Here at GSMArena we not only try to cover all the latest news and bring you detailed reviews with all sorts of tests, but we also maintain a large database of phones specifications.
We pride ourselves on having a huge audience - large enough to accurately reflect the trends in the smartphone world. That's why we believe being among the most popular handsets in our database is a strong indication that a device has become successful. So here are the top 10 most popular phones in our database that have been released in 2012.
First place goes to the Samsung Galaxy S III - the most popular phone among you, the GSMArena readers, this year. Sure it had more time than most, being launched in May, but its 20.1 million hits still make the margin of its victory quite impressive. These were also enough to make it the fourth most popular smartphone of all times in our database - it will likely be on top by the time its successor comes.
Samsung I9300 Galaxy S III
Second place is reserved for the Sony Xperia S - Sony's first international dual-core smartphone scored some 10.1 million hits.
Sony Xperia S
The HTC One X wasn't the best-selling phone of the year and it didn't manage to pull the Taiwanese-based manufacturer out of financial trouble but it was undoubtedly among the most high-quality and powerful smartphones to come out of 2012. It snatches third spot with 8.3 million views.
HTC One X
Nokia was highly acclaimed for producing the best cameraphone around. The 41 MP 808 PureView's only weakness is the fact that it served its amazing photo prowess alongside a bitter-tasting dish of Symbian OS, which clearly didn't do the smartphone justice. The 808 PureView scored 7.8 million views.
Nokia 808 PureView
Apple's iPhone has always been popular with our readers and here the iPhone 5 sits in, wait for it, fifth place - how bout' them apples. Apple's pride and joy got 7.4 million views in our database, despite only being announced in September.
Apple iPhone 5
The Galaxy Note II has made the list despite making it slightly late to the party (much like the iPhone). Its 7 million views secure it the sixth spot.
Samsung Galaxy Note II N7100
The heavyweights aren't the sole residents of the mountain, though, Samsung's dual-SIM Galaxy Y Duos comes in at number seven with 6.5 million hits. Maybe it was the mix of dual-SIM functionality, smartphone capabilities and attractive price tag.
Samsung Galaxy Y Duos S6102
The Sony Xperia U is still among the cheapest(and coolest) dual-core smartphones out there. And it's obviously enjoying great popularity among the GSMArena readers with 6.4 million hits and eight spot.
Sony Xperia U
The only feature phone in the top 10 list is the Nokia Asha 311. A 3" capacitive touchscreen at the front, 1 GHz processor, 3.15 MP snapper and a very wallet-friendly price earn it the 9th spot - 5.1 million views.
Nokia Asha 311
And finally the third Galaxy family member to make the list - the Galaxy Ace Plus. It snatched 4.9 million views and landed in 10th place.
Samsung Galaxy Ace Plus S7500
So there goes the top 10. The most sought after compilation of smartphone tech this past year. Some of these phones will stick for a while in our all-time rankings.
Whatever made the Hackulous team shut down Installous yesterday is surely giving a push to other even easier alternatives for side-loading (and, as is often the case pirating) iOS apps.
Two of them are getting quite a lot of attention since Installous shut down - Zeusmos and Kuaiyong. In fact the Zeusmos website is currently down and huge spike in interest could be one of the explanations.
Both services don’t require jailbreak and, of course, you can’t get them from the App Store. The installation process is reportedly quite easy, needing you to just visit a website and hit an Install button, though we cannot confirm that ourselves. Then your Installous replacement will appear on your home screen.
If anything happen to those two, surely another four will pop up in their place. It seems that even Apple will be unable to stop piracy, no matter how hard it tries and how tight a grip over the iOS ecosystem it holds.
The LG Optimus L5 is the second of three LG Optimus smartphones that increase in specs, flanked either side by the LG Optimus L3 and LG Optimus L7.
With this middle phone weighing in at around £10 (around AU$15/US$16) per month, or £140/US$190 (around AU$213) SIM-free, does it give enough bang for your buck (or punch for your pound)?
