The Best of the Best: The Top 5 Smartphones of 2012

The smartphone landscape is ever changing, and 2012 has seen the birth of some super phones that have taken the world by storm. From new mobile operating systems to powerful cameras, and super sized phablets, 2012 has seen the birth of some of the greatest smartphones ever made. Here is a look back at the top 5 smartphones from 2012.

Nokia Lumia 920

Easily one of the most anticipated smartphones of the year, the Nokia Lumia 920 is the most advanced Windows Phone 8 device on the market. Powered by a fast dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM, the Nokia Lumia 920 is the most powerful Windows Phone device ever made.

The Lumia 920 has a gorgeous 4.5-inch, ClearBlack HD display, an incredible PureView 8.7-megapixel camera with OIS (optical Image stabilization), and 32GB of storage space. The star of the Lumia is the camera though, with tests and real world results showing that the Lumia 920 is king of the smartphone world when it comes to photograpy. More unique features such as wireless charging and bold design make the Lumia 920 one of the biggest hits of the year.

iPhone 5

Problems with software (Apple Maps) aside, the iPhone 5 is still one of the best smartphones from 2012. The iPhone 5 sports a bigger screen (4 inch) than previous iPhones, a blazing fast A6 processor, 1GB of RAM, various storage options (16, 32, and 64GB) and the inclusion of LTE support means that the iPhone is now back on par with its Android and Windows Phone counterparts.

The iPhone’s retina display is stunning: its ultra-thin, feather-light design and world class build quality are unequalled, and its excellent camera and software upgrade to iOS 6 make the iPhone 5 a top pick for 2012.

Samsung Galaxy Note 2

Samsung’s phablet, the Galaxy Note, is bigger and better than ever before thanks to the Galaxy Note 2. The Galaxy Note 2 shipped with the latest build of Android (4.1), and Samsung’s impressive TouchWhiz UI. Because of this, the Note 2 can do things that other phones only dream about.

The stunning 5.5-inch display on the Note 2 is perfect for games and media consumption. Throw in the S-Pen and its amazing features and you get a phone that is capable of media creation as well. The fast quad-core processor, fantastic camera, surprisingly good battery life, S-Pen features, and build quality put this phone in a league of its own.

Samsung Galaxy S3

Samsung’s Galaxy line continues to perform well, and the successor to the Galaxy S2, the S3, is the best of the Galaxy bunch yet. The S3 has a huge, vibrant 4.8-inch HD screen, a large battery, a dual-core processor, 2 GB’s of RAM, a powerful 8-megapixel camera, NFC support, 16GB of storage, and a great overall (if a little cheap feeling) design, and it all comes together to make the S3 one of the most powerful Android devices to date.

Hardware aside, the unique software features of the S3, such as S-Voice (Samsung’s Siri competitor) and its multitasking abilities make the S3 a very compelling Android device. The S3 is one of the most popular Android phones ever released, and one of the best of 2012.

HTC Droid DNA

The HTC Droid DNA took the smartphone world by surprise when it was announced in the latter part of 2012. The Droid DNA has one of the largest screens on the market today, at 5-inches it is approaching the ‘phablet’ space that Samsung seemingly has to itself.

The killer feature of the DNA is the screen and its jaw dropping resolution of 440 dpi (over a hundred more dpi’s than Apple’s Retina display). It is easily the best display on the market. The Droid DNA sports a quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, an 8-megapixel camera and Android 4.1. In tems of ‘wow’ factor, the Droid DNA is right up there with Nokia’s Lumia 920, and it is easily one of the stars of 2012.