Awesome Smartphones

The Xperia Z1 Compact runs Android 4.3 Jelly Bean and has a 4.3″ 720p display, 2.2 GHz quad-core CPU, LTE, NFC, a 20.7mp 1/2.3″ Exmor RS image sensor and a dedicated camera button.  It’s also waterproof and dust-resistant.

Further proof that virtually everything that was ever made that was worth a damn stole and repurposed earlier ideas. Case in point, Apple’s iPhone – which took numerous ideas previously executed and just made them more accessible.

Gadget reviewer Marques Brownlee got his hands on the LG G Flex smartphone and tested if LG’s viral ad about its self-healing case and flexibility checks out. It works pretty well, but you still wouldn’t want to treat it roughly.

Nokia enters the growing phablet market with the Lumia 1520, a Windows Phone with a 6″ 1080p display. It also has a 2.2Ghz quad-core Snapdragon 800 CPU, 2GB RAM, microSD slot, NFC, LTE and a 20mp rear camera.

These impressive demonstrations of the self-healing coating and durability of LG’s G Flex smartphone with a curved display will probably make you as sad as we were to find out it’s only being released in South Korea for now.

If the Moto X is a top-tier phone with a mid-range price, the Moto G is a mid-range phone with an entry-level price. It has a 4.5″ 720p screen, a 1.2GHz quad-core CPU and 5mp rear camera. It will go for just $179-$199 unlocked.

Google cuts out the middleman and the mid-range smartphone tier with the new Nexus 5. It has a 5″ 1080p screen, LTE, a quad-core 2.26GHz Snapdragon 800 CPU, 2GB RAM, 8mp camera and runs on the new Android 4.4 KitKat.

When Dave Hakkens presented his idea for a modular smartphone, naysayers said it couldn’t be done. Well, it turns out Motorola – i.e. the Google-owned company that invented the cellphone – is working on a very similar device.

Everyday objects can become a lot more interesting when observed at the microscopic level. Why not give this project by kmyoshino a try and turn your smartphone into a digital microscope with materials costing just $10.

A super-sized version of the HTC One, the HTC One Max has a huge 5.9″ 1080p screen and a fingerprint sensor at the back for unlocking the phone. It still has the same CPU, RAM, UltraPixel camera, stereo speakers and aluminum body.

The iPhone 5C has a glossy polycarbonate case that comes in five colors: green, blue, yellow, pink and white. It has the same specs as the iPhone 5, except it has a slightly larger battery, an improved LTE antenna and Facetime camera.

The 5S comes in slate, silver or champagne tinged aluminum, bests the iPhone 5 with a 64-bit A7 processor, 2x CPU/GPU speed, 15% larger image sensor, multi-hue LED flash, 120fps slow-mo video, and fingerprint authentication.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 has a 5.7″ 1080p AMOLED screen, a 13mp rear camera, either a 2.3GHz quad-core or hybrid octa-core (1.9GHz quad + 1.3GHz quad) CPU, 3GB RAM and new features that makes its stylus even more useful.

A small button that plugs into the headphone jack of your Android device. Use the Pressy app to set a variety of actions like taking pictures or changing a setting that you trigger by pressing Pressy once or twice.

The Omate is a wristwatch and smartphone that’s significantly cheaper than its major competitors. It runs Android 4.2, has a dual core CPU and 3G, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. The Omate is also waterproof and dustproof.

The LG G2 runs Android 4.2.2 and has a 5.2″ 1080p screen, a 2.26GHz Snapdragon 800, 2GB RAM, 32GB storage, 13mp rear camera and LTE. Software features include a guest mode and an “audio zoom” option when recording video.

The Motorola Moto X runs Android 4.2.2 and has a 1.2 GHz dual-core CPU, 2GB RAM, 16/32GB storage, 4.7″ 720p screen, 10mp rear camera and LTE connectivity. Its back plate and accents come in a variety of colors.

A cutting edge smartphone that will run on the new Ubuntu for Phones operating system: it has a mobile interface, but if you dock the phone you’ll get to use the full Ubuntu desktop OS. Software overview video here.

An enticing midrange phone, the Lumia 625 is a Windows Phone 8 device with a 4.7″ screen, 4G connectivity, 5mp camera and LED flash. It also comes with unlimited ad-free streaming on Nokia Music. Available Q3 2013 for about $290.

The Lumia 1020 has a 41-megapixel camera sensor and a Xenon flash. Its version of Windows Phone 8 comes with a special camera app that lets you adjust focus, shutter speed, white balance and more. Demo here.

Sony revives the phablet wars with the Xperia Z Ultra. If nothing else, this Android phone is a marvel of engineering: a 6.4″ 1080p screen in a 6.5mm thin body (the iPhone 5 is 7.6mm thin). It’s also waterproof with LTE and NFC support.

Spec-wise, the Fairphone is a typical midrange Android smartphone. But the company behind it prides itself in having a conflict-free, fair and just manufacturing process that respects people and the environment.

The LG Optimus G Pro has a 5.5″ 1080p screen, 1.7GHz quad-core CPU, 2GB RAM and 13mp camera. Features include dual video recording, multitasking via widgets and universal remote control. An AT&T exclusive for now.