The dominance of the iPhone is waning. Apple’s stock prices are gradually dropping and more consumers are switching out their iPhones for more sophisticated and modern choices. As the prestige of owning an iPhone wears off, people are looking for new companies and innovations to help them decide on what smartphone to buy. Following is a list of the top 5 alternatives to the iPhone 5, ranging from phones with more power to phones designed from the ground up for the business person.
1. Samsung Galaxy S4
The Galaxy S4 is a powerhouse of performance and a beast of a phone. It’s got one of the largest screens on the market, and offers a true HD display at 1080p. Along with the 8-core processor, the S4 runs the latest Android, Jellybean, which allows the phone to run a myriad of games and apps with ease. Price will start on $199 with a contract. For the consumer looking to get the most out of their phone, this is one of the best deals you don’t want to miss out this year.
2. HTC One
HTC, the major player from Taiwan, is releasing their new HTC One. It features dual frontal speakers and innovative new features for image viewing and sharing. The phone runs on Android, but throws away the current home screen standard. Instead of a home screen with widgets, there is now a news feed that shows updates on social media networks and major news sites. This is the phone for the social media heavy consumer who listens to music and takes a lot of pictures. For those who are switching from another smartphone, HTC offers a steep discount when you trade in your old phone – worth at least $100.
3. Sony Xperia Z
The Xperia Z is in one word, elegant. It comes in a square like design that looks modernist and at the same time classic. With the HD screen and Sony’s experience in making digital cameras, the quality and fidelity of this phone is unmatched. What’s particularly interesting about this phone is the durability. It’s water and dust resistant. If the phone is dirty, simply rinsing it with water will clean it. The unlocked version will be priced above $600. With specs like no others, it is still an awesome deal.
4. LG Optimus G Pro
The LG Optimus G Pro is a big phone, rivaling the Galaxy S4 for biggest phone on the market. Featuring the new quad core Snapdragon processor, the G Pro can handle pretty much anything the Android app market can throw at it. It can run HD video at 1080p and record at high definition due to its 13 megapixel camera. For the consumer looking for a big screen but doesn’t want to shell out for an S4, this is a good second choice deal. It will be officially on sale starting Q2 2013.
5. BlackBerry Z10
The BlackBerry has traditionally been a phone centered on business. The company was one of the first to enter the smartphone industry with innovations like linking email accounts together into one place, but had fallen off the radar. The BlackBerry Z10 is a return to form for BlackBerry. Sporting the BlackBerry OS, designed completely by BlackBerry, the BlackBerry Z10 is a phone made for business and work with plenty of features to keep the consumer busy. The phone comes in a mid-range size, not as big as the Galaxy but larger than the iPhone 5. Discount will be offered to business users upon initial launch this month.
Do you have another suggestion for an iPhone 5 alternative? Let us know in the comments!
Guest author Wayne Johnson loves to do comparison shopping on the hottest smartphones. You can see the complete list of featured deals for mobile phones here.