Planning on buying a new smartphone before the
year ends? Why not! But before splurging your hard-earned cash on another
gadget, try checking out our Top 10 Best Mobile Phones for 2013. We'll try our
very best to give you an idea or two, on which smartphone best suits your
style, needs, and most of importantly, your budget.
So here's our Top 10 picks:
10. Nokia Lumia 925
More likely to be considered as a Nokia Lumia
920 with very little enhancements, this smartphone looks like the slimmer,
lighter, and classier version of its predecessor with its "almost
all" metal build. Packed with almost the same specs of 1.5GHz dual-core
processor and just 1GB of RAM, it definitely eats the dust of the likes of
Samsung Galaxy S4 or Sony Xperia Z when it comes to horsepower. The Nokia Lumia
925 will surely get your attention not only because it does the basic functions
well (calling, messaging, and web browsing), it also has an 8.7 MP PureView
camera that is great for capturing and recording from dark to moving scenes.
But most of all, let's not forget that you're going to appreciate this phone
because you simply are a loyal Windows fan who wants to get the same high-tech
experience even on your mobile phone. Price: $785
9. Samsung Galaxy Note 2
This smartphone, or you can also call it a
minitablet, is highly-recommended to get if you don't mind fully-extending your
grasp just to hold it. The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is the "bigger
brother" of the original Galaxy Note, because of its 5.5" Super
AMOLED display. Built with an 8 MP camera with flash, you'll definitely feel
that it's a smartphone/tablet made in quality. Multi Window, Air View, and
Quick Command are just some of the many great features that comes with the Note
2. The S Pen stylus, allows you to navigate around or annotate on top of your
emails, photos, etc. Now, you can send a personalized message with your photo,
which your special someone will truly love. Overall, the Samsung Galaxy Note 2
stands by its promise and functions with superb and maximum functionality. Price: $615
8. Sony Xperia Z1
Don't think Sony will give up the race of
smartphones yet. With Sony Xperia Z1's 20.7 MP camera with G Lens technology,
5-inch full HD display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, 2GB RAM, and can
even resist rain, snow, and sand, it's enough to make you take a closer look at
this smartphone. Its metallic, full glass exterior, and button-free front face
gives it a smooth, shiny, simple yet classic look and feel. Although it's a bit
sooner for an upgrade to the Z model, it seems like Sony has made pretty nice
upgrades with the Z1. Just make sure to practice extra care when trying to use
it one-handedly as it looks and feels like a fragile and breakable item, too. Price:
$649.99
7. Samsung Galaxy Note 3
Now if you think that the Galaxy Note line
couldn't get any bigger, wait till you see the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. Aside
from its humungous 5.7-inch full HD Super AMOLED display, it's also built with
Snapdragon 800 quad core processor, integrated with 3GB of RAM, which makes
this smartphone/minitablet super fast. Despite of being larger in size, it's
actually slimmer than its predecessor and you will not feel uncomfortable
holding it with one hand. The back side of the Note 3 will make you think that
it's made of leather with matching stitches on the side, well it's actually
plastic. But if you're a fan of leather or leather-looking stuffs, then you'll
love this look on your phone. It's USB 3.0-compliant socket makes it ahead
among other phones around, although the internal memory somewhat lacks with
only 32GB offered. Good side: Wide array of stylus functionality, expandable
memory, and great screen display. Not so-good side: If you're budget-conscious,
this phone is a bit painful in the pocket and it has poor low-light camera
performance. But if you're an Android lover, this phablet is considered another
must-have. Price: $680 - $750
6. HTC One Mini
The HTC One Mini is literally the
"mini-me" of its relative, of course the HTC One. Its aluminum build
gives it a clean, sleek signature look. This smartphone is designed to be
simple yet functional and most importantly, budget-friendly. It reflects its
bigger counterpart, the HTC One, when it comes to features and beauty. However,
it only comes halfway behind HTC One when it comes to horsepower; a dual core
Snapdragon 400 processor, 1GB RAM, and 16GB internal storage. It has a 4.3-inch
720p display only, compared to the Full HD version of the HTC One. Other cool
