It seems like every week a must-have smartphone is either announced or released. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to track which phones are actually worth paying attention to and which will be swiftly thrown into the scrap heap of devices nobody cares about.
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iPhone 5
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But even though iPhone 5 rumors have quietened down, they never truly died off. The sheer amount of early information on the phone hinted that it was indeed something Apple was working on — we likely just got our hopes up a year too early. Speculation was further buoyed by a report from analyst Ashok Kumar, who said that the iPhone 5 was Steve Jobs’ last major project with Apple. Kumar echoed previous rumors, saying the phone will be thin and sport a 4-inch screen, but he added that it will support 4G LTE technology as well.
I wouldn’t be too surprised if all of the rumors proved true come next year.
iPhone 4S
More than a smarter version of the iPhone’s previous voice command feature, Siri represents the first step towards widespread adoption of consumer artificial intelligence (AI). It’s the beginning of something that will fundamentally change the way we live with our computing devices over the coming years.
The phone also sports Apple’s dual-core A5 processor and an improved 8-megapixel camera, which helped make it competitive against ever-faster Android smartphones. But while the better hardware is nice, the real star of the show is Siri. The iPhone 4S is also the first iPhone to be available on multiple carriers at launch, with Sprint joining Verizon and AT&T.
You’d think that consumers wouldn’t have flocked to the iPhone 4S since it looks exactly the same as last year’s model, but you’d be wrong. Apple managed to sell 4 million iPhone 4S units in its launch weekend alone, and analysts expect the company to sell at least 30 million this quarter. Not bad for a phone stricken with a 3.5-inch screen in an era of 4.3-inch behemoths.
Galaxy Nexus
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The Galaxy Nexus is also notable for being the first Android 4.0 device. With its latest mobile OS, Google is finally focusing on making users love their Android phones as much as iPhone users fawn over their devices. Android 4.0 sports a cleaner and friendlier interface than previous iterations, and according to Google’s mobile design guru Mattias Duarte, it’s just the beginning.
Indeed, there’s a level of polish that Android has lacked since its inception, and I’m hoping that Duarte’s new design focus will bring it to the level of iOS and Windows Phone. Android has always been great for techies, but for average users it can often be an exercise in frustration.
Droid Razr
The company certainly managed to turn some heads with the Droid Razr, though that attention was short-lived given that the Galaxy Nexus was announced shortly after. But even if the phone didn’t have much of a chance to shine, it’s an important release for Motorola, which desperately needs to reclaim some of its former glory. Though if regulators allow Google’s $12.5 billion Motorola acquisition to go through, the company will be far less pressed to increase device sales immediately.
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Galaxy S II
Had Samsung delivered the Galaxy S II to the US during September, it likely would have held the limelight for much longer. Now though, the Galaxy S II is just one of many great Android options.
Nokia Lumia 800
The fact that the Lumia 800 exists at all is a sign that Microsoft and Nokia’s partnership is already paying off. It shows that Nokia is capable of humbling itself by wholeheartedly and quickly adopting Microsoft’s platform and that Microsoft is fine with relaxing its typical restrictions on Windows Phones to make a truly unique product. (Microsoft is rumored to be paying Nokia over $1 billion to use Windows Phone.)
HTC Thunderbolt
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Once a slew of other LTE devices were released later in the year, the Thunderbolt was mostly forgotten. Therein lies the problem with so many killer Android devices being released — while you may be king of the hill for a few months, it won’t be long before you’re knocked off. That’s an issue Apple doesn’t have with the iPhone, since it only announces one new phone every year.
Looking to 2012
Aside from the iPhone 5, 2012 will be the year when we finally see what Nokia and Microsoft are made of. After lackluster sales since its launch last year, Microsoft needs to do everything it can to entice consumers towards Windows Phone. Nokia’s devices, including the Lumia 800 and anything else it announces next year, will be Microsoft’s key to success.
And then there’s RIM. Its BlackBerry 10 devices are expected late next year, and it’s the company’s last shot to make a meaningful impact in the mobile market. RIM will be relying on its BlackBerry 7 devices for most of 2012, but since that platform already felt outdated when it launched this summer, they likely won’t attract many new customers. If RIM fails to make a bang with BlackBerry 10, it will likely be forced to find a suitor by the end of next year.
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