Remember the days when we played Snakes on our phones? Remember the days when Motorola had a flip-screen phone battle with Nokia? It’s been a long time since then and today the smartphone industry has grown into a large multi-billion dollar industry.
So another great year comes to an end and we saw a huge development in the smartphone industry this year, compared to previous years. Phones are getting bigger day by day and new features are being added frequently; we at Andro Dollar decided to list out the top 10 smartphones out there in the market selling like hot cakes!
10) Sony Xperia Z1
At number 10 is the Sony’s flagship device, Xperia Z1. This premium looking device is packed with a Snapdragon 800 chip-set and a 20.7 megapixel shooter. Sony’s ground-breaking waterproof technology adds glamour to the device making it to the number 10 spot on our list. The device comes with Android 4.2 preinstalled and Sony is planning to update this device to 4.4 KitKat somewhat in the first quarter of 2014.
Verdict : The Xperia Z1 is a good device for Entertainment; it’s a good choice for a photo enthusiastic. However this 5″ incher is not up to the competition when we take the Display and low light performance is quite disappointing compared to other high end devices. There are much better options than this, so this ended up at No. 10 of our list.
9) Nokia Lumia 1020
The Lumia 1020 takes the smartphone camera to a whole new level with it’s whooping 41 megapixel shooter, capable of delivering rich photographs to the user. Under the hood we find the Qualcomm Snapdragon™ S4 processor alongside with the Adreno 225 GPU. The device is powered by Windows Phone 8 and it is very likely for Nokia to update the device in March, 2014 when Windows Phone 8.1 is released. This device tops our chart at number 9 mainly because of the 41 megapixel stunner.
Verdict : The Lumia 1020 is absolutely a great device. It’s 41 mega pixel sensor is a major plus point for the phone, but the operating system is a major drawback for the device. Compared to other operating systems such as iOS and Android , windows phones lacks some of the features , as well as some of the great apps.In terms of the camera we can’t say that this device will replace your DSLR, but if you’re looking for a great smartphone camera this is the right choice!
8) Moto G
The Moto G introduced by Motorola after being owned by Google, is a phone of it’s class. It packs a 4.5 inch HD display with a Snapdragon 400 Quad Core Processor. While this may look like a budget phone priced in at 179$ , it’s one of the first phones to get the KitKat update. When you first see a Moto G you may notice that it’s a stylish phone with an affordable price tag. In fact Motorola allows you to customize the phones with 15 colorful back panels.
Moto G packs a 2070 mAh battery to juice it up. The primary camera has a 5 megapixel sensor and the secondary camera has a 1.3 megapixel sensor. The phone comes with Android 4.3 Jelly Bean out of the box with a guaranteed update to 4.4 KitKat which is rolling out at the moment in some regions.
Verdict : You may think why this phone is at number 8 on our list . It’s because the Moto G is a Budget Phone Done Right! We love the design. We love the Quad Core Processor. With the Jaw Dropping price tag, this phone deserves it!
7) Nokia Lumia 1520
The Nokia Lumia 1520 is the first “Phablet” from Nokia. This monster is 6″ and is packed with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor with Windows Phone 8 to power up the device. The camera is really a turning point for this device. It features a whooping 20 megapixel shooter with Nokia’s Pure View Technology. The quad core device, is packed up with a non removable 3400 mAh battery which should keep the device alive for more than a day.
This device comes with a storage capacity of either 16 or 32 with an Micro SD expandable storage up to 64 GB’s. It also packs a 2 GB RAM for all it’s multitasking purposes.
Verdict : Nokia surprised us by introducing the Lumia 1520. We like the gorgeous display and of course, the camera. The solid built quality, speedy performance, makes this a perfect device although we wouldn’t recommend this device for one-handed operation. Another issue regarding the OS is that, Windows Phone doesn’t make use of the massive display. But the bottom line is if you’re looking for a device for entertainment purposes and snappy responses, this is the right choice!
6) Apple iPhone 5S
The iPhone 5S is the latest installment of the iPhone series by Apple. The extremely popular handset is the first phone to feature a Processor based on the 64-Bit architecture. Apple is took smartphone strategies to a new level by introducing this device which took the world by storm along with the 5C.
Under the hood, there’s an Apple A7 chipset along with a 1GB RAM which is all what it takes to run this device perfectly. Apple has upgraded their iSight camera optics, which claims that the device is capable of delivering rich photographs. It also features slow motion video shooting and a Fingerprint Scanner (Touch ID) which is really interesting.
This device is among the fastest selling phones of 2013. Apple sold over 9 Million units of 5S’s and 5C’s combined, in the first week after the release.
Verdict : It’s no doubt that this premium looking device is one of the best phones of the year 2013. The highly anticipated device is the king of iPhone line-up at the moment. We love the solid built quality, and the way it performs. But the the Major problem for us is the Software. iOS 7 was a Huge Leap for Apple, but it is still behind it’s competition. They need to add more interesting features that will “WOW” the end user.
5) LG G2
The LG G2 is undoubtedly one of LG’s most successful devices. This beast packed with Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor. What’s really interesting about the hardware is it’s button placement. The all new Rear Key of this phone is placed near the rear camera, which in fact is clever positioning from LG.
Whats’s even better is that this phone features Optical Image Stabilization which could come handy when taking photos with shaky hands. The G2 packs a 5.2′ inch display with 424 PPI.
Okay so now the software; G2 comes android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean PreInstalled and 4.4 KitKat is already rolling out in Korea. LG has introduced a new feature called Guest Mode which allows you personalize the user experience for a guest.We see LG introducing new features to it’s phone line up which is a good sign. They’ve added Multi-Window feature somewhat similar to that of the Note series by Samsung.