features include the BoomSound speakers for great audio, UltraPixel camera, and
BlinkFeed, all of which can be experienced in HTC One as well. As a total
package, your expectations are definitely met with the HTC One Mini since it
has a great design, feels good to hold, and very affordable. Two words: highly
recommended. Price: $522 - $620
5. Samsung Galaxy S4
Considered as the most powerful and
sought-after Android smartphone ever created by Samsung, the Galaxy S4 boasts a
5-inch Super AMOLED Full HD display in Gorilla Glass, 2GB of RAM, with options
of 16, 32, or 64GB internal memory. It has a Dual Shot feature that allows you
to use both the front and rear cameras simultaneously to create a single photo,
and you can even include an audio with it! It's also a dependable travel
companion because of its S Translator feature that provides a translation of
your text in your preferred language. The Air View and Air Gesture are also
some of the coolest features of this phone that allows you to control it by
just merely hovering or waving your hand over the screen. With these awesome
features and many more that Samsung Galaxy S4 has to offer, this smartphone is
truly a must-have. Price: $500 - $579
4. Apple iPhone 5S
Behold, the much talked about smartphone
earned our Top 4 spot. The iPhone 5S is a sensational phone, with a beautiful
two-tone look, high resolution screen, and a TouchID sensor that enables you to
lock your phone using your fingerprint. This phone is already running in
Apple's newest iOS 7, that is as controversial as the handset itself. Its
iSight camera offers a wide selection of camera features such as Continuous
Burst Mode, True Tone Flash, Slow Motion Video, and Live Video Zoom just to
name a few. And since the iPhone 5S has tons of built-in apps, you can
definitely make the most out of this phone. The only backside of it is the
price. But if you're more into style, functionality, and performance, then
you'll definitely love the iPhone 5S. After all, who doesn't love Apple? Price: $649 -
$849
3. LG G2
Another Korean-made smartphone took the
"almost made it" spot in our list. The LG G2 is agreeably one of the
most powerful Android phones in the market today. It also has a large 5.2-inch
Full HD display, which is great for watching HD movies, surfing the web, and
playing games. It's integrated with Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chip, running on
the latest Android 4.4 KitKat OS. The phone's 13 MP camera makes a good job in
low-light environments; even the video recording function is superb. The
phone's pure black, buttonless front, and silver accent running on its side
projects a simple, yet classy design. With all the powerful specs built into
it, the LG G2 is considered a royalty in the Android line at the moment. And
with that statement, your money is worth spending on this one. Price:
$583.99
2. Google Nexus 5
You wouldn't expect Google and LG is going to
create a smartphone this impressive, right? Well, neither do we. Packed in
every Google Nexus 5 smartphone is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, 2GB of
RAM, and 4.95-inch Full HD 1080p display, running on Android 4.4 KitKat
already. Like the LG G2, it uses the same optical image stabilizer technology
with its 8 MP camera, which then allows it to produce better picture quality
even in low-light environments. If you want a phone that looks very simple and
yet powerful, then this is the suitable phone for you. Even a loyal iPhone user
will be tempted to make a switch with this one. Price: $349 -
$399
1. HTC One
At last, we reached the tip of the iceberg,
and guess what we found -- it's none other than the HTC One. This phone speaks
about power, beauty, and functionality all rolled into one. With a 4.70-inch
Full HD display, 2GB of RAM, 4-Ultrapixel rear, and 2.1 MP front cameras, the
HTC One is surely a head turner. Other same great features include BoomSound,
BlinkFeed, and Zoe functionality that allows you to create moving HD photos
using a single screen tap. The integration of an impressive UI and gorgeous
aluminum build keeps the HTC One one step ahead of the smartphone race. Price: $590
Hope this article will help you decide which
phone to buy that you will truly love and cherish for the next few years. Happy
shopping!
References:
- http://www.techradar.com
- http://www.androidauthority.com
- http://www.amazon.com
- http://www.knowyourmobile.com
- http://www.fonearena.com
- http://reviews.cnet.co.uk
- http://gadgets.ndtv.com
- http://www.trustedreviews.com
- http://www.anandtech.com
