 6 is one of the most premium handsets Google has ever commissioned in a very long time. And we mean top of the line; the Nexus 6 comes with a pocket-busting 5.9-inch screen with a screen resolution of 2560 x 1440, the fastest Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor and a big old 3220mAh battery.

Overall it's a bigger, more feature rich version of the Moto X, from which the Nexus 6 has inherited a metal frame and a curved back that fits nicely in the hand. This isn't all to surprising considering both handsets are Motorola made.

For the last few years the Nexus line has represented the baseline of what an Android phone can be while being a very affordable devices. Now with the Nexus 6, Google has created a monster of a handset that's very well equipped and one of the most expensive Android smartphones on the market. It might seem like a reversal for the Nexus line, but Google is actually going back to its high-end roots that it started with the Nexus One.

Motorola Droid Turbo

Motorola does not just make devices for Google, it's also a big an exclusive partner with Verizon. Meet the Motorola Droid Turbo, it's practically another variant of the Moto X except super sized. It's equipped with a large 3900mAh battery, which allows the device to run up to 48 hours. In case that still isn't enough battery life, plugging in the Motorola Turbo for just 15 minutes (with the proper charger) allows it to run for yet another 8 hours.

Aside from the extended battery life, the Motorola Turbo is an amped handset in every way with a Qualcomm 5.2-inch 1440p display and Snapdragon 805 processor. Meanwhile, the camera sensor has been boosted all the way to 21MP when most smartphone equipped with a 16MP camera already seemed a bit excessive.

From our own short time with the Verizon exclusive handset we loved the top of the line hardware but missed many of the excellent design cues of the Moto X. Users should also note this handset comes at an expensive $200 (on contract) premium.

HTC One M8 for Windows Phone

Verizon does not have a wide selection of Windows Phone 8.1 devices, but phone Microsoft fans will want to pick up is the HTC One M8 for Windows. The handset came as a mid-year surprise when HTC decided put out a new version of its flagship device that swaps Android for Microsoft's mobile OS.

The two versions of the HTC One M8 are exactly the same from the Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor to the dual-cameras. HTC has also ported all of the same software features including double taping to wake the smartphone and that specialized depth camera.

Of course, we're not complaining about any of this. There are hardly any handsets running Windows Phone 8.1 that come with a fully metal body or as well equipped the HTC One M8. Sadly this is the only Windows phone worth noting on Verizon. The selection of devices running Microsoft's mobile OS have otherwise gone stale with a year-old Lumia 928 and a two-year-old HTC 8x rounding out the other options – though the Lumia 830 is expected to come to come to Big Red's network some time in the future.

…And the winner is

Like highlanders, there can be only one and we've chosen the Moto X is as the best Verizon Phone. You might be scratching your head at this as why its not the iPhone 6 with its extremely thin body, the Nexus 6 for its top of the line specs or the Droid Turbo's extended battery life - but the Moto X is just a plain-old good, inexpensive smartphone.

It has some of the best build quality we've seen with any phone thanks to an aluminum frame, plus you can change out the back of your device to have a bit of wood or leather. It does not come with bleeding edge specs, but the Moto X packs plenty of power and an excellent 1080p, 5.2-inch screen.

Perhaps the biggest thing you'll love about the Moto X is it comes at a great bargain for just $99 (on contract) and on sale for $1 at some stores. The affordable price point seals the deal, and makes the Motorola Moto X the best Verizon phone in our book.

• Just in case you're not on Verizon here's the best smartphones in the United States

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