Best EE Android phones (UK)

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We’re reviewing UK’s carriers and the best Android phones available on their networks. Today, we look at EE, and join us next time for Vodafone.

The UK carrier market is certainly one of the busiest, with a selection of big players to choose from and a host of smaller bargain SIM deals. EE is perhaps the first port of call for the heavy data user, as it boasts the broadest 4G network coverage out of all the carriers in the UK. The company also has its 4G+ network now live in central London, which offers double the typical 4G networks speeds by reaching up to 90MB/s using carrier aggregation.

Read: EE retwork review (2015): everything you need to know

With that in mind, here are some of the best EE Android phones currently on offer, which can make use of all that juicy high-speed data. As this is a major UK network, we’re looking at contract prices here, but we’ll include the off-contract price for some value comparisons.

Editor’s note: we’ll be updating this post regularly as new devices come out.

#1 – Samsung Galaxy S6/Edge

While the Galaxy S6 may be an obvious choice, there’s no denying that this flagship smartphone is pretty much the most feature rich phone on the market right now. Featuring a QHD display, 14nm octa-core Exynos 7420 SoC, 3GB of RAM, 16MP rear camera, and dual-mode wireless charging, the S6 features the very best hardware on the market right now.

EE offers the full range of 32GB, 64GB and 128GB internal memory options, each with a price jump to match. The lowest price and contract starts at $9.99 up from with 2GB of data costing £41.99 each month, or this can be upgraded up to 20GB of data for £54.99. Similar contracts are available for the 64GB and 128GB models, but these have much higher upfront fees ranging from anywhere between £129.99 and a huge £409.99. It’s probably best to avoid the highest upfront costs, as the 128GB model can be bought SIM-free for £649 from other retailers.

Specs

5.1-inch Super AMOLED display with 1440×2560 resolution
2.1GHz Samsung Exynos 7420 SoC
3GB of RAM
32/64/128GB internal storage
16MP rear camera, 5MP front camera
Non-removable 2,550mAh battery
143.4 x 70.5 x 6.8 mm, 138g
Black Sapphire, Gold Platinum or White Pearl colours
Android 5.1 Lollipop

#2 – Samsung Galaxy Note 4

The next entry up on our list of best EE Android phones also comes from Samsung – the much loved Galaxy Note 4.

Samsung’s larger smartphone may be a tad older than the Galaxy S6, but laid the way for many of the high end pieces of technology found in Samsung’s latest flagship. The large QHD display lends itself nicely to media and multitasking, while the 16MP camera remains one of the best in the business. The phone also has a micro-SD card slot and removable battery, features lacking with the Galaxy S6.

EE has the handset priced pretty similarly to the S6, with contract offers starting from £9.99 up front and ranging between $41.99 and $54.99 per month. There are also options available with a higher up front cost, maxing out at £219.99.

Specs

5.7-inch Super AMOLED display with 1440×2560 resolution
2.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 SoC
3GB of RAM
32GB internal storage with 128GB microSD card support
16MP rear camera and 3.7MP front camera
Removable 3,220mAh battery
153.5 x 78.6 x 8.5 mm, 176g
Black Charcoal
Android 5.0 Lollipop

#3 – Sony Xperia Z3 Compact

Gargantuan smartphones aren’t for everyone, but usually smaller phones also suffer from cut down specifications. Sony is one of the few to buck this irritating trend, with is more moderately sized 4.6-inch 720p display.

The handset’s older Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 handset is still an admirable performer by today’s processing standards. The Xperia Z3 Compact also features a high resolution 20.7MP rear camera and is IP68 certified for dust and water resistance.

EE’s contract offers range between £31.99 and £44.99 per month depending on the amount of 4G data you require, with £0 to put down for the handset. EE is also bundling Sony’s Hi-Res audio package with selected contracts, which offers some free headphones worth £169 and a three month subscription to the Hi-Res audio streaming service.

Specs

4.6-inch IPS LCD display with 720×1280 resolution
2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 SoC
2GB of RAM
16GB internal storage with 128GB microSD card support
20.7MP rear camera, 2.2MP front camera
Non-removable 2,600mAh battery
127.3 x 64.9 x 8.6 mm, 129g
Black
Android 4.4 KitKat (Android 5.1 Lollipop update)

#4 – HTC Desire 820

To close out our best EE Android phones I’m going to put HTC’s mid-range Desire 820 in here. Although it might not feature the highest end specifications, there a handset here with an excellent vivid display, top quality build quality, and a suitable mid-range processing package that will handily manage all of your daily tasks. Best of all, it doesn’t require a hefty lump sum up front.

The Desire 820 is a refinement of HTC’s rather good mid-range products, with a slimmer uni-body design and a sample of HTC’s high-end features like the BoomSound front-facing speakers, which produce extremely good sound that exceeds more expensive models. The only major drawback is the 720p resolution for the 5.5-inch display, which makes the display less sharp than what we’re used to with flagship products.

Price wise, EE is offering the handset on its typical range of £21 to £42 per month data plans, with up front costs ranging from Free to typically around just £30, although there are more expensive options for some of the cheaper contracts.

Specs

5.5-inch LCD display with 720×1280 resolution
1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 SoC
2GB of RAM
16 GB internal storage with 128GB microSD card support
13MP rear camera, 8MP front camera
Non-removable 2,600mAh battery
157 x 78.7 x 7.7 mm, 155g
Santorini White colour
Android 4.4.2 KitKat

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Best EE Android phones (UK)

#1 – Samsung Galaxy S6/Edge

Specs

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#2 – Samsung Galaxy Note 4

Specs

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#3 – Sony Xperia Z3 Compact

Specs

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#4 – HTC Desire 820

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