Best Android smartphones of the year 2013

It has been another good year for Android. According to IDC, Android was on 81 percent of all the smartphones that shipped in the third quarter of 2013. The platform has driven real innovation, with new form factors, and accessibility, with affordable handsets. Google has rolled out many new features, improved its services, and kept optimization for lower-end hardware in mind, which could prove to be the path to conquering fragmentation. The number of apps in the Play Store sailed past 1 million in the summer. There has never been a better time to own an Android phone.

Whether you’re ready to choose your next Android smartphone, or you want to buy one for your nearest and dearest, we’ve been weighing up the highlights from 2013’s frenzied release schedule. We’ve broken them down into categories with a focus on what the buyer might be looking for.

Without further ado, here are the best Android smartphones of the year.

Best smartphone for gamers – Nexus 5

A stunning 4.96-inch 1080p display, a lightning fast 2.3GHz quad-core processor, and an Adreno 330 GPU, the Nexus 5 is ideal for gaming. It also rocks the latest version of Android, 4.4 KitKat, and updates will be rolled out here first. The feature set and connectivity tick all the boxes. According to Basemark X the Nexus 5 comes in third behind the iPhone 5S and Xperia Z1, but it’s a tight race. Google’s LG manufactured smartphone is much, much cheaper, which leaves gamers with plenty in their pockets to buy games and hop on board with the next-gen consoles.

Check out our Nexus 5 review for more.

BUY NOW: Google Play – Amazon

Runner up – The Sony Xperia Z1 is worth considering if you can stretch to the bigger price tag; it has a longer battery life, a far superior camera, and a microSD card slot.

Best smartphone for workaholics – Galaxy Note 3

Business people and hard workers of every kind, demanding a productivity boost from their smartphones, can’t look beyond the Galaxy Note 3. Samsung popularized the phablet form factor with the original Note and it continues to lead the field. The S-Pen allows you to write and sketch on that huge 5.7-inch display. A speedy processor is backed by 3GB of RAM and, combined with features like Multi-Window, this device becomes a multitasker’s dream. Samsung’s software features seem to make the most sense on the Note 3 and this device could easily be a contender in other categories, but in terms of productivity it is unparalleled.

Read our comprehensive Galaxy Note 3 review to find out what makes it so special.

Buy Samsung Galaxy Note 3 from Amazon

Runner up – The LG G2 is smaller and lighter than the Note 3 and it has a range of handy software features like QuickMemo and QSlide, but it doesn’t have the S-Pen or a microSD card slot.

Best smartphone for entertainment lovers – HTC One

Love to watch movies and listen to music on your smartphone? We have to recommend the HTC One, mainly for its superior audio. The 4.7-inch 1080p display is great, and high brightness makes it suitable for outdoor viewing, but it’s the forward facing BoomSound speakers that clinch the deal. Not everyone likes to wear headphones and on the HTC One you can comfortably watch a movie without them and still enjoy decent sound. Beats Audio is designed to improve the audio quality further, but if you want to mess with an EQ yourself then grab something like PowerAmp.

Our HTC One review will give you the full picture.

Buy the HTC One from Amazon

Runner up – The Samsung Galaxy S4 arguably has a superior screen for movies. If you’re watching in the dark you’ll enjoy deeper blacks and higher contrast, and there are also settings to tweak, which the HTC One lacks.

Best smartphone for students – Moto G

Money is tight when you’re studying and you don’t want to be locked into an expensive contract; the best option is the Moto G. This smartphone should really make the short list for anyone seeking a budget device. It blows the low-end of the market away completely. The Moto G packs a 4.5-inch 720p display, a 1.2 GHz quad-core processor, and Android 4.3 (with a promise that 4.4 KitKat will be coming soon). The compromises — lack of LTE, 1GB of RAM, and a 5MP camera — should not be too hard to bear, and they are mitigated by the improvements in the Android platform. Load up QuickOffice andEvernote and you’ve got productivity on a budget.

Buy Moto G from Amazon

Runner up – If money is no barrier then the Galaxy Note 3 will serve you well.

Best smartphone for outdoorsy types – Sony Xperia Z1

This idea that rugged features or durability is a special niche that should be catered for out of the flagship line has been rejected by Sony, and that’s great news for outdoorsy types. Not only does the Xperia Z1 have Ingress Protection 67, which means it can deal with water, dust, and shock, it is also a cutting edge Android smartphone that’s awesome in every department. We’re talking about a 5-inch 1080p screen, 2.2 GHz quad-core processor, 20.7MP camera, expandable storage, and all the extras. Sony’s minimalist touch in terms of UI is refreshing and largely limited to things that are actually useful. The display is also very bright and the screen’s not too reflective, so sunlight legibility is good.

