Communication

iPhone 5s Tips and Tricks

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iPhone 5s Tips and Tricks

Photography

Camera in Control Center

Access your camera quickly by swiping up from any screen — including the Lock screen — and tapping the Camera icon.

Panorama

You can easily shoot panorama photos from left to right or right to left. Just tap the arrow to switch the direction.

Burst mode

Capture multiple shots of the action — for as long as you hold down the button — by snapping 10 photos per second. And real-time analysis suggests the best photos of the bunch.

Photo filters

Apply one of eight live photo filters to any picture. Just choose a filter to see the effect before you take the shot, or apply it later.

Mapped pictures

View the locations of your pictures on a map by tapping the location heading under Years, Collections, or Moments.

Working with Text

Format text in Mail

Double-tap any word to bring up the options menu, tap the arrow, and select the B I U option to bold, italicize, or underline your text.

Define a word

In apps like Safari and Mail, you can define a word by double-tapping it to bring up the options menu, and then tap Define.

Swipe Gestures

Delete a message in Mail

Simply swipe from right to left on messages in your inbox to quickly delete them.

Go back in Mail

To go back, swipe left to right from the edge of your screen.

Spotlight search

To open Spotlight search, swipe down from anywhere on the Home screen — such as the middle. Then type in what you’re looking for to quickly find it on your device.

FaceTime

Messages

View timestamps of your messages by touching and dragging message bubbles to the left.

Weather

View all your locations by pinching to see a collapsed view. To reorder locations, simply drag them where you want. Swipe from right to left on a location to delete it.

FaceTime audio

Now you can make audio-only FaceTime calls. On your contact’s card, tap the phone icon in the FaceTime section.

Maps

Get there with Quick Route

When Maps drops a pin on a location, you can get turn-by-turn directions to that location almost instantly. Just tap the Quick Route button next to the location’s name.

See up close with Flyover

Tap the 3D icon to switch to Flyover view and explore select cities from the air. You can zoom, pan, and rotate around landmarks.

Tilt and rotate your view

As you’re looking at a map, use two fingers to tilt or rotate the view. Maps keeps the names of the streets and places where they belong. So everything’s easy to read, and you won’t get lost.

Share a pin

In Maps, drop a pin on a location you want to share. Then tap the pin and select Share. Now you can share the location via AirDrop, Messages, Mail, Twitter, or Facebook.

Siri

Tell Siri who’s who

Tell Siri about your relationships, such as “Natalia is my wife” or “Rick is my dad.” Then you can say “Text my wife” or “Call Dad” and Siri knows who you mean.

Set your locations

Enter your home and work addresses in Contacts. That way, Siri can remind you to do things when you leave or arrive at either place.

Change the way Siri pronounces a name

If Siri mispronounces a name, simply say “that’s not how you pronounce that.” Siri will ask you for the correct pronunciation, then say the name back to you three different ways so you can choose the one you like.

Calendar

New views in Calendar

View your calendar by list, day, or month. Switch to landscape view to see a full five days.

Swipe gestures

Tap the month name in the left corner to change to Month or Year view. In Day view, you can swipe the week bar at the top to jump to days in the next or previous week.

Search for specific events

Tap the search icon for a list view of every event in your calendar.

Music

Create playlists

In the Music app, tap Playlists, then tap Add Playlist and give it a name. Now tap any song or video to add it to the playlist. You can add individual songs, entire albums, or all songs by an artist.

Create radio stations

To create a station in iTunes Radio, tap the + button under My Stations and search for an artist, genre, or song. Or choose from over 250 genre-focused or DJ-curated stations.

Edit radio stations

Adding and deleting stations is easy. Tap Edit and select the + button to add a new station. To remove a station, swipe left on the station name and tap Delete. Or remove multiple stations at once by tapping Edit and the – button next to each station.

Buy songs from iTunes Radio

Tap Buy on a song that’s currently playing or one in your History or Wish List, and it downloads instantly from iTunes to your library.

Musical landscape

While browsing your music collection, switching to landscape view displays a mosaic of your album covers. Swipe to scroll, pinch to zoom in and out, and tap to play.

Mail

Insert a photo or video

When you’re composing an email, touch and hold in the message to see the “Select, Select All” menu. Tap the arrow and select “Insert Photo or Video.” Now you can choose a photo or video to attach from your Camera Roll, albums, or shared streams.

Keep your inbox clean

You can delete or move messages in batches. From your inbox, tap Edit, select the messages you want to organize, then tap Trash or Move.

