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Monster batteries, ultracrisp screens, predatory impulses: These are the phones of IFA 2015 (photos)

The annual electronics show in Berlin never lets us down with its crazy-cool phones. Here are the most interesting handsets that made their global debut.

Jessica Dolcourt
Jessica Dolcourt is a passionate content strategist and veteran leader of CNET coverage. As Senior Director of Commerce & Content Operations, she leads a number of teams, including Commerce, How-To and Performance Optimization. Her CNET career began in 2006, testing desktop and mobile software for Download.com and CNET, including the first iPhone and Android apps and operating systems. She continued to review, report on and write a wide range of commentary and analysis on all things phones, with an emphasis on iPhone and Samsung. Jessica was one of the first people in the world to test, review and report on foldable phones and 5G wireless speeds. Jessica began leading CNET's How-To section for tips and FAQs in 2019, guiding coverage of topics ranging from personal finance to phones and home. She holds an MA with Distinction from the University of Warwick (UK).
Aloysius Low Senior Editor
Aloysius Low is a Senior Editor at CNET covering mobile and Asia. Based in Singapore, he loves playing Dota 2 when he can spare the time and is also the owner-minion of two adorable cats.
Jessica Dolcourt
Aloysius Low
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1 of 15 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Bring on the phones

Hungry for more? While there are phones aplenty, this year's show also launches a horde of Android Wear watches, as well as laptops, tablets and fixtures for your smart home.

For more from IFA 2015, check out CNET's complete coverage.

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2 of 15 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Sony Xperia Z5 Premium

Holy moly! A 4K, 5.5-inch screen resolution makes the Sony Xperia Z5 Premium leap out from the pack. But here's the great part: the handset looks terrific even without this bombastic pixel count.

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3 of 15 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Sony Xperia Z5

The standard 5.2-inch Sony Xperia Z5 may not have the Premium's stunning screen, but it still wraps up high-end specs. It's sporting a powerful battery and 23-megapixel camera, same as the Premium.

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4 of 15 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Sony Xperia Z5 Compact

A little smaller than the other two, the 4.6-inch Sony Xperia Z5 Compact carries a water-resistant coating, fingerprint scanner and pixel-packed camera, just like its larger siblings.

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5 of 15 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Huawei Mate S

Easily the most beautiful phone Huawei has ever made, the gleaming metal Huawei Mate S has all the specs you covet -- like a large, 5.5-inch high-def screen -- and a ton of gestures you just don't see on other phones.

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6 of 15 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

​Lenovo Vibe P1 and P1m

Battery, battery, battery. The Lenovo Vibe P1 has 5,000mAh of it and the P1m goes for 4,000mAh. A side switch that helps save you even more power makes this one of the most promising long-life phones around.

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7 of 15 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Lenovo Phab and Phab Plus

A 7-inch phone sounds like a joke. It isn't. The Lenovo Phab and Phab Plus measure 6.8 and 6.98 inches respectively. These budget devices trade specs for screen space in pursuit of the best of both phone and tablet worlds.

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8 of 15 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Lenovo Vibe S1

Selfies are the name of the game for the Lenovo Vibe S1, which has not one but two front-facing cameras. The hefty 8-megapixel sensor is supported by a 2-megapixel sidekick.

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Gigaset Me trio

Giga-who? Three new handsets from upstart Gigaset feature 5 or 5.5-inch displays, fingerprint sensors and quick auto-focus. The entry-level and midrange Gigaset phones have 13-megapixel cameras, while the Pro packs a 20-megapixel shooter.

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10 of 15 CNET

Acer Predator 6

We don't have many details yet, but Asus' gaming phone, the Predator 6, is expected to materialize in early 2016 -- most likely during January's CES show.

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11 of 15 Kent German/CNET

Alcatel Pop Star and Pop Up

Alcatel's Pop Star comes in 20 colorful designs and materials such as leather and wood. The Pop Star sports a 720p display, 8-megapixel rear camera, 1GB of RAM and 8GB of onboard storage.

Another slightly more powerful model, the Pop Up, packs slightly better specs such as a 13-megapixel rear camera, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of onboard storage.

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12 of 15 Alcatel

Alcatel OneTouch Go Play

Want to have fun at the beach? Alcatel's OneTouch Go Play could be just the thing. It's dustproof and waterproof, so you can take photos underwater, and has the ability to survive a 1.5-meter drop.

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13 of 15 Archos

Archos Diamond S

Archos is hoping to tempt European buyers with its new midrange Diamond S, which comes at a pretty low price of £160 (which converts to $250 or AU$350, although US and Australian launches are yet to be announced).

Onboard you'll get a 1.5GHz octa-core processor, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of onboard storage. It shoots pictures with a 16-megapixel camera. Its 5-inch display has a modest 720p resolution, and will run Android 5.1.

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14 of 15 Archos

Archos 50e Helium and 50 Cesium

The Android-powered Archos 50e Helium (left) and the Windows-powered Archos 50 Cesium will also hit Europe soon, and offers users a choice between both operating systems for just £99 -- that converts to around $155 and AU$215, although again, US and Australian launches are yet to be announced.

The 50 Cesium is powered by Windows 10 Mobile, while the 50e Helium takes on Android 5.1 Lollipop. Both phones support 4G LTE for fast data, have 5-inch 720p displays and are powered by a 1.1GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 processor.

Other specs include a meager 1GB of RAM and just 8GB of onboard storage. The rear cameras shoot 8-megapixel images and come with LED flash and autofocus capabilities.

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15 of 15 CNET

More from IFA

Hungry for more? While there are phones aplenty, this year's show also launches a horde of Android Wear Watches, as well as laptops, tablets, and fixtures for your home.

For more from IFA 2015, check out CNET's complete coverage.

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