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Smartphones to get excited about this fall

Whether they have top-notch specs, an affordable price tag, a stylish design or all three, here are the handsets worth paying attention to this fall.

Lynn La
Lynn La covers mobile reviews and news. She previously wrote for The Sacramento Bee, Macworld and The Global Post.
Lynn La
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1 of 9 Josh Miller/CNET

Smartphone fall preview

During this time of year, smartphone manufacturers release a bevvy of exciting devices. Read on to see which handsets we're anticipating the most.

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2 of 9 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Motorola Moto X Pure Edition

Price: Starts at $400

Availability: September

The outlook: Also known as the Moto X Style, the Moto X Pure Edition is a 5.7-inch water-repellent Android device that can be used on any US carrier. It also sports a Snapdragon 808 processor, a 21-megapixel camera and up to 128GB of external storage.

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3 of 9 CNET staff

The new Apple iPhone and iPhone Plus

Price: Expected to start at $200 and $300 for the Plus

Availability: Announcement and retail availability expected in September

The outlook: Though little is officially known about the successors to the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, Apple make its announcement on Wednesday, September 9. Rumored to be called the 6S and 6S Plus, they are expected to run iOS 9 and will probably feature incremental updates, per the company's trend of introducing more robust iPhone upgrades every even-numbered year.

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4 of 9 Josh Miller/CNET

Samsung Galaxy Note 5

Price: Starts at $670-$740 (32GB) and $770-$840 (64GB) without a contract

Availability: Now

The outlook: Sporting a smart S Pen stylus, an expansive 5.7-inch display and a stylish metal and glass design, Samsung's Note 5 was made for the smartphone power user.

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5 of 9 Josh Miller/CNET

The next Nexus (or two)

Price: TBD

Availability: Announcement expected in October; retail availability projected for November

The outlook: For its latest flagship, Google is rumored to release two versions -- one manufactured by LG (which also made the Nexus 5 and 4) and another by Huawei. Both of these may also have USB Type-C ports and fingerprint scanners. They will likely run the company's latest Android 6.0 Marshmallow mobile OS as well.

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6 of 9 Josh Miller/CNET

OnePlus 2

Price: $330 (16GB) and $390 (64GB)

Availability: Now

The outlook: Equipped with a Snapdragon 810 processor, up to 4GB of RAM and a 5.5-inch, 1,080p display, the OnePlus 2 is one of the most powerful and (most importantly) affordable unlocked phones on the market.

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7 of 9 Ariel Nunez/CNET

HTC Desire 626

Price: $185 (AT&T) and $192 (Verizon)

Availability: Now

The outlook: The Desire 626 is part of HTC's line of midtier phones and offers decent devices at a sub-$200 price bracket. It's available on both AT&T and Verizon and has a quad-core processor, an 8-megapixel camera and a 5-inch display.

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8 of 9 Josh Miller/CNET

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+

Price: Starts at $720-$792 (32GB) and $815-$888 (64GB) without a contract

Availability: Now

The outlook: Doubling down on its curved screen endeavors, Samsung launched the Galaxy S6 Edge+. Though its name leaves something to be desired, the phone itself is excellent. It has a long-lasting battery, a unique high-end design and its curved edges feature extra software functionality. The only drawback, however, is its expensive price.

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9 of 9 Sarah Tew/CNET

Motorola Moto G (2015)

Price: $180 (8GB) and $220 (16GB)

Availability: Now

The outlook: The quality and hardware of budget phones keep getting better and the Moto G is no exception. It features a 5-inch screen, Android 5.1 Lollipop and a water resistant construction for that extra peace of mind.

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