Buying a smartphone has become a lot like buying a car. With so many makes and models to choose from, it requires a great deal of research. You have to consider your budget, your needs, and what phone will suit your life in all the right ways. Since smartphone technology is developing so rapidly, it can be challenging to stay up on all the latest smartphone news.
As the industry grows, updates and new models appear on the market, and suddenly your current phone is outdated once again. Luckily, major cell phone carriers like Verizon have made it affordable to upgrade your phone regularly. If you’re in the market for an upgrade or perhaps are finally investing in a smartphone for the first time, you should know about the following five phones. They are some of the most highly praised phones of 2013. With a varied price range and unique features, one of them will surely suit your needs.
The iPhone 5
Apple’s iPhone 5 is #1 on many smartphone reviewers’ lists. Apple enthusiasts will of course gravitate to this option, but it makes a great phone for anyone.
Price: INR 44,299.00 or $199 with plan or $700
Storage: 16 GB
Screen Size: 4 inches
What’s New? The iPhone 5 differs from its predecessors with better processing capability. It runs more quickly and smoothly. It also has a larger screen than its older models, but is thinner and lighter, giving it a sleek feel.
Pros: Screen Display: Apple’s iPhones have always been known for their pristine screen resolution, and the iPhone 5 presents an even more gorgeous smartphone experience. With Retina Display technology, anything you view on your iPhone looks like it is alive in front of you.
Longevity: iPhones last a very long time, and Apple offers excellent tech support and a generous warranty in case anything ever goes wrong. Apple also updates their phones as often as they possibly can. There is already an updated, iOS 7 scheduled to come out in the fall of 2013, so if you buy an iPhone now, you can expect it to work even more efficiently when you install the new update.
Cons: No Expandable Storage: Like the other iPhones of the past, the iPhone 5 does not allow users to expand its storage. You can still load up to 16 GB of music, photos and other data onto it, but no more than that. Still, 16 GB is quite significant. Reviewers have not found any other major cons to speak of, so Apple can consider the iPhone 5 a success.
A Relatively Small Screen: To anyone who is new to smartphones, a 4 inch screen probably sounds large, but it is actually smaller than the screens of some of its competitors.
The Samsung Galaxy S4
The Galaxy S4 is likely the iPhone 5’s top competitor. Samsung pulled out all the bells and whistles for the S4, yet kept the price lower than the iPhone 5.
Price: INR 38,199 or $180 with plan or $600.
Storage: 16 GB with up to 64 GB of memory expansion through a microSD card.
Screen Size: 5 inches
What’s New? The Samsung Galaxy S4 has stronger battery life, improved processing speed, and a larger screen for even more advanced video and photo features. It is slimmer than the S3 but was made to be sturdier and more durable.
Pros: Multitasking: The Samsung Galaxy S4 gives users the option of multitasking through a split screen. You can comfortably check your email and use Facebook or text someone at the same time. It’s a lot like using a computer and having multiple windows open on your screen at once. This feature is incredible attractive to anyone who uses various means of communications at once.
Excellent Photo and Video Quality: The S4 has a 13 megapixel camera with Full HD 1080p video capability. When you buy an S4, you are also buying an excellent camera. If you take a lot of photos or videos and want to be able to capture moments on the go, this phone will give you unprecedented quality.
Cons: Large Screen: The S4’s screen is 5 inches long. This aspect could actually be a pro or a con, depending on a person’s unique needs. If you want to use your S4 for photos, videos, web browsing and reading, you might welcome the large screen. However, some people find the large size bulky, making it difficult to store and cumbersome to use when talking on the phone.
The HTC One M7
The HTC One M7 was just released in response to the HTC One X, which debuted in 2012 to critical acclaim but lost momentum due to a lack of marketing. This phone is ideal for anyone who enjoys a complex alert system and wants a smartphone with great entertainment features.
Price: $99 with plan or $680 on Amazon.
Storage: 32 GB
Screen Size: 4.7 inches
What’s New? The HTC One M7 features the best aspects of the HTC One X and only improves from there. This version includes 1080p HD capability and a quad-core processor.
Pros: BlinkFeed: The HTC One M7 has a trademarked feature known as BlinkFeed, which puts all your active content on your home screen. Along with a clock, you will see any webpage that you are on, a video that you are watching, and a text message that you are receiving. Like the multitasking features of the Samsung S4, this technology is great for anyone who loves to do several things at once and wants a phone that can keep up.
