Best Mobile Phone 2012: 9th Pocket-lint Gadget Awards nominees

Five to call from

Arguably the most important and heavily contested category at the Pocket-lint Gadget Awards is the title of Best Mobile Phone and 2012's dog fight between the usual suspects is no different. As ever though, it's your vote that counts, so don't forget to head over to the voting page to add your views.

If you haven't seen this year's hot five or don't know much about them, then here's a run down of the Best Mobile Phone 2012 nominees. Read well. Vote better.

iPhone 5

Price

?529

Release date

September 2012

What Apple has created with the iPhone 5 is an extremely polished smartphone that oozes appeal. It's incredibly well built, easy to use, features a beautiful screen, and comes packed with enough speed and power to service all your requirements. The hardware is just stunning and it really is impressive how much is crammed into such a tiny box.

For those that have already left the Apple ecosystem for Samsung or HTC, though, the iPhone 5 isn't likely to draw you back. It’s good but it’s safe, and the Apple Maps issue has proved something of a disaster for the time being. Will that count against it too much for the iPhone 5 to win Best Mobile Phone 2012?

READ: Apple iPhone 5 review

Samsung Galaxy S III

Price

?375

Release date

April 2012

There is a lot to love about the Samsung Galaxy S III. As a premium flagship smartphone, it has plenty going for it. The huge display, the power, the smooth and fast operation are all to its credit. Add to this the ability to change battery and expand storage and you've a very good package indeed.

Of course there are always areas that we might want an improvement: the display could be brighter, for example, which is our biggest real gripe. We found some bugs with screen unlock and the Smart Stay feature designed to keep the screen on when reading never really worked for us and, in some areas the UI is a little cartoony. Still, 30 million people can’t be wrong.

READ: Samsung Galaxy S III review

Nokia Lumia 820

Price

?380

Release date

November 2012

Nokia was so focused on packing the Nokia Lumia 920 with as much tech as it could, that for us it forgot about what people might actually want from a phone. With the Nokia Lumia 820, ?however, that's not the case. That micro SD card slot gives you plenty of storage for movies, photos, and music, while the removable battery gets you over any power issues you might have.

Add that to a great core operating system and a design that stands out on its own and you start to feel this is the phone Nokia should be putting all its efforts into promoting. Sure, it’s not the flagship and the camera isn’t as good as the knock out unit on its bigger brother but this is a mobile that anyone would be happy to use.

READ: Nokia 820 review

Samsung Galaxy Note 2

Price

?530

Release date

October 2012

The Note is a device that shouldn't work; a device that the Koreans dreamt up after too little sleep, and too many energy drinks. But somehow, it's the most captivating phone we've used for a long time. Some will find it absurd, but those who want a big screen with loads of beautiful detail, a much better battery and some cool pen features will "get it” within 10 minutes of holding it for the first time.

It manages to invalidate the tablet to some extent, because it's big enough to be a powerful media device, but small enough to carry everywhere. It isn't a phone for everyone, but those who love gadgets will take to it, and it will change their lives.

READ: Samsung Galaxy Note 2 review

HTC One X+

Price

?495

Release date

October 2012

There are a few disparities between the HTC One X+ and the straight One X but it's the battery that makes the biggest difference to us. It was the weakest element of the previous device and it's now a better performer. If you're a One X owner, this is the thing of which you should be envious.

There's little to complain about, save a minor gripe with HTC Locations, and nothing is insurmountable. The hardware, the power, the build and the design of the HTC One X+ make this a phone we'd highly recommend, but recommend above all the others on this list? Well, we’ll see.

READ: HTC One X+ review

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2012 Features

 

Best Mobile Phone 2012: 9th Pocket-lint Gadget Awards nominees originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 19 Nov 2012 13:40:07 +0000

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Nexus 4, Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 now available from T-Mobile

If you didn’t have much luck picking up the Nexus 4 direct from Google yesterday, you can now purchase the latest pure Google device from T-Mobile for $199. The phone is currently available online and in select stores and brings the same experience as the unlocked version, only it comes tied to a service agreement. That service agreement is something many were hoping to avoid by snagging the phone from the Play Store, but signing away two years to a carrier must sound pretty tempting right now to those not willing to wait a few extra weeks for Google’s stock to replenish.

The Android 4.2 flagship is joined by a Samsung tablet, but it’s not the Nexus 10. No, it’s T-Mobile’s branded version of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, which is also available today for a price of $399. The Ice Cream Sandwich slate features a 1.5GHz dual-core CPU and 1280×800 resolution display, specs that don’t touch the Nexus 10, which is available off-contract for the same price. You might want to explore options before signing the dotted line for this one.

Planning to pick up either today? Join the conversation over at AndroidForums by visiting our Nexus 4 and Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 forums.

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MegaRamp skateboarding and BMX game sneaks into Play Store for Xperia devices

Sony Mobile hasn’t made a ton of noise regarding its arrival, but the company — in conjunction with developer has released MegaRamp for Android. The game leverages the MegaRamp license for the use of real ramps, locations, and pros to bring you an authentic boarding and BNX experience. Those who enjoy this sort of stuff might be interested, especially for just $2.89.

The problem is that the game is exclusive to Sony Xperia owners. It’s a shame considering it looks pretty decent, but many of you will have to hope that this period of exclusivity is only temporary.

That might not be a dream I’d hold on to, though, as the official trailer shows Sony’s influence throughout various areas of the game. Perhaps it can be reskinned later on, but for now there’s no sign that those of us without Xperia devices will have the chance to enjoy it.

But if you’ve got an Xperia device and you want to get in on some MegaRamp fun then there’s nothing stopping you. The game includes achievements and trophies, nearly 100 tricks between BMX and skateboarding, locations like Zurich, the USA, Mexico City, and tricksters like Danny Way, Kevin Robinson and Adam Taylor.

This likely won’t hold a candle to EA’s Skate or even older versions of Activision’s Tony Hawk Pro Skater, but for $3 we’re sure some of you will find something to like in this mobile package. If you have the hardware to match be sure to find it available for download in the Google Play Store. Oh, and be sure to watch the trailer above, horrible dubstep music and all.

[via Facebook]

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