The Best Android Phone
Consumers on the hunt for a great touchphone loaded with features and expandibility are no longer limited to Apple’s iPhone, as many popular manufacturers are coming out with their own Android based smartphones. Combined sales of Android based touch phones have made this operating system the world’s fastest and best selling smartphone platform available today.
With the many manufacturers constantly putting out smartphones running on Android, one may be overwhelmed by the sheer number of models and options available on the market. Adding to the confusion is a myriad of applications, model specifications and accessories available for Android based smartphones, making picking out the best android phone a matter of research on the part of the consumer.
A Short History of Android
Founded in Palo Alto, California in 2003, Android Inc. was started by veterans of mobile communications companies such as Danger and T-Mobile. Their initial goal was to revolutionize mobile computing and communications but only managed to successfully develop working software for mobile phones
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Android Inc. was bought up by Google in 2005, preempting a move into the mobile phone market. Media reports have allegedly found out that Google had filed several patent applications in the area of mobile telephony. Tireless development soon bore fruit of a mobile device platform powered by parts of the Linux kernel. A flexible, upgradable operating system was clandestinely marketed to popular smartphone manufacturers and carriers. It wasn’t long before Google had a long list of willing hardware component and software manufacturers lined up for their new project. What was also attractive to carriers and mobile service providers was that the new Google project was in fact open to various degrees of cooperation from anybody even remotely interested.
The HTC Dream, the first smartphone to ever use the first final version of the Android OS, was released in the US in October of 2008. Since this phone’s release, it had sold over one million units since April 2009. This phone was marketed as the T-Mobile G1 in the United States. According to Comscore, Android takes up a whopping 33 percent of the smartphone market in the United States today.
The Best Android Phones on Today’s Market
In the three years since Android’s introduction in 2008, handset manufacturers have flocked to Google’s mobile phone operating system for it’s expandibility, smooth user interface and ease of use. Android also helped popularize the app-based smartphone to greater heights and availabilty than Apple’s iPhone, thanks to the large open-source development community and the openness of the Android operating system.
Many manufacturers such as Samsung and HTC offer the Android OS standard on their handsets. In fact, while the Apple iPhone is only available on a single carrier, Android handsets with varying specifications and form factors available on across many major carriers. A variety of Android phones on carriers such as AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless make searching for the right smartphone a tough choice. Alongside the more cutting edge offerings are budget handsets that offer great value for money for consumers seeking such. Here are a few to help you make the choice.
Best Android Phone – Htc Inspire
The HTC Inspire is a great device for a relatively low price, despite lacking the dual core processors and integrated video hardware of its competitors. The HTC Sense user interface for Android makes it especially accessible to new users of the operating system. The 4.3 inch phone is very mobile and ergonomic, combined with 4G support and 4GB of internal storage. The 800MHz processor drives the OS on a 480 x 800 pixel display. An upgrade to the newest Android version 2.3 is slated to come soon, according to HTC.
Best Android Phone – The Galaxy
The Galaxy S II offers a sleek and thin package over a fully packed Android superphone. The form factor and features alone manage to make this particular Samsung phone eclipse all other Android based phones in every place that counts. Apps install and run at lighting fast speeds thanks to the dual-core processor. Browsing crystal-clear webpages is made possible with the Samsung’s patented Super AMOLED Plus screen. The large 1GB of RAM ensures that HD video playback is not a problem. The latest version of Android 2.3.3 comes pre-loaded as well. Being such a premium device, however, means that a premium price may be commanded depending on your mobile provided.
Best Android Phone – Sony Ericsson
Sony Ericsson’s entry into the Android market can also be considered a resounding success, with its sleek, curved body running the 2.3 version of OS underneath. The single core 1GHz processor is really all the phone needs to function as it does, powering the proprietary 4.2 inch BRAVIA Reality Display vivition screen. 720p video can be shot through the 8 megapixel camera.
Best Android Phone – Lg Optimus
The LG Optimus One is an Android phone that is aimed for the budget-conscious consumer, but still performs very well in its price bracket. The right balance between functionality and its price point is struck with the notable battery life and the well-optimized 600 mHz processor running the Android 2.2 OS. The 3 Megapixel camera also features face detection and geo-tagging, as well as a microSD slot that supports up to 32 GB of flash memory. This budget phone also features WiFi functionality, making downloading new Android apps a breeze. The touch screen measures in at a measley 320 x 480 pixels, but that’s hardly something to complain about for a smartphone at such a low price point.
These are some of what i believe are some of the best android phones available in the market today.