Read our Sony Xperia Z1 review to grow more tempted.

Buy Sony Xperi Z1 from Amazon

Runner up – The Galaxy S4 Active is basically a rugged S4 with some slight differences, most notably an 8MP camera instead of 13MP and LCD instead of Super AMOLED. It is also IP67 certified and some people might be interested in Samsung’s software extras.

Best smartphone for trendsetters – LG G Flex

If you have to be seen with the latest and greatest in smartphone technology then you’ll want to be pulling a LG G Flex out of your pocket. The next big development in mobile could well be flexible displays, which will enable manufacturers to create more interesting form factors. The LG G Flex is a small step in that direction, with a huge 6-inch display that curves from top to bottom using LG’s plastic substrate OLED technology. It also has some self-healing properties, though it didn’t fare that well in our LG G Flex drop test. If you’re concerned that the curve might be a gimmick, you needn’t worry, because the G Flex also packs a seriously impressive set of specs. The 2.26GHz quad core Snapdragon 800 processor is backed up by 2GB of RAM and performance is lightning fast. The 13MP camera is also very similar to the one in the G2 and it won our photography category.

Buy LG G Flex from Amazon

Runner up – The HTC One rubbishes the assertion that the iPhone is the most premium device around. It’s one of those phones that you just want to stroke all the time.

Best smartphone for gadget lovers – Moto X

Being at the cutting edge is about more than just the specs and no Android smartphone generated more excitement this year than the Moto X. The hardware is perfectly respectable, but it won’t top many benchmarking charts. The real killer feature here is the fact that your phone is listening for your command. It can be sitting, apparently asleep, on the other side of the room, and you can wake it up. There’s something beautifully advanced about that and improvements in Google Now are fast elevating it beyond gimmick status. The disappointment that the potential of hands-free voice controls has not been properly realized, because you have to preface every command with a button press, is relieved by the Moto X. Motorola also added some nifty, forward-thinking software features in the shape of Assist and Connect.

Find out more in our Moto X review.

Buy Moto X from Amazon

Runner up – The Galaxy S4 is a real all-rounder with a huge number of unique software features and cutting edge specs.

Best smartphone for photographers – LG G2

This category was tough because the HTC One proves that megapixel count is not where it’s at, and the Xperia Z1 goes the opposite direction with a camera that could improve with software updates. The 16MP Galaxy S4 Zoom is Samsung’s attempt at an amazing camera phone, but it’s horrible as a phone. We would assume most photography enthusiasts have a real camera, so a phone is for grabbing shots when you’ve left the camera at home. In that case, the 13MP G2 with OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) won’t disappoint. The usual modes, Panorama, HDR, and Burst shot, are present and correct, and there’s access to a host of options allowing you to tweak ISO, exposure, white balance, and more.

Check out our LG G2 review for example photos.

Buy LG G2 from Amazon

Runner up – With a 20.7MP camera and Sony’s know-how in the photography space, the Xperia Z1is the runner up here. It also boasts some great features, but the image quality could be better.

Best smartphone for Android purists – Nexus 5

If it’s important to you to experience pure, unadulterated Android just the way Google intended, then there’s really only one choice right now and it’s the Nexus 5. It has Android 4.4, KitKat, and it will be the first device to get Google’s next platform update. In fact, Android 4.4.1 just rolled out, drastically improving the camera performance of that 8MP shooter, which has been one of the few complaints about the device. Built by LG, it’s also an extremely powerful phone at an extremely attractive price point. No bloatware, no manufacturer meddling, no carrier crap, just Android.

Runner up – The Moto X shouldn’t be far behind with updates thanks to Google’s ownership.

Source: http://www.androidauthority.com/

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Best big Android tablet 2013

If you want to kick back on the couch, or surf the web in bed, then you want a nice big tablet to do it on. These are our top picks in the 10-inch space for 2013.

1 – Nexus 10



It really says something about the larger tablet category on Android that a device released in 2012 is still the best big Android tablet in 2013. The Samsung manufactured Nexus 10 wowed everyone with its 2560 x 1600 pixel resolution, providing an amazing 300ppi on a 10-inch display. Google understands that people primarily want tablets for content consumption and so, despite fighting to keep costs down, it never scrimps on the display.

