As the year 2013 came to an end we have listed the top 10 smartphones which launch during the year and also made a solid impact in the smartphone market.
It been a tough year for smartphone companies as far as competition is concerned. Samsung, HTC, Nokia Apple, Google, Motorola, Sony and LG are few companies which dominated the smartphone market for the whole year.
1 HTC One:
It is the most popular device of 2013 and also continue its success with an updated operating system. HTC One features an anodized aluminum unibody case and a 4.7-inch 468 ppi (pixels-per-inch) SuperLCD 3 Full HD 1080P display, which is also scratch-resistant, and is powered by a 1.7GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor. It includes 32GB of included storage and 2 GB of RAM for excellent multitasking and gaming. The smartphone ships with Android 4.2 and is expected to be updated to Android 4.3 when Google releases its update to Android.
HTC has also added a new camera technology that it is calling UltraPixel. The camera has been highly praised in reviews of the smartphone. When it comes to sounds, the HTC One includes front facing dual-stereo speakers with HTC BoomSound and BeatsAudio built in. The smartphone includes 4G LTE radio, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/ac/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC (near field communications), infrared universal remote display, and a non-removable 2,300 mAh battery.
2 LG G2:
Now we have LG G2 which reached another mount of success soon after the launch. The device became highly popular due to its volume and home key concept at the rare side of the device. The LG G2 features a gorgeous 5.2-inch 1920 x 1080 Full HD IPS edge-to-edge display. While a 5.2-inch display falls into large smartphone territory, LG designed it so that it can be used one-handed and the company claims it’s the largest display on the market to have this feature. It also added another unique touch, placing the power and volume buttons on the back of the smartphone instead of its sides because the company conducted research and found that’s where you fingers are naturally located when holding the device, which makes one-handed operation even easier.
The handset uses the 2.26GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor and 2GB of RAM. It ships with Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean with some LG exclusive software and enhancements. You’ll also find a high-end 13-megapixel rear camera with optical image stabilization (OIS) and a 2.1-megapixel front-facing camera for selfies and video chat. In terms of wireless connectivity options, you’ll find a 4G LTE radio, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, NFC, and GPS. The LG G2 has 32GB of internal storage and packs in a large 3,000 mAh battery.
3 Samsung Galaxy S4:
Samsung Galaxy S4 dominated throughout the year, the flagship device of Samsung have passed the popularity then it’s procedure Samsung Galaxy S3. The Samsung Galaxy S4 features a 5-inch, 1920 x 1080 full HD Super AMOLED display protected by Gorilla Glass 3, with a high pixel density of 441 pixels per inch (ppi). It ships with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean but can be upgraded to Android 4.3 out of the box via an OTA update. The smartphone is powered by a fast 1.9GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and 2GB of RAM to provide a fast and fluid user experience.
It includes 16GB of internal storage and a microSD expansion slot with support for up to 64GB microSD cards. The smartphone’s high-end 13-megapixel rear camera has auto flash, zero shutter lag and is able to record Full HD 1080p video at 30fps, and there is also a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. The Galaxy S4′s wireless connectivity options consist of 4G LTE radio, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n//ac, Bluetooth 4.0, and GPS. The Galaxy S4 also sports an IR blaster that turns the device into a universal remote control with a dedicated program guide. The handset ships with a large 2,600 mAh removable battery.
4 Apple iPhone 5S:
Apple’s flagship device Apple iPhone 5S is the most popular and advanced iPhone ever. It is the first smartphone to carry finger scanner and a 64 bit Quad core processor. It also includes an M7 coprocessor that detects motion and conserves power. It’s packing an 8-megapixel iSight camera and a front-facing FaceTime HD camera. The smartphone comes in three color options – Gold, Silver, and Space Gray. The device is available in 16/32 and 64 GB display.
5 Motorola Moto G:
Now we have a budget smartphone from Motorola, the device is aimed at the low end customers, but it have all the capabilities to compete the high end smartphone. The Moto G features a 4.5-inch LCD display with a resolution of 1280 x 720 and has a pixel density of 329 pixels per inch (ppi). The handset runs Android 4.3 Jelly Bean and will receive an upgrade to Android 4.4 KitKat in January. The smartphone is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor with MSM 8×26 and Adreno 305 graphics. It includes 8GB of internal storage and 50GB of Google Drive storage for 2 years.
Motorola has packed in a 5-megapixel rear camera that includes 4x digital zoom, autofocus, LED flash, and the ability to capture slow motion video. You’ll also find a front-facing 1.3-megapixel shooter for selfies and video chat. The smartphone’s wireless connectivity options include a 3G GSM radio, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, and GPS. Motorola ships the Moto G with a non-removable 2,070 mAh battery.
6 HTC One Mini:
It seems like HTC have a strong plans in 2013 as well as in 2014. As HTC One have a remarkable year but it’s Mini version HTC One Mini is not far behind. The full-aluminum design of the mid-range HTC One Mini made it look and feel very much like a high-end flagship device, but at a mid-range price point. The One Mini also borrowed another of the HTC One’s most beloved features, its HTC BoomSound, which includes front-facing speakers with built-in amplifiers to provide an amazing sound experience.
