If you look beyond iPhone 5, you would be surprised to see a range of smartphones, launched in the latter part of 2012, which have the potential to challenge the iPhone 5. Here is a list of some of the best smartphones minus the iPhone 5:

1. HTC Droid DNA – The HTC Droid DNA is easily one of the best phones ever produced by HTC. It ships with a 1.5 GHz quad core processor, 2GB RAM, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and 16GB internal memory. Additionally, it boasts of an 8-megapixel primary camera and a 2-megapixel front facing camera. The 5-inch Super LCD 3 Screen is absolutely brilliant and the phone offers 4G connectivity as well. The stunning design is the final icing on the cake. To sum things up, the HTC Droid DNA is a gem of a smartphone, one that can give the iPhone 5 a run for its money.

2. Nokia Lumia 920 – In terms of smartphones, Nokia has been lagging far behind the likes of Samsung and HTC. With the release of Nokia Lumia 920, the company is hoping for a major turnaround. The Lumia 920 runs on Windows Phone 8, a relatively new OS for smartphones. The 8.7-megapixel camera employs the much-talked about PureView feature, making way for high quality pictures. Overall, the phone is heavier and bulkier than a regular smartphone, but it has a lot to offer, including an all new OS.

3. Motorola Droid Razr Maxx – The USP of Motorola Droid Razr is its strong battery, thanks to which, the phone comes with unbelievable battery life. The phone ships with Android 4.0 ICS, a 5.2-inch AMOLED HD screen and an 8-megapixel primary camera. The design is flawless and the phones functions smoothly without any glitches.

4. LG Google Nexus 4 – One can’t deny that the LG Google Nexus 4 has it’s share of flaws, but it also has other features to make up for them. To begin with, the phone boasts of a 1.4GHz Qualcomm quad core processor and Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. The 8-megapixel camera is impressive and the overall design is sleek enough for a smartphone. However, it lacks 4G connectivity along with the oomph factor. The LG Google Nexus 4 might not be extraordinarily brilliant, but it still offers quite a lot for anyone looking for a topnotch smartphone.

So, if your resolution was losing weight or making more money or getting things organized or managing time efficiently, the following gadgets can help you immensely. Let’s quickly run through some of these:

1. Samsung Chromebook – The Samsung Chromebook is one step further in the drive towards a web-based, Cloud centric OS. As opposed to traditional operating systems which run on installed software, the Chromebook operates on a web-based software. It comes with a dual core Cortex A15 processor and 2GB memory. The Chromebook is thin and lightweight, and the best part is that it is priced at just $249. While it is definitely not meant for users who want to use multiple applications at once, it is ideal for travellers on the go. Unlike a tablet, it has more functionality and flexibility, which means that you can save both time and money without compromising on the efficiency aspect. Sounds like a win-win situation.

2. Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 – 2012 was definitely the year of hybrids, it was the year when giant strides were made in resolving the tablet v/s laptop dilemna. The Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 is one of the many hybrids that were launched this year. More importantly, it was one of the better hybrids that we saw in the past year. This hybrid comes with Windows 8, one of the many features which sets it apart from others. It comes with a 1.7GHz Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB memory and 500GB hard drive. Finally, it manages to preserve the best of both the worlds i.e. it functions equally well as a laptop and a tablet. So, if you have resolved to declutter your life and make it more organized, this might be the place to start.

3. iPhone 5 – Any recap of 2012 is incomplete without the mention of the iPhone 5. It was, by a huge margin, the gadget of 2012. It had everything that you could ask for, a faster A6 processor, 4G and a bigger screen. So, how can you use an iPhone to stick to your resolutions. For starters, it is almost like a mini organizer. You can design your daily schedules, set reminders and check your progress. Additionally, there are thousands of apps for everything you can think of, right from losing weight to acquiring new skills.

Besides these gadgets, there were others like the Samsung Galaxy Note II, iPad Mini, Windows Surface and Nokia Lumia 920 which created quite a stir in the gadget world. It is time to explore these gadgets and get creative with their applications. You will be pleasantly surprised by what your discover!

Then came camera phones which changed things quite a bit. However, in the initial stages, the cameras weren’t all that great and people usually preferred to use a traditional camera instead. Over the years, the quality and specifications of in built phone cameras have improved radically, so much so that some of them are as good as point and shoot cameras.

