Holiday gift guide: The best 2013 smartphones
By Dan Kricke
In 2013, there aren’t many people left that don’t already own a smartphone. But there are still lots of smartphone users out there who have been wanting to upgrade to the latest and greatest tech without spending the money themselves. That’s why a smartphone makes for a great high-end holiday gift this year. Here are some of our favorites that are sold at Amazon. Note that the prices of the unlocked phones are higher than the carrier-specific retail version would be if purchased via the carrier.
Nokia Lumia 1020 — Starting at $99.99 with contract
The Lumia is all about photo and video. It features an insane 41MP sensor, optical image stabilization, ZEISS optics and a 6-lens design. On the video side, a digital high performance microphone records distortion-free stereo sound with great bass. The Lumia also offers access to a “Nokia Camera Course,” an online class on photography that runs through device how-to’s, tips and projects to work on.
HTC One Unlocked — $569.99
The HTC One is also a very photo-friendly smartphone. It features camera technology that brings in 300 percent more light than the average phone. Additionally it also uses an advanced CMOS sensor and optical lens system in order to capture excellent looking photos in all settings. The phone itself features a 4.7-inch 1080p display and 2 GB of RAM to go along with its beefy 1.7 Ghz quad-core processor.
Apple iPhone 5S — $793.99
The iPhone 5S is Apple’s flagship phone and it is packed with power. It features a 54-bit A7 chip and a separate chip for that handles the accelerometer calculations on the phone. It has a 4-inch display and can produce resolution at 1136-by-640 pixel resolution at 326 ppi. The camera is an 8-megapixel camera with a f/2.2 aperture, not to mention an all new fingerprint scanner.
If the person you’re shopping is working from a smartphone that’s several years old, you can already grab an iPhone 5C to save a few bucks and still give them a great phone experience. The 5C features the same specs as the old iPhone 5, including similar specs to the 5S, minor the fingerprint scanner.
Samsung Galaxy Note 3 — starting at $199 with contract
The Galaxy Note 3 runs on the Android 4.3 OS and features a 5.7-inch full HD 1080p display along with a 2.3 Ghz quad-core processor. It has 32 GB of storage that can be expanded using microSD memory cards. Users can tap the screen with their fingers or use the included S Pen to write on their screens. The Note doesn’t skimp on the camera, either, offering up a gorgeous 13-MP camera that can take care of any photo needs.
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