Get back to your draft

Touch and hold the Compose button to switch to your list of saved message drafts.

Safari

Single sign-in

Sign in once under Settings, and you can tweet or update your Facebook status directly from Safari, Photos, Camera, and Maps. Or ask Siri to do it for you.

Manage open Safari pages

Drag and drop to rearrange your tabs. To close tabs, tap the X or just swipe them off the screen.

Create web clips

Quickly visit your favorite websites by creating web clips for them on your Home screen. Visit the site and tap the Share button. Then select “Add to Home Screen.”

AirPlay and Wireless

Broadcast live with AirPlay

When connected to a Wi‑Fi network, you can use AirPlay Mirroring to share exactly what’s on your iPhone with your HDTV connected to an Apple TV. Just access Control Center by swiping up, tap AirPlay, and select your TV.

Print wirelessly from iPhone

AirPrint makes it easy to print email and web pages from your iPhone to your AirPrint-enabled printer. To print an email, tap the Reply icon and select Print. To print a web page, tap the Share button and select Print. You can also print photos, documents, and more.

Accessibility

View more accessibility tips and tricks

Have text read back to you

iPhone can read text out loud in apps like Mail, Safari, Messages, and iBooks. Just turn on Speak Selection in Settings > General > Accessibility. Then go to the app, highlight the text you want to hear, and tap Speak.

Control font size

Adjust fonts to your preferred reading size in all apps that support Dynamic Type. Simply turn on Larger Type in Settings > General > Accessibility. Then choose your desired font size.

Get flashing alerts

Your iPhone can give you a visual alert for incoming calls and texts. Just go to Settings > General > Accessibility and turn on LED Flash for Alerts.

Let your iPhone do the typing

Dictation lets you talk where you would type. Tap the microphone button on the bottom row of the keyboard, say what you want to write, and your iPhone converts your words into text.

View closed captions

To turn on the captions in closed-captioned movies and TV shows, just go to Settings > General > Accessibility. You can even customize captions by size, font type, and color.

Merge left and right audio

Play left- and right-channel audio in both ears to accommodate hearing loss on either side. Just go to Settings > General > Accessibility and turn on Mono Audio.

Settings

Enable emoji characters

Access all sorts of smileys, animals, shapes, and other peculiarities from the emoji-enabled keyboard. Go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Add New Keyboard and select Emoji. Now when you type, just tap the globe button and choose the emoji that fits the mood.

Keyboard tips

Go to Settings > General > Keyboard to turn on or off features like Auto-Capitalization, Auto-Correction, and more.

Do Not Disturb

In Settings, turn on Do Not Disturb to silence sounds from incoming calls and notifications. You can allow calls from your favorites, specific contacts, or contact groups. Enable Do Not Disturb manually or schedule a recurring time.

Compass

Access a level or an inclinometer by swiping left in Compass.

Find My iPhone

If you’ve lost your iPhone, Find My iPhone can help you locate it. Go to Settings > iCloud and turn on the Find My iPhone feature.

Read more at http://www.apple.com/iphone-5s/tips/

Windows Phone 8.1: Action Center to manage all apps and system notifications

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A leaked screenshot of confidential presentation confirms Windows Phone 8.1 aka Blue will have a notification center dubbed as “Action Center”.

Windows Phone 8.1: Action Center to manage all apps and system notifications

Julia Martin | On 09, Feb 2014

The most-requested feature of Windows Phone OS, a notification center seems to have confirmed. A screenshot of Microsoft confidential presentation has leaked on the Web.

Windows Phone 8.1’s notification center – dubbed as Action Center – will function similar to the Android and iOS notification center. With a long-swipe down from the top of the screen, the Action Center will show all missed notifications; and at the same time, Apps will able to add/update and delete them silently.

In Action Center, there will also be ‘Clear All’ option to dismiss all notifications at once. In addition to Apps, it will also show alerts coming from Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Airplane mode and Driving mode.

Windows-Phone-8.1-Action-Center-Lumiam1020

By observing the screenshot, we also find the operator name, battery life and date inside the Action Center. The Verge also confirmed that these screenshots were authentic, which indeed strengthens the aspects of the leak.

Among other additions, Windows Phone 8.1 will also include a new voice assistant codenamed ‘Cortana’; actionable notifications; separate volume controls; optional on-screen keys and dual-SIM support for OEMs; SkyDrive as OneDrive, perhaps a File manager; support for larger displays; the ability to install apps and games to micro SD cards and configurable quick settings.

