What is the best Android phone of 2013?

In the past 12 months, we saw the quote-unquote phablet — a.k.a. the overgrown smartphone — rise to dominance, and now it has pretty much become the new face of the Android smartphone market. Gone are the days of phones with modest 3.5-inch screens, dual-core processors, and limited wireless features.
Nowadays, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a handset that doesn’t have a 5-inch screen, quad-core CPU, and some form of next-gen wireless networking. Last year’s phones were great, don’t get us wrong. Who could forget the HTC One X, the first Android handset with a quad-core processor? Or the nature-inspired Samsung Galaxy S3? Again, last year’s phones were awesome. But it’s about time that we all took a look at a new list of the best Android phones ever released so far, and compare them with the stuff that we believe will arrive in the later months. Then we’re going to pick out the very best one out of this selection, just like we did in 2012.
2013 has been an absolute whirlwind of a year for Android. We’re seeing the biggest device makers try their best to exceed consumer expectations, while at the same time, trying to one-up each other by releasing bigger, better, and faster phones. There has been a lot of emphasis on “bigger” there, but we’re not complaining.
There are a lot of great phones worthy of being called the best out there, and we know that more are on the way (Nexus 5, anyone?) so we will update this piece accordingly. But we also know that there can be only one. So without further ado, meet the contenders.

HTC

If you’re looking for reasons why you should not upgrade to the Samsung Galaxy S4 — or purchase any other phone, for that matter — we can give you at least one. The HTC One is, by far, the absolute best Android phone that HTC has ever concocted, and it’s a serious contender for the title of best smartphone of 2013. It’s also a symbol of HTC’s fight for survival.

HTC One Specs

• 4.7-inch Super LCD3, Full HD (1920×1080 pixels), ~469 ppi
• 4MP auto-focus camera with LED flash (1080p video recording)
• 1.7GHz quad-core Qualcomm Krait 300 CPU + Adreno 320 GPU
• 32GB/64GB internal storage (no microSD support), 2GB RAM
• Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean, upgradeable to Android 4.2.2
• 2,300mAh battery (non-removable)

We have to admit, the HTC One doesn’t exactly scream “best Android phone ever” on paper. Some of its features might even make it look a bit underwhelming. “4-megapixel camera?” We know, we had the same reaction when we first found out about it, too. But don’t let it fool you.
Although the HTC One might appear to be under-specced, it’s anything but. It’s actually one of the more feature-rich handsets outed so far this year, especially when it comes to the camera. It also offers a unique homescreen experience courtesy of a little something called HTC BlinkFeed, which may or may not be useful depending on how you use your phone.
The bottom line is, in the sea of Android copycats, the HTC One easily stands out. Now if only HTC can get it to the hands of consumers already…

HUAWEI

Trying to capitalize on the enormous amount of work that it did dating back to early 2012, Huawei is now on the verge of convincing many people to change their viewpoints concerning the Huawei brand. Still, though it’s no stranger to catching people’s attention, Huawei has all its work cut out for it. As part of its plan to take on the entire Android market on all fronts, Huawei is expected to launch the still rumored Huawei Edge, a smartphone with an all-aluminum chassis and top-of-the-line features that would make most big brand flagship phones from other companies cry.

Huawei “Edge” Specs

• 4.9-inch, Full HD (1920×1080 pixels)
• 13MP camera
• 1.7GHz quad-core K3V3 CPU + Mali T604 GPU
• 16GB/32GB internal storage
• Android 4.2 Jelly Bean
• 2,600mAh battery

It’s not clear when — or where — the Huawei Edge is first going to arrive. But once it does, it’s likely to be talked about, pictured, tested, and perhaps even mandhandled as much as possible. We know we would.

LG

LG pretty much gets a free pass to be on this list because of its status as maker of the current flagship Nexus smartphone from Google. And it doesn’t hurt that it did a really great job with it, too. The LG Nexus 4 is one of the most in-demand Android phones out on the market because it offers a no-frills “stock” Android experience, one that won’t leave users annoyed with bloatware and scrambling for ways to flash custom ROMs in order to get some peace of mind.

