Android has come a long way. For the longest time, Android has been second fiddle to Apple’s iOS. Not anymore. 2012 was a big year for the Google operating system. Android outsold iOS devices as a whole and Samsung’s Galaxy phones (which run Android) also outsold the iPhone the entire year.
Suddenly it is a world full of choices out there, especially when it comes to smartphones. It is no longer the iPhone vs. everything else. People are now looking for the best device in the market and it usually is an Android device.
Enter 2013. We are just approaching the first half of the year and we are already treated with some great releases like:
Samsung Galaxy S4
As Samsung advertised, the next big thing is here. While the Galaxy Note 3 is not yet here, this phone will be the top dog for a while. This phone is a beast. It has a 1.9GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor to give you that zippy user experience. The phone has a gorgeous 5-inch 1080p screen and takes great pictures with its 13MP rear camera. Samsung also loaded it up with interesting features like the S-Translator, Group Play, Air Gestures, and S-Health, among others. Some of these features may seem gratuitous but they can be pretty useful. All in all, this is the phone that can meet almost all of your needs.
HTC One
While Samsung loaded up the S4 with all the features they can throw at it, HTC on the other hand gave One the “do more with less” approach. And it works. HTC reworked Sense for a simpler user experience. It includes Blinkfeed, a news aggregator that is similar to Flipboard. It’s also got an IR blaster to instantly turn it to a TV remote. But it’s not really the features but the simple yet fast and smooth user experience you’ll really enjoy with this phone. After all, it is powered by a 1.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600 processor and has a gorgeous LCD screen that uses SoLux technology for better picture quality. In addition, HTC is introducing a new approach to smartphone cameras by using what they call UltraPix Sensor, which allows the device to capture more light even if it is just a 4MP camera.
LG Optimus G Pro
This is LG’s answer to Samsung’s Galaxy Note series. This phablet is huge with a 5.5-inch full HD IPS screen. It is pretty powerful as well with its quad-core 1.7GHz Snapdragon 600 processor and 2 GB or RAM. Unlike the Galaxy Note, however, it does not have a stylus. Don’t let that deter you, though, because this phone is still pretty easy to use and provides smooth and zippy experience. If you are using this phablet as a business phone, you will also love the QSlide, which is a multitasking window that allows you to view multiple apps in one window while navigating your phone in another. Other features include QuickMemo and VuTalk. It also supports NFC and has LTE coverage. The best part is that it is more affordable than the Galaxy Note 2.
