Best Smartphones 2013: Ranking 5 Of The Top Phones In The Market As Year-end Approaches
As the year comes to an end, it is just fitting that we count down the best smartphones in 2013. At the same time, this could serve as an early shopping guide in case you are looking to buy a smartphone this holiday season.
5. Nokia Lumia 1520
Nokia's first phablet made its way to the market in October, and yet provides high-end specs for Windows Phone enthusiasts. While it does not have the 40MP camera of the Lumia 1080, it more than makes up for it with a huge screen, better GPU and faster chipset.
4. LG G2
LG's most priced phone has been stealing headlines when it launched before the IFA event in Berlin in September. It was highly-marketed as a phone that understands what it means by convenience. Its gesture and voice controls are among the top in the industry.
3. Sony Xperia Z1
Borrowing heavily from its successful Xperia Z, the Z1 is already in the phablet category, and its large size shows. Among its top selling points include the gorgeous Tri-luminous display, the camera with Exmor sensors similar to those found in DSLRs, and dust and water resistance.
2. Samsung Galaxy Note 3
Samsung's own phablet is also a beast when it comes to specs and display. It features the latest Snapdragon 800 chipset which also runs on most of the phones in this list. But for some reason, it scores higher in benchmarks. We won't discuss fabricated benchmark results here, though we all agree that the Galaxy Note 3 is the best Android phablet available right now.
1. iPhone 5s and Nexus 5
Didn't see that coming didn't you? Both the iPhone 5s and Nexus 5 are the best phones in their size range and respective operating systems. The iPhone 5s' premium build quality, faster 64-bit CPU and Touch ID sensor more than make up for its unchanged design. On the other hand, the Nexus 5's snappier transitions and application performance makes up for subpar camera performance which was recently improved by Android 4.4.1 KitKat.
Honorable mentions
Of course there are several handsets which did not make the list. However, they are still solid and quality devices in their own right.
Motorola Moto X
HTC One and One max
Samsung Galaxy S4 and variations
There are lots of choices for smartphone and gadget lovers out there come holiday shopping season. You may opt for the ones with more recent specs but higher prices, or those released earlier this year but do not have the latest piece of technology available during their prime.