Verdict : The G2 is a revolutionary product by LG. With the introduction of OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) they were able to set a new trend for the smartphone camera.We love the design of the G2. The rear mounted buttons deliverers an ideal user experience. Everything is top notch here. That’s what we love about this device.
However the major drawback of the device is the lack of the SD Card slot. With the OS installed, only 10.5GB approx. is available to the user. This is not much space for the more app hungry users.
4) Galaxy S4
The Galaxy S4 is the fourth installment of Samsung’s Galaxy Line up. Back in 2012 Samsung release the Galaxy S3 which was the turning point for the portfolio. The highly anticipated S4 was released in March. It comes with Samsung’s Exynos 5 Octa Core chip which delivers high end performance.
The device offers a 13 megapixel shooter with lots of additional features from Samsung. The 5′ inch Super AMOLED display has a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels giving it a pixel density of 441. In addition it packs a 2600 mAh battery to power the device.
Verdict : The S4 is among the best android phones currently. We like all the features which Samsung has offered. This device is ideal for everyday use including heavy gaming, messaging, etc.There’s really nothing which we disliked except for the built quality. The glossy plastic finish attracts fingerprints and it doesn’t look so premium like similar devices of it’s kind.
3) HTC One
HTC has combined an eye catchy design, a gorgeous display and jaw dropping performance into the HTC One to offer one of the best smartphones around. It has a 1080p Full HD screen wrapped up beautifully to a 4.7′ inch Super LCD3 panel. This device is powered by a Quad Core 1.7 Ghz Krait 300 processor with Adreno 320 GPU.
The device comes with android Jelly Bean and HTC is planning to update the device to Android 4.4 KitKat. HTC’s own user interface has been applied over stock android which offers many new features such as HTC’s BlinkFeed.
Verdict : HTC One is a spectacular high end device, which offers the very best of HTC. We like HTC Sense UI, the premium touch, and zero gap finish.The camera didn’t perform well when compared to devices of it’s class, and the lack of a MicroSD Card Slot is really disappointing.
2) Nexus 5
The Google Nexus Series is the Google’s authentic line-up which boasts the latest android Version. The Nexus 5 is manufactured by LG and it’s the first Device to feature Google’s latest version of Android, KitKat.
The product was leaked purposely on Google’s promotional videos, which gave a hint what the new nexus could be. It packs a Quad-core 2.3 GHz Krait 400 Processor and a Adreno 330 GPU. The 8 megapixel camera on the nexus 5 sounds promising although we have seen 13 megapixel shooters of it’s class. Talking about the display, it offers a True HD IPS+ capacitive touchscreen with Full HD resolution, with a pixel density of 445.
Verdict : The Nexus 5 is the perfect device for Android lovers. It comes with 4.4 KitKat installed with latest features. Guaranteed updates directly from Google, top notch hardware specification, affordable price is what we like about this device. The battery of the Nexus 5 would not last more than a day unless if you’re not a heavy user. There is a significant shutter-lag when taking photos which is quite disappointing. Nevertheless the Nexus 5 is a great device offering pure Android right away from Google.
1) Note 3
Samsung Galaxy Note 3 was able to grab the number one spot on our list. Many Android fans consider this as THE ANDROID FLAGSHIP DEVICE due to it’s top class performance and features. The 5.7′ inch beast is powered by the Qualomm’s latest chipset, the Snapdragon 800. The processor is clocked in at 2.3 Ghz making this device a powerhouse.
Samsung has renewed the S Pen features, and now it offers Air Command which turns out to be useful. It also features new features such as USB 3.0 , 4K Video Recording which is unique for the Note 3 at the moment. Samsung also introduced the new Faux leather back on the Note 3 and the side bezels are made in a way that reminds us about a book. The physical appearance is also much more nicer and build is much better.
Note 3 features a 5.7″ Full HD display and is covered with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 on top.The camera has a 13 megapixel image sensor which is works really well.
Note 3 comes with Android 4.3 out of the box with a guaranteed update to Android 4.4 KitKat very soon. Samsung is very likely to roll out this update somewhat in January, 2014. What’s really interesting is that what Samsung has done customizing stock android and applying their custom UI over it. The users can benefit from features such as Multi-Window which allows real multitasking making use of the device’s large display.
The device comes with three major variants depending on your region (There are other carrier variants also) The N9005 version comes with features such as 4G connectivity, 4K recording, with Snapdragon 800 chipset inside while the N9000 version comes with Samsung’s own Exynos 5 OCTA Processor. Both of the versions perform extremely well during their operation. The N9002 is a dual SIM version of the Note 3 which is limited to Korean Region.
Verdict : Remember the original Note which was released in 2011? Samsung took a step forward introducing the Note series and now we see a huge success in Samsung’s authentic Note series gaining huge attention in the market. The Note 3 is one hell of a device regarding each and every aspect. We love the features which Samsung has offered along with this great device which makes it a perfect. The screen is breathtaking and the battery life is very promising. It is no doubt that Samsung has wrapped out there best into the 5.7 inch device.
Note 3 was manufactured with two handed operation in mind and therefore it is quite hard to use this device using one hand. This is just a marvelous piece of engineering, which deserves to be on the number one spot of our list for, Top 10 Smartphones of 2013.
So that’s it! This is the Andro Dollar’s Top 10 Smartphones for 2013. Hope you enjoyed it. If you did, Feel free to share it with your friends and drop a comment with your Favorite Smartphone of 2013.