Windows Phone 8.1 update will be available for all Windows Phone 8 devices. Microsoft is likely to release this update sometime this spring, more precisely during the annual BUILD developer conference, to be held from April 2-4, 2014 in San Francisco, CA.

We expect plenty more leaks related to Windows Phone 8.1 in weeks ahead – and we’ll be covering them all here on Inferse.com. So stay tuned.

Source: winphollowers.com via The Verge

 

Read more at http://www.inferse.com/12445/windows-phone-8-1-action-center-manage-apps-system-notifications/

Moto X In Review: 7 Battery Life Tips And Tricks For The Motorola Flagship

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Moto X Battery Life Review Issues Problems Tips and Tricks

The Moto X is a popular smartphone, and likely will be even more so when it is released throughout the world. But how can you make the battery last longer?

The Moto X is the first smartphone to offer always-listening voice control, or as Motorola calls it “Touchless Control.” It works along with the rest of the phone’s sensors without causing serious battery problems because of the Moto X’s innovative chipset.

Since its release stateside in August, many Moto X owners enjoyed excellent battery life. However, some may want to try to push the device to last another 12-18 hours, and others have reported battery life issues — especially following the Moto X’s update to Android 4.4 KitKat.

Protip: If you fall into the latter camp, there is a simple trick that might fix up your issue. It is likely that your Moto X’s battery is fine, but having trouble correctly identifying how much battery life is left.

Simply run the battery down to about five to eight percent and let it die. You can speed this up by streaming a YouTube video. Then, when the Moto X has died, let it charge for a few hours before turning it back on. This will fix the issue if the Moto X is having trouble accurately reporting its remaining battery life.

1.) Identify The Problem

If your Moto X battery is truly having trouble lasting as long as you think it should, then the first thing to do is find out what is creating the problem. Go into Settings > About Phone > Battery Use to see what apps or services are causing an issue.

An Android device like the Moto X, or any smartphone for that matter, often uses the most battery power on its display. This is true even of the Moto X’s AMOLED screen, which is more energy efficient than LCD.

2.) Keep Your Screen’s Brightness As Low As Possible

While a brighter Moto X really shows off those colorful default wallpapers, keeping the display dialed down is going to maximize battery power. If you really prefer things looking bright and shiny, I can’t blame you – but I would at least recommend setting the Moto X screen brightness to “Auto” so it dims in darker settings.

If you truly want to maximize the Moto X’s battery life, leave the screen brightness to somewhere around 10 percent, as this is bright enough for mostly any setting. You can more easily access controls like screen brightness using a simple app like Notification Toggle, available for Android on Google Play.

I did not like the icon that always showed up in my status bar, but then I realized that the icon can be changed to report remaining battery life, battery temperature, or day of the month.

3.) Reduce The Time Before Moto X Goes To Sleep

You can do this by navigating to Settings > Display > Sleep. Like brightness, many users have a personal preference before how long their screen goes to sleep. You do not want to set it annoyingly low, but having the Moto X go to sleep as quickly as possible will maximize its battery life.

Also, make sure to press the power button when done using the Moto X. This is a good habit on just about any smartphone, instead of putting the phone down or in your pocket with the screen on and waiting for it to go to sleep automatically.

4.) Keep GPS Location Settings And Bluetooth Off When Not In Use

This is one of the basics of owning any smartphone: if you are not using Bluetooth to connect to your car or other device, keep it turned off. It is an unnecessary drain on the Moto X’s battery.

GPS location services are even worse. Keep them turned off when not in use if you want your Moto X battery to last all day, and in many cases, well into Day 2.

5.) Turn Off Wi-Fi AND Wi-Fi Scanning

To disable Wi-Fi scanning, navigate to Settings > Wi-Fi > Menu (three dots, lower right-hand corner) > Scanning always available and uncheck the box.

Google included the feature in Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, and it allows apps to estimate your location with GPS turned off. However, even with the Moto X’s dedicated co-processors, the feature drains battery, and can be a privacy issue for many users.

6.) Keep Power Saver Turned On

Go into Settings > Battery > Power Saver and make sure that the Motorola exclusive feature is turned on. It restricts background data use when your battery life is waning.

Some manufacturers include a power saver mode that reduces a processor’s frequency, which slows them down a bit. Motorola chose not to include such a feature on the Moto X, since the system-on-a-chip already does a decent job of managing performance against the remaining battery life.

