This is a new post that will be recurring seasonally on Mobile Tech Note to provide you the information you need to know on making your best choice for buying a smartphone. For the four major American carriers, we will give you the best choice for the best smartphone, the best smartphone with a keyboard, and the best inexpensive smartphone that is $50 or less. For the smaller American carriers (ex. prepaid and regional), we will give the best smartphone at any cost. We will also say our favorite unlocked handset. In our recommendations, we will make cross-carrier comparisons, and tell you other options if you just do not like the smartphone we picked. Here is Mobile Tech Note's smartphone buyer's guide for summer 2012.
Verizon Wireless
The absolute best
Samsung Galaxy S III
Operating System: Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
Processor: 1.5GHZ dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4
Memory: 2GB RAM, 16GB/32GB built-in storage
Display: 4.8 inch 1,280 x 720 Super AMOLED
Camera: 8MP 1080p rear w/ LED flash & 2MP front-facing
Price: 16GB $200 / 32GB $250 with 2 year contract
The Samsung Galaxy S III has completely amazed us. Samsung has made it completely the same on every single carrier and completely fabulous. It has the super fast Qualcomm S4 Krait processor and Android 4.0 to make using the phone incredibly quick. The 1,280 x 720 Super AMOLED display is a fantastic display and is one of the top two displays on the market. The 8 megapixel camera takes fantastic shots and has one of the best camera sensors on a smartphone. Its expansive Verizon 4G LTE makes for some of the best data speeds on a smartphone and for the best LTE coverage on any American carrier. Some of you hackers might know that Samsung had the Verizon S III's bootloader locked, but Verizon is selling the developer version for $600 off contract to remedy your situation. If you just do not want the Galaxy S III, we recommend the Motorola Droid RAZR Maxx for its ability to have amazing battery life and the best battery life on any smartphone. If you are looking for a more compact handset, we recommend the HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE because of its fast Snapdragon S4 processor, nice camera, and solid display. If you can not spend $200-$150, then we recommend you buy the Galaxy Nexus at a mere $100. The Nexus offers a gorgeous display, stock Android, a relatively quick path to Android updates, and great performance. If you just absolutely have to have the iPhone 4s, we suggest that you should go to AT&T for it because of its faster HSPA speeds. If you are happy with Verizon then you can stay with them, but we encourage all of you iPhone buyers to wait till the iPhone 5 comes out in Autumn.
Best keyboard
Motorola Droid 4
Operating System: Android 2.3 Gingerbread
Processor: 1.2GHZ dual-core TI-OMAP 4430
Memory: 1GB RAM, 16GB built-in storage
Display: 4 inch 960 x 540 Pentile TFT-LCD
Camera: 8MP 1080p rear w/ LED flash & 1.3MP front-facing
Price: $200 with 2 year contract
If you absolutely need a QWERTY smartphone, then one of the few QWERTY smartphones that we recommend happens to be on Verizon. The Droid 4 has the best physical keyboard on any smartphone, because of its five row keyboard, laser-cut keys, and LED backlighting. The keyboard just makes typing very enjoyable and accurate. The Droid 4 also provides speedy performance with its speedy 1.2GHZ dual-core processor, LTE radio, and its 1GB of RAM. The cameras give okay performance for an eight megapixel shooter and the display is relatively lackluster display, but we can honestly say that this is the only worthwhile QWERTY keyboard smartphone on Verizon.
Best bang for your buck
LG Lucid
Operating System: Android 2.3 Gingerbread
Processor: 1.2GHZ dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S3
Memory: 1GB RAM, 8GB built-in storage
Display: 4 inch 800 x 480 IPS LCD
Camera: 5MP 1080p rear w/ LED flash & VGA front-facing
Price: $50 with 2 year contract (online only)
With most budget-minded smartphones, you usually get last year's specs rehashed into a new handset. With the Lucid though, you get many 2012 specs. The Lucid has 1GB RAM and a 1.2GHZ dual-core Snapdragon S3 processor that is similar to the one found on the Samsung Galaxy Note, and it also has Verizon LTE. The display is not the best display, but it is a nice display that is very crisp and is very viewable in sunlight. The Lucid ships with Gingerbread, but LG has promised an Ice Cream Sandwich update soon, so your handset is somewhat future proofed. If you do not want the Lucid, we recommend the Pantech Breakout for it bringing LTE at an incredibly cheap $30 online. The Breakout is not better than the Lucid, because of its single-core 1GHZ processor, inferior camera to the Lucid, and slightly worse screen. The biggest reason why we do not like the Breakout as much as the Lucid is because of the software. The Breakout is stuck on Gingerbread 2.3 forever with Pantech's weird skin that almost completely covers up Gingerbread, while the Lucid is confirmed for an Ice Cream Sandwich update. If you want the best of the inexpensive on Verizon, you should get the Lucid but if you need something incredibly cheap ($30) you should get the Breakout.
