Top 5 Phones of 2013

[Lloydbm41]

Interesting info about not squinting. I spent on the Moto
G recently for a secondary device but will look at the Nokia as well. The specs really turn me off though versus the G regardless of the OS.

The MotoG is hands down the better phone. The 520 is a budget smartphone, with very limited hardware capabilities, but great for those looking to dip their toes in the Windows Phone waters without paying more than the price of a few gallons of petrol.

But there is just something I like about WP. Enough so that I will be buying the first gen WP to run 8.1 when it is released.

 

[joshwithachance]

5) Moto X. This phone actually made me respect Motorola again. You get a near stock Android experience with cool, unique features (such as the notifications or twist camera gesture), solid performance, very quick updates from Google all in a very portable package. I like it.

4) LG G2. This phone blurs the line between phone and phablet, but it does so quite well, and personally I find it A LOT more appealing than it's direct competitor, the S4. The screen is beautiful, the buttons on the back are clever, performance is on point, and the battery life is great. That OS skin is just heinous and almost kills the entire experience though, so install a launcher (or Themer) immediately.

3) HTC One. HTC made quite the epic comeback with this near flawless device. It didn't make the top 2 because HTC's future is quite grim, the battery life leaves a lot to be desired, and the main camera is absolute garbage outside of macro shots. Where this phone owns the competition is in the media department with those amazing speakers & Beats Audio, stunning design, gorgeous display, and snappy performance.

2) iPhone 5s. Whenever people ask me what phone they should buy and they don't want a large screen I have to recommend the 5s. I personally crave a larger display, but this phone ticks all the right boxes. TouchID is revolutionary and so fun to use, the cameras are outstanding, iOS 7.1 betas are extremely solid and make iOS 7 a lot more tolerable, and the champagne model exudes class. The 64-bit processor is just a gimmick right now though.

1) Note 3. Easily the best overall mobile device of 2013 (and 2014 so far tbh), with literally no compromises. The screen is gorgeous, it has the best of the best specs, it feels good in the hand, the cameras are great, and the battery life is excellent.

 

[HIMAN1998]

I am basing mine off of specs. Because of this, this is my list.

1) Note 3
2) LG G2
3) Nexus 5
Next two make a hard decision for me
4) HTC One
5) Galaxy S4

The reason it is hard for me to decide between HTC One and S4 is because Both have very similar specs. I honestly like the camera on the HTC One better than on the S4, especially with the environments I take pictures in a lot. A also just like the build quality a lot better.

 

[ChrisTX]

1. Galaxy Note 3
2. iPhone 5
3. Galaxy S4
4. HTC One
5. Nexus 5

 

[jrswizzle]

I am basing mine off of specs. Because of this, this is my list.

1) Note 3
2) LG G2
3) Nexus 5
Next two make a hard decision for me
4) HTC One
5) Galaxy S4

The reason it is hard for me to decide between HTC One and S4 is because Both have very similar specs. I honestly like the camera on the HTC One better than on the S4, especially with the environments I take pictures in a lot. A also just like the build quality a lot better.

Wait - what specs are you using? Because if you're using specs like camera quality, processor speed, battery life and display quality you've missed one....

If you are using specs like screen size, battery SIZE, number of processor cores, number of megapixels - well then I guess you got it right.....

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The MotoG is hands down the better phone. The 520 is a budget smartphone, with very limited hardware capabilities, but great for those looking to dip their toes in the Windows Phone waters without paying more than the price of a few gallons of petrol.

But there is just something I like about WP. Enough so that I will be buying the first gen WP to run 8.1 when it is released.

I've got both on the way to me now. Moto G seems like the perfect device for me to keep as a backup, keep in the Android ecosystem type device. And I'm picking up the Lumia 520 for the very reason you mention - I've never been crazy about Nokia's Lumia designs - too bulky and boxy IMO. But I'm quite curious about WP8.

Both should arrive tomorrow via Amazon. Excited!

 

[AppleRobert]

Picked up the Nokia 521 on T-mobile yesterday at a MS store for kicks. It was $69.99 so better than the price at BB I saw.

I downloaded app folders and wiz tiles which looks interesting. Will play with it today, too much football yesterday.

 

[HIMAN1998]

Wait - what specs are you using? Because if you're using specs like camera quality, processor speed, battery life and display quality you've missed one....

If you are using specs like screen size, battery SIZE, number of processor cores, number of megapixels - well then I guess you got it right.....

Which one did I miss? I'm not putting any iPhone on my list because I feel that the specs of an iPhone would not be able to drive Android 4.1+ with it's specs at the same power these other phones do.

