by Technology is such a fickle thing. The mobile phone started out as a big and thick device. It was revolutionary at that time. Even with its size, it was the first portable and wireless telephone. But because people are clamoring for more portability, manufacturers made a concerted effort to make their phones smaller.
Fast forward to 2012 and we are now seeing bigger phones once again. There’s the Samsung Galaxy S3 and the bigger Note 2. Even the iPhone got a bigger screen this time around. But unlike the seemingly big blocks that were the original cell phones of the yesteryears, today’s mobile phones are bigger but lighter.
The bigger size demand is to accommodate the larger screen needed to take advantage of the capabilities of today’s mobile phones. After all, they are no longer just phones for calling and texting; these are small handheld computing devices that are best enjoyed with bigger screens.
And it looks like 2013 is no different; there has been an influx of phones with at least 5-inch screens that were recently launched and are due to be released in the US this year. The top 4 phones that you should definitely watch out for are:
Samsung Galaxy S4
After the hit that is the Galaxy S3, the hype and excitement for Samsung’s follow-up has been enormous. There were a lot of rumors going around before its launch, including one that says it will have a flexible and bendable screen. The rumor about it having an eight core chip turned out to be true, but only on the international version. The real difference for this phone, however, is the novel features that could pique the curiosity of users. This includes Group Play (allows several devices to play the same music simultaneously), S Health (calorie counter), and eye tracking gestures (allows users to scroll using eyes).
It also has other features that can turn it into a great business telephone like the S Translator (Translator tool embedded even on email/chat), S Voice Drive (voice commands), and the returning S Voice assistant and S Memo. While the final product is not exactly going to blow your mind, it still managed to take raise the smartphone bar higher again.
HTC One
This one is a looker. But besides the gorgeous metallic design, this phone is packed with a powerful quad-core Snapdragon 600 processor that clocks in at 1.7GHz. It also has one of the most vibrant and crisp displays in a smartphone. And like previous models, HTC’s image processing software is still top notch so expect beautiful shots despite having just a 4MP sensor. This just goes to show that megapixels are not everything. One would wish that it had an SD card slot but it is but a minor quibble. For a company that is going to focus on more budget-friendly phones in the future, they are sure still capable of producing high-end flagship phones.
Sony Xperia Z
The Xperia Z is one of the first Android phones launched in 2013. And fans are eagerly anticipating this latest Android phone because this is the device that Sony finally made right. It has a powerful quad-core Snapdragon S4 chip that clocks in at 1.5GHz and a 5-inch 1080p “reality display.” It has a lot of features that you would certainly want on your phone, like the HDMI port, NFC support, and a great camera. And like the other Xperia phones, this one is dust and water resistant as well.
LG Optimus Pro
This is LG’s answer to Samsung’s very successful phablet, the Galaxy Note 2. It packs a quad-core Snapdragon 600 processor for blazingly fast use. It also has a gorgeous display as it boasts 16:9 ratios on a very vivid 5.5-inch full HD IPS screen. Though some would wish it had a stylus like the Note series for easier use, this device is still the best alternative to the Note 2 out there.