You'll note straight away that the LG Optimus L5, or E610, is light, at just 125g (4.4oz) and seemingly slim, with a smooth metal edging. It's well balanced in the palm, but the plastic patterned back does lend it an air of cheapness, as well as not contributing much in the way of grip.
The straight-sided design of the Optimus handsets is welcome though; a small detail that helps distinguish it slightly from the usual mid-range offerings.
Inside, the LG Optimus L5 packs only a 800MHz processor, which is relatively poor compared to the 1GHz of the similarly priced HTC One V, but similar to the cheaper Nokia Lumia 610.
Outside there are very few additions to the clean design. The NFC antenna, 5MP camera (plus LED flash) and speakers reside on the back of the phone.
The front carries its 4-inch display, home key and soft return and menu buttons. At only 144ppi, the capacitive touchscreen with low-contrast display is a minus for this handset, meaning visibility in sunlight (or even just direct indoor light) is poor... and it all goes completely wrong if you hold it at even a slightly wrong angle. There are no deep blacks and saturated colours here, sadly.
As for the rest, the volume rocker (also used as the physical camera key) sits snugly on the left side, the micro USB port on the bottom and the power key and 3.5mm headphone jack on the top.
LG has squeezed 2GB of internal storage into the slim frame, with the option of adding up to 32GB more with a microSD, the port for which sits just above the standard 1500 mAh battery.
We found the plastic battery casing for the battery access somewhat difficult to get off at times, with the prising indent located at the top of the frame. Still, that's a minor grumble, and at least you can actually remove the battery, should you need to.
Overall it seems a shame to team Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich with such slow processing power - it's a bit like clamping stabilisers onto Bradley Wiggins' bike.
Consequently there's the occasional sense of lag when, say, swiping between home screens or dipping in and out of apps. Even games of Angry Birds are somewhat jerky.
For such a small price point, perhaps that won't be an issue, but for a just little more cash there are handsets with dual-core processors, such as the HTC One S, which create smoother navigational experiences.
A magazine ad has suggested that Samsung may launch its Galaxy Note 2 in new colors.
Any tech geek who has been following Samsung’s Galaxy Note 2 launch has probably picked up on how similar it is to the company’s Galaxy S3 release. Like Samsung’s flagship smartphone, the Note 2 comes with the same curved design as the S3 and was also released on all five major U.S. carriers following its launch, unlike the original Galaxy Note.
Samsung is pulling yet another similar move by introducing new color variants for the Galaxy Note 2. According to Japanese site Blog of Mobile, brown and red variants of the Note 2 have been outed in a magazine ad and could be making their way to South Korea in the near future.
The official names for these two colors are believed to be Amber Brown and Ruby Wine. The brown version of Samsung’s second-generation “phablet” is already available in Japan, so it’s only a matter of time before the Korea-based company launches this variant in other countries as well. Although the magazine ad clearly depicted these two new color choices, the advertisement doesn’t reveal any information about when these versions would launch.
While a commercial ad for new editions of the Note 2 certainly seems promising, we can’t be sure that these colors will roll out in South Korea until Samsung makes an official announcement. In addition, it remains unclear as to whether or not these colors will make their way to other nations, like the United States.
Amber Brown and Ruby Wine aren’t the only new shades that Galaxy Note 2 fans may be seeing soon. An allegedly leaked press photo of a black version of the Note 2 surfaced online last week, furthering suspicion that Samsung will roll out more color options very soon. This darker version of Samsung’s 5.5-inch device has not been confirmed, but the image was reported by multiple websites. No source has been specified, but the picture depicted Samsung’s logo sprawled across the back of the black handset.
This speculation about new color variants comes just as the Galaxy Note 2 hit a major milestone in its South Korean market. Sales of the Galaxy Note 2 have officially topped one million sales in the country as of Monday.