 

[jrswizzle]

Which one did I miss? I'm not putting any iPhone on my list because I feel that the specs of an iPhone would not be able to drive Android 4.1+ with it's specs at the same power these other phones do.

That's what I'm saying - the iPhone 5S is faster than any Android out there (save maybe the Note 3) but because it isn't "quad-core" you dismiss it....

Whatev - but don't pretend like this is a list based on specs. Simply a list based on your preferences. Totally fine - that's what most of us have done - but no need to pretend its something else.

It also cracks me up that you think the HTC One camera is better than the GS4 - in no way is it better. I vastly prefered the HTC One and think, overall it's the better device. But that camera sucks kinda hard - especially compared to other devices out there.

Ha - you say you dismiss the iPhone based on specs, then go and say the One has a better camera than the GS4.....specs-wise, there's nothing that makes that statement true. I haven't seen a test yet showing better pics coming out of the One than of the GS4. And the iPhone 5S takes better pics than both of them (at least better than the One and as good as the GS4).

 

[HIMAN1998]

That's what I'm saying - the iPhone 5S is faster than any Android out there (save maybe the Note 3) but because it isn't "quad-core" you dismiss it....

Whatev - but don't pretend like this is a list based on specs. Simply a list based on your preferences. Totally fine - that's what most of us have done - but no need to pretend its something else.

It also cracks me up that you think the HTC One camera is better than the GS4 - in no way is it better. I vastly prefered the HTC One and think, overall it's the better device. But that camera sucks kinda hard - especially compared to other devices out there.

Ha - you say you dismiss the iPhone based on specs, then go and say the One has a better camera than the GS4.....specs-wise, there's nothing that makes that statement true. I haven't seen a test yet showing better pics coming out of the One than of the GS4. And the iPhone 5S takes better pics than both of them (at least better than the One and as good as the GS4).

Camera isn't the only thing that matters to me. I forgot to mention that I like the premium feel of the One over the GS4. But, for the camera, from my own tests that I did, it was better than the GS4. Others may have a different opinion.

I dismiss the iPhone because the "64-Bit" is just something to draw more customers in. In real world average usage, it won't make that much of a difference. The 5S is not faster than the G2 I have sitting right beside me. The processor on the iPhone 5S only runs at 1.3GHz. Source. The G2, Nexus 5, and Note 3 all have a 2.26GHz quad core Snapdragon 800. The A7 would struggle running Android. 1GB RAM in it paired with a dual core 1.3GHz would be like running a Galaxy Nexus. It would suck. Android phones blow the iPhone out of the water with specs. iOS works on the devices it's made for because the OS is made around that certain device. Having the same specs on an Android phone as the Nexus device will mean you will have no problems.

 

[jrswizzle]

Camera isn't the only thing that matters to me. I forgot to mention that I like the premium feel of the One over the GS4. But, for the camera, from my own tests that I did, it was better than the GS4. Others may have a different opinion.

I dismiss the iPhone because the "64-Bit" is just something to draw more customers in. In real world average usage, it won't make that much of a difference. The 5S is not faster than the G2 I have sitting right beside me. The processor on the iPhone 5S only runs at 1.3GHz. Source. The G2, Nexus 5, and Note 3 all have a 2.26GHz quad core Snapdragon 800. The A7 would struggle running Android. 1GB RAM in it paired with a dual core 1.3GHz would be like running a Galaxy Nexus. It would suck. Android phones blow the iPhone out of the water with specs. iOS works on the devices it's made for because the OS is made around that certain device. Having the same specs on an Android phone as the Nexus device will mean you will have no problems.

Regardless of the GHz and the number of cores, the iPhone produces the better benchmarks. I've owned various devices and always run them through Geekbench 3 (the only cross platform one I have). Here are the scored I obtained (my method involves closing all running apps, a "pre-score" that I throw out, then averaging three geekbench scores to come up with this):

Phone - Single Core / Multiple Cores

Note 3 - 922 / 2801 (from website)
iPhone 5S - 1393 / 2507
Nexus 5 - 863 / 2268
LG G2 - 836 / 2172 (from website)
Galaxy S4 - 685 / 1818
HTC One - 586 / 1743 (from website)
iPhone 5C - 705 / 1218

So even in the multi-core score, the iPhone 5S beats out quad core phones. That's fine for you if you prefer having a phone with larger numbers at the GHz and Core spot - I prefer what that processor is ACTUALLY capable of.

