With Android, there is never a shortage of phones, but only a handful can be considered for the best of the year. It’s never an easy pick, but that isn’t a bad thing because it means Android fans have choice. Last year, each of us here at Talk Android made our picks for 2012, so we decided to do it again for 2013. Will we all agree, or will each of us pick something completely different? I was actually surprised at the result. Hit the break to find out what each of us picked.
Robert Nazarian – Editor In Chief
While last year was an easy decision for me, this year proved to be more challenging. If you asked me this same question in June, I would have selected the HTC One, but things changed a lot during the second half of the year. One of the most hyped phones of the year, the Moto X was released in the late summer, and the Nexus 5 arrived on Halloween. All three phones are worthy, but I can only pick one.
Back in August, I didn’t think the Moto X was good enough, even though I loved it. Shortly after, Motorola fixed the camera and dropped the price considerably. Add in the fact that KitKat arrived within a month of the SDK, and it solidified it for me as my choice for phone of the year.
Motorola is the first Android manufacturer to prove that it’s not all about the specs, it’s about the user experience. The Moto X is also the first phone that’s not only assembled in the U.S., but assembled per the customer’s desired look.
No, Motorola didn’t sell as many phones as Samsung, but that was never the goal. Their goal was to offer the consumer a different kind of choice along with a simple interface and features that are actually useful. They nailed it, plain and simple.
Again, the Nexus 5 and HTC One are damn good phones, and I wouldn’t fault anyone for selecting one over the other, but in my book, the Moto X gets the slight edge and is my pick for the best phone of 2013.
Jeff Causey – Author
2013 certainly provides lots of possible choices for smartphone of the year. The major manufacturers continued to push the spec sheet and it would be easy to pick one of the top of the line devices as smartphone of the year. For my selections though, I have arrived at a tie between two devices that probably would not be considered top-tier devices.
First up is the LG G2, ostensibly a top-tier device as it is LG’s current flagship and is positioned to compete with the Samsung Galaxy S4. LG was able to pack in a 5.2-inch display into a device the size of the Galaxy S4, which will appeal to users who are looking for ever larger screens but do not want to make the jump to something like a Sony Xperia Z1 Ultra or a Samsung Galaxy Note 3. With a Snapdragon 800 processor and the requisite 2 GB of RAM, the LG G2 should be capable of running with most devices currently on the market. In our review of the LG G2 though, we noted the device feels eerily similar to the Galaxy S4 and LG’s user interface somewhat mimics Samsung’s Touchwiz. The bottom line was that the LG G2 was close to equal with the Galaxy S4, the apparent standard-setter in the market, but a compelling case to switch from Samsung could not be made.
It is that last bit though that I think makes the LG G2 one of my devices of the year. We have seen some cracks starting to appear in Samsung’s position this past year as they slowly build up their own ecosystem for their devices. One could argue they are on an Apple-like path. Many consumers may not care about that, but I suspect there are enough Android fans that do care about that and who will be looking for an alternative to Samsung for their next top of the line device. The LG G2 shows that there is a company out there that can produce something equally appealing as the Galaxy line of devices. The LG G2 shows that LG is capable of stepping in as a third alternative to the Apple/Samsung juggernaut.
My second selection is the Moto X. Being a mid-range device in terms of specs, not even sporting a 1080p display when most of the market seems to be moving to that, this may seem like an unlikely choice. My selection is based more on Motorola’s efforts to improve the user experience and not worry so much about the specs. We see other companies try to focus on the user, like Samsung and all the gadgets and doodads they throw into their Touchwiz interface. Rather than trying to produce a Swiss Army knife with ever more tools packed in, Motorola opted to focus on entirely new tools. Things like touchless control have the potential to actually change the way smartphones are used and accessed. As just one example, we’ve seen the voice-activated “OK, Google…” command spread from Google Glass to the Moto X where it was so well received. It not only went on to find itself on the Nexus 5, but in Android 4.4 KitKat, and even the desktop via a Chrome browser extension.
It is that recognition that users don’t just want new choices, but something they had not really thought about that sets Motorola’s Moto X apart from the rest of the field. The ability to get consumers to want something they didn’t even know they were missing can be a strong market differentiator, which is what I think Motorola has achieved.
Both of these devices represent opportunities for companies to grab some market share away from Samsung and Apple. That is a tall order and despite the potential noted for both of these devices, the market does seem to have shrugged them off thus far. Which is too bad as all of us benefit from good, healthy competition in the market.
Jared Peters – Author
There were a ton of great devices released this year, but out of every device available, the Moto X managed to tie up a ton of loose ends in a great package that we’ve never seen in an Android device before.