The Galaxy Note 2 has already proven itself to be one of Samsung’s most successful devices, and we’re interested to see if the company confirms any of these rumors during January’s Consumer Electronics Showcase in Las Vegas or February’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
Apple will reportedly launch its electronic bookstore in Japan this month.
As 2013 begins, Apple seems to be wasting no time with its New Year’s plans. The company will reportedly roll out its iBookstore to Japanese Apple users this month, Japanese stock market index The Nikkei reports.
The computer design company has allegedly signed a number of Japanese publishers to be part of its electronic bookstore, according to The Digital Reader. These include names such as Kadokawa, Kodansha and Shogakukan among others. In addition, Apple reportedly has 80 titles from local publishers lined up for its iBookstore launch in Japan.
Apple already dominates the tablet market in Japan, with the iPad responsible for a whopping 60 percent of the total market share. The launch of Apple’s self-branded e-bookstore could push the iPad to gain traction in the e-reader market as well, snatching attention from competitors. This means that Apple will now join the likes of companies such as Google, Amazon, and Kobo, which have all seen success in the Japanese e-reader market thus far.
Amazon launched its Kindle Paperwhite e-reader in Japan in late October, and just two weeks later the online retail giant slashed the price of its newest Kindle. The Kindle Paperwhite debuted at 8,480 yen and was lowered to 7,890 yen in early November: a price drop of about six percent. This cost cut put Amazon’s Kindle Paperwhite in the same price range as Rakuten’s Kobo Glo, which was reduced to 7,980 yen just one week earlier. The same company also offered significant discounts on its other e-readers as well, such as the Kobo Mini and Kobo Touch, in an effort to keep its user base from switching to the Kindle.
We saw how competitors reacted to Amazon’s latest release in the Japanese e-reader market, and it will be interesting to see what happens when Apple introduces its own e-book offering to the country. This increased competition is expected to boost Japan’s entire electronic book market, which is currently valued at about 70 billion yen, according to estimations. This number is projected to jump to 200 billion yen in the next few years.
Since the iPad is already such a prominent device in Japan, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a dip in e-reader sales. Users can easily download any book offered in Apple’s store to their tablet without being require to purchase a dedicated reading device.
The CTIA Wireless Association has announced that in 2014, a new trade show will take place in September and that it will bring together the best of both its currently separate CTIA Wireless and MobileCON shows.
The CTIA Wireless industry show will be given a new lease of life in 2014, after several years of falling behind the Consumer Electronics Show held in January, Mobile World Congress in late February and the German IFA show in late summer, at least in terms of manufacturers using the event for new hardware announcements.
Next year, it’ll become a “super mobile show” and incorporate the best parts of both CTIA Wireless and MobileCON, two separate events currently organized and run by the CTIA trade association. When it says “best” parts, what it really means is it’ll bring together both consumer and business crowds, as the CTIA show has always been more focused on consumer technology, while MobileCON is all about business and mobile enterprise.
The makeover can’t come soon enough either, as the only new device of note to come out of the 2012 CTIA show was the Droid Incredible 4G LTE, while Samsung showed off its already announced Galaxy S3 and Sony didn’t bother turning up at all. Compare this to Mobile World Congress, held a few months prior, and the Barcelona event was host to the Sony Xperia U and Xperia P, the HTC One series, the LG Optimus 4X HD and the Nokia 808 PureView.
IFA 2014 and an Apple event could clash with CTIA 2014
CTIA 2014 will be held at the Sands Expo Convention Center in Las Vegas – the setting for the 2013 show too – and has been scheduled for September 9, 10 and 11. This won’t interfere with CES or MWC, as they’re at the beginning of the year, but it could clash with the IFA show in Europe, which started on August 31 last year and will begin on September 6 until September 11 this year. It’s often home to some big announcements too, as for example Samsung launched the Galaxy Note 2 there last year.
