What are the best smartphones of 2013 so far

Published on Mar 4, 2013

We’re only three months in, but 2013 is shaping up to be quite a year for smartphones. We’ve already seen plenty of new devices launched in and around CES 2013 and Mobile World Congress 2013. And there’s still a lot more to come – most notably Samsung’s Galaxy S4 and a new iPhone.

So far we’ve seen launches from some of the industry’s most significant players: Samsung, Sony, Nokia, BlackBerry, HTC, LG, Huawei, and ZTE. All of which represent a significant leap forwards in terms of processing power, display technology, and features.

Most of 2013’s new high-rolling handsets feature Full HD displays and high-end processors, CPUs that make last year’s Snapdragon S4 look practically remedial. And some handsets, notably the Xperia Z and Huawei Ascend D2, are also water and dust resistant – that means you can use them in the bath.

Here’s our pick of the five best handsets of 2013 so far:

Sony Xperia Z

Key Specs:

• Dimensions: 139 x 71 x 7.9 mm, 146g
• Display: 5-inch 1080x1920 pixel resolution (Full HD)
• Processor & RAM: 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro + 2GB of RAM
• OS: Android Jelly Bean version 4.1
• Camera: 13-megapixel Exmor RS camera
• Battery: 2300mAh

It’s got a 5-inch 1080p display, Android Jelly Bean, a new-look UX, and Qualcomm’s 1.5GHz S4 Pro processor and is easily one of the biggest launches of the year so far. Couple that with its IPX5/7 (Water-resistant) & IP5X (Dust-proof) rating, awesome 13-megapixel Exmor RS camera, and excellent overall design and finish and you’ve got one hell of a handset.

Our only concern with this device is its battery performance. Put curtly, it’s not very good. The battery cell is only just bigger than the Galaxy S3’s at 2300mAh, but it has a lot more display to power. That’s just the price you pay for 1080p. It’ll be interesting to see if this issue affects other 1080p smartphones like the HTC One and LG Optimus G Pro when we test them.

HTC One

Specs:

• Dimensions: 137.4 x 68.2 x 9.3 mm, 143g
• Display: 4.7-inch 1080x1920 pixel resolution (Full HD)
• Processor & RAM: 1.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600 + 2GB of RAM
• OS: Android Jelly Bean version 4.1
• Camera: 4-megapixel UltraPixel camera
• Battery: 2300mAh

The HTC One represents a change of pace for HTC. It’s big, it’s bold, and it’s very easy on the eyes. But it needed to be. You see with the One HTC is aiming at re-establishing itself as one of Android’s key players – the company slipped to third place in the UK behind Sony and Samsung in Q4 2012.

Going up against Samsung, Sony, and LG in 2013 isn’t going to be easy, but HTC has created something rather special with the aptly named One. Again you have a Full HD 1080p display, only this time it’s 4.7-inches, 2GB of RAM, Android Jelly Bean, and a completely re-imagined Sense UX.

The HTC One looks great but it’s the additional software features inside Sense 5.0 like HTC Zoe, Sense TV, and the One’s UltraPixel camera that really set it apart from the crowd. That and its 1.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600 CPU, which has been shown to be staggeringly powerful.

We like this device a lot.

BlackBerry Z10

Key Specs:

• Dimensions: 130 x 65.6 x 9 mm, 137.5g
• Display: 4.2-inch 1280x768 pixel resolution
• Processor & RAM: 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 + 2GB of RAM
• OS: BlackBerry 10
• Camera: 8-megapixel camera
• Battery: 1800mAh

The BlackBerry Z10. The new BlackBerry brand. And BlackBerry 10 – three new things that the company formerly known as RIM ushered into being in the first quarter of 2013. Expectation was high ahead of launch, networks committed early, and initial reviews – although not exactly glowing – were generally pretty good. Is BlackBerry back?

Our initial conclusion of the handset was that it was good, but not great. BlackBerry 10 is very much a work in progress, and that’s evident when using the Z10. Teething issues aside, the Z10 has a lot going for it with its excellent keyboard, crisp display, easy-to-develop-for platform, and expansive multimedia support.

ZTE Grand S

Key Specs:

• Dimensions: 6.9mm thin, weight is currently not known.
• Display: 5-inch 1080x1920 pixel resolution
• Processor & RAM: 1.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro + 2GB of RAM
• OS: Android Jelly Bean version 4.1
• Camera: 13-megapixel camera
• Battery: 1780mAh

Somewhere between a Nokia Lumia 920 and an HTC One X, the ZTE Grand X sits pretty with its quad-core specs and full 1080p display – not to mention a 13-megapixel rear facing camera and LTE on-board. The 6.9mm girth is also a full millimetre skinnier than the Sony Xperia Z. Not bad.

The LCD display packs a 1080p resolution, but without the likes of Sony's Mobile Bravia Engine 2 or OptiContrast, it'll take a side-by-side to see whether it manages to compete with the Xperia Z. Our first impressions at CES 2013 were that clarity is blinding, though brightness could be more so.

Jelly Bean on the ZTE Grand S LTE is powered along by a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor clocked at 1.7GHz, as well as 2GB of RAM. With 16GB of internal memory the flagship also has a microSD card slot making it perfect for movie hoarders and gamers alike.

LG Optimus G Pro

Key Specs:

• Dimensions: 150.2 x 76.1 x 9.4mm, 160g.
• Display: 5.5-inch 1080x1920 pixel resolution
• Processor & RAM: 1.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600 + 2GB of RAM
• OS: Android Jelly Bean version 4.1
• Camera: 13-megapixel camera
• Battery: 3140mAh

The LG Optimus G Pro is a quad-core 5.5-inch full HD monster truck of a phone, stylistically caught in a limbo state between the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and the Huawei Ascend D2. The design is blockier than the Samsung Galaxy Note 2. Flatter edges and a matte silver trim provide enough distinction to tell them apart. It’s also powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 600 CPU.

Using IPS technology, the Optimus G Pro’s 5.5-inch Full HD display looks pretty sensational with pure whites and impressive brightness. With a pixel density of 401ppi, clarity is significantly better than that of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and while Samsung's AMOLEDs do produce more vibrancy and depth, we know which we'd rather be looking at.

Other specs include a 13-megapixel camera around the back of the LG Optimus G Pro, 32GB of internal memory and microSD expandability up to an additional 64GB. At the time of writing it is unknown whether LG plans to release this handset in the UK. It could be an Asia-only launch.

Huawei Ascend D2

Key Specs:

• Dimensions: 140 x 71 x 9.4 mm, 170g.
• Display: 5-inch 1080x1920 pixel resolution
• Processor & RAM: Quad-core Huawei K3V2 clocked at 1.5GHz + 2GB of RAM
• OS: Android Jelly Bean version 4.1
• Camera: 13-megapixel camera
• Battery: 3000mAh

The screen is probably the highlight of the Huawei Ascend D2 - Its 5-inches and packs in a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. It really does look high quality too, and is the most stunning feature of this particular device.

The Ascend D2 runs on Android 4.1 with Huawei's Emotion UI on top. It's a pretty light UI in comparison to Samsung's TouchWiz or HTC's Sense, ensuring customisation and personalisation is at the heart of the homescreen.

We like certain parts of the UI, including the picture tagging interface in the gallery. If the device detects faces in the picture, it will suggest you tag them. Just tap, choose a friend, and tag.

by via Know Your Mobile