7.) Enable Android Runtime (ART)

A new runtime for Android devices (ART) will eventually replace the older Dalvik runtime completely. ART changes the way all apps are run, allowing them to open more quickly, and use less power to do so.

Enabling ART on the Moto X is a great way to extend battery life. Unfortunately, ART also causes apps to take up 10 – 20 percent more storage space, and it will not be compatible with WhatsApp until your Moto X is upgraded to Android 4.4.2 (KitKat). Please note that the International Business Times is not liable for problems due to enabling ART, and Google has said that the runtime is not yet ready for everyone, so proceed at your own risk. I have, however, used ART on several different Android devices, including the Moto X and Nexus 5, with no issues.

To turn ART on for the Moto X, or any Android device running 4.4 or higher, navigate the phone to:

Settings > About Phone > Tap “Build Number” 7 times

Then back out and go into the new option, > Developer Options, and select ART instead of Dalvik. Wait about an hour while your apps are optimized for the Android Runtime, and enjoy extended battery life.

Read more at http://www.ibtimes.com/moto-x-review-7-battery-life-tips-tricks-motorola-flagship-1542976

Top five tips and tricks for your new Nokia Lumia Windows Phone device

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Top five tips and tricks for your new Nokia Lumia Windows Phone device

Just got yourself a brand new Nokia Lumia Windows Phone device? Whether it be a new Lumia 520, 920, 1020, 1520, or any other Lumia device available in the market, these tips and tricks we are about to mention are sure to make things a bit more convenient.

Whether you are new to a Nokia Lumia device or you are looking to expand your knowledge about your Windows Phone device, these five favorite tips and tricks of ours are sure to help. If you have a favorite tip or trick, share them via the comments below.

Typing faster with keyboard shortcuts

With this tip, you no longer have to press the numeric or punctuation buttons to enter their respective modes on the keyboard, only to find your desired key, then tapping the key you first pressed so you can return to the standard keyboard. Instead, press and hold the numeric or punctuation button and slide your finger over to the key you want to use and then release your finger to automatically snap back into the default keyboard mode.

This is especially useful for those who wish to type faster without having to navigate into different keyboard modes. If you love to text or write a long email on your Windows Phone device, this tip will definitely improve your productivity. Go ahead, try it out!

Translate text using your camera

Did you know that your Windows Phone device can also translate text using your camera? All you have to do is hit the Search button on your phone and select the eye icon. Position your Lumia over the text and select “scan text.” You can even translate the text you capture.

This is obviously a neat feature for those looking for a quick way to translate a menu or any other text using your Lumia smartphone.

Identify what music is playing

Windows Phone also allows you to quickly identify what music is playing (on the radio for example). All you have to do is hit the Search button on your phone and select the music note icon. Place your smartphone over the source of the music and Windows Phone will identify the track, the artist of the track, and offer you a link to the Windows Phone Store so you can purchase the track.

Switch between your apps

For those of you who tend to use more than one app at a time, this tip/trick will be useful. Press and hold the back button on your smartphone and you will be presented with the multi-tasking screen that allows you to quickly switch between apps. You can even return back to the home screen.

If you want to close an app, simply hit the “x” that is located at the top-right of each app.

Take a screenshot of your screen

If you are looking to show off your home screen or an app you have running, you can easily do so by taking a screenshot of your screen. All you have to do is quickly tap-hold the Window key while simultaneously pressing the power button. You will see a quick flash of the screen indicating that a screenshot was taken.

You can find your screenshot in the Photos app, under the Screenshot folder.

Now, these are just our top-five favorite tips and tricks for Windows Phone. There are plenty of more shortcuts and tricks to make your experience enjoyable. Lets hear your favorite tips and tricks! Post them in the comments below.

Read more at http://www.winbeta.org/news/top-five-tips-and-tricks-your-new-nokia-lumia-windows-phone-device

You might also like…

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Buying Guide, Top mobile phones compared: what phone is best for you?

If a phone isn’t in the top 20 best phones in the world list, that doesn’t mean it’s not worth giving two hoots about.

Here’s a few handsets you might want to think about should none of the above tickle your fancy… although you’re clearly VERY hard to please:

Motorola Razr HD

Motorola Razr HD

A former top 20 resident the Motorola Razr HD is still a decent contender and has only dropped out of our best phones list due to newer handsets elbowing their way to the top.

While this phone lacks in some areas (let’s be honest: a dual-core processor doesn’t get anyone’s heart racing any more, despite being able to handle most tasks) it still has a clear screen, simple OS and a really strong battery at its heart.