LG Nexus 4 Specs

• 4.7-inch IPS+, HD (1280×720 pixels), ~318 ppi
• 8MP auto-focus camera with LED flash (1080p video recording)
• 1.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Krait CPU + Adreno 320 GPU
• 8GB/16GB internal storage (no microSD support, 2GB RAM
• Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, upgradeable to Android 4.2.2
• 2,100mAh battery (non-removable)

Another thing that makes the LG Nexus 4 a must-have is the fact that it gets Google-issued Android software updates faster than any other handset you can buy right now, which is standard operating procedure for all of Google’s Nexus devices. There are some who find the Nexus 4′s lack of support for microSD cards quite disappointing, but the good news is that Android — the default version of the operating system itself, that is — doesn’t really take up too much space to begin with.
With all of that said, the LG Nexus 4 is clearly not the most powerful model that you can get your hands on. People tend to buy it more for the software, and rarely ever for the hardware. It even lacks an FM radio, but buying it will likely to lead to you saving a bunch of money, and that’s a good thing.

MEIZU

Meizu claims a spot for itself in this year’s list of contenders for the best Android phone with the upcoming (still rumored) Meizu MX3.

Meizu MX3 Specs

• 5.1-inch LCD, Full HD (1920×1080 pixels)
• Exynos 5 Octa processor
• 32GB/64GB internal storage + microSD card support, 2GB RAM
• Android 4.1 Jelly Bean

Very little is known about the Meizu MX3 at this point, so we can’t really tell you much, though we want to. The most interesting bit of info that we know about it so far? It will ship with the exact same processor that’s fitted in the Samsung Galaxy S4. If that’s the case, it’s sure to be a powerful phone, no matter what.

MOTOROLA

Not much is really known about the rumored Motorola/Google X Phone at the moment — though there has been no shortage of rumors that sometimes seem to contradict each other whenever they pop up. But even now it doesn’t look like it’ll have much to offer in terms of specs. Just as with Google’s Nexus line of smartphones, the draw will likely be due to the software, as there is a possibility that the X Phone will launch as the first handset rocking Android version 5.0.

Motorola Google X Specs

• 4.8-inch LCD, Full HD (1920×1080 pixels)
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 800
• 32GB/64GB internal storage (no microSD card support), 2GB RAM
• Android 4.2 Jelly Bean or Android 5.0.1

Even if the X Phone doesn’t launch with what would then be the latest version of Android, it is still more than likely to have other things going for it, though it’s difficult to tell exactly what these will be. In any case, it’s surely something to look forward to if only for the fact that it will mark the first time in a long time that Motorola launches anything new. So keep watching.

SAMSUNG

You can’t have a list of the best Android smartphones without what is currently considered by many as the undisputed king of all: the Samsung Galaxy S4. It has all of the features that made its predecessor, the Galaxy S3, a favorite, plus it also comes with the latest version of Android pre-installed.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Specs

• 5-inch Super AMOLED, Full HD (1920×1080 pixels), ~441 ppi
• 13MP auto-focus camera with LED flash (HDR + 1080p video recording)
• Exynos 5 Octa 5410 with PowerVR SGX 544MP3
• 16GB/32GB/64GB internal storage + microSD (up to 64GB), 2GB RAM
• Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean
• 2,600mAh battery (removable), 62 hrs. music, 17 hrs. talk

On top of all the Samsung Galaxy S4′s standard features, there’s also a number of exclusive software tricks, of which some can be life-changing while the rest are completely useless. Some users have argued that Samsung should have just left these software tricks out in favor of letting users enjoy all the extra storage space, but the die has been cast.
Many people have been very vocal about their disappointment in the Galaxy S4′s apparently limited amount of internal storage (at least in the case of the base model that’s supposed to offer 16GB), but we think that if the urge to purchase this Android-based powerhouse is strong enough, that won’t be enough to stop them. After all, what’s the point of having a microSD card slot?

Also of note from Samsung is the upcoming Galaxy Note 3, which is sure to arrive at some point in the not-so-distant future. Have a look at a quick list of its rumored specs below.