Here is a list of the best camera phones available in the market as of now:

1. Apple iPhone 5- Soon after the Apple iPhone 5 was launched, people were already calling it the best smartphone around. The Apple iPhone 5 is certainly a complete phone as it offers excellence in every department including its camera. It comes with an 8 megapixel camera and a new sapphire crystal lens. The new iPhone also features dynamic lighting and image stabilization, making way for better quality photos. Significantly, the quality of photos doesn’t depreciate too much in low lighting and you can also click photos while shooting in video mode.

2. Nokia Pure View 808- If we were to consider just the camera and nothing else, the Nokia Pure View 808 with the much talked about 41 megapixel camera would be the best investment. The great part about the camera is that it lives up to its hype. The photos are sharp and the precision of detail is impeccable. The phone’s camera has an extra large sensor which lets more light in and captures more detail in a photo. This is backed by an equally efficient software to process the photos. On the flip side, the phone has some major problems like the Symbian OS is largely outdated, the outer body is bulky and the price is extremely high.

3. HTC One S- In the recent past, HTC has produced some excellent camera phones including HTC One X, One  S and HTC Amaze 4G. HTC One S has an 8 megapixel autofocus camera with a 28mm wide lens. The camera produces high quality, razor sharp photos both indoors and outdoors and just like iPhone 5, it allows you to take photos in the video shooting mode as well.

4. Samsung Galaxy SIII- Samsung Galaxy SIII is another big player in the smartphone world. The 8 megapixel camera is endowed with backlit sensor and LED flash.  The colors of the photos taken with this camera are bright and well defined. Additionally, the shutter lag is next to zero which means that the photos are processed almost instantly. Even the front facing camera manages to produce some very decent photos.

Today, we are going to take a look at some of the best cases for the most popular smartphones and tablets.

1. iPhone 5- If you stood outside the Apple store for hours to buy an iPhone 5, you might as well get a decent case for it. After all, you don’t want to see some nasty scratches on your brand new iPhone 5. Since iPhone 5 is the most popular smartphone out there, the variety of cases available is unbelievable.  Otterbox produces several cases for iPhone including the Defender Series and the iPhone 5 Commuter Case. The latter comes with double layers of protection and an adhesive screen guard. The case is sleek yet durable at the same time. It is available in a number of exciting shades like Avon Pink, Aqua Blue and Violet Pop. If you are looking for something more eccentric, you can check out the Icon Bronx which features a cool graphic design. Case Mate remains the most timeless choice with suave black leather cases.

2. Samsung Galaxy S III- If there is any smartphone which can give some serious competition to iPhone 5, it just has to be Samsung Galaxy S III. While looking for cases for Samsung Galaxy S III, you will be pleasantly surprised by the sheer variety of cases ranging from the very basic to extremely elegant. The Incipio Silicrylic cases belong to the former category as they are lined with silicon on the inside with a hard shell exterior. On the other hand, the Candy Shell series by Speck is known for its quirky design and colors.

3. iPad 3- People have gotten quite used to carrying tablets wherever they go. After all, portability is the USP of tablets. When you start carrying them around, you will need a case to safeguard your tablet against any form of damage. When it comes to Apple iPad 3, there is always the Apple Smart Cover. It is efficient, resilient and elegant. However, if you are looking for more options, the Acme Infinite Angle Case is quite similar to Apple Smart Cover as it allows you to align the iPad at many angles. Alternatively, you can check out the Belkin Cinema Folio which follows the flip model and is made of high quality leather.

4. Google Nexus 7- To begin with Google has released an official Nexus 7 case which comes with a grey matte finish and a flap of plastic which covers the screen. Having said that, it can’t hurt to look for more options. Cases produced by i-Blason are built of leather with built in stand feature in both portrait and landscape modes. Focalcase specializes in providing keyboard cases using which you can almost transform your tablet into a full blown laptop.

At alaTest, we are going to do a comparative analysis of these newly launched gadgets with their predecessors just to give you an idea of what exactly has or hasn’t changed. After all, if you are going to spend some extra dollars on the fancy new gadgets, you must know what you are paying for. Alternatively, if you are having second thoughts about getting an upgrade, this analysis might come as a huge relief. Let’s begin with the smartphone that currently dominates its respective niche i.e. iPhone.

