As we begin this brand New Year we have a lot to look forward to. The successor to the Samsung Galaxy S3 for one is a mouth-watering thought, while I’m sure all tech enthusiasts will be keen on finding out how Apple respond to claims their reign of dominance has come to an end. However, there is also a great technological year to look back on, one filled with surprise leaders (Samsung Galaxy S3) and of course, another highly anticipated iPhone release. However, which smartphones won 2012? Which smartphones were the kingpins?
HTC Droid DNA
There are many things that are special with HTC’s Droid DNA. Firstly the Android handset features a big 5-inched super LCD screen, that’s bright and boasts a sharp 1080p resolution which translates into 440ppi.
Secondly, this super phone is positively packed with cutting edged hardware and software. Running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, the Droid DNA is powered by a fire-breathing 1.5 GHz quad core Snapdragon S4 pro processor. For memory there’s a roomy 2GB of RAM and 16GB for internal storage.
The smartphone also has a fantastic design. At 0.38 inches thick and a mere 0.16 inches thick at its thinnest point, this phone is extremely trim. What further enhances the Droid DNA’s design is the way the display’s glass enhances to the edges. The combination of black and red metallic strips on the side gives the DNA a very futuristic style.
Above the screen is a 2MP front-facing camera, capable of shooting video at 1080p HD. At the back is an impressive 8MP camera. This camera is packed with many features and shooting modes, such as an HDR mode, panorama, continuous shooting and the ability to snap shots while recording video.
Other nice features include beats audio processing technology, the latest sense4 plus user interface and 4G connection capabilities.
Samsung Galaxy S3
The Samsung Galaxy S3 is large, smooth, very thin and packed with lots of software and hardware goodies. This Android phone hits all the marks of smartphone excellent. From the large screen, to the fast processor, to the 8 megapixel camera, LTE support and reasonable price tag, it is the perfect phone.
The phone’s design is the best out of all the smartphones this year and almost made me sell my iPhone. Its plastic cover is solid, chic and smooth and the phone’s beautiful and large screen serves to add to its design. Gone are the days when we’d need to buy and sell mobile phone cases to keep our phones looking chic and the Galaxy S3 is proof that a phone can be permanently coloured plastic and highly fashionable.
The Galaxy S3’s screen is a 4.8 inched super-AMOLED display with an HD resolution. It looks crisp, colourful and bright and it makes an excellent platform for viewing videos, photos and web text.
The S3’s 8-megapixel camera with 1080p video recording is more than up to the task of fulfilling your photo and video shooting capabilities. Video is smooth and in focus and works just as well outdoors as it does indoors. The phone boasts a pretty cool face tagging feature that remembers faces from previous photos and tags them.
The iPhone 5
In 2011, the iPhone 4S disappointed a lot of people, because it looked the same despite having a lot of improvements inside. The iPhone 5 however, comes with a major redesign however, and that is in addition to 4G LTE and a larger screen.
This is the first time that the iPhone has gone for a larger screen. At 4 inches the iPhone’s screen while larger isn’t necessarily big for a smartphone and ensures that the feel of it being an iPhone isn’t lost. The smartphone is also thinner and lighter than ever.
In terms of hardware, the iPhone 5 boasts a superb A6 processor, which doubles all round CPU and graphics capabilities, causing everything to be practically twice as fast as that of its predecessor.
Battery life in the iPhone 5 is an improvement on the 4S, albeit only by a fraction.
The front facing camera is HD 720p and takes sharp photographs and crisp video. The iSight camera is at 8-megapixel like the Galaxy S3 and Droid DNA and boasts a built in panorama mode that enables the shooting of a mega 28-megapixel photo.
Overall, this is the best iPhone yet and its technology is supported by fantastic features and apps.