Many will be taken by the almost stock Android platform it uses, and the fact it’s got an additional HDMI port means it’s easy to sync your phone up to a big screen – plus it doesn’t cost the earth.

Motorola Razr HD review

Huawei Ascend Y300

Huawei Ascend Y300

Fancy stepping into the smartphone market but don’t want a phone that’ll cost you the earth? Then why not check out the capable Huawei Ascend Y300, yours for just £100.

At that price you’re not going to get any breakthrough technology, but with Android Jelly Bean, a dual-core processor and a 5MP rear camera it offers plenty for the first time user.

You don’t get 4G, NFC or a shiny metal chassis, but the Y300 offers a solid build a reliable – if not slightly sluggish – interface.

Huawei Ascend Y300 review

Nokia Lumia 720

Nokia Lumia 720

The Nokia Lumia 720 is a great smartphone and though some may be put off that it’s rocking Windows Phone 8 over Android, if you’re in the market for a mid-range mobile this is certainly worth considering.

If offers a bigger screen then the excellent, but small Lumia 520 and it won’t make a massive dent in your wallet if the Lumia 925 is out of your price range.

It is up against some tricky, and more established Android competition, but if you fancy taking the plunge for something new you can’t go wrong with the Lumia 720.

BlackBerry Q10

BlackBerry Q10

Everyone is going touchscreen these days, BlackBerry’s even got the Z10 and Z30 now, but for those of you still reliant on a physical keyboard to type the Q10 is one of the few options available to you.

While the Q10 may struggle to match the top end Android and iOS handsets in terms of features, apps and value, it does offer the best physical typing experience on the market – and for some that’s all they need to hear.

Huawei Ascend P2

Huawei Ascend P2

The Huawei Ascend P2 is a highly capable smartphone and offers a strong line up of features and a decent level of specs – it just doesn’t excel at anything, or wow us with amazing features.

If you fancy a powerful handset on a budget then the Ascend P2 is a decent shout with a quad-core processor, 4.7-inch HD display, 4G connectivity and a 13MP camera.

It’s not going to win any races against the likes of the HTC One or Galaxy S4, but you’ll be safe in the knowledge you got decent value for money.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom

Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom

If you’re one of those people who plays by their own rules then you won’t be taken by any of the generic slabs of plastic and metal which are today’s smartphones – you’ll want something different, something out there, something a little bit off the wall. Meet the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom.

Is it a phone? Is it a camera? Well it’s kind of both. From the front it looks like another Samsung clone, but flip it over and there’s a whacking great optical zoom camera lens plastered on the back.

It’s big, brash and heavy and that will put a lot of people off, but it you want a device which can take some impressive pictures and make the odd phone call you may fall for the S4 Zoom’s… umm… charm?

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Number 1: HTC One

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Buying Guide, Top mobile phones compared: what phone is best for you?

HTC One

1. HTC One

Don’t fear HTC fans – your darling is still number one. As our only five star phone, its combination of impressive UI and stunning aluminium build means it was always safe in the number one

It’s nothing to do with the quality of the S4 or the LG G2 – outstanding phones in anyone’s book – but more the fact HTC has managed to bring out a smartphone that’s worthy of any user’s consideration.

The supreme aluminium chassis, the Full HD screen and the simplified version of Sense 5.0 sitting on top of Android Jelly Bean (plus KitKat any day now!) means it’s a pleasure to use and recommend this handset.

The new innovations are also pleasingly more than just marketing gimmicks; Zoe functionality allows the creation of delightful video highlight reels, and the Ultrapixel camera means you’ve got a much wider range of shots available thanks to being stunning in low light.

Quick Verdict

With power, poise and beauty all combined in this innovative phone, HTC has proved it can more than still cut it with the big boys when it comes to bringing out a lust-worthy flagship smartphone – and it’s also proved that it still knows how to beat the Samsungs and LGs of this world into third and second place with ease.

We’re now starting to wonder how long HTC can hold its place at the top, and with 2014’s best and brightest approaching, you might want to wait to see what’s coming up – but with that metallic frame, there’s no short supply of users ready to coo all over it the second it lands in their hand.

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Number 2: LG G2

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Buying Guide, Top mobile phones compared: what phone is best for you?

LG G2

2. LG G2

Wait, an LG phone in at number two? Believe it people; LG has made a phone that not only impressed us but ran the HTC One very, very close for the top spot.