The rest of the hardware is aging. We all expected an update before the end of the year, but it looks like the Nexus 10 refresh won’t land until 2014. As a stock Android device the Nexus 10 has already got the KitKat update and that 1.7 GHz dual-core A15 processor still performs really well. It’s also backed by 2GB of RAM, so it can handle multitasking. The lack of a microSD card slot is a downside, but the Nexus 10 is almost as good value as its smaller brother.

At $399 this tablet is still a pretty attractive proposition, but with a refresh around the corner, patience is a virtue. Have a look at our Nexus 10 review to find out more.

You can buy the Nexus 10 on Amazon here.

2 –Sony Xperia Tablet Z




If Sony had done a refresh, like it did with the Z1 then this tablet could have claimed the top spot, but there are a couple of weaknesses that we can’t overlook. The 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro is dated, even if it is backed by the Adreno 320 GPU and 2GB of RAM. The display is also 1920 x 1200 pixels with a 224 ppi. It still looks great, and Sony’s Bravia technology is not to be sniffed at, but it’s not at the same level as the Nexus 10.

In terms of build quality the Xperia Tablet Z is a real winner. It looks and feels beautiful, it’s impossibly svelte, and you can take it into the shower or bath with you, so you never need to be parted. Seriously, the waterproof feature is more than just a gimmick and it’s awesome to be able to watch a movie in the bath without fear. The battery life is also excellent and there’s a microSD card slot for expanding that storage.

Sony also has a nice UI and some decent apps, and the tablet works well as a universal remote, thanks to an IR blaster. You can find out more about it in our Sony Xperia Tablet Z review.

Buy the Sony Xperia Tablet Z on Amazon.

3 – Galaxy Note 10.1 (2014)



Samsung’s new Note 10.1 is a beast. The 2560 x 1600 pixel resolution translates to 299 ppi. The powerful specs extend to a 1.9GHz Exynos 5420 quad-core processor with 3GB of RAM. It has 16GB or 32GB of storage with a microSD card slot. The dual speakers offer good quality sound. The battery is rated at a whopping 8220mAh. Despite all that, it’s definitely not as silky-smooth in operation as the Note 3.

Samsung is being criticized a lot lately for overloading its products with features and there’s a suspicion that TouchWiz is to blame for less than stellar performance and battery life. What we definitely can say about it is that it works better visually on a big tablet than on the S4. The S Pen is there, along with all the features of the Note 3, and that helps to make the Note 10.1 an obvious choice for anyone seeking a productivity tool, as well as an entertainment tablet.

What keeps the Note 10.1 from creeping higher in the list? It starts at $599, and if you don’t intend to use the stylus and all those extra features, it’s never going to be worth the extra money for you. Our Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 review lays out the full picture.

Buy the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 (2014) edition on Amazon.

Source: http://www.androidauthority.com/

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Best small Android tablet 2013

We’ll start with the small tablets, ideal for people seeking a portable solution when they’re out and about. We’re not going to look at forked Android tablets, like the Kindle Fire range or the Nook because we simply don’t recommend them.

1 – Nexus 7 (2013)



When Google partnered with Asus to create the original Nexus 7 it was a smash hit. Consumers and critics alike loved the tablet, and it offered unbeatable value for money. It was perhaps inevitable that a sequel would follow and sure enough we got one in the summer. Google stuck with Asus to produce another understated, but solid design that’s slimmer and lighter than its predecessor, with several important improvements.

The first thing that strikes you about the Nexus 7 is that stunning 1920 x 1200 pixel display. With 323 pixels per inch, books and movies look fantastic on it. Throw genuine stereo speakers into the mix and it’s the ideal portable package for content consumption. Inside, the 1.5 GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, with 2GB of RAM, proves itself capable of running the latest games. Stock Android is super slick, Jelly Bean brought another raft of subtle improvements, and the Nexus 7 was quick to get KitKat, as it will be to get future updates.

Google had to increase the price slightly, to $229 for the 16GB version, but this is still the best value small tablet on the market. Check out our Nexus 7 review to learn more.

Buy the new Nexus 7 (2013) at Amazon

2 – LG G Pad 8.3



LG decided that 7 inches wasn’t enough and so its best small Android tablet offering is the G Pad, which has an 8.3-inch display with a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels. That’s the same resolution as the Nexus 7, but because the screen is bigger the ppi is 273. The specs are very good with a 1.7GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, and 16GB of internal storage backed up by a microSD card slot.

