Google develops Android such that anyone can build a device that runs it, but it’s up to the manufacturer to modify it and tailor it to run on the hardware they’re using. This process can take months, and it means that most Android devices out there are generally one or two versions behind. To get the most out of a new Android device, it’s important to know which are the most likely to be updated quickly.

Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean

The latest, and most relevant, version of Android are version 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and 4.1 (Jelly Bean). Ice Cream Sandwich brought all sorts of performance boosts and  new features to Android, and any worthwhile new Android phone should come with Android 4.0 already installed – or at least have an update expected very soon. Jelly Bean, the latest version released just weeks ago, expanded on the feature set of 4.0. If you expect to keep your phone for a couple years, you’ll want to make sure it has a high likelihood of receiving the 4.1 update as well.

Google’s Galaxy Nexus (and Nexus S)

The Nexus line is always the first to receive OS updates. This is because they are the only devices maintained directly by Google. The Galaxy Nexus is currently the only Android phone with Jelly Bean available. The Nexus S (which is well over one and a half years old, now) will likely be the second phone on the market to get the 4.1 update. If you want to stay as current as possible with the Android OS, Nexus devices are the way to go.

Samsung

Samsung started with one of the worst update records, taking ages to update its phones, if it updated them at all; however, Samsung listened to consumers and has completely changed its ways. This makes the Galaxy S III an excellent choice in terms of version longevity. Not only does it come with Android 4.0 out of the box, but should be updated to 4.1 by the end of the year. The Galaxy Note ought to see a 4.1 update around that same time, and the Galaxy S II is even a likely candidate, though the time frame on that may be a bit longer than is practical for a consumer.

HTC

HTC can be a little slow when updating its devices, but it does update most of its devices. The One Series (such as the One X, One S, and EVO LTE) are almost all certain to see a 4.1 update, with the exception of the One V which is a bit less likely since it lacks the power to fully benefit from an update. When will the One Series updates be rolling out? Hopefully before the end of the year. Older HTC devices, like the Sensation 4G and EVO 3D, probably won’t get the 4.1 update, though they have been updated to 4.0.

Motorola

Motorola does a solid job supporting its devices, as long as they’re still popular on the market. The Droid RAZR and RAZR MAXX have already started receiving 4.0 upgrades and should definitely be seeing 4.1 before the end of the year. The Droid Bionic and Droid 4, while still fairly current, likely won’t get a taste of 4.1, but should be upgraded to 4.0 before long.

Sony

While its devices start off great, Sony is disturbingly slow out of the gate. Because it takes so long to launch its products after announcing them, they’re often very behind once they hit the market. Sony’s brand new Xperia Ion is a perfect example. Despite its release on weeks ago, it’s only running Android version 2.3 (Gingerbread, technically 3 generations behind). Fortunately, it will be getting a 4.0 update, but that’s likely it. It doesn’t look like any of Sony’s other phones will be updated.

LG
LG likes to support its top tier devices, so long as they’re not too old. The Optimus 4X HD and Optimus LTE 2 are likely the only LG phones to get the 4.1 update.

Verizon Wireless

Verizon, or Big Red as it’s more amicably known, plays host to a wide variety of excellent smartphones. The best device it currently has to offer (or soon to offer, really) is the Samsung Galaxy S III. With a 4.8-inch 720p Super AMOLED display and 1.5GHz dual-core S4 processor as well as 4G LTE connectivity, this phone is sure to be one of the hottest sellers this summer.

Of course, the Galaxy S III isn’t the only good choice. The Motorola Droid RAZR is a high-quality, super slim phone with many of the same features. Its processor is slightly older and only runs at 1.2GHz; however, its price tag is an agreeable $99 with contract, though you might want to consider the Droid RAZR MAXX which features a much larger battery. A Droid RAZR HD is also due sometime in the near future with beefier specs and an HD display.

Another notable contender is the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, a phone built entirely on input direct from Google and running the purest, latest version of Android. And of course, you can’t forget the iPhone 4S, the latest of Apples iOS phones (though we suggest holding out for the iPhone 5 due later this year).

AT&T

AT&T also has the Galaxy S III; however, it also has a very worthy alternative if you don’t want to wait for the newest Galaxy device to officially launch. The HTC One X is currently alaTest’s top rated phone, featuring a 4.7-inch 720p Super LCD2 display and the same 1.5GHz dual-core S4 processor found in the Galaxy S III. It also has a great 8MP camera and LTE 4G capabilities, and best of all, it’s actually available now.

