CIO.com's Al Sacco rounds up the 12 best high-end smartphones available this summer season, from handset makers Samsung, Motorola, Apple, HTC, Nokia and more.
There’s no shortage of great smartphones available this summer season. Whether you’re an iOS fan, Android lover, Windows Phone loyalist, or just looking to give another platform a try, you’ve got endless options. But the 12 smartphones spotlighted here are the cream of the crop; you can’t go wrong with a single one of them.
Nokia Lumia 900
Why it’s Hot: The Lumia 900 is Nokia’s top-of-the-line LTE Windows Phone (WP 7.5 Mango), running on AT&T’s LTE network. The device is built like a tank, but it’s still slim and light. It has 16GB of built-in storage, a 4.3-inch ClearBlack AMOLED display and an 8MP camera with a Carl Zeiss lens. (Note: Windows Phone 8 is expected soon, so if you’re in the market for a Windows smartphone, you may want to wait for that new OS.)
U.S. Availability and Pricing: The Lumia 900 is an AT&T exclusive in the United States, and it’s available for $49.99 with new, two-year contract.
Find more information on Nokia’s website, or read “Lumia 900: Why It’s the Best Windows Phone.”
HTC One X
Why it’s Hot: HTC’s One X smartphone is fast and powerful; it runs on AT&T’s LTE network, and it packs a 1.5GHz dual-core processor. The One X runs Android v4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and it has a 4.7-inch Super LCD 2 display (720p), 16GB of built-in storage and an 8MP digital camera. The device also uses Universal Beats Audio technology for high-quality sound when used with compatible headphones.
U.S. Availability and Pricing: The HTC One X is an AT&T exclusive in the United States, and it’s available for $199.99 with a new, two-year service agreement.
Find more information on HTC’s website or at ATT.com.
Apple iPhone 4S
Why It’s Hot: Apple’s iPhone 4S is one of the most popular smartphones on the planet for a reason. The iOS software is great-looking and functional, and iOS apps are plentiful. The iPhone’s HD Retina display is glorious. And the voice-activated “personal assistant” Siri can make your life easier. Unfortunately, the iPhone doesn’t run on LTE networks, but that’s expected to change this fall, so you may want to hold off on an iPurchase until that new device is unveiled.
U.S. Availability and Pricing: The iPhone 4S is available through AT&T, Sprint and Verizon Wireless, and it comes in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB versions for $199, $299 and $399, respectively, with a new, two-year service agreement.
Find more information at Apple.com.
HTC Titan II
Why it’s Hot: The HTC Titan II is a high-end Windows Phone device (WP 7.5 Mango), and it packs a 16MP digital camera. The Titan II has a 4.7-inch WVGA (480×800) display, 16GB of internal storage and it runs on AT&T’s LTE network. (Note: Windows Phone 8 is expected to be announced in the not-too-distant future, so if you’re in the market for a Windows smartphone, you may want to wait for that new OS.)
U.S. Availability and Pricing: The HTC Titan II is an AT&T exclusive in the United States, and it’s available for $199.99 with a new, two-year service agreement.
Find more information on HTC’s website or at ATT.com.
BlackBerry TK 3.0 Discovery
Why it’s Hot: Okay, so this device is not a real BlackBerry; it’s a BlackBerry 10 concept device from Guy Bridges of DigitalHomeBoy.ca. I wanted to include an actual RIM device in this roundup, but unfortunately, the company delayed the release of its next generation BlackBerry 10 OS until early 2013, and none of RIM’s in-market BlackBerrys are particularly “hot.” Still, if RIM’s first BlackBerry 10 handheld looks anything like this, the delayed launch may prove to be a nonissue.
U.S. Availability and Pricing: Never. This is just a concept rendering of a really cool looking smartphone.
Find more information at DigitalHomeBoy.ca.