AT&T
The absolute best
HTC One X
Operating system: Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
Processor: 1.5GHZ dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4
Memory: 1GB RAM, 16GB built-in storage
Display: 4.7 inch 1,280 x 720 Super LCD 2
Camera: 8MP 1080p rear w/ LED flash & 1.3MP front-facing
Price: $200 with 2 year contract ($100 when this was written)
Some of you may be wondering why we would choose the HTC One X over the carrier-conquering Samsung Galaxy S III, but here's why. The One X is quite simply the best smartphone on the market. The Super LCD 2 screen is better than the Super AMOLED screen on the Galaxy S III, and the Super LCD 2 screen is the absolute best screen on any smartphone on the market. The camera is top-notch, the imagesense chip makes every single picture you take perfect, and the ability to take pictures and video at the same time (and vice versa) is wonderful. Performance is light speed fast with the S4 processor and LTE radio. Even though this has 1GB of RAM less than the Galaxy S III, the One X still is faster. The Sense 4.0 skin is incredibly fast, does not hinder performance, looks sharp, and actually improves Ice Cream Sandwich. The Sense 4.0 skin is also our favorite Android skin, and is what we think is the best Android skin ever made. If you just do not want the One X, the Galaxy S III is also a good choice and will be perfect for any of your needs. If you can not afford the $200 price that the One X usually asks for, then the Motorola Atrix HD is a nice option because it has similar specs to the One X and Galaxy S III but with a lesser display, camera, and worse battery life.
Those of you who just have to have an iPhone need to go with AT&T. Even though the iPhone 4s is a very premium handset we can not say that it is the best, because it is still stuck on 3G and "faux-G" and because its successor is going to be announced very soon. The AT&T iPhone 4s is the only carrier iPhone that has 14.4MBPS HSPA+ data speeds. The Sprint and Verizon versions are equipped with relatively slower EV-DO data speeds. If you do want an iPhone, you should wait till the next iPhone is announced any time now.
Best keyboard
Samsung Captivate Glide
Operating system: Android 2.3 Gingerbread
Processor: 1GHZ dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 250Memory: 1GB RAM, 8GB built-in storage
Display: 4 inch 800 x 480 Super AMOLED
Camera: 8MP 720p rear w/ LED flash & 1.3MP front-facing
Price: $50 with 2 year contract
The Samsung Captivate Glide is one of the few QWERTY smartphones that will we recommend to anyone. It is in the top two QWERTY smartphones with the Droid 4. The Captivate Glide is definitely showing its age, but it still has some modern features. The 1GHZ processor is a smidgen slower than the more modern handsets, but it makes for good performance with the 1GB of RAM. The camera is nice, but its 720p video capture is a little behind the 1080p that most handsets now do. The display is a higher quality display compared to the Droid 4 (Super AMOLED compared to TFT-LCD), but it is also a lower resolution display (WVGA compared to qHD). Some people might think that this is inferior to the Droid because of its lack of LTE, however, most people will be satisfied with the HSPA+ 21MBPS data speeds that the Glide offers. Personally, we would rather have the Droid 4 but the Captivate is still a great handset. Overall, you would not be disappointed if you chose either handset.
