Shopping for a smartphone can be an exciting and arduous experience. Along with the promise of something new and fantastic, it brings the fear of commitment, and even worse, the prospect of saddling yourself to a lousy device for two years. Fortunately for you, Engadget spends tons of time playing with the latest gear and we're constantly on the lookout for what's coming next. If you're wanting to take the pain out of shopping for a smartphone, you've come to the right place. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Engadget's smartphone buyer's guide: your one-stop resource to finding the best and most exciting handsets on the market today.
Before you dive in, however, we've introduced a few changes to the buyer's guide, so take a minute to prepare yourself for what's in store. First and foremost, you'll now find alternate selections to supplement our top picks. This should already be familiar to many of you, which is the same format we use for our seasonal gift guides. The next one is a biggie: we've dropped the QWERTY selection. By and large, manufacturers and carriers alike have shifted their focus away from keyboard-equipped smartphones, and you'll rarely find more than one option on any given carrier. That said, if you still insist on the tactile experience, you'll always find everything you need to know in our reviews. Finally, whenever possible, you'll now find prices from Amazon Wireless, which allows us to provide you with more compelling budget selections and highlight the substantial savings that you can score by circumventing the carriers. It's not like they need your charity, anyway.
If you're curious to see how it all unfolded -- and we know you are -- join us after the break, where we round up the very best smartphones of the season.
AT&T
HTC ONE X
Five months have passed since its debut, and as a testament to its staying power, the HTC One X remains our top pick for AT&T. Not only does it combine excellent performance, a large and beautiful 720p display and a fantastic camera into one stunning handset, but at just $0.01 through Amazon Wireless, it also represents the very best value on the market today. A near-term release of Jelly Bean promises to bring a new lease on life to the venerable One X, and the only consideration that keeps it from being a no-brainer is that its successor has already been announced. Still, this is an amazing value by any measure, which qualifies the One X as our unequivocal budget pick for AT&T -- or any carrier, for that matter.
Key specs: 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4, 4.7-inch HD (1,280 x 720) S-LCD 2 display, 8MP rear / 1.3MP front cameras, 16GB built-in storage, Android 4.0.
Price: $0.01 at Amazon Wireless
Sprint
HTC EVO 4G LTE
Those in search of the best smartphone on Sprint need look no further than the EVO 4G LTE. A retooled version of the One X, it combines much of what we love from the original and adds to it a dedicated camera button, larger battery, removable storage and a handy kickstand. What's more, its $30 price positions it as the best value on Sprint and similarly qualifies it as our budget pick. That said, unless you know for certain that Sprint will soon bring LTE to your area, you're guaranteed to have a more rewarding experience with the One X and AT&T's vastly superior network speeds and LTE coverage.
Key specs: 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4, 4.7-inch HD (1,280 x 720) S-LCD 2 display, 8MP rear / 1.3MP front cameras, 16GB built-in storage, Android 4.0.
Price: $30 at Amazon Wireless
T-Mobile
SAMSUNG GALAXY S III
While most of us prefer HTC's high-end offerings at AT&T and Sprint, that's not to suggest that the Galaxy S III isn't an excellent smartphone in its own right. More importantly, its our pick for the majority of subscribers at T-Mobile. Unfortunately, this Galaxy S III is also the most expensive of all the major carrier variants, which means that shoppers will need to find value in T-Mobile's unique offerings such as free WiFi calling and unlimited data usage to make the handset a worthwhile purchase. Despite the carrier's lack of LTE coverage, its 42Mbps HSPA+ network offers excellent data speeds in areas where it's available.
Key specs: 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4, 4.8-inch HD (1,280 x 720) Super AMOLED display, 8MP rear / 2MP front cameras, 16GB or 32GB built-in storage, Android 4.0.
Price: $280 (16GB) or $330 (32GB) at T-Mobile
Verizon Wireless
SAMSUNG GALAXY S III
Verizon Wireless is currently awash in excellent smartphones, and while it's a tough call, the Galaxy S III is our favorite of the bunch. In addition to its spacious and beautiful display, it offers an excellent camera, fantastic performance and solid battery life. It's also an excellent value at Amazon Wireless, which positions it as the best bang for your buck. Our only major grievance with Verizon's Galaxy S III is its encrypted bootloader, which means that you'll need to jump through a few loopholes to load custom ROMs on the device. Additionally, while the carrier has promised an update to enable international roaming support, it's yet to deliver on the promise.
Key specs: 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4, 4.8-inch HD (1,280 x 720) Super AMOLED display, 8MP rear / 2MP front cameras, 16GB or 32GB built-in storage, Android 4.0.
Price: $149 (16GB) or $199 (32GB) at Amazon Wireless
Boost Mobile
SAMSUNG GALAXY S II 4G
It may cost more than you were hoping to spend, but those in search of the best smartphone at Boost Mobile should look no further than the Galaxy S II 4G. The handset is the very same as the Sprint model that we absolutely adore, which includes a dual-core Exynos processor, a fabulous Super AMOLED Plus display that boasts a traditional RGB (non-PenTile) matrix and a camera that still impresses to this day. Even if you have to scrimp and save for a few months to make it happen, all Boost Mobile customers should choose the Galaxy S II 4G, as it's well worth it.
Key specs: 1.2GHz dual-core Exynos, 4.5-inch WVGA (800 x 480) Super AMOLED Plus display, 8MP rear / 2MP front cameras, 16GB built-in storage, Android 4.0.