I just find it hilarious you dismiss the iPhone because Android isn't optimized enough to run smoothly on "lesser" hardware (even though it isn't totally the case). Just say you don't like iOS devices and leave them out.

Other than RAM and display size, the iPhone is at the top as far as "specs" go in that it has longer battery life than most of the phones you listed, better sRGB color reproduction, better camera, faster processor (in terms of actual output) and a highly optimized OS.

Again - if you don't like iOS, that's fine - don't list it. But be honest about it. Don't hide behind a "spec sheet".

EDIT: Honestly - given the way Google is going with Project Svelte and 4.4, I'd betcha the 5S would run Android (at least KitKat) just fine without any problems. Heck - Motorola proved a dual core processor could run a smooth Android OS with the Moto X. All I've ever heard about that phone is that its super smooth.

 

[HIMAN1998]

Other than RAM and display size, the iPhone is at the top as far as "specs" go in that it has longer battery life than most of the phones you listed

The keyword is most. I have multiple friends who are all Apple and say that my phone is crap for being Android, but yet I always see them running around trying to find an outlet. They have the 5S, 5, and 5C. With my G2, I can go a whole day of heavy usage, and I'll have 30% at the end of the day. I haven't been able to say that about any other phone I've had besides a flip phone. Display size, yes, Android phones blow iPhone out of the water with that. They also do the same with pixel density. 326PPI on the iPhone vs 424 on the G2. I will say that the iPhone does have incredible viewing angles, my G2 display gets dim when looking from an angle.

 

[jrswizzle]

The keyword is most. I have multiple friends who are all Apple and say that my phone is crap for being Android, but yet I always see them running around trying to find an outlet. They have the 5S, 5, and 5C. With my G2, I can go a whole day of heavy usage, and I'll have 30% at the end of the day. I haven't been able to say that about any other phone I've had besides a flip phone. Display size, yes, Android phones blow iPhone out of the water with that. They also do the same with pixel density. 326PPI on the iPhone vs 424 on the G2. I will say that the iPhone does have incredible viewing angles, my G2 display gets dim when looking from an angle.

Ok so its a top 5 list. I didn't say the iPhone 5S should be number 1. But based on specs and real world usage, unless you weren't a fan of iOS, you'd be hard pressed not to include the 5S.

My experiences with battery life have been somewhat mixed. Generally, most modern phones get me through a day as I use two (one for work and one for play) and I use my iPad mini when at home. However, I will say I've noticed far more random drains on the Android devices I use than on my iPhones. While its conceivable my Nexus 5 could last longer than my 5S, too often my battery was being sucked dry by poor cell coverage or "Google Services". I don't have that issue on my 5S. Usually I can go about a day on standby with roughly 5 hours of usage varying from Nike+ running GPS, music, web browsing, facebook and game playing.

Regardless of what you think of 64-bit or TouchID, the fact is Android is now moving to 64-bit and other OEMs (Samsung, HTC) are adding fingerprint sensors.

The 5S was most certainly a top 5 smartphone of 2013. Where it falls in there is up to the individual. Unless, like I said, there is some pre-determined criteria such as you are only ranking devices you've used (that was mine and the reason I didn't list the Note 3) or you don't like iOS are are only ranking Android devices since you feel Android is superior in and of itself.

My point was simply not to hide behind a spec sheet. If you want to rank just Android devices, go for it and let us know that's what you're doing

 

[Kariya]

The A7 would struggle running Android. 1GB RAM in it paired with a dual core 1.3GHz would be like running a Galaxy Nexus. It would suck. Android phones blow the iPhone out of the water with specs.

Your logic baffles me but i'll simply chalk it up to strong bias clouding your objectivity.

If the Moto G (sporting a CPU equivalent to the Apple A5) can run Android 4.3/4.4 capably without issues, i don't see why the 5S (or even 5) can't do the same.

...and to compare them to the Galaxy Nexus of all phones. lol. Oh please...

 

[HIMAN1998]

Your logic baffles me but i'll simply chalk it up to strong bias clouding your objectivity.

If the Moto G (sporting a CPU equivalent to the Apple A5) can run Android 4.3/4.4 capably without issues, i don't see why the 5S (or even 5) can't do the same.

...and to compare them to the Galaxy Nexus of all phones. lol. Oh please...

The reason I compared to the Galaxy Nexus is because it had a 1.2GHz Dual Core, 1GB RAM. I now notice the Moto G, but the thing that makes it be able to drive it is the GPU. I now notice that the iPhone 5S has the separate GPU cores, but what testing has been done on them to compare them to an Adreno?