Best bang for your buck
Pantech Burst
Operating system: Android 2.3 GingerbreadProcessor: 1.5GHZ dual-core Qualcomm MSM8660 Snapdragon S3
Memory: 1GB RAM, 16GB built-in storage
Display: 4 inch 800 x 480 Super AMOLED
Camera: 5MP 720p rear w/ LED flash & VGA front-facing
Price: $1 with 2 year contract
The Pantech Burst is a complete wonder of a smartphone. It offers LTE and performance that can almost beat the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket. Instead of having to deal with a rehashed two year old smartphone, you can get an inexpensive modern smartphone. The Burst has the modern amenities of LTE and a super fast 1.5GHZ dual-core processor, but it only lacks with a mediocre display and lousy camera. This is no comparison to the Breakout on Verizon, because the burst is much faster and better. If you can fork over a little more dough, then the HTC Vivid is being offered at $50. The Vivid also has a fast processor and LTE, but it improves with a higher-resolution display (qHD), has a great camera, and has Android 4.0 Ice Cream sandwich. The Vivid is ultimately a better handset, but we chose the burst because it offers great performance at an incredible price of $1.
T-Mobile
The absolute best
Samsung Galaxy S III
Operating system: Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
Processor: 1.5GHZ dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4
Memory: 2GB RAM, 16GB/32GB built-in storage
Display: 4.8 inch 1,280 x 720 Super AMOLED
Camera: 8MP 1080p rear w/ LED flash & 2MP front-facing
Camera: 8MP 1080p rear w/ LED flash & 2MP front-facing
Price: 16GB $280 (after $50 rebate) / 32GB $330 (after $50 rebate) with 2 year contract
The T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S III is the same fantastic handset that we have seen on AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and the other American carriers. It has the same wonderful HD display, great camera, great battery life, and great performance. The Galaxy S III easily beats the HTC One S, the Samsung Galaxy S II, and any other phone on T-Mobile for the spot as the flagship. As for the other carriers, not so much. Samsung was able to keep the same design and specs for the Galaxy S III for the different carriers, but not so much the price. The Galaxy S III's on AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon are all the same ($200 for the 16GB & $250 for the 32GB), but on T-Mobile it is $280 for the 16GB and $330 for the 32GB after a $50 mail-in rebate. This pricing is much more than the other carriers' pricing, not even counting the prices before the mail-in rebates ($330 or $380). T-Mobile can say that they are more expensive because they have cheaper plans, but that is unacceptable in this case. T-Mobile can pull that gimmick when there is not so much similarity with the handsets, but there is much similarity in this case. Sprint is a cheaper alternative carrier to Verizon and AT&T, and it also has similar pricing to T-Mobile but its Galaxy S III is the same price as the others. You should not have to wait two years to save any money compared to the other carriers, but you should get the savings instantaneously or quickly. If you do not want to buy the Galaxy S III, then the HTC One S is your next best choice. Let us remind you though, that the Galaxy S III beats the One S with a better display, bigger display, better battery life, NFC, and removable storage. Overall, you can not go wrong with either handset, but true power users and people who want the best should go with the Samsung Galaxy S III.
Best keyboard
BlackBerry Bold 9900 4G
Operating system: BlackBery 7.1 OS
Processor: 1.2GHZ Qualcomm MSM8665
Memory: 768MB RAM, 8GB built-in storage
Display: 2.8 inch 640 x 480 TFT-LCD
Camera: 5MP 720p rear w/ LED flash
Price: $300 (after $50 mail-in rebate) with 2 year contract
The people that are on T-Mobile and need a solid QWERTY smartphone are in a tough pickle. T-Mobile used to have a fine QWERTY smartphone, known as the myTouch 4G Slide but it has sadly been removed from the carrier's lineup. It had an excellent camera, solid display, and good performance, yet T-Mobile removed it after only one year. T-Mobile has put out more recent myTouches, but they are pretty lousy. On the recent batch of myTouches, they have a UI that is even worse than before, lousy cameras, and bad displays. Since the new myTouches have these terrible features, T-Mobile has made their subscribers resort to this, the BlackBerry Bold 9900 4G. We are not saying that the 9900 is a bad device, but that it is a bad device for the mainstream keyboard lovers. This device offers nice performance, and is a great choice for the people who want to have the most productivity in a smartphone. The person that wants a quality QWERTY smartphone wants it to have great performance, a great OS, and be an overall great smartphone. The 9900 is none of these with its outdated OS, subpar camera, and bad display. The asking price of this smartphone is an insult. The $300 price (after $50 rebate) is outrageous, because you can get flagships on any other carrier for less. If you want a quality QWERTY smartphone, you need to go to another carrier and get either the Captivate Glide or the Droid 4. If you want a BlackBerry, either go to another carrier, or get one of T-Mobile's free BlackBerrys.
