Every year, we take a look at the top 5 smartphones that made a huge impact in the market. These phones aren’t necessarily the best ones out there or the ones with the latest features, but the ones that generated a lot of buzz (in a positive way), did well in sales, or just plain changed our mobile market.
Without further ado, here’s our top 5 smartphones for 2013.
5. Cherry Mobile Omega HD 2.0
Cherry Mobile is well ahead of local phone brands in terms of sales and popularity and for this year, their forerunner is the Omega HD 2.0. Not any of the Cosmos line, not their first Full HD phone, not even their first HD phone which was the original Omega HD. The 5-inch quad-core dual-SIM Omega HD 2.0 didn’t get any major launching and was quietly released to the market last June. Cherry Mobile didn’t knew that it would be their best-selling smartphone for 2013 as people continue to pick them over CM’s newer releases during the holidays. The combination of looks, specs and a reasonable price (P7,999) brought the Omega HD 2.0 on our Top 5 list.
4. Nokia Lumia 1020
Usually, it’s the platform and the ecosystem that dictates how people decide on which smartphone to get. For the Nokia Lumia 1020, it’s all about the hardware especially its 41-megapixel PureView camera on a slim and attractive frame. It’s clearly a big improvement from the first PureView phone and having it on Windows Phone 8 makes it a bit more appealing. It’s clearly the go-to choice for those wanting a phone to double as a really good compact camera.
3. Sony Xperia Z1
Being rugged and beautiful doesn’t always match but somehow, Sony did a good job on it with their Xperia Z1. It’s sleek and premium design doesn’t really scream waterproof and dustproof but it is. It’s just beautiful to look and feel and it’s amazing that Sony was able to put a 20.7-megapixel f/2.0 Sony G lens on it, same one they’re using on their compact Cybershots. Having a Full HD resolution on a 5-inch display along with the latest and most powerful quad-core chip plus a host of supported features such as microSD, LTE, NFC, again on a waterproof body, made it earn our number three spot.
2. Samsung Galaxy Note 3
The Samsung Galaxy S has consistently been our top choice over the past couple of years but this time around, the Galaxy Note is the handset of choice for Samsung fans. The previous generations of the Galaxy Note might have been about warming the market up for bigger multi-purpose phones and Samsung was ready for it with the arrival of their Galaxy Note 3. The leatherette back sets it apart from previous Samsung smartphone and the mature integration of the stylus and the device simply impressed a lot of people, us included. It could have easily been our number one choice for 2013 but another handset deserved that spot.
1. LG G2
Our top smartphone for the year goes to none other than the LG G2. LG has been missing out on our list for the past couple of years but they made it up in a big way with the G2, the phone they made with the consumer in mind. Like other flagship phones, the G2 boasts of a lot of innovative features. Difference here is that they’re practical and useful for everybody who owns or will own a G2. The LG G2 gives you a 5.2-inch Full HD display on a body that’s made for sub 5-inch phones, a good fast camera with OIS, a powerful chip to go with IR, NFC, and LTE support. The attractive price it has for its specs is one of the reason it made its way to a lot of happy campers this Christmas.
Honorable Mentions
There are a couple of other handsets that we wish we could put in our Top 5 list but unfortunately didn’t make the cut.
The HTC One was a favorite when it was launched in the second quarter of the year. It was the nicest-looking phone I’ve ever seen at that time and the Ultrapixel camera sounded promising. However, it somehow didn’t do that well in the market like we hoped it would. Talking among peers in the industry loved this phone but too bad HTC didn’t really do that much to make Samsung and iPhone fans in the country look its way.
For the iPhone 5s, I guess people are just disappointed with Apple’s minute changes on their iPhone (even iPad at that). The most-talked about feature of the iPhone 5s is its fingerprint sensor which is something that we find really useful. But at this time when other manufacturers are innovating and cramming more fancy features on their phones, Apple fans are now wishing that their iPhone can also do those things.
What’s missing?
Like last year, still missing on our list is a BlackBerry. Even though they introduced a new OS in the form of BlackBerry 10, and new handsets like the Z10 and Q10, it still wasn’t enough to allow BlackBerry to turn the corner. Initial impressions on the new berries were good but it quickly sputtered as people are not that enthusiastic to support a product from a company whose future in the consumer market looks rather bleak.
