The wait for HTC’s next-generation One M9 is almost over. The company has today begun issuing invitations for a March 1 event in Barcelona, where we will get our first glimpse at “what’s next” from the Taiwanese smartphone maker.

The One M8 gets a taste of that sweet, sweet Lollipop. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android

If you’ve got an unlocked or Developer Edition HTC One M8, then top up your battery, ensure you’re connected to Wi-Fi, and sit back and wait for an impending over-the-air update to Lollipop. Google has finally given HTC’s latest software the green light, and it’s making its way to the devices above today.

Samsung’s next Galaxy is close. Photo: Samsung

Samsung’s next-generation Galaxy S6 may be about a month away from its official unveiling, but the South Korean company is already showing it off at CES 2015 in Las Vegas, it has confirmed. Don’t expect to see any early glimpses of the handset, however, because only “select partners” get to look at it.

The Moto G GPE is no more.

The original Moto G Google Play Edition has now been dropped from the Play Store, leaving the HTC One M8 as the only Google Play Edition (GPE) device that’s still standing. The move comes four months after the second-generation Moto G first went on sale in the U.S., but it doesn’t look like Google has any plans to make the new model a GPE smartphone.

Is the iPhone 6 Plus the best smartphone of 2014?. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Android

Smartphone innovation may have stalled in recent years, but that hasn’t stopped manufacturers from updating and improving upon their best devices. This year, we’ve seen big changes to devices like the iPhone, the Galaxy Note, and the LG G — as well as new contenders like the OnePlus One. But what are the best smartphones of 2014?

Here are our picks.