We don’t know where to start in terms of extolling the virtues of this new handset from the South Korean firm: it’s got an insanely good screen, quality camera, the best audio pumping out from its speakers and headphone jack… the list goes on.

We even came to tolerate, then love, the power and volume buttons being placed on the rear. These aren’t ideal, but the ability to knock on the screen makes it really easy to interact with this impressive device.

Verdict

There’s so much on offer here that we can’t help but recommend it to anyone looking for the best smartphone powerhouse.

The only things that we dislike are the cluttered UI (pull down the notifications bar and you’ll see why) and the plastic casing, which drops the premium feel of the phone.

But launching at £400 on PAYG, along with comparable contracts to six month old phones, is a really nice touch from LG, and we reckon it’s going to pay dividends.

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Number 3: Sony Xperia Z1 Compact

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Buying Guide, Top mobile phones compared: what phone is best for you?

Sony Xperia Z1 Compact

3. Sony Xperia Z1 Compact

Hey Sony, lovely to have you back near the top. What’s this? A phone without a 1080p screen? A smaller battery? Are you MAD?

Wait, we get it. This is the mildly-nonplussing Xperia Z1 shoved into a smaller frame, with almost nothing compromised (the above two points aside). With a 4.3-inch screen it’s one of the most easy to use devices in the hand, coming in next to the iPhone 5S, but it does it with a much lower cost and a great battery life to boot.

On top of that it’s waterproof and has expandable memory, plus a superb screen. Well played, Sony – we can’t wait to see what else you do in 2014.

Quick verdict

Want a great phone that’s just a little bit smaller without losing all the power? If so, then we’ve found your ideal device. Strong CPU, great battery and expandable memory are traits we love to see.

It’s been launched with a palatable price tag as well – so head on down to your local emporium and throw it in some water. Because it’s waterproof too, not because you’re a vandal.

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Number 4: Google Nexus 5

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Buying Guide, Top mobile phones compared: what phone is best for you?

Nexus 5

4. Google Nexus 5

So we’ve updated our review with the new phone software, and thankfully things are a lot better now. The battery is improved, the camera a little more stable, and the low cost is still in place.

You already know we like Android 4.4, the clever implementation and the £299 price tag. We love the high power CPU, the quality screen; even the rubberised outer shell.

You can get the LG G2 for £100 more though, and that offers a far superior camera, better battery life (it’s better, but not brilliant) and a huge slew of extra features – it really depends if you’re a fan of the stripped-down experience.

Quick verdict

We’re glad to put this smartphone higher up in the rankings, as it’s one of the cheapest out there in terms of bang for buck.

It’s a great phone that hits the marks well – it lacks something in terms of innovation, but that’s not a problem for those that want to be able to run all manner of apps and games at a decent price. It doesn’t come in at the same price point as previous Nexii, but it’s still jolly cheap.

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Number 5: Samsung Galaxy S4

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Buying Guide, Top mobile phones compared: what phone is best for you?

Samsung Galaxy S4

5. Samsung Galaxy S4

All change at the top! Samsung managed to hold off HTC at the top in 2012, but this year the supreme stylings of the HTC One proved too strong against a phone that’s a slightly-better-version of its predecessor.

Well, that’s not really fair – it’s only in looks that it’s too similar, and sadly that was one of the biggest issues most users had with the S3. It’s not the world’s biggest smartphone crime, but it’s enough to keep it from the top spot.

There’s a lot, a lot, to love with the Samsung Galaxy S4 though: whether it’s a powerful camera, a brilliant screen, a long-lasting battery or just a fluid experience, there’s everything you could want in a smartphone right here.

The cost is a tad higher than on other smartphones, but thankfully still cheaper than iPhone level and is descending as we wait for the imminent sequel. If only it was made out of something a little more premium…

LG has now taken its second spot too – here’s hoping the Samsung Galaxy S5 brings something that’s really rather special to halt its slide down the charts.

Verdict

There’s no doubt that this is one of the best smartphones ever made – it’s clear, powerful and does everything we’d expect a flagship phone from Samsung to do.

It’s just a shame that the perceived ‘innovation’ doesn’t really add anything: motion gestures, smart scroll and it’s other non-contact bedfellows didn’t take smartphones to the next level, which is what we needed in the face of Ultrapixels and BoomSound.

Make no mistake though: you’ll love the Samsung Galaxy S4 if you choose to go for it, as it’s an amazing phone with some really cutting-edge features.

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