Best bang for your buck
Samsung Galaxy S 4G
Operating system: Android 2.3 Gingerbread
Processor: 1GHZ Samsung S5PC110
Memory: 512MB RAM, 8GB micro SD card included
Display: 4 inch 800 x 480 Super AMOLED
Camera: 5MP 720p rear w/ LED flash & VGA front-facing
Price: Free with 2 year contract (online only price)
We would normally say that the Nokia Lumia 710 is the best budget pick for T-Mobile, but Microsoft has changed our opinion. During their Windows Phone 8 conference, they said that none of the Windows Phone devices out now will ever get updated to Windows Phone 8. This immediate outdating of every Windows Phone handset made us exclude every Windows Phone smartphone from this guide. If you do not mind getting outdated in a couple months, then you should get the Lumia 710 but we urge you not to. The only decent handset that is commonly under $50 at T-Mobile is the Samsung Galaxy S 4G. The Galaxy S 4G can offer bearable performance, an okay display, and decent camera quality, but it is very outdated by today's standards. Lucky for you, T-Mobile offers sales on their most of their top-of-the-line handsets very often. Instead of buying the Galaxy S 4G, we urge you to wait for the HTC One S, Samsung Galaxy S III or II, the Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G, or any other high quality handset to be discounted to a price you are comfortable with. If you can switch carriers, you should either go to AT&T or Verizon to get either the Pantech Burst or LG Lucid.
Sprint
The absolute best
HTC EVO 4G LTE
Operating system: Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
Processor: 1.5GHZ dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4
Memory: 1GB RAM, 16GB built-in storage
Display: 4.7 inch 1,280 x 720 Super LCD 2
Camera: 8MP 1080p rear w/ LED flash & 1.3MP front-facing
Price: $200 with 2 year contract
Sprint is another carrier where the HTC One X beats the Samsung Galaxy S III, but on Sprint it is in a different way. The Sprint One X has been changed and rebreanded as the EVO 4G LTE, and as the true successor to the HTC EVO 4G. The EVO 4G LTE is the One X except with a polycarbonate and aluminium body, a red aluminium kickstand, a bigger battery, and a physical camera button. We love the great feeling of the polycarbonate and aluminium body, the kickstand is very useful and it kicks out in both directions, and the physical camera button lets us really enjoy the amazing camera on the EVO 4G LTE. We would say that we prefer this over the One X, except for the fact that Sprint failed us. Sprint has deployed their LTE network, but it is in very few cities and those cities are very close to each other. If you are not one of the four people that live in a Sprint LTE area, then you are stuck on "3G" with your EVO 4G LTE, Sprint Galaxy Nexus, Sprint Galaxy S III, or Viper 4G LTE. Sprint did not even equip these flagships with WiMAX to use until they have LTE, but they stuck them with their incredibly slow "3G" speeds. Sprint's EV-DO 3G speeds are so slow, that they could qualify as EDGE (2G) speeds. This is simply outrageous for Sprint to make their customers that buy these flagship devices in the hopes that they will be satisfied with them. Sprint should have at least rolled out LTE in a few major cities instead of a few, small cities that are really close to each other. We think that Sprint's LTE rollout will be slow, but you should buy a LTE handset so you are future proofed. If you do not want to buy the EVO 4G LTE or can not spend $200, then we suggest you buy the Sprint version of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. The Nexus is a great choice for its fantastic display and stock Android, but let us remind you that it has even worse battery life than the Verizon Galaxy Nexus but it is still a fine handset.
For those of you that want an iPhone 4s, do not even try to go to Sprint for it. Like the iPhone 4s on Verizon, the Sprint version is stuck on slow EV-DO data speeds. What is even worse is that Sprint has even slower EV-DO speeds than Verizon. If you like your unlimited data on Sprint and can deal with the slow data speeds, the iPhone is still an excellent handset for people who want a smartphone that is simple to use.
