1. HTC One
Don't fear HTC fans - your darling is still number one. As our only five star phone, its combination of impressive UI and stunning aluminium build means it was always safe in the number oneIt's nothing to do with the quality of the S4 or the LG G2 – outstanding phones in anyone's book – but more the fact HTC has managed to bring out a smartphone that's worthy of any user's consideration.
The supreme aluminium chassis, the Full HD screen and the simplified version of Sense 5.0 sitting on top of Android Jelly Bean (plus KitKat any day now!) means it's a pleasure to use and recommend this handset.
The new innovations are also pleasingly more than just marketing gimmicks; Zoe functionality allows the creation of delightful video highlight reels, and the Ultrapixel camera means you've got a much wider range of shots available thanks to being stunning in low light.
Quick Verdict
With power, poise and beauty all combined in this innovative phone, HTC has proved it can more than still cut it with the big boys when it comes to bringing out a lust-worthy flagship smartphone - and it's also proved that it still knows how to beat the Samsungs and LGs of this world into third and second place with ease.We're now starting to wonder how long HTC can hold its place at the top, and with 2014's best and brightest approaching, you might want to wait to see what's coming up - but with that metallic frame, there's no short supply of users ready to coo all over it the second it lands in their hand.
2. LG G2
Wait, an LG phone in at number two? Believe it people; LG has made a phone that not only impressed us but ran the HTC One very, very close for the top spot.We don't know where to start in terms of extolling the virtues of this new handset from the South Korean firm: it's got an insanely good screen, quality camera, the best audio pumping out from its speakers and headphone jack... the list goes on.
We even came to tolerate, then love, the power and volume buttons being placed on the rear. These aren't ideal, but the ability to knock on the screen makes it really easy to interact with this impressive device.
Verdict
There's so much on offer here that we can't help but recommend it to anyone looking for the best smartphone powerhouse.The only things that we dislike are the cluttered UI (pull down the notifications bar and you'll see why) and the plastic casing, which drops the premium feel of the phone.
But launching at £400 on PAYG, along with comparable contracts to six month old phones, is a really nice touch from LG, and we reckon it's going to pay dividends.
3. Sony Xperia Z1 Compact
Hey Sony, lovely to have you back near the top. What's this? A phone without a 1080p screen? A smaller battery? Are you MAD?
Wait, we get it. This is the mildly-nonplussing Xperia Z1 shoved into a smaller frame, with almost nothing compromised (the above two points aside). With a 4.3-inch screen it's one of the most easy to use devices in the hand, coming in next to the iPhone 5S, but it does it with a much lower cost and a great battery life to boot.
On top of that it's waterproof and has expandable memory, plus a superb screen. Well played, Sony - we can't wait to see what else you do in 2014.
Quick verdict
Want a great phone that's just a little bit smaller without losing all the power? If so, then we've found your ideal device. Strong CPU, great battery and expandable memory are traits we love to see.It's been launched with a palatable price tag as well - so head on down to your local emporium and throw it in some water. Because it's waterproof too, not because you're a vandal.
4. Google Nexus 5
So we've updated our review with the new phone software, and thankfully things are a lot better now. The battery is improved, the camera a little more stable, and the low cost is still in place.You already know we like Android 4.4, the clever implementation and the £299 price tag. We love the high power CPU, the quality screen; even the rubberised outer shell.
You can get the LG G2 for £100 more though, and that offers a far superior camera, better battery life (it's better, but not brilliant) and a huge slew of extra features - it really depends if you're a fan of the stripped-down experience.
Quick verdict
We're glad to put this smartphone higher up in the rankings, as it's one of the cheapest out there in terms of bang for buck.It's a great phone that hits the marks well - it lacks something in terms of innovation, but that's not a problem for those that want to be able to run all manner of apps and games at a decent price. It doesn't come in at the same price point as previous Nexii, but it's still jolly cheap.
5. Samsung Galaxy S4
All change at the top! Samsung managed to hold off HTC at the top in 2012, but this year the supreme stylings of the HTC One proved too strong against a phone that's a slightly-better-version of its predecessor.Well, that's not really fair - it's only in looks that it's too similar, and sadly that was one of the biggest issues most users had with the S3. It's not the world's biggest smartphone crime, but it's enough to keep it from the top spot.
There's a lot, a lot, to love with the Samsung Galaxy S4 though: whether it's a powerful camera, a brilliant screen, a long-lasting battery or just a fluid experience, there's everything you could want in a smartphone right here.
The cost is a tad higher than on other smartphones, but thankfully still cheaper than iPhone level and is descending as we wait for the imminent sequel. If only it was made out of something a little more premium...
LG has now taken its second spot too - here's hoping the Samsung Galaxy S5 brings something that's really rather special to halt its slide down the charts.
Verdict
There's no doubt that this is one of the best smartphones ever made - it's clear, powerful and does everything we'd expect a flagship phone from Samsung to do.It's just a shame that the perceived 'innovation' doesn't really add anything: motion gestures, smart scroll and it's other non-contact bedfellows didn't take smartphones to the next level, which is what we needed in the face of Ultrapixels and BoomSound.
Make no mistake though: you'll love the Samsung Galaxy S4 if you choose to go for it, as it's an amazing phone with some really cutting-edge features.
6. iPhone 5S
Did you see this one coming? The iPhone 5S behind five other Android phones in our rankings? Some think it should be higher, some think lower - it depends on your level of Apple love.Never has a company polarised opinion in the smartphone world like Apple - and with the iPhone 5S, so many are quick to decry it while others know it to be the smartphone they've been waiting for.