The Moto X was designed to appeal to an extremely wide audience by launching on all major US carriers with the option to completely customize the device. Although the launch wasn’t perfectly simultaneous (some carriers launched later, MotoMaker was AT&T exclusive at launch, wood backs came late, etc.) it was something refreshing and new that no other manufacturer had attempted. Motorola went so far as to even offer unlocked developer editions of the devices on GSM carriers and Verizon so you could buy the device in any form you wanted.
On the software side of things, Google and Motorola took a “less is more” approach and showed that you could create compelling, unique features on a device without layering a heavy skin on top of Android. The Moto X is not heavily bloated, but the extra features it offers, such as built-in gestures, the active display notifications, and minimalist camera interface, integrate cleanly into Android and don’t feel tacked on. It created a better, smoother user experience while still hanging on to some selling points for the device. Motorola has even managed to quickly get the device updated to Android 4.4, a feat that no other Android OEM has pulled off yet.
The Moto X isn’t perfect, and it still has some pretty tough competition from other fantastic devices, but it did enough things right that it’s hard to not pick it for the best phone of 2013.
Justin Herrick – Author
For me, it is an easy choice. What Motorola has done with the Moto X shows where they are going as a company. The device may not have the same specifications as Samsung, LG, or HTC’s flagship devices, but it remains in the conversation with them. Motorola did not opt to load the device full of software features that will hardly be used. Instead, they put what users may actually find intuitive and productive. And Motorola never loaded the Moto X with an unattractive, confusing user interface. The Moto X gives users stock Android with some interesting additions. Not having to pick up your phone constantly due to Active Display is helpful on so many levels. Plus, it improves battery life as well.
On the hardware side, Motorola did not give users a 1080p screen and a quad-core processor. There was a ton of optimization behind the processor with the X8 Mobile Computing System and the 720p screen did not seem to be a deal breaker. The Touchless Control feature is incredible for when you can’t “touch” your phone.
Sales figures may not be in favor of the Moto X, but Motorola’s revival is certainly something worth watching.
Jack Holt – Author
The best phone of 2013 has to be the Moto X. While the phone is a relative newcomer for the year, the device is a complete game changer in a world full of “game changers.” Motorola completely did away with the specs war by using “last year’s” specs. With a 720p display and a dual-core processor, the Moto X is the first device by an OEM to focus on the experience. They nailed it. The touchless display along with the always listening aspect makes the phone a perfect daily companion. Add the cherry on top of being the first OEM phone to receive KitKat (on Verizon no less and before even the Nexus 4) you have yourself an overall sweet device.
Runner Up: The HTC One
Joseph Sirianni – Author
Favorite smartphone of the year? This, without a doubt, will be a difficult question to answer since there are so many contenders that can qualify. This year we’ve seen a rollout of some pretty hefty hardware combined with some pretty cool software in an effort to become my favorite device of the year. We’ve seen an incredible lineup from HTC with their One series phones and then some not so great devices such as the HTC One Max. We’ve seen Samsung’s Galaxy S4 and LG’s Optimus G Pro and G2, as well as Google’s very own device, the Nexus 5. And while some of these devices fall short of what we thought they would bring to the table, in my opinion one device stuck out from the rest and brought the entire package to the table. Depending on your take on big smartphones aka “phablets” you may or may not agree with me. In any event, I’m choosing the Galaxy Note 3 to be 2013’s smartphone of the year.
Why the Note 3? Well, the latest iteration of the Note family brings the largest display yet, an HD AMOLED at 5.7-inches and packs the most innovative software features ever found on a smartphone all wrapped up in a slim and lightweight device. In my opinion, that’s a rare combo. Big, light, thin and full of enough software features to keep you busy for the next year trying to discover all of them. In addition, the device further enhanced the return of the stylus (S-Pen) and made it even better with incredible functionality for multi-tasking and personal creativity. This year’s model also supports one of the fastest CPU’s around, Qualcomm’s 2.3 GHz Quad-Core Snapdragon. Furthermore, the device came default with 32 GB’s of memory instead of the typical 16 Gig’s for the same price and a whopping 3 Gig’s of RAM. Toss in a large 3200 mAh battery and LTE capabilities and you’re all set.
All in all, the phone screams productivity and once KitKat 4.4 rolls out to the device it’s going to be an even better Android experience. Nothing beats the ever so rare combination of great hardware combined with great software to enhance the user experience. In my opinion, the Note 3 brings all of this and much more, making it my choice for 2013’s favorite smartphone.
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