Excellent Audio: If you love listening to music, watching videos, streaming Netflix, playing video games, and anything else that requites good sound on your phone, you’ll be thrilled with the speakers on the HTC One M7. It has dual front stereo speakers with amplifiers in each, so you’ll be able to crank up the volume to a surprisingly loud level for a smartphone.
Cons: Lack Of Smart Stay: Samsung phones include a favorite feature called Smart Stay which senses when a user is watching a movie, reading the news, or doing another task that they would want the screen to stay lit for. Without Smart Stay, the HTC One M7’s screen will dim, and you will have to change the dim setting if you want it to stay lit for an extended time.
Sony Xperia Z
This phone has been unveiled and released in Japan and the UK. It is set to release in the United States during the third quarter of this year. If you’re considering buying a smartphone but aren’t in too much of a rush, it just might be worth the wait. If this sounds like the phone for you and you don’t want to wait, head to Amazon. It is available there.
Price: INR 37990 OR To be determined with plan, $600 on Amazon.
Storage: 16 GB with an optional microSD card for 32 GB
Screen Size: 6.4 inches
What’s New? Sony is stepping it up from the Xperia TL. The Xperia Z features a much larger screen, better processing, and exciting new features. With a 6.4 inch screen, it has the largest display of any smartphone of its caliber. It is also waterproof – a feature that is unprecedented in the smartphone market – and it has a 13 megapixel camera.
Pros: Waterproof: That’s right – this smartphone is waterproof. It can last under up to one meter of water for 30 minutes without losing any functionality. That doesn’t mean you should take it swimming with you, but if you accidentally drop it into a puddle or the sink, you don’t have to worry about ruining it.
Large Screen: The 6.4 inch screen is both a pro and a con, depending on who is asking. It looks like it is a hybrid between a phone and a tablet. For anyone who uses their phone as much more than a phone, the large screen may be a welcome feature. If you love watching movies and reading on your phone, you will love the large screen – especially if you have problems with your vision.
Cons: Large Screen: This feature could just as easily be a deal breaker for someone who wants a more compact smartphone that can easily fit in a pocket. While the Xperia Z is still sleek, there is no way around the fact that it has a 6.4 inch screen. If you prefer a smaller phone, the Xperia Z is not for you.
Google Nexus 4
Google is a leader in all things technological, so it makes perfect sense for them to design a phone. The Nexus 4 basics include:
Price: INR 25450 OR $99 with plan, $300 directly from Google with no plan
Storage: 8 GB or 16 GB – your choice
Screen Size: 4.7 inches
What’s New? The Nexus 4 has a larger screen than its predecessors, along with more memory, more battery life, and new features that set it apart from other smartphones on the market with a unique Google signature. Its keyboard now has gesture typing, which makes texting and writing emails far easier as the computer guesses what words you are going to type and allows you to click on them rather than type them out.
Pros: Google Apps: As you might expect, the Nexus 4 comes with all of the current Google apps installed for free. If you are a lover of all things Google, you will be thrilled to find that all your favorite features are already on your phone.
Google Now: The Nexus 4 features an app called Google Now, which will help you get through your day more efficiently. It will tell you what the traffic is looking like as you drive to and from work while serving as a GPS. It can also tell you when the next train is coming as you take the subway, and can remind you of everything you have scheduled as it comes along.
Cons: 8 Megapixel Camera: As you may have noticed by now, a new standard has been set in smartphone cameras. Many now have 13 megapixel cameras, but the Google Nexus 4 only has an 8 megapixel camera. If you are interested in a smartphone that can take the highest possible quality photos, the Nexus 4 may not be for you. 8 megapixels will still get you some lovely shots, but if you are looking for the best possible smartphone camera, this isn’t it.
Now that you’ve done some research, the next step to figuring out what phone is right for you is to demo the phones that you’re interested in. Go to your cell phone carrier’s local store, and give the phones a test run. See which ones feel the best in your hand and in your pocket. Maybe a certain feature on one will really stand out and impress you, like the large screen on the Sony Xperia Z or the split screen option on the Samsung Galaxy S4. Take your time and assess all your options. By the time you’re done thinking about it, there just might be a new phone on the market.