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.

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.