Best keyboard
Samsung Epic 4G
Operating system: Android 2.3 Gingerbread
Processor: 1GHZ Samsung Hummingbird
Memory: 512MB RAM, 16GB micro SD card included
Display: 4 inch 800 x 480 Super AMOLED
Camera: 5MP 720p rear w/ LED flash & VGA front-facing
Price: $100 with 2 year contract
If you are on Sprint and want a nice, QWERTY smartphone, then just do not try right now. Sprint has a terrible QWERTY lineup and has not upgraded the Epic 4G in almost two years (the Epic 4G Touch does not count). When the Epic 4G was first released, it was a fantastic smartphone with its back-then gorgeous display, terrific performance, great keyboard, and super fast WiMAX (this was before HSPA+ and LTE). Today, this phone has a good display, realtively slow performance, okay keyboard, and super slow WiMAX speeds. The QWERTY handsets on Sprint right now do not hold a candle to the Samsung Captivate Glide or Droid 4 on AT&T and Verizon. If you really want a good QWERTY smartphone on Sprint, we suggest you wait for the Motorola Photon Q LTE that is supposed to be released soon. The Photon Q LTE is supposed to have a Snapdragon S4 processor, 4.3 inch 720p HD ColorBoost display, 8MP and 1.3MP cameras, and a five row keyboard. The Photon Q LTE is the handset that is going to be the true QWERTY handset for Sprint customers.
Best bang for your buck
LG Viper 4G LTE
Operating system: Android 2.3 Gingerbread
Processor: 1.2GHZ dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S3
Memory: 1GB RAM, 4Gb built-in storage, & 4GB micro SD card included
Display: 4 inch 800 x 480 IPS LCD
Camera: 5MP 1080p rear w/ LED flash & VGA front-facing
Price: Free with 2 year contract
In a normal world, we would love the LG Viper 4G LTE for its great features at its incredible price. However, we can not love the Viper because Sprint has let us down in the same way as the EVO 4G LTE. This device, along with the other Sprint LTE devices, are longing for their LTE network. We love the great performance the Viper gives, solid display, decent battery life, near stock (except for Sprint I.D.) version of Android 2.3, and NFC capabilities. The only thing that is holding back the Viper is Sprint's own failure. As we said in our section on the EVO 4G LTE, Sprint did not rollout their LTE well. They only put it in a few, small cities that are very close to each other. Sprint chose to do this instead of putting it out in a few major cities to let more people experience it. If you are satisfied with your Sprint service, then this is the best budget choice for you. If you are willing to switch networks, you will be happier with the LG Lucid on Verizon or AT&T's Pantech Burst.
Virgin Mobile
Apple iPhone 4s
Operating system: iOS 5.1
Processor: Dual-core Apple A5
Memory: 512MB RAM, 16GB built-in storage
Display: 3.5 inch 960 x 540 IPS Retina display
Camera: 8MP 1080p rear w/ LED flash & VGA front-facing
Price: $650 off-contract
On Virgin Mobile, the clear winner is the iPhone 4s. When Virgin Mobile recently added the iPhone to their lineup, it gave a breath of fresh air to the prepaid subscribers. No longer do you have to pay an expensive contract to get a fantastic handset. With the iPhone's fantastic display, top-of-the-line camera, and smooth experience, it easily beats any other handset on Virgin Mobile. The iPhone is a little more expensive on this carrier, because you are paying the off contract (un-subsidized) price. You can also get the iPhone 4 at a slightly lower price of $550, but we urge you to buy the 4s so you are more future proofed or you should wait for the next iPhone to come out in the coming months. If you can not afford the high price of the iPhone or if you prefer Android, the HTC One V is your next best choice. Although it does not have the best display, processor, or camera, it still offers a nice display, good performance, and a quality camera. The HTC One V also offers Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich with the nice Sense 4.0 skin. The HTC EVO V 4G is also a nice option with its "4G" WiMAX radio, Ice Cream Sandwich with the Sense 3.6 skin, and nice performance. The EVO V 4G is basically a rebadged version of Sprint's old HTC EVO 3D. The EVO V 4G is a little pricier than the One V at $300, but we think the One V is a better choice because it costs less, offers performance close to it, and has a more likely chance of getting Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.