AT&T also features the iPhone 4S for the iOS aficionados out there, but again, we suggest waiting for the iPhone 5.For WP7 fans, AT&T has the best WP7 device released to date – the Nokia Lumia 900. With its 4.3-inch AMOLED display, 4G LTE, and 1.2GHz processor, it’s the fastest most feature packed WP7 phone on the market, and it’s not even the most expensive.

Sprint

Sprint, of course, will be getting the Galaxy S III as well, but, like AT&T, it has a variant of the HTC One X known as the HTC EVO 4G LTE. It’s really no different from the AT&T model with the exception of a slightly different look and the fact that it’s intended for Sprint’s network.

Sprint’s other great choices include the iPhone 4S and the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. Unlike the Verizon Galaxy Nexus, Sprint’s is a little bit more true to the Nexus name with better Google Voice and Google Wallet integration.

T-Mobile

The Galaxy S III will be coming to T-Mobile as well, but the magenta colored carrier doesn’t have as many compelling alternatives as some of its competitors. The HTC One S is its only device we can really recommend, but it really is a great phone (currently ranked 3^rd on our top phones list). On the inside, it’s exactly the same as its big brother, the One X, and it even features the same 1.5GHz dual-core processor found in the Galaxy S III. The only difference is its smaller 4.3-inch display featuring a slightly lower resolution.

Performance

Both phones offer the best performance we’ve ever seen in a smartphone. The Galaxy S III features a 1.4GHz quad-core Exynos processor, and the One X has a 1.5GHz quad-core Tegra 3 processor. Both have their strengths and weaknesses; however, this is only true for the European versions of the phones. U.S. variants of both the One X and the Galaxy S III use the same 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor. This category is a tie.

Score: One X – 1; Galaxy S III – 1

Camera

If you use your smartphone camera often, camera quality is something worth considering. Both phones have top-notch cameras, featuring 8MP sensors with zero shutter lag; however, the One X manages to pump out just a little bit more quality in its images. The Galaxy S III does have a few extra features, such as the ability to select the “best photo” from a burst of up to 20 shots, but we feel quality is ultimately more important. This is a win for the One X, though only just.

Score: One X – 2; Galaxy S III – 1

Features

This is another difficult category to call a clear winner. The HTC One X has features such as Beats Audio and 25GB of Dropbox storage space, but the Galaxy S III has S-Voice (a feature similar to the iPhone 4S’ Siri) and 50GB of Dropbox space. Ultimately, it’s a tie.

Score: One X – 3; Galaxy S III – 2

Display

The One X and Galaxy S III are large phones, with 4.7 and 4.8 inch displays respectively. While they’re basically the same size (and resolution, at 720p), the technology behind them is not. The Galaxy S III uses a Super AMOLED display which is vivid and easier on your battery but sacrifices finer details and wider viewing angles. The One X has what HTC calls a Super LCD2 display which does almost the opposite – sacrifices vivid color for brightness, finer detail, and wider viewing angles. Which is better is really personal preference. This category is a tie as well.

Score: One X – 4; Galaxy S III – 3

Design

At first glance, it appears that the One X has this category in the bag. It features a high-quality unibody design, making it sturdy and lightweight; however, it lacks a MicroSD slot, and the battery is not removable. The Galaxy S III doesn’t have that “premium” material feel, but it is still sturdy and has the bonus of a MicroSD slot and removable battery; it’s also a bit slimmer (though it doesn’t look it). Again, chalk this one up to personal preference; we’re calling it a tie.

Score: One X – 5; Galaxy S III – 4

Availability

This one is a little tricky. The Galaxy S III is currently only available in Europe, but comes to all major U.S. carriers starting June 21^st. The One X is available in the U.S. now, but only with AT&T and Sprint (as the HTC Evo LTE). T-Mobile and Verizon will not be getting a One X at all, though they offer the smaller but similarly equipped HTC One S and Droid Incredible 4G respectively.

Score: One X – 5; Galaxy S III – 5

Ultimately, the match is a draw, but when making your own choice, it’s important to focus on the details. If a feature like voice recognition is high on your list, you may prefer the Galaxy S III, but if you’re an avid smartphone photographer, you’ll probably want to consider the One X. Of course, it also matters which carrier you’re with.

