by Hadrian Ang

Introduction:

The past few months have been quite busy for the tech world, as conferences were held by big names such as Microsoft, Google and Nokia. New hardware from Qualcomm, Nvidia and Intel have also led to new devices with more processing power or power efficiency than ever before.

This also means new smartphones featuring even better multi-core graphics and multi-core processors. On top of this heap, however, are the new flagship refreshes from the household names such as Samsung, HTC, Nokia and Sony. Though it is difficult to give a solid opinion on these phones without owning and using them, here are a few that one should look out for if one wants to own the very best the current market has to offer (divided according to operating system).

Apple iOS

iPhone 5

Processor: 1.2GHz Apple A6

Graphics: PowerVR SGX543MP3

Screen: 4.0” 640×1136 IPS LCD

RAM: 1GB

Camera: 8MP AF, BSI, f/2.4, LED Flash

Despite rumors of a smaller or cheaper iPhone, Apple has decided to release only a single phone, as they do every year. The iPhone 5 is due for replacement pretty soon, but right now, it is certainly the best iOS device one can get. Featuring the new 1.2GHz Apple A6 processor with its triple-core graphics, it is a considerable spec bump over the iPhone 4S. What makes this different from other iPhones though is the 4-inch screen, which is the only screen size increase since the first iPhone was released. While it is still considered a powerful phone, it has been overshadowed by the other flagships that will be included in this article, and it may be wise to wait for Apple’s refresh, which should be coming soon.

Microsoft Windows Phone 8

Nokia Lumia 925

Processor: 1.5GHz Qualcomm MSM8960 S4 Plus

Graphics: Adreno 225

Screen: 4.5” 720p HD AMOLED

RAM: 1GB

Camera: 8.7MP AF, BSI, OIS, f/2.0 6-element Carl-Zeiss Lens with Nokia Pureview, Dual-LED Flash

Windows Phone 8 still lacks many of the applications that Android and iOS users enjoy every day; however, it is slowly catching up thanks in part to the great new Windows phones coming out, the latest and greatest being the Lumia 925.

With the Lumia 925, Nokia departs from their usual polycarbonate builds. Being the first metal-plastic hybrid Lumia, the 925 looks more professional than the Finnish company’s previous offerings. Aside from this, it is also lighter and thinner, though it gives up the wireless charging back.

A side-by-side comparison with the Lumia 920 may lead one to conclude that they are the same phone, and indeed they share the same Qualcomm MSM8960 chipset and 1GB of RAM. Two significant changes have been made, however. First, Nokia chose to outfit the 925 with an AMOLED display as opposed to the LCD panel used in the Lumia 920. This means deeper blacks and more saturated colors (at the cost of some color accuracy). The AMOLED display’s level of contrast makes the Windows Phone Modern UI look better, however, and it also helps save a little bit of battery power.

What is most significant about the Lumia 925 though, is its 8.7MP Pureview branded camera. Its f/2.0 aperture allows for incredible low-light photos and the addition of another lens (compared to the Lumia 920) increases daytime sharpness, making what may be, the best camera phone in the market right now, the Nokia Pureview 808 being its only direct competition (and the upcoming Galaxy S4 Zoom).

Google Android

HTC One

Processor: 1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 600

Graphics: Adreno 320

Screen: 4.7” 1080p HD Super LCD3

RAM: 2GB

Camera: 4MP AF, BSI, OIS, with HTC Ultrapixel Technology, f/2.0, Dual-LED flash

The HTC One has been called the best smartphone in the world multiple times. Though phones rarely ever hold this title for more than a few months, the HTC One will certainly be one of the best for quite some time.

Featuring a powerful quad-core Snapdragon 600 processor, the HTC One is certainly no slouch (the only thing faster is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800, which only about to be released); its beautiful aluminum build matched only by the beauty of its own 1080p screen, the HTC One offers the best technology has to offer right now.

While other cameras increase the number of pixels they can take, HTC actually decreased their flagship’s megapixel count. In an attempt to disprove the megapixel myth, HTC modified the One’s sensor to take Ultrapixels, which are large pixels capable of taking more light and therefore, more information and detail, especially in low-light situations.

The inclusion of HTC BoomSound front-facing speakers and the large 4.7” screen cements it as one of the best multimedia devices money can buy. HTC has also included its custom Sense 5.0 UI, which has some exclusive features (which would be difficult to dwell on in this overview). Google will also be selling a version with Vanilla Android for purists who want their OS free of manufacturer customizations.

Samsung Galaxy S4

Processor: 1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 or 1.6GHz Samsung Exynos 5 Octa (depending on region)

Graphics: Adreno 320 / PowerVR SGX544MP3

Screen: 5” 1080p HD Super AMOLED

RAM: 2GB

Camera: 13MP AF, BSI, f/2.2

The Galaxy S4’s design language is synonymous to that used by last year’s flagship, the Galaxy S3; however, it manages to cram a larger 5” screen into a chassis of similar dimensions. Despite concerns over build quality, Samsung decided to stick with plastic once again (seems to be a signature Samsung decision already), as the S4 has a polycarbonate shell.

What is most surprising with the Galaxy S4, however, is its use of an Octa-core processor in the form of the Exynos 5 Octa. This may be deceptive though as the Exynos 5 is made up of four ARM Cortex A15 cores and four Cortex A7 cores. To save on energy, it switches to the weaker Cortex A7 cores when tasks aren’t as demanding, and it uses the more powerful A15 cores during more intense tasks. While it may not be eight cores running at the same time, the Exynos 5 matches (and sometimes beats) the Snapdragon 600 used in its direct competitor, the HTC One.

Featuring an excellent 13MP camera and an equally excellent 5” 1080p Super AMOLED screen, the Galaxy S4 certainly won’t disappoint when it comes to multimedia, as it includes a considerable spec bump compared to the S3. Though some may doubt there is any real innovation involved with Samsung’s new flagship, it manages to cram in a lot of gimmicky features which some may find useful, (too many to mention here in fact) and a smooth user experience, making it one of the best smartphones one can buy today.

Conclusion:

Technology is moving faster and faster today, and one may say these phones are no longer as good as they were before, as even better ones are now coming out; however, these are undeniably good choices and would be considered excellent phones even a year from now. Some may criticize this list as it lacks a few important phones such as the Sony Xperia Z or even offerings from Huawei and LG, but many of those phones lack in certain aspects (such as the Xperia Z’s last generation processor making it unable to compete with Samsung and HTC). Others may say these are not future proof as the Snapdragon 800 equipped Sony Xperia Z Ultra and maybe the Galaxy Note III are just around the corner; however, these are the best right now, and they will certainly serve any user quite well, and one can’t go wrong with any one of them.

Sources:

www.gsmarena.com

Previous stock knowledge mostly from www.engadget.com