Boost Mobile
HTC EVO Design 4G
Operating system: Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
Processor: 1.2GHZ Qualcomm MSM8665
Memory: 768MB RAM, 4GB built-in storage
Display: 4 inch 960 x 540 Super LCD
Camera: 5MP 720p rear w/ LED flash & 1.3MP front-facing
Price: $300 off-contract
When the HTC EVO Design 4G was on Sprint, it did not give many reasons for you to buy it. On Boost Mobile, however, it is definitely the best handset on the network. It stands out from the crowd, by being the network's first "4G" WiMAX smartphone, by having its relatively higher resolution qHD display, and its better design (no pun intended). if you can not swallow the design's $300 price, then we suggest you get either the LG Marquee at $250, the ZTE Warp at $180, or the Kyocera Hydro at $130 but we urge you not to go to any other cheaper phones.
Cricket
Apple iPhone 4s
Operating system: iOS 5.1
Processor: Dual-core Apple A5
Memory: 512MB RAM, 16GB built-in storage
Display: 3.5 inch 960 x 540 IPS Retina display
Camera: 8MP 1080p rear w/ LED flash & VGA front-facing
Price: $500 off-contract
Virgin Mobile is not the only prepaid network with the coveted iPhone 4s. Cricket also has the smartphone at a different price point with different plans. Cricket has the iPhone 4s at a slightly cheaper $500, because they have more expensive plans with a $55 unlimited smartphone plan. Before the iPhone 4s, Cricket did not have too many quality smartphones. There is not much more we can say about the iPhone 4s that we have already said; it is a great phone that is nice in every way but it is not the absolute best phone in the world. If you can not afford the iPhone 4s's $500 price tag, then the Huawei Mercury is your next best choice at $200. The Mercury has a nice display, good camera, and offers good performance.
MetroPCS
LG Connect 4G
Operating system: Android 2.3 Gingerbread
Processor: 1.2GHZ dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S3
Memory: 1GB RAM, 4GB built-in storage, 2GB microSD card included
Display: 4 inch 800 x 480 IPS LCD NOVA display
Camera: 5MP 720p rear w/ LED flash & VGA front-facing
Price: $250 (after $50 mail-in rebate) off-contract
From the LG Connect 4G's design, you might think of it as a re-badged LG Optimus Black, however, it is not. This handset is more related to the Viper 4G LTE on Sprint when you look at its specs. The Connect 4G has the same LTE radio, same processor, same great NOVA IPS display, and cameras. This handset is easily MetroPCS's best handset with its great quality and assortment of features. If you can not afford the Connect 4G, then we suggest either the Huawei Activa 4G or the Samsung Galaxy Attain 4G. As with Boost Mobile, we do not suggest going to any other of the cheaper handsets.
U.S. Cellular
Samsung Galaxy S III
Operating system: Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
Processor: 1.5GHZ dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4
Memory: 2GB RAM, 16GB/32GB built-in storage
Display: 4.8 inch 1,280 x 720 Super AMOLED
Camera: 8MP 1080p rear w/ LED flash & 2MP front-facing
Price: 16GB for $200 after $100 mail-in rebate, 32GB for $250 after $100 mail-in rebate with 2 year contract
As usual, the Samsung Galaxy S III is the same great handset on U.S. Cellular as the ones on the other carriers. It has a great display, blazing fast performance, a fantastic camera, and great battery life. The U.S. Cellular Galaxy S III has the same price as the other S III's, but it is after a $100 mail-in rebate. U.S. Cellular does have slightly cheaper plans than AT&T and Verizon, but it should not have to bring a $100 rebate. If you can not afford the Galaxy S III, the Samsung Galaxy S Aviator(a rehashed Verizon Droid Charge) at $200 and the Samsung Galaxy S II are great options for you. Overall, the Galaxy S III is a great phone and the best phone on U.S. Cellular. but the pricing should be cheaper.