Motorola Droid RAZR

Back in the pre-smartphone days, the RAZR was one of the hottest phones, thanks largely to its half-inch thickness (14mm). Now the RAZR is back, and in smartphone form, sporting Android no less. At 7.1mm thin, the Droid RAZR is currently the slimmest phone on the market, and maintaining its slim figure while sporting a 1.2GHz dual-core processor and LTE 4G capability is even more impressive. On the downside, battery life suffers considerably; however, the Droid RAZR MAXX has a much larger battery though weighs in at 8.99mm thick.

HTC One S

At 7.8mm thin, the One S is one of the thinnest, fastest, globally available GSM smartphones on the market. Its 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor consistently posts top scores on both performance and battery benchmarks. Unlike most super thin phones, the One S actually stands a solid chance of making it through the day on a single charge.

Samsung Galaxy S III

The Galaxy S III is one of the latest smartphones to hit the market, and as expected, it’s quite thin. At 8.6mm, it’s only 1mm thicker than its predecessor, the Galaxy S II, but the extra girth certainly isn’t wasted space. Sporting a 1.4GHz quad-core Exynos processor, the S III stands to be one of the fastest phones on the market. Its 2100mAh battery also bodes well for its battery life.

Samsung Galaxy Nexus

The Galaxy Nexus, Google’s latest “Pure Google” Android phone, is exceptionally striking with sleek lines and a unique concave display. At just 8.9mm thick, it’s also exceptionally thin. It features similar specs to the Droid RAZR (ie: 1.2GHz dual-core processor); however, it has a larger, higher resolution display. The LTE version of the Galaxy Nexus is slightly thicker in order to accommodate a larger battery.

HTC One X

Recently displaced by the Galaxy S III as the worlds more recent smartphone, the One X is still an amazingly powerful device in a very thin shell. Its 8.9mm thickness won’t be any more noticeably thicker than the S III’s 8.6mm, but the One X has the major advantage of already being available in the U.S. Both Sprint and AT&T carry it (as the EVO LTE and One X respectively). Like the S III, the One X features a powerful quad-core processor; however, some U.S. variants feature a similarly powerful dual-core instead (this may turn out to be the case for the Galaxy S III as well).

Now, there are other super thin phones on the market, such as the Sony Xperia GX, Huawei Ascend P1, and Panasonic Eluga DL1 to name a few. We’ve selected only the most popular of them. Plus, with manufacturers like Oppo and ZTE teasing phones down to 6.2mm thin, we might have to revisit this topic in the not so distant future.

HTC One X and the Cimo S-Line Case

The One X is a brand new device from HTC that has quickly risen to top of our charts. It’s currently available on AT&T and Sprint (as the EVO LTE), and it will be making its way to T-Mobile in the near future. For the time being, the One X is the most powerful, feature-packed phone on the market.

As an affordable flexible TPU case, the S-Line is thick enough to provide some impact protection but thin enough to avoid adding too much extra bulk to the phone. It comes in a handful of colors, including black, white, and translucent. As is common with most TPU cases, it will likely show some wear after a while; however, at its current price, you could easily buy a second.

Apple iPhone 4S and the Otterbox Defender Series

As the latest iteration from Apple, the iPhone 4S continues to defend its spot in the top 5. With its 3.5-inch display and large bezel, it’s starting to get left behind as the market shifts, but with a fast dual-core processor and Apple’s polished iOS, it’s still a favorite among consumers.

Otterbox is one of the most popular premium smartphone case manufacturers, and its Defender Series is certainly a favorite among iPhone users. It protects not only the rear of the iPhone’s fragile glass design, but also wraps around the front for additional protection. It retails for $50, which is quite a bit higher than most protective cases, but it’s possible to find it for as low as $20 fairly regularly. Just make sure to get the “new” design with larger cutout for the front facing camera.

Samsung Galaxy Note and the BoxWave DuoSuit

Samsungls Galaxy Note has been a surprising hit, successfully filling the niche between smartphone and tablet. Its 5-inch display makes it an adequate tablet-like multimedia device, but it’s not so big that it won’t fit in your pocket for everyday use. That plus its powerful dual-core processor makes it a great phone.

The BoxWave DuoSuit is a flexible TPU case that comes in an assortment of colors. Ultimately, it’s an affordable case that is thin enough not to add too much bulk – because, let’s face it, the Galaxy Note is big enough already.

Samsung Galaxy Nexus and the Rearth Ringke Slim

As Google’s latest “Pure Android” device, the Galaxy Nexus is a favorite among Android enthusiasts. It’s sleek design, powerful performance, and perfect integration with Google’s products also make it a favorite among smartphone users in general.