The HTC One mini features a 4.3-inch 1280 x 720 Super LCD3 display with a pixel density of 334 pixels per inch (ppi). The handset runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean with Sense 5.0 and BlinkFeed, and is powered by a 1.4GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor with an Adreno 305 graphics processing unit (GPU). HTC has also included 16GB of internal storage and 1GB of RAM.
The smartphone’s camera capabilities consist of a 4-megapixel UltraPixel rear camera with HTC Zoe support and a 1.6-megapixel front-facing shooter. Its wireless connectivity includes a 4G LTE radio, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/c/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, and GPS. The smartphone also packs a 1,800 mAh non-removable battery.
7 Samsung Galaxy Note 3:
The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is the latest phablet and the flagship device from Samsung. The device his very famous due to its high end specs and features. Samsung Galaxy Note 3 features a 5.7-inch 1080p Full HD Super AMOLED display with a pixel density of 386 pixels per inch (ppi) and runs Android 4.3 with Samsung’s TouchWiz UI on top. It is powered by a 2.3GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, an Adreno 330 graphics processing unit (GPU) and 3GB of RAM.
Its camera capabilities include a 13-megapixel illuminated rear camera with “smart stabilization” and a 2-megapixel front-facing shooter, with both cameras able to record 1080p HD video. It will include 32GB of internal storage and have a microSD expansion slot that will support up to 64GB microSD cards. Its wireless connectivity options consist of a 4G LTE radio, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, NFC, and an IR blaster to turn the Note 3 into a universal remote control and also features a dedicated program guide. Samsung has packed a large 3,200 mAh removable battery and enhanced S Pen functionality. Samsung has also ditched its usually glossy plastic back case on the Note 3; instead the company is using a faux-leather back that makes the phablet feel better and more secure in the hand and also has more of a premium look to it.
8 Nokia Lumia 520:
Now we have another mid-range device Nokia Lumia 520. It is the most popular Nokia Lumia smartphone. Nokia Lumia 520 features a 4-inch 800 x 480 resolution IPS scratch-resistant glass LCD display with a pixel density of 235 pixels per inch (ppi) and is running the latest version of Windows Phone 8 with Nokia’s Lumia Amber update. It is powered by a 1GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor, an Adreno 305 graphics processing unit (GPU), and 512MB of RAM.
It includes 8GB of internal storage with 7.2GB available to the user, 7GB of SkyDrive space, and a microSD expansion slot that supports up to 64GB microSD cards to increase its storage even further. It’s packing a 5-megapixel rear camera with 720p HD video recording. Its wireless connectivity capabilities consist of 4G HSPA radio, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0 with A2DP and GPS. It ships with a removable 1,430 mAh battery that provides up to 9 hours of talk time and 13 days of standby time.
9 Sony Xperia Z1:
It is the flagship smartphone from Sony. The device is highly popular due to its water and dust resistance capability. The Sony Xperia Z1 features a 5-inch 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) TRILUMINOS display with X-Reality for mobile. The smartphone runs Android 4.2.2 and includes 16GB of internal storage. It is powered by a 2.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor with an Adreno 330 graphics processing unit (GPU) and 2GB of RAM.
Its camera capabilities include a high-end 20.7-megapixel rear shooter with ExmorRS for mobile, Sony G-Lens and BIONZ for mobile, support for 4K video recording and a 2-megapixel Exmor R front-facing camera. Wireless connectivity options include a 4G LTE radio, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, and NFC. The Z1 is also both waterproof and dust-resistant, has a microSD expansion slot that will support up to 64GB microSD cards for additional memory, and is powered by a large non-removable 3,000 mAh battery.
10 Google Nexus 5:
It is the flagship device from Google, the device was co-created by LG and Google. It is the first smartphone come preloaded with latest Android 4.4 KitKat. Nexus 5 features a 4.95-inch 1920 x 1080 Full HD Corning Gorilla Glass 3 display with a pixel density of 445 pixels-per-inch (ppi) and runs the all new Android 4.4 KitKat OS. The smartphone is powered by a powerful 2.26GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, an Adreno 330 graphics processing unit (GPU) and 2GB of RAM.
The Nexus 5 sports a high-end 8-megapixel rear camera with advanced features such as optical image stabilization (OIS), improved HDR+ mode and the ability to record 30FPS 1080p video. It also has a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera for video chat. The smartphone’s wireless capabilities include a 4G LTE radio, dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/nc, Bluetooth 4.0 with Bluetooth 4.0 LE abilities, NFC, and GPS. The handset comes with 16GB of internal storage and packs in a 2,300mAh battery, which will provide up to 13 hours of talk time. Moreover, the Nexus 5 supports wireless charging out of the box with a compatible wireless charger sold separately.