1. iPhone 5 vs iPhone 4S

To begin with, iPhone 5 is larger, lighter and it comes with a bigger display. The iPhone 4S came with a 3.5 inch display and weighed 4.9 ounces whereas its successor has a 4 inch display and weighs 3.95 ounces. Let’s get down to more technical stuff. Apple iPhone 5 has a faster A6 processor as opposed to the A5 processor in the 4S model. Besides that, the latest iPhone has a longer battery life and a better front facing camera. Even the camera at the back comes with the all new ‘panorama’ feature which will allows you to click photos even while recording videos. Broadly speaking, these are the major distinctions between the two models. In terms of price, iPhone 5 is priced at $199 for the 16 GB model over a two year contract. Interestingly, when iPhone 4S was launched, it carried the same price tag but now it is available at a discounted price of $99 with a two year contract.

2. Nokia Lumia 920 vs Nokia Lumia 900

The announcement of the Nokia Lumia 920 was the second most prominent release of the last week. The latest association between Microsoft and Nokia is being dubbed as a do or die attempt for the ailing Finnish giant. Therefore, the announcement of Nokia Lumia 920 was more anticipated in some senses since the future of the company might rest on its success. That being said, Nokia has put everything into this new phone which is powered by Windows Phone 8 as opposed to Windows Phone 7.5 in Nokia Lumia 900. As a matter of fact, Lumia 920 comes with several upgrades- the processor is dual core 1.5 GHz compared to the single core processor in its predecessor. Additionally, the RAM stands at 1 GB (as opposed to 512 MB in Lumia 900) and storage at 32 GB, an upgrade from 16 GB. The latest offering from Nokia also has the much talked about Pure View camera feature.

3. Kindle Fire HD vs Kindle Fire

Kindle recently announced two versions of the new tablet, one with a 7 inch display and another with 8.9 inch display. Both of these boast of faster processors- 1.2 Ghz dual core and 1.5 Ghz dual core as opposed to 1 GHz dual core in Kindle Fire. At the same time, the OS is 4.0 Android as against 2.3 Gingerbread in the earlier model. It might not be enough to compete with the likes of the Apple iPad, but it does put Kindle right up in there in the competition.

With Apple sitting so far behind schedule (everyone was expecting the next iPhone to be announced before the end of July), assumptions were that Apple would have a completely redesigned iPhone 5 in the coming weeks. Among the anticipated improvements were a larger, 4-inch display; a lighter, thinner chassis; and 4G connectivity. The 4S has none of this.

The iPhone 4S is no slouch, though, and compared to the iPhone 4, it’s a significant step up. The first of its major upgrades is the A5 processor, similar to the processor found in the iPad 2. As a dual-core processor, it helps improve multitasking performance, and its graphics processor is a full 7 times faster than the A4 found in the iPhone 4. Still, the A5 isn’t exactly revolutionary, as there are already several other smartphones that perform just as well, like the nearly 5-month old Galaxy S II.

Other improvements include a new 8MP camera, capable of recording video in 1080p. It has also received a slight bump in maximum 3G speeds from 7.2Mbps to 14.4Mbps, and after the reception issues that plagued the iPhone 4, you can rest assured that the 4S has a completely reengineered antenna design. But again, expectations were much higher, and 3G speeds fail to impress when 4G phones have been around for nearly a year now, like Verizon’s 4G LTE Thunderbolt.

The biggest improvement by far is actually in the iOS operating system. iOS 5 brings 200 new features, including the new “Notification Center” which is similar to Android’s Notification Bar. There is also Twitter integration, basic photo editing, and even a messaging app for texting fellow iPhone users for free.

All of that pales in comparison to the iPhone 4S’s most innovative – according to some, the only innovative – feature: Siri voice control. Though it’s still in beta form, the new Siri platform takes voice commands to a new level. Siri is by far and away the most advanced voice recognition system in the mobile sector. This is one point that even the best Android phones can’t currently match.

A Rose by Any Other Name

Many people are underwhelmed by the iPhone 4S, and it seems Apple may have anticipated this. It’s unclear why Apple was so delayed in bringing the new iPhone to market, but considering the naming scheme in iOS 5, it would appear that Apple’s original intentions were to name it the iPhone 5. It wouldn’t look good for Apple to release a new flagship device that wasn’t ahead of its time, something everyone was expecting of the iPhone 5.

However, this possibly last minute name change could have done more harm than good. In a survey shortly following the iPhone 4S’s announcement, it was revealed that more people want to wait for the release of the iPhone 5 than buy the 4S. Even more interesting is the fact that the majority of those people polled are actually waiting for Google’s upcoming Nexus Prime.

How do you feel about the iPhone 4S? Let us know in the comments.