In order to preserve the sleek, slim look of their Galaxy Nexus, many users choose to go without a case at all; however, it’s possible to get the best of both worlds with the Rinke Slim. Its slim design adds only about 1mm of extra thickness, and it clings closely to the phone itself, mimicking its sleek lines very well.

HTC One S and the Diztronic TPU Case

The HTC One S is the slightly more affordable alternative to the One X. It offers just about everything the One X does but with a smaller (more notably, lower resolution) display and marginally less powerful processor.

As a more budget friendly device, it’s not surprising that its most popular case is budget friendly as well. Available for around $10, the Diztronic TPU case is a no-frills case that will fit snuggly and keep your precious phone protected.

Android: A Three-Way Tie

The Android operating system is the most diverse amongst smartphones, offering a wide range of choices, so it’s not surprising that there are a few choices when it comes to the “best” Android phone.

The Samsung Galaxy Note

The Galaxy Note has become extremely popular among consumers primarily thanks to its display. At 5.3 inches, it’s quite large for a phone, but it also features an 800×1280 resolution (capable of 720p HD playback). It is a lot of screen real estate, and since it’s Super AMOLED, it looks stunning, great for web browsing, movies, and games. It also has the latest in processor technology, with a 1.4GHz dual-core CPU. Its 8MP camera is considered among the best smartphones have to offer. Plus it features 32GB of internal storage and is expandable via MicroSD slot. Surprisingly, even its battery life is quite good. If you’re looking for a great smartphone with a large display, the Note is the way to go.

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus

At first glance, the Galaxy Nexus doesn’t really appear to be top dog in any single category, but what it does well is combine many excellent features, creating a very well-rounded device. It has a large, 4.65-inch 720p Super AMOLED display, but still manages to keep a fairly compact overall size. It has LTE 4G (or HSPA+ depending on model), a 5MP camera capable of 1080p video and simultaneous photos with zero shutter lag, and a 1.2GHz dual-core processor. To top it all off, the Galaxy Nexus is the latest “Pure Google” device, meaning it’s the first to receive updates to the Android operating system. That last fact alone makes it an excellent choice for anyone.

The Samsung Galaxy S II

Samsung’s Galaxy S line is by far the most popular of the Android devices, and the Galaxy S II is no exception. Like the Galaxy Nexus, the S II is a very well-rounded device, featuring a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 4.3-inch (or 4.5-inch) Super AMOLED display, 16GB-32GB of internal storage plus MicroSD slot, and Samsung’s much loved TouchWiz interface. It also has a highly praised 8MP camera, and is available on every major U.S. cell provider.

The Runners’ Up

The HTC One X certainly has potential to make the list – especially the quad-core Tegra 3 version – but it’s still experiencing a few growing pains. The Galaxy S III is also right around the corner and could easily displace the S II.

iOS: The iPhone 4S

Apple makes choosing an iOS phone pretty simple – you don’t really get much of a choice. The latest device is, of course, the best, such is the case with the iPhone 4S. It has a speedy dual-core processor, doesn’t seem to suffer from the antenna issues of its predecessor, and also includes the convenience of Siri, the personal digital companion.

Windows Phone 7: The Nokia Lumia 900

Microsoft is somewhat like Apple when it comes to WP7. Most of the devices are very similar in specs, and it’s primarily their prices and special features that set them apart. The Lumia 900 actually isn’t the most expensive WP7 phone, yet it has some of the best features. Its 4.3-inch AMOLED display looks great; it’s compatible with LTE and HSPA+; it has a solid 8MP camera (though slightly hindered by WP7 software); and battery life is superb. It easily competes with the higher priced Samsung Focus S and HTC Titan, making it an amazing value.

The HTC One Series Smartphones

HTC used MWC as a chance to announce a new line of smartphones, the One Series – three Android powered phones.

HTC One X – Leading the pack is the One X, HTC’s new flagship smartphone. It will have a 4.7-inch 720p HD display, 1.5GHz quad-core Tegra 3 processor (possibly the dual-core Snapdragon S4 in some markets), and 32GB of internal storage. If all goes as expected, it should be available by the end of April. This is definitely a phone to keep an eye on.

HTC One S – The One S will be the X’s little brother, weighing in a bit lighter with a 4.3-inch qHD display. Under the hood, it will have a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, so it ought to keep up with the X pretty well.

HTC One V – Intended as an entry-level device, the One V dials things back considerably. It will have a 3.7-inch display and only a 1GHz single-core processor, but despite its lackluster specs, this has the potential to be an excellent phone, as long as they get the price right.