 

[jrswizzle]

The reason I compared to the Galaxy Nexus is because it had a 1.2GHz Dual Core, 1GB RAM. I now notice the Moto G, but the thing that makes it be able to drive it is the GPU. I now notice that the iPhone 5S has the separate GPU cores, but what testing has been done on them to compare them to an Adreno?

Dude....you should really do some research. Comparing the Galaxy Nexus' dual core chip to the A7 is laughable.

Check out Anandtech - they do extensive testing of everything. They'll show you Apple's GPUs have been ahead of Androids for quite a while. It wasn't until the 5S that the CPU caught up with top Android smartphones as far as benchmarks go. But when it did - it surpassed everything except the Note 3.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/7335/the-iphone-5s-review

 

[Dontazemebro]

Regardless of the GHz and the number of cores, the iPhone produces the better benchmarks. I've owned various devices and always run them through Geekbench 3 (the only cross platform one I have). Here are the scored I obtained (my method involves closing all running apps, a "pre-score" that I throw out, then averaging three geekbench scores to come up with this):

Phone - Single Core / Multiple Cores

Note 3 - 922 / 2801 (from website)
iPhone 5S - 1393 / 2507
Nexus 5 - 863 / 2268
LG G2 - 836 / 2172 (from website)
Galaxy S4 - 685 / 1818
HTC One - 586 / 1743 (from website)
iPhone 5C - 705 / 1218

So even in the multi-core score, the iPhone 5S beats out quad core phones. That's fine for you if you prefer having a phone with larger numbers at the GHz and Core spot - I prefer what that processor is ACTUALLY capable of.

I just find it hilarious you dismiss the iPhone because Android isn't optimized enough to run smoothly on "lesser" hardware (even though it isn't totally the case). Just say you don't like iOS devices and leave them out.

Other than RAM and display size, the iPhone is at the top as far as "specs" go in that it has longer battery life than most of the phones you listed, better sRGB color reproduction, better camera, faster processor (in terms of actual output) and a highly optimized OS.

Again - if you don't like iOS, that's fine - don't list it. But be honest about it. Don't hide behind a "spec sheet".

EDIT: Honestly - given the way Google is going with Project Svelte and 4.4, I'd betcha the 5S would run Android (at least KitKat) just fine without any problems. Heck - Motorola proved a dual core processor could run a smooth Android OS with the Moto X. All I've ever heard about that phone is that its super smooth.

I was curious as well and I ran geekbench 3 on both the Note 3 and iPhone 5s simultaneously to see if they were the same. Your numbers are pretty accurate. One thing I noticed was that the 5s sped through the test like nobody's business, unlike the Note 3 which seemed to be plodding along.

The A7 is definitely a nice piece of kit and destroys anything on single core.

Here were my results

iPhone 5s

Note 3

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Just for kicks, here is the Nexus 7 as well

 

[jrswizzle]

I was curious as well and I ran geekbench 3 on both the Note 3 and iPhone 5s simultaneously to see if they were the same. Your numbers are pretty accurate. One thing I noticed was that the 5s sped through the test like nobody's business, unlike the Note 3 which seemed to be plodding along.

The A7 is definitely a nice piece of kit and destroys anything on single core.

Here were my results

iPhone 5s
Image

Note 3
Image

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Just for kicks, here is the Nexus 7 as well

Image

I'll be interested to see how iOS 7.1 and KitKat affect the scores. But regardless, the whole "Apple isn't into specs" argument is pretty much moot unless you are simply comparing the numbers on the spec sheet - which are completely meaningless.

The specs I want to compare are benchmarks that measure actual output, color saturation, brightness, contrast, battery life in various situations etc....

I always read Anandtech's reviews of any smartphone I'm looking to purchase. They do an excellent job of running through the whole gambit in an unbiased way. It was their review of the 5S that got me super excited about it.

It's pretty baffling - based on the baseline score of Geekbench 3 - the iPhone 5S has the same computing power as a 2nd gen Intel i5 running at 2.5 GHz.....and you have it all in the palm of your hand.

 

[jrswizzle]

Just got my Moto G and Lumia 520. The Moto G is a great little device. Feels very nice, the buttons and look are very slick.

And 4.4.2 runs extremely smoothly despite the limited hardware. Here's my Moto G geekbench 3 score:

 

[Black Magic]

Camera isn't the only thing that matters to me. I forgot to mention that I like the premium feel of the One over the GS4. But, for the camera, from my own tests that I did, it was better than the GS4. Others may have a different opinion.

