The Best Android Mobile Phones

2010-01-16

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Top Android Phones

The rise and rise of the Android OS has been pretty well documented. Google’s mobile phone platform has taken the market by storm and one of the driving factors behind its success is the staggering array of Android phones that are available. In this article we take a look at the top Android phones for 2011.

Google Nexus S

There was a huge fuss when Google first entered the smartphone market with the HTC manufactured Google Nexus One. HTC went on to enjoy massive success with a wide range of top Android phones. Last year Samsung got in on the act with the incredibly successful Samsung Galaxy S range and they struck a deal to develop Google’s second smartphone – the Google Nexus S.

The Google Nexus S features a gorgeous touchscreen display and a slim form factor. It runs Android 2.3 and will be quick to get updates because there are no modifications to the Android UI.

Dimensions: 63 x 123.9 x 10.88 mm
Weight: 129 gms
Display: 4 inch Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen display, 480 x 800 pixels
OS: Android 2.3 Gingerbread
Processor: 1 GHz ARM Cortex A8 processor
RAM: 512 MB RAM
Memory: 16 GB internal storage
Camera: 5 MP camera, 2560 x 1920 pixels with autofocus and LED flash, front facing VGA 640 x 480 pixels, video recording 720p
Connectivity: GSM, HSDPA, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n with DLNA, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, microUSB 2.0, NFC
GPS: GPS with A-GPS support
Battery: 1500 mAh Li-ion battery

LG Optimus 2X

Best known for a few releases at the budget end of the market LG are about to make a splash with some top Android phones. They recently announced the LG Revolution, LG Optimus 3D and the LG Optimus 2X. This is a super-fast smartphone with an HDMI port for video output and some very impressive specs.

Dimensions: 63.2 x 123.9 x 10.9 mm
Weight: 139 gms
Display: 4 inch TFT capacitive touchscreen display, 480 x 800 pixels
OS: Android 2.2 Froyo (Upgradeable to 2.3 Gingerbread)
Processor: Dual-core 1GHz ARM Cortex-A9 processor
RAM: 512 MB RAM
Memory: 8 GB internal storage
Camera: 8 MP camera, 3264x2448 pixels with autofocus and LED flash, front facing 1.3 MP, video recording 1080p
Connectivity: GSM, HSDPA, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n with DLNA, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, microUSB 2.0
GPS: GPS with A-GPS support
Battery: 1500 mAh Li-ion battery

Motorola Atrix 4G

The evolution of smartphones is leading to some interesting twists and turns in device functionality. As Android smartphones become more powerful they are capable of more and this is well illustrated by the Motorola Atrix 4G. This Android device works with a laptop dock to become a laptop, perfect for work and entertainment powered by your smartphone. If you’d prefer a straight smartphone then check out the Motorola Droid Bionic.

The Motorola Atrix 4G is set to be one of the top Android phones of 2011 and if the laptop dock idea takes off it could change the way we use our smartphones.

Dimensions: 117.8 x 63.5 x 10.1 mm
Weight: 135 gms
Display: 4.0 inch TFT capacitive touchscreen display, 960 