Nokia 808 PureView

When we tell you about the 808 PureView, you’re going to think we’re nuts. Basically, it’s a smartphone with a 41MP camera – no, that’s not a typo. If you’re a regular reader of our blog, you’ll know that megapixels aren’t always everything, but as the PureView demonstrates, having a lot can be useful.

The 808 PureView actually only takes 5MP photo by default. For a smartphone, the ability to take giant 41MP photos that are typically 10MB in size isn’t exactly practical, so PureView uses the extra megapixels for a different purpose. All those extra pixels go towards things like lossless digital zoom and increased light sensitivity. This may very well be the first camra phone that can truly replace a point and shoot.

Samsung Galaxy Beam

We’ve seen those pocket-sized projectors; we’ve even seen Nikon stick one into a camera, but until now, we’ve never seen one in a phone. That’s exactly what the Galaxy Beam is, a 1GHz dual-core Android smartphone with an integrated projector. The projector unit itself only has a resolution of 640×360, but can project up to a 50 inch screen.

The Fancy New Mobile Processors

Both Intel and Qualcomm had a strong presence at MWC this year, and both had good reason. Intel got to showcase their brand new Medfield processor in an actual production phone, the Orange* Phone, built by Gigabyte.

In its current form, Medfield is only single-core, but don’t let that fool you. It uses x86 architecture, which is considerably more efficient than ARM. In terms of performance, the single-core Medfield processor is actually on par with some quad-core ARM chips. It will be very interesting to see how they truly perform when Intel powered smartphones hit the shelves later this year.

Qualcomm’s new processor is the Snapdragon S4. They’ve only so far announced dual-core versions, but quad-core variants will be out before the end of the year. But again, don’t let the core count fool you. The S4 processors showcased at MWC this year actually kept up with (and even out performed) Nvidia’s latest quad-core Tegra 3 offerings.

Microsoft’s Windows Announcement

Windows 8 has been in the works for quite a while over in the secret labs of Microsoft, but rumor has it that we’ll get to peak behind the curtain. Microsoft has plans to release a “Consumer Preview” version following its presentation at MWC. And considering that this is a conference for mobile technology, there’s a good chance we’ll be seeing a lot about Windows Phone 8 as well; however, a Windows Phone 8 launch is surely still a while off. Any official announcements will likely be about the WP7 “Tango” update.

Samsung Galaxy S III

Ineterestingly, some of the biggest news so far is actually news about a smartphone that won’t be there – the Samsung Galaxy S III. It would seem Samsung will be opting to host their own product launch event for the successor to the popular Galaxy S II, and possibly even as early as March 22^nd. Not a lot is known about the SIII, but rumors are that it will sport a quad-core Exynos 4412 processor with unrivaled graphics capabilities as well as a 12MP camera.

Qualcomm’s Quad-Core Chips

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processor rocketed smartphones like the Nexus One and EVO 4G into the future with unheard-of performance at the time. Snapdragon S2 saw even more performance gains as well as major reductions in power draw. The S3 generation brought us dual-core, but at this point Nvidia had stepped in with Tegra 2. Once again, Nvidia has been first to the punch with its quad-core Tegra 3 processor, but Qualcomm has big plans for MWC this year. The next generation Snapdragon S4 will be grabbing a lot of attention this year. So far, we only know of dual-core S4 processor, but their performance actually competes with Nvidia’s Tegra 3. There’s a good chance MWC will give a glimpse at a few quad-core S4 behemoths.

HTC, Sony, and LG

With the exception of Apple, virtually every big mobile phone manufacturer will be attending MWC this year.

HTC in particular is expected to make a couple of big announcements. Not only do we expect to hear some official details on the upcoming Ville, a smartphone said to be only 8mm thick with some very attractive styling as well as power, but also the Endeavor, which is expected to be HTC’s latest flagship device, sporting a 4.7-inch 720p display and quad-core processor.

Sony should be busting out the Xperia U, which looks to be a slightly smaller version of the Xperia S. Its scaled down specs aren’t likely to steal the show, but Sony is also expected to showcase its updated User Interface for Android 4.0.

LG will likely be showcasing its new Optimus 4X HD smartphone. Like many other smartphones we expect to see at MWC, the Optimus 4X HD has a large 720p screen as well as a speedy quad-core Tegra 3 processor. It’ll also be showing the Optimus Vu, a 5-inch phone to compete with Samsung’s Galaxy Note, and the Optimus 3D Cube, an improved successor to the Optimus 3D.