The G Pad has a pretty premium feel and you’ll find LG’s suite of features, from QSlide apps to Slide Aside, are actually quite useful, even if the interface doesn’t look great. The downside here is the much higher price tag ($350) and the average battery life. Even with a 4600mAh battery, this tablet will need charged every night, and it dies fast if you watch movies or play games.

We think this is an underrated option and if you want something a little bigger than 7 inches it’s a good choice. Read the LG G Pad 8.3 review for more.

You can buy two versions of the LG G Pad – one with stock Android 4.4 KitKat from Google Play ($349) and also one with LG’s UI and Android 4.2.2 from Best Buy ($299)

3 – Asus MemoPad 7 HD



As the manufacturer behind the Nexus 7, you can rest assured that Asus knows how to put a good tablet together. The budget end of the Android tablet space is seriously competitive and you have to be careful to avoid being stung by a poor quality release. If it looks too good to be true, then it probably is. For tight budgets the MemoPad 7 HD is something we can recommend. The display manages 216 ppi thanks to a 1280 x 800 resolution, and you’ll find a 1.2GHz quad-core Cortex A7 inside with just 1GB of RAM. Nothing earth-shattering going on there, but it does have one thing that the Nexus 7 lacks – a microSD card slot.

There isn’t a great deal of difference between this and the original Nexus 7. This tablet was released at $150, but we’ve seen it as low as $99 and that makes it a compelling bargain. Get a closer look in our Asus MemoPad 7 HD review.

Buy the ASUS MemoPad 7 HD from Amazon.

Source: http://www.androidauthority.com/

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Android in Feb 2013: Jelly Bean grows, Gingerbread dominates

The platform distribution numbers for Android in February are out and they bring little surprises. The trends from the previous few months continue, with Jelly Bean gaining ground on ICS and the now long outdated Gingerbread.

The Gingerbread userbase has dropped from 45.6% to 44.2%, but this is still enough to make it the most popular Android version globally. And given that Gingerbread is more than two years old now, this hardly bodes too well for Android OEMs and their updates.

The ICS has seen a drop of 0.4 percent points, but it still holds nearly twice bigger market share than the two Jelly Bean releases combined.

The good news is that the Jelly Bean user base is up by 3 percent points over the previous month and the latest version of Android is starting to quickly gain traction now. Still, it remains to be seen if Jelly Bean will become the most widely-spread Android release before its Key Lime Pie successor comes in the summer.

Source: gsmarena.com

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Google Maps, Drive and Earth updated with bugfixes

Google has just pushed out some bugfix updates in Google Play for both Maps and Earth, along with a couple of feature improvements for Drive. Those improvements for Drive are the ability to stream video files from the app on devices running Android 3.0 and above, as well as the ability to now use pinch-to-zoom in the presentation viewer. Maps and Earth aren't getting anything notable, but we're never going to turn down a good set of bugfixes that will improve the overall experience of using these apps.

Source: androidcentral.com

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Sony may release Jelly Bean 4.2 for the Xperia Z next month

Sony's flagship device, the Xperia Z, will come out with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean on board, but as rumored before, the company might upgrade their brand new flagship device to Android 4.2 Jelly Bean just weeks after its initial launch.

A screenshot sent by an anonymous tipster to Xperia blog shows the Sony Xperia Z C6603 being powered by the latest Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, with a firmware version of the latest Android build as 11.1.A.1.450. Of course, this would be the beta version, but should it prove to be the real deal, we can expect the firmware version to be in the same form after its release.

The Android 4.2 update for Xperia Z will feature an updated 3.6 kernel, compared to the 3.4 kernel found on stock Android 4.1.2 firmware. The Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean update is further rumored to be officially released in Europe by the end of March, but take that with a pinch of salt, since the information is not from an official source.

Source: gsmarena.com

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ROM Manager adds delta updates, TWRP recovery support

ROM Manager, a staple app used by practically anyone who roots and switches ROMs often, has just added support for both delta (incremental) updates and TWRP recovery. Delta updates (downloads, really) will let users who are downloading and flashing new ROMs -- like those of you on nightlies -- just download and apply the new portions of the ROM, rather than the entire thing. If you have a previous zip file of your ROM on the device, ROM Manager will send you an incremental zip (of about 20MB) to apply and get the changes. This will save a lot of time, battery and data when flashing updates to the same ROM over and over again.

The latest ROM Manager also supports TWRP (Team Win Recovery Project), so if users prefer that over ClockworkMod Recovery, they can flash it directly through the app rather than separately.

Source: androidcentral.com

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