CTIA has traditionally been about the U.S. market and hasn’t had the international appeal of its rivals, so its early September date makes it ideal for companies hawking products expected to be good sellers during the run up to Thanksgiving and Christmas. However, Apple could be a thorn in its side, as if it keeps to a vague 12-month schedule for the foreseeable future, the world could be frantically discussing a new iPhone in early September, and a launch event could easily overshadow CTIA and cause other manufacturers to think twice about announcing new smartphones at the show.
It’s all a long way off yet though, and the CTIA Wireless show and MobileCON will still be taking place this year as usual, with the events scheduled for May 21 to May 23 and October 9 to October 11 respectively.
The excitement of the rumour mill, the titillation of every leaked photo led to higher than ever levels of expectation over the iPhone 5 features, and while the announcement was greeted with some derision at the lack of perceived headline improvements, the record sales tell an entirely different story.
Given the underwhelming changes to the iPhone 4S, the iPhone 5 launch really needs to re-energise customers to prove Apple can repeat the game-changing trick it managed with the iPhone 4.
The iPhone 5 price is predictably high, so consumers will need to bear that in mind too when looking for their next smartphone.
So is the Apple iPhone 5 the greatest smartphone ever, and did it finally see Apple ascend to the top spot in our 20 best mobile phones chart? Or was it a case of too little, too late... and what about those darned Maps, eh?
Design
We'll begin in the traditional manner: how the thing actually feels in the hand. With the iPhone 5 there will be many types of prospective buyer: the upgrader from the 4 (or more-money-than-sense iPhone 4S upgraders), those tired of their Android handset and those taking their first steps in the smartphone market and want to get one of them iThingies their friend/child has.
Well, all of those picking up the iPhone 5 will have the same reaction: this thing is amazingly light. You've probably heard the numbers by now (20 per cent lighter than the predecessor, as well as beating most of the opposition too at 112g.)
It's an odd sensation, but it actually detracts from the experience when you first pick it up. We've praised the weighty feel of the iPhone in the past, lending it a premium feel in the face of toy-like phones, and it's almost disappointing that Apple decided to join that clan.
However, through extended use this problem quickly disappears, as the overall effect of the phone is still a chassis designed for strength, it just sits more anonymously in the pocket.
You'll obviously see the change in height too – the iPhone 5 stands 123.8mm tall to allow for the larger 4-inch screen. In truth, those not familiar with the iPhone 4S probably wouldn't notice the difference, which is why it's a good move from Apple to include the larger screen if it's not going put people off that hate larger phones.
The decision to stick at 4-inches is Apple's admission that while it recognises people are all over the idea of having more screen real estate to play with it doesn't want to move away from the thumb-friendly nature of the device.
Through a mixture of moving the centre of gravity slightly as well as repositioning the screen within the bezel, it's still possible to scroll your thumb mostly around the whole display one-handed, which Apple is clearly keen to keep hold of.
However, we're not convinced of that argument any more, and the power button was still a little out of reach when using the phone normally, as was anything in the top left-hand corner of the screen.
This was no issue in reality, as scooting the phone down a touch in the palm is a natural action. But if that's the case, then why not offer a 4.3-inch screen at least?
There's more to a phone than a screen these days (although increasingly less and less) and the general construction of the iPhone 5 is excellent to say the least.
We've tested both the ceramic white version and the anodised black, and the two tone effect on the back of the phone is stunning, both visually and under the finger.
It doesn't beat the sheer beauty of the HTC One S, with its micro-arc oxidised back and rounded lines, but it's well-set in second place.
The two sections of pigmented glass at the top and the bottom of the phone add a pleasant effect, and the sapphire glass is meant to be thoroughly durable, to complement the Gorilla Glass on the front.
Apple knows consumers get furious when they drop and iPhone, and is clearly seeking to stop the smashes before they happen with a tougher exterior - although it seems the anodised black version is pretty prone to scratching, with a number of users mentioning chipping on the darker hue.
