Samsung's Galaxy S4 is still top dog with CR

Consumer Reports is still the buying guide of record for many consumers in older age demographics, and the not-for-profit group recently took a look at Apple's new wares. While Consumer Reports has historically been pretty rough on Apple gadgets, it came away from its iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c tests fairly impressed, giving each handset a respectable score. Where the flagship iPhone 5s is concerned, Consumer Reports found a happy surprise in the Touch ID fingerprint scanner, which it said was surprisingly reliable. It also said the 5s camera is better than ever and that the iPhone 5c is a “compelling offering for budget-minded buyers.” Despite all that praise, Consumer Reports still thinks that Motorola's latest Droid handsets are a better buy.

The group had plenty of good things to say about both new iPhone models, and it was also a big fan of Apple's new iOS 7 software. Siri enhancements and the new Control Center were areas of particular interest. Consumer Reports says that the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c both fall short when it comes to battery life, however, and that the smaller screens are a big drawback compared to devices from Samsung, LG and HTC.

As such, CR recommends that consumers purchase the Droid Maxx, Droid Ultra and Droid mini over Apple's handsets. The impressive battery life and larger displays are among the top reasons for the recommendation, and Consumer Reports was also a big fan of Google Now, Active Notifications and the ability to have mobile notifications display on a connected computer.

In the end, however, Samsung's Galaxy S4 is still Consumer Reports' highest-rated smartphone of the year.

I absolutely agree with CR's assessment.