As usual, the Samsung Galaxy S III is the same great handset on U.S. Cellular as the ones on the other carriers. It has a great display, blazing fast performance, a fantastic camera, and great battery life. The U.S. Cellular Galaxy S III has the same price as the other S III's, but it is after a $100 mail-in rebate. U.S. Cellular does have slightly cheaper plans than AT&T and Verizon, but it should not have to bring a $100 rebate. If you can not afford the Galaxy S III, the Samsung Galaxy S Aviator(a rehashed Verizon Droid Charge) at $200 and the Samsung Galaxy S II are great options for you. Overall, the Galaxy S III is a great phone and the best phone on U.S. Cellular. but the pricing should be cheaper.
Cincinnati Bell
HTC One S
Operating system: Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
Processor: 1.5GHZ dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4
Memory: 1GB RAM, 16GB built-in storage
Display: 4.3 inch 960 x 540 Super AMOLED
Camera: 8MP 1080p rear w/ LED flash & VGA front-facing
Price: $200 after $100 mail-in rebate with 2 year contract
The HTC One S may be the underdog compared to the One X, but on Cincinnati Bell it is the best handset. It has a super fast processor, the same fantastic camera as the One X, and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich with the incredible Sense 4.0 skin. The One S is only inferior to the One X because of its qHD Super AMOLED PenTile display. The display is a nice, solid display but when it is compared to the fantastic HD Super LCD 2 display, it is clearly inferior. The only problem with the Cincinnati Bell version is that it is a tad bit pricey. At $200 it is not expensive for a smartphone, but when the HTC One X is at $200 (now $100) it can not justify the price. If you can not afford the One S's $200 price, the the HTC Radar at $100 is a worthy option but remember that it will never be upgraded to Windows Phone 7.8. Overall, the HTC One S is a great smartphone on Cincinnati Bell, but it cannot justify its price.
C Spire Wireless
Samsung Galaxy S II
Operating system: Android 2.3 Gingerbread
Processor: 1.2GHZ dual-core Samsung Exynos
Storage 1GB RAM, 16GB built-in storage
Display: 4.5 inch 800 x 480 Super AMOLED Plus
Camera: 8MP 1080p rear w/ LED flash & 2MP front-facing
Price: $100 (after $50 "reward card") with 2 year contract
C Spire is slated to get the Samsung Galaxy S III later this year, but as of now its big brother, the Samsung Galaxy S II, is the best handset on the network. The Galaxy S II is still a worthy handset a year later with its nice Super AMOLED Plus display, admirable camera, and speedy performance. It is a little stale with Gingerbread, but this will hopefully get Ice Cream Sandwich someday. If you want an alternative to the Galaxy S II, then the iPhone 4s is a good option because it is a nice, well-rounded handset, and it is offered at $50 less than the four major carriers. If you want a cheaper option than the Galaxy S II, then the HTC One V is a nice option that offers a good display, okay camera, decent performance, and it has Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich with the HTC Sense 4.0 skin. Overall, the Samsung Galaxy S II is the best handset on C Spire right now, but we suggest you wait for the Samsung Galaxy S III to come to C Spire.
Unlocked handsets
Overall best
HSPA+ Samsung Galaxy Nexus
Operating system: Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
Processor: 1.2GHZ dual-core TI-OMAP 4460
Memory: 1GB RAM, 16GB built-in storage
Display: 4.65 inch 1,280 x 720 PenTile Super AMOLED
Camera: 5MP 1080p rear w/ LED flash & 1.3MP front-facing
Price: $350 unlocked without contract
Google wowed us with the Glaxy Nexus when it was first released, but when they put it at $350 unlocked on the Google Play Store, it was made even more amazing. The ability to get a top of the line Nexus device unlocked for under $400 is simply amazing. You get a fantastic display, quick performance, an average camera, and the only smartphone with Jelly bean (stock Jelly Bean too). It has a great Pentaband HSPA+ radio so it will work on T-Mobile & AT&T in the U.S., and in many other carriers around the world. Let us remind you that some carriers offer large discounts for SIM card only plans. For example, there is one plan where you can buy a SIM card through WalMart and T-Mobile and get unlimited texting, 5GB of unthrottled HSPA+ data, and 100 minutes of talking for $30 a month on a prepaid plan. That is a big discount compared to a similar contract plan on a different carrier. This is the go to handset for anyone looking for an unlocked handset, or if anyone wants a great smartphone for a relatively low price.
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