Phil Schiller, Apple's Senior Vice President of Marketing, reportedly replied to an email from a user pointing out that aluminium will scratch and chip in natural use - and we're also hearing that white iPhone 5 models are being returned through flaking as well.
We kept our black iPhone 5 in a soft pocket in a bag for much of its life, yet saw the following chip with minimal key / coin contact in under a fortnight:
For a device of this premium quality, users will expect it to survive the pocket test, and especially do so for the first two weeks of life. It's a big fail for Apple to expect users to accept that a product can be damaged so easily.
The same industrial band around the outside is in effect again as on the iPhone 4 and 4S, with small sections removed where the antenna joins.
Apple has gone for a more advanced form of antenna here, meaning the days of lost signal are gone, and generally increasing the power of your call connection and GPS lock on too.
There are other big design changes here too: the headphone jack has moved to the bottom of the phone, and the iconic 30-pin connector has been retired in favour of the new Lightning port, giving a headache to all those that have invested in chargers, docks and other accessories over their iPhone lives.
You can buy an adaptor, but it's pricey at £25. And unless you want to keep it permanently attached to the bottom of the iPhone 5 you'll need to buy a few, which is far from ideal.
However, let's not harangue Apple too much for this: a smaller connector is not only easier to use (you can plug the smaller cable in either way round, and the connection feels more solid), but you're rewarded with a thinner and more compact phone to boot.
There's also a small chink of light on the top right hand side of the iPhone 5 - when the screen is illuminated, you can see it under the band if you really, really look for it. It's been seen by a number of users, but is hard to actually replicate unless you mask the screen and hold it at the right angle.
It's again a sign of slightly under-par machining from Apple, but in day to day use it's almost completely invisible.
The decision to move the 3.5mm headphone jack to the bottom is an odd one, as while it allows you to slip the phone into the pocket head-first when listening to music, which is a more natural action, it's a real pain in the posterior for some apps that will only work in landscape a certain way up.
Using it this way means your headphones experience will be one of having to jiggle the jack around two fingers.
It's not the most comfortable way to hold a phone, and even when using the phone in portrait mode, the jack gets in the way somewhat. Plus it's miles away from the volume keys, which makes it hard to change the audio level in the pocket if you don't use the dedicated headphones.
There are other smaller design changes to the iPhone 5 too, such as the iSight front-facing camera moving to the middle and the home button being noticeably more robust to help reduce instances of a broken portal to your home screen.
But enough about what the phone looks like - the killer question is how the thing feels in hand. And we'll sum it up by saying: smooth. It's a little slippery, and we were always worried we would drop the darned thing.
But that's the only negative thing about the design (apart from the low weight initially and scratching aluminium) as it sits in the palm nicely and allows you to do it all with one hand, including hitting the top-mounted power/lock button with ease.
That lock button is actually still loose, as it was on the iPhone 4S, meaning when you shake the phone around you can hear it clicking away, which undoes a lot of the premium feel Apple is going for.
Make no mistake, the iPhone 5 is one of the most beautifully crafted phones out there - but when you're paying £529 up front for the thing, we'd hope this would be the very minimum Apple would be doing.
And while it looks nice, from the front it doesn't really add much to the design of the iPhone - it's certainly not the same as the jaw-dropping design of the iPhone 4 compared to the 3GS... it's another evolution in the iLine. It's not bad, but for those that hoped the iPhone 5 would be another step change there's a good chance they'll be disappointed about the look... until they feel the lovely back on offer.
There was a real chance here for Apple: remove the bezel and give the front of the screen a look that's similar to the OLED TVs from the likes of Samsung or LG… but instead we're treated to the same lines as before.
You always get the feeling that Apple saves what it can for the next iteration of the iPhone, and while there's nothing wrong with the current construction we can see the edge-to-edge screen becoming something amazing on the iPhone 6 or iPhone 5S.