Price: $370 at Boost Mobile
Cincinnati Bell
HTC ONE S
Cincinnati Bell has the unique luxury of acquiring hand-me-downs from T-Mobile. Unfortunately, it's yet to visit the figurative thrift store as of late. Suffice it to say, while the lineup is aging, the One S is still an excellent smartphone, which offers the same top-notch performance and camera as the One X, yet within a smaller enclosure that some will find preferable. We're also happy to see that Cincinnati Bell has lowered the price of the One S, which is now slightly more competitive than T-Mobile.
Key specs: 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4, 4.3-inch qHD (960 x 540) Super AMOLED display, 8MP rear / VGA front cameras, 16GB built-in storage, Android 4.0.
Price: $100 at Cincinnati Bell
Cricket
APPLE IPHONE 5
How does an unlimited smartphone plan for just $55 per month strike you? Throw in contract-free wireless service and you're sold -- right? That's the selling point of Cricket, which requires that customers purchase their phones outright in exchange for a lower monthly rate. While the carrier continues to struggle with its premium smartphone selection, there's one that stands head and shoulders above the rest: it's the iPhone 5. Now, the only question that remains is whether you're willing to pony up for it. Yes, the $500 price tag may seem difficult to swallow, but the latest iPhone exists in a league of its own at the prepaid carrier. Unfortunately, it's not yet available on Cricket's website, which suggests the carrier is struggling to get sufficient inventory. For those unable to afford the iPhone 5, we recommend the HTC One V ($210).
Key specs: 1.3GHz dual-core A6, 4-inch Retina (1,136 x 640) IPS display, 8MP rear / 1.2MP front cameras, 16GB, 32GB or 64GB built-in storage, iOS 6.
Price: $500 at Cricket (pending availability)
MetroPCS
LG CONNECT 4G
While we're not particularly taken with any smartphone on MetroPCS, if we were forced to throw down our own money on one, we'd most certainly walk out the door with the Connect 4G. It's most similar to the Viper 4G LTE on Sprint, and just the same, you'll find an excellent IPS NOVA display that's paired with a dual-core processor and LTE connectivity. We haven't subjected the Connect 4G to a full review, but it certainly impressed us during our hands-on time with the device. As for the carrier's other smartphones, the Galaxy S Lightray 4G is certainly its most premium device, but you'd be a fool to throw down $459 for what amounts to a clone of the Droid Charge. Similarly, while the Anthem 4G ($199) may look good on paper, our experience suggests that it's a seriously flawed piece of hardware.
Key specs: 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon S3, 4-inch WVGA (800 x 480) IPS display, 5MP rear / VGA front cameras, 4GB built-in storage, Android 2.3.
Price: $349 at MetroPCS
US Cellular
SAMSUNG GALAXY S III
It shouldn't come as much surprise that we recommend the Galaxy S III as the best overall smartphone for US Cellular. As Samsung has proven extremely stringent in its dealings with carriers, we feel comfortable recommending the phone without hesitation, despite the fact that we've yet to review this variant. If the Galaxy S III is outside of what you can afford, we recommend you snag the Galaxy S Aviator ($50), which is a clone of the Droid Charge, and like the Galaxy S III, is one of the few smartphones within US Cellular's lineup to support LTE. Naturally, the Galaxy Note II ($300) will be another exciting option, which will arrive as the carrier's most powerful smartphone and the only one to ship with Jelly Bean.
Key specs: 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4, 4.8-inch HD (1,280 x 720) Super AMOLED display, 8MP rear / 2MP front cameras, 16GB or 32GB built-in storage, Android 4.0.
Price: $199 (16GB) or $249 (32GB) at US Cellular
Virgin Mobile
HTC ONE V
Yes, the iPhone 4S is without a doubt the most well-rounded smartphone at Virgin Mobile, but we think it's a crime that anybody should be forced to pay $650 for yesterday's hardware. Instead, we recommend that all potential Virgin customers snag the One V, which is the carrier's most aggressively priced option. Sure, it's not the fastest smartphone on the block, but it offers a better display and similar camera to the higher priced Galaxy Reverb ($250). Meanwhile, the EVO V ($240) stands as the only smartphone at Virgin to offer 4G (WiMAX), but its poor battery life and lackluster camera are too significant to ignore. So, yes, that leaves us with the One V. At just $160, think of it as something to tide you over until a better option comes along.
Key specs: 1GHz single-core Snapdragon S2, 3.7-inch WVGA (800 x 480) S-LCD 2 display, 5MP rear camera, 4GB built-in storage, Android 4.0.
Price: $160 at Virgin Mobile
Unlocked
GALAXY NEXUS HSPA+
When Google introduced the Galaxy Nexus into the Play Store at just $349 -- with a full warranty, mind you -- the smartphone immediately became the no-brainer decision in the unlocked scene. Unlike most handsets, the Galaxy Nexus includes a pentaband HSPA+ 21Mbps radio that supports both AT&T and T-Mobile, along with a wide number of Canadian and European carriers. For this reason, the Galaxy Nexus is an ideal solution for globetrotters. While it's no longer on the cutting edge of smartphones, this Google-inspired creation remains a perennial favorite around these parts due to its excellent value, stock Android OS and hacker-friendly approach. That said, we expect a new Nexus smartphone -- or possibly several -- to appear in short order. So, unless you need to make a purchase today, we recommend waiting to learn what will come next.
Key specs: 1.2GHz dual-core OMAP 4, 4.65-inch HD (1,280 x 720) Super AMOLED display, 5MP rear / 1.3MP front cameras, 16GB built-in storage, Android 4.1.
Price: $349 at Google Play
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