Best Of 2013: Smartphones | TechTree.com

Best Of 2013: Smartphones

We look back at smartphones that made it big last year.

 
Best Of 2013: Smartphones

2013 was a happening year for smartphones. With Apple, HTC, Nokia, Samsung, and Sony bringing in their A-game, the buyers were spoilt for a choice. I personally believe that the best phone is the one you have. However, for the tech world it's a mandatory ritual to honour the top-dogs in the market. Since everyone has different priorities when choosing a handset, we've categorised the phones based on their USP. Speaking of which, one can't deny the fact that one of the most important criteria for splurging money on a new phone is to show-off, so let's begin with the Aesthetics department.


Most Stylish Phone Of The Year

iPhone 5S
Ever since Apple embraced metal chassis with the iPhone 4, its phone only got classier with each iteration. The iPhone 5S is thin, lightweight, fits perfectly in hand. Moreover, its finish is top-notch.

Lumia 925
The Lumia 925 is way off Nokia's contemporary 'Fabula' design language. Instead of the colourful polycarbonate, the 925 brings a sleek metallic frame and subtle hues to the table. The phone is great to hold, and it's curved screen makes the swiping gestures feel smoother than ever.

HTC One
When all the Android OEMs were churning out dull and plasticky flagships, HTC showed the industry how a top-end phone should look like. The One flaunts a beautifully aluminium body fused with polycarbonate. It also brought the long-due elegance to the Android stable.



While we love the iPhone's aesthetics, the core design has gone somewhat stagnant for a last few years. As weird as it sounds, the Taiwanese manufacturer has outdid two of the top design driven companies - Apple and Nokia. More importantly, it's the only brand to manufacture a beautiful Android handset.

Best Performance



HTC One
The Snapdragon 600 chipset may not sound impressive on paper, but the phone pulls off great performance in reality. All the Android games work well with this phone. You can enjoy Full HD videos without a problem. And most importantly, it's one of the rare Android that doesn't lag.

Apple iPhone 5S
Lag and slow-down was never an issue for the iPhone. And now with the A7 chipset, the phone is twice as powerful compared to its predecessor. It’s also the first 64-bit processor ever used in a smartphone. Leveraging on its performance, you get console-grade graphics on the iPhone 5S. The A7 has also got a companion processor, the M7 to process the motion data.

LG G2
LG's top-end smartphone G2 is powered by a quad-core Snapdragon 800 chipset clocked at 2.2 GHz. The 2 GB RAM ensures quick loading times. Unlike most Android phones, the G2 features a 13 megapixel camera backed by OIS (Optical Image Stabilisation) offers great low-light pictures.



The iPhone 5S and HTC One put up stellar performance. However, the G2 comes across as an all-rounder. Photography, gaming, video playback, the G2 shines in all departments. Therefore, winning the title for being the best performing phone of the year.

Best Cameraphone Of The Year

Samsung GALAXY S4
The S4's 13 megapixel auto-focus camera is coupled with an LED flash. It's list of photography features include Dual Shot, Drama Shot, Cinema Shot, Sound & Shot, Eraser, Best Face, and Beauty Face. More importantly, it offers great image quality. The resulting photographs contain plenty of detail, while keeping noise under control.

Nokia Lumia 1020
The Lumia 1020 isn’t all about the 41 megapixel sensor, but how Nokia taps into its full-potential with a thoughtfully designed Camera app. This app provides DSLR-like settings. Throw, impressive zoom, refocus app, and low-light photography in a mix, and an unique smartphone with a great camera.

LG G2
The G2 borrows many of the features from the GALAXY S4. In terms of image quality it does a stellar job. The photographs offer great amount of detail. Thanks to LG’s two-axis optical image stabilisation, the G2 is one of the very-few Androids to perform well in low-light conditions.



The S4 and G2 have good cameras. However, if you're a shutterbug, nothing comes close to the Lumia 1020. An intuitive software tailored for the Zeiss lens offers total control over shutter speed, exposure, white balance, and ISO. Undoubtedly, it's the best cameraphone that fits easily in your pocket.
 


Tags : Mobile Phones, Android, iOS, Windows Phone, Apple, Nokia, HTC, LG, Samsung

 
News Corner