I dismiss the iPhone because the "64-Bit" is just something to draw more customers in. In real world average usage, it won't make that much of a difference. The 5S is not faster than the G2 I have sitting right beside me. The processor on the iPhone 5S only runs at 1.3GHz. Source. The G2, Nexus 5, and Note 3 all have a 2.26GHz quad core Snapdragon 800. The A7 would struggle running Android. 1GB RAM in it paired with a dual core 1.3GHz would be like running a Galaxy Nexus. It would suck. Android phones blow the iPhone out of the water with specs. iOS works on the devices it's made for because the OS is made around that certain device. Having the same specs on an Android phone as the Nexus device will mean you will have no problems.

So you want a bloated non-optimized OS that requires you to buy a newer hardware every year much like Microsoft Windows and Intel versus a lean, optimized OS like iOS? I still don't get why folks get hung up on specs versus experience? Did you not read the write up about how most of the cores in the Note 3 are shut off most of the time to save battery power? You say 64bit is a gimmick right now and that maybe true to a degree but quad core could be considered the same if you think about it.

 

[HIMAN1998]

So you want a bloated non-optimized OS that requires you to buy a newer hardware every year much like Microsoft Windows and Intel versus a lean, optimized OS like iOS? I still don't get why folks get hung up on specs versus experience? Did you not read the write up about how most of the cores in the Note 3 are shut off most of the time to save battery power?

I honestly don't like the experience of iOS. Too little customization. With Android I can do whatever the hell I want.

 

[jrswizzle]

I honestly don't like the experience of iOS. Too little customization. With Android I can do whatever the hell I want.

A perfectly legitimate reason to leave the 5S off your Top 5 of 2013.

Thanks for finally being honest!

 

[blackhand1001]

I'll be interested to see how iOS 7.1 and KitKat affect the scores. But regardless, the whole "Apple isn't into specs" argument is pretty much moot unless you are simply comparing the numbers on the spec sheet - which are completely meaningless.

The specs I want to compare are benchmarks that measure actual output, color saturation, brightness, contrast, battery life in various situations etc....

I always read Anandtech's reviews of any smartphone I'm looking to purchase. They do an excellent job of running through the whole gambit in an unbiased way. It was their review of the 5S that got me super excited about it.

It's pretty baffling - based on the baseline score of Geekbench 3 - the iPhone 5S has the same computing power as a 2nd gen Intel i5 running at 2.5 GHz.....and you have it all in the palm of your hand.

The a7 nor any other arm chip is anywhere close to the power of even a first gen core 2 duo let alone a core i5.

 

[jrswizzle]

The a7 nor any other arm chip is anywhere close to the power of even a first gen core 2 duo let alone a core i5.

Whatever you say.....took it from the Geekbench website.

http://browser.primatelabs.com/android-benchmarks

"Geekbench 3 scores are calibrated against a baseline score of 2500 (which is the score of an Intel Core i5-2520M @ 2.50 GHz). Higher scores are better, with double the score indicating double the performance."

Maybe they mean single core performance scores of 2500?

EDIT: Yes - that's what they meant....I misread it. My mistake.

Though to be fair, looks like the A7 is roughly on par with some Core 2 Duo chips from as late as 2010.

 

[mattopotamus]

Whatever you say.....took it from the Geekbench website.

http://browser.primatelabs.com/android-benchmarks

"Geekbench 3 scores are calibrated against a baseline score of 2500 (which is the score of an Intel Core i5-2520M @ 2.50 GHz). Higher scores are better, with double the score indicating double the performance."

Maybe they mean single core performance scores of 2500?

EDIT: Yes - that's what they meant....I misread it. My mistake.

Though to be fair, looks like the A7 is roughly on par with some Core 2 Duo chips from as late as 2010.

he is very closed minded to the point you are trying to get across...you should just give up haha.

 

[jrswizzle]

he is very closed minded to the point you are trying to get across...you should just give up haha.

This isn't the original guy I was talking with......new conversation.

And to his point, I did assume the 2500 baseline was a multi-core score, which wasn't the case.

I still find it fascinating that my first MacBook Pro - a 2007 with an Intel Core 2 Duo - is about as powerful as my current iPhone.

And any of you older folks, don't bother with the "back in MY day computers with 1/100th of the power of the current iPhone took up an entire ROOM"....lol I get it. The acceleration process is more what I'm amazed with. We're 6.5 years into the smartphone era (and only 3.5 into the tablet era) and both are ubiquitous and necessary to hundreds of millions of people.