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Specs

• 5.99-inch Super AMOLED, Full HD (1920×1080 pixels)
• 13MP auto-focus camera with LED flash
• Exynos 5 Octa SoC with octa-core Mali-450 MP GPU
• Uknown amount of internal storage, 3GB RAM
• Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean or Android 4.3 with TouchWiz Nature UX 2.0

In many ways, it will be like an upgraded version of not only the Galaxy S4, but also the Galaxy Note 2. It won’t be without issues (Can you imagine how hard it will be to buy pants after this?) but we have a strong feeling that these will be outweighed by all of the benefits.

SONY

Sony has been making a lot of moves in the Android universe lately, and users can’t help but notice. But don’t call it a comeback; Sony has been here for years. The flagship Xperia Z is the product of the vast amount of knowledge and experience that Sony has acquired from working in the mobile industry for so long.

Sony Xperia Z Specs

• 5-inch TFT, Full HD (1920×1080 pixels), ~441 ppi
• 13.1MP auto-focus camera with LED flash (HDR, 1080p video, sweep pano)
• 1.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Krait CPU + Adreno 320 GPU
• 16GB internal storage + microSD (up to 64GB), 2GB RAM
• Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean, upgradeable to Android 4.2
• 2,330mAh battery (non-removable), 40 hrs. music, 11 hrs. talk

As you can see, the Xperia Z is not just beautiful on the outside. With the kind of specs it has, it’s quite beautiful on the inside as well. Its camera feature in particular is interesting, owing to its use of the exclusive Exmor RS sensor from Sony. And did we mention it’s water-resistant, with the ability to survive being dipped for up to 1 meter under water?
It may not be a Nexus, but Sony has promised to provide plenty of software support for users of the Xperia Z well into the future. In fact, it decided to create an Android Open Source Project for it last month in order to show its commitment. Among other things, it fully works with the latest nightly builds of CyanogenMod as well.

XIAOMI

Although not very big in the West, Xiaomi is one of the few Chinese brands worth keeping an eye on. Its next move is expected to be the launching of the rumored Xiaomi MI-3 or M3 smartphone, pictured above in metallic and glassy form.

Xiaomi M3 Specs

• 5-inch LCD, Full HD (1920×1080 pixels)
• 13MP camera
• 2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800
• 3,000mAh battery

If you think that the Xiaomi M3 kind of looks like the HTC One, you’re not alone. And if you think that it would be a leading benchmark scorer when it finally arrives, you’re not the first person to think that, either. It looks like the only thing that could hurt this phone’s chances of becoming a worldwide best-seller is if it gets outed with a ridiculously high price tag. That, or if it isn’t made available worldwide in the first place.
Prospective owners of the Xiaomi M3 will probably have some way of importing it into any country somehow. But of course, it would have to actually be for sale first before that can happen. So for now, we wait.

ZTE

Rounding out our list of contenders for the title of best Android phone in 2013 is ZTE, with a phone that is rumored to be the first one in the world to have the NVIDIA Tegra 4 SoC. Here’s a spec sheet based on all of the things that we’ve learned about it so far.

ZTE N988 Specs

• 5.7-inch, HD (1280×720 pixels)
• 13MP auto-focus camera with LED flash
• NVIDIA Tegra 4 SoC
• 2GB RAM, unknown amount of internal storage
• Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean

We still aren’t sure why ZTE might think it’s a good idea to pair a low-resolution panel with such a large display on a device — akin to what they did with the ZTE Grand S — but perhaps we’ll find out soon enough.
The use of NVIDIA’s latest Tegra SoC ensures that it will easily ace benchmark tests and possibly offer unrivaled mobile gaming performance, a la Project Shield. Besides which, it will probably have no trouble running the latest version of Android (and maybe even much later ones), and that makes it worth looking forward to as well.
Which of the above-listed Android phones do you think will win? Did we miss anything? Are there any handsets listed here that don’t belong? Let us know what you think in the comments.
Source: Androidauthority

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