13 best smartphones: The best phone you can buy in 2013?

13 best smartphones: The best phone you can buy in 2013?

13. Samsung Galaxy S3

• Reviewed on: 17 June 13
• RRP: From £29 per month; Around £500 SIM-free
• Rating: 

The Galaxy S3 has turned out to be an excellent smartphone. It offers a good design and build quality, despite our small niggles. Samsung has put together an impressive set of hardware resulting in silky smooth performance and extensive software features. We can't give the number one spot to two smartphones, so the iPhone nudges it on a show of hands, but it really is a matter of personal taste. The S3 really is as good a smartphone as you can buy right now

12. Motorola Razr i

• Reviewed on: 25 September 12
• RRP: £345 inv VAT
• Rating: 

The Motorola Razr i is a great all-rounder smartphone. It offers a great combination of design and performance for a reasonable price. It's worth a look for its price and worthy of our recommended award.

11. Samsung Galaxy S4 mini

• Reviewed on: 31 July 13
• RRP: Around £380 inc VAT
• Rating: 

The Galaxy S4 mini is a great mid-range option, offering the same styling – which includes the same mediocre build quality – as its flagship counterpart, with a cheaper price tag. The cameras are good but the screen and storage are both under par. Consider the HTC One mini or the Nexus 4 as serious alternatives.

10. HTC one mini

• Reviewed on: 29 July 13
• RRP: £379
• Rating: 

The HTC One mini isn't as good as the HTC One. Its performance is decent but not spectacular, and the addition of a layer of plastic has removed some of the original's chic. But this is a very strong handset at a decent price. Well worth a look.

9. Huawei Ascend P6

• Reviewed on: 16 August 13
• RRP: £309 inc VAT
• Rating: 

The Huawei Ascend P6 is a fantastic and desirable smartphone, whether it's an iPhone copy or not. It provides real value for money even if it is lacking NFC and 4G support. We particularly like the cameras and the customisable user interface.

8. HTC One X+

• Reviewed on: 23 January 13
• RRP: Around £450 inc VAT
• Rating: 

With a newer version of Android, fixed build quality issues and significantly increased battery life, the One X+ is a polished and honed version of its predecessor. It's now an even better all-round quality smartphone with a reasonable price tag.

7. iPhone 5C [PCA]

• Reviewed on: 25 September 13
• RRP: £469 inc VAT and £569 inc VAT for 16GB and 32GB
• Rating: 

The iPhone 5C is a nice smartphone. However, we just can't see the need for it in the first place, unless it was cheaper. It's too expensive for what is effectively an iPhone 5 in a plastic shell with minor changes in hardware. There are better and cheaper Android devices on the market and those wishing to stick with iOS should pay the extra £80 for the iPhone 5S.

6. Samsung Galaxy S4

• Reviewed on: 11 July 13
• RRP: Around £500 inc VAT
• Rating: 

The Galaxy S4 is a great phone with outstanding hardware and performance, but it's not flawless. We're disappointed with the build quality considering the handset costs a fair bit more than its rivals and while the S4 is packed with features we find a lot of them to be gimmicky.

5. Sony Xperia Z

• Reviewed on: 17 June 13
• RRP: £520 inc VAT
• Rating: 

The Xperia Z is the first smartphone which Sony has really nailed. We love the stylish, desirable and rugged design. The combination of excellent performance, a stunning screen and great cameras make the Xperia Z a force to be reckoned with. There is very little to say about this phone that is negative.

4. Samsung Galaxy Note 3

• Reviewed on: 26 September 13
• RRP: £599 inc. VAT
• Rating: 

We're not sure you need all the extra features that Samsung packs in, and we could live without the S Pen. And not everyone needs or wants a smartphone with a 6in display. Neither is the camera all that great. But be in no doubt about it, the Galaxy Note 3 is a high-quality portable device, offering the best performance we've ever seen, a stunning screen and nice build quality.

3. HTC One

• Reviewed on: 30 September 13
• RRP: £449 inc. VAT
• Rating: 

The HTC One is up there with the very best smartphones on the market today. It has superb performance, and excellent build quality spoiled only slightly by running hot in use. You can't fault the feature set, and it matches the other high-end products in terms of price. In terms of audio and visual output it is unsurpassed. The interface might be an acquired taste for some, and we weren't overly impressed with the camera. It's not perfect, but alongside the Xperia Z and iPhone 5 this is about as good a phone as you can buy.

2. iPhone 5S [PCA]

• Reviewed on: 11 September 13
• RRP: 16GB £549 inc VAT; 32GB £629 inc VAT; 64GB £709 inc VAT
• Rating: 

It's obviously way to early to call the iPhone 5S, but we like what we see. 64-bit computing in a phone will likely make little difference in the short term, but is a sure fire way to future proof what should be a superfast phone. The build is great, as always, and we like what we see in terms of new features. One to watch.

1. Sony Xperia Z1

• Reviewed on: 25 September 13
• RRP: £599 inc VAT
• Rating: 

Sony has upgraded its fantastic Xperia Z. The Xperia Z1 feels nicer but is unfortunately bigger and heavier. It's a powerhouse with an all-round impressive specification. Easily one of the best Android handsets around but the high price tag taints this slightly.