And let's make no bones about it: this is a stunning phone, with a gorgeous two-tone finish, a high-res screen with good colour reproduction, a 64-bit chip and that all-powerful TouchID sensor that lets you unlock your phone with a simple fingerprint.
The iOS 7 update is one that we sorely, sorely needed and does bring a lot more power and control - as shown by the impressive and pervasive Control Center.
We really like TouchID, the processor might be a little useless now but definitely brings a touch more zip to things, and the M7 chip for fitness apps will be very exciting in weeks and months to come as app developers get their paws on it.
The main problem we have with this phone, spec list aside, is the fact the iPhone 5S is STILL very expensive... we're not sure how such sky high prices can be charged when equivalent smartphones are available on the market, plus it still has a small screen compared.
Quick verdict
Let's not beat around the bush here: the iPhone 5S is still one of the great smartphones in the world thanks to a great package of technology, design and UI intuition.iOS 7 is the update we've needed for a while, and does a lot to help keep Apple current at the sharp end of the market - but we still can't wait to see what the iPhone 6 will bring, as essentially this is still the same phone as the iPhone 5 but with a better engine under the hood.
7. Moto G
Motorola's back, and it's kicking off its global smartphone revival with the keenly priced Moto G handset. A mid-range handset with a low-end price tag - we're talking around £100 in some stores.On paper the Moto G looks like an excellent handset for the price, and in practice it lives up to the billing.
As the Nexus 4 did with the mid-range market, the Moto G has turned the budget end on its head with features found on handsets double its cost.
It exceeds its rivals in several key areas, from the well defined 4.5-inch display to its 1.2GHz quad-core processor and guaranteed Android 4.4 KitKat update. There's a lot to love about the Moto G for its price.
Quick verdict
Motorola must have cut some corners to get the price of the Moto G so low, and the camera is one area which has seen the compromise, but that's one of the only gripes.So here's the upshot: Motorola is back folks, it's official. It may not be the return we would have predicted - there's no flagship phone stuffed full of the latest tech - but arguably what the now Google-owned firm has done is even better.
The Moto G is a top notch, low cost smartphone and we wholeheartedly recommend this as the best budget mobile currently on the market.
8. HTC One Mini
If you hold both the One and the One Mini, you'll struggle to tell the difference, apart from the fact one is smaller than the other (obviously). The aluminium build quality pervades, and it's hard to believe that you're not holding one of the premium devices on the market.Even the polycarbonate band that runs around the edge of the phone is unobtrusive, which means you get a distinctive design that doesn't impact on the way the One Mini sits in the hand.
We love that the functionality of the One Mini isn't compromised from its larger relative, with the likes of UltraPixels and BoomSound all involved without being watered down.
HTC has been very clever in the design of this phone by bringing nearly every great element of the One to the smaller version, and packaging it in a way that still makes it very attractive.
In short, it's a cheaper version of the larger phone that scales down the processor and drops the price. Good combo, HTC.
Quick verdict
Would we recommend the HTC One Mini? Absolutely - the mid-range market renaissance is something we didn't expect, but is an area that HTC is intent on winning - and we think it's managed that with the One Mini.We really love the aluminium shell, the UltraPixel camera and BoomSound on board, plus we get to play with the latest version of Android as well as all the cool apps like the Music Player, which show lyrics to songs as they're playing. Actually, we're just happy to have the headphone-boosting amplifier on board - as long as our songs are nicely audible, we don't really care.
There's a sub-class of phones around at the moment that try and replicate top-end features in the mid-range market, and while this isn't the best phone in that class any more (we'll serve that title to the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact) it's still a cracking buy.
9. Samsung Galaxy Note 3
The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is alive and kicking and breathes yet more life into a mobile form factor many thought would be dead on arrival, ramping up the specs and the size to give us a new monolith of mobile.It may be big, but the 5.7-inch display is fantastic and the Full HD Super AMOLED technology makes everything pop from websites to movies.
You're able to fit a lot more on screen at a time and that means less scrolling in messages, on websites and down your long contact list and that can only be a good thing.
What really impressed us with the Galaxy Note 3 though was its battery life and sheer speed under the finger. We're used to a day at best when hardcore using the device, but we got far past that without breaking a sweat throughout our tests.
The speed of the Snapdragon 800 quad core processor, combined with 3GB of RAM, means this is the least-slouchy phone we've encountered in a while.
Quick verdict
The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is a great phone and if you were to own one you wouldn't be disappointed. It provides a great onscreen experience - as long as your hands are big enough to reach across it - and its stuffed so full of tech to almost warrant its lofty price tag.Its size will be a real stumbling point for many and we'd recommend going into a store and just holding the Note 3 for a while to see if it's something you can cope with - in short, we want all this but in a form that we can hold easily, at a lower price and without the S Pen.
So, essentially, we're really looking forward to the Galaxy S5.
10. Nokia Lumia 520
The Nokia Lumia 520, much like its big brother the Nokia Lumia 620, is a jack of all trades and a master of none - although it really manages to make a good fist of everything it tries, for the low, low price tag it carries.It looks good, it's got a decent screen both in terms of size and resolution, it rarely stutters or slows down, it's great for calls and messaging, reasonable for media and okay for photos.
To achieve a lower price point the 520 has had to strip away a few things - there's no NFC, compass, camera flash or front facing camera here.
But on the other hand it's also got a bigger screen, a larger battery, a sleeker, slimmer, lighter build and the same processor and RAM as the Nokia Lumia 620, so in many ways it's actually better.
Combine that with a lower price tag and we reckon that this just might be the best entry level Windows Phone 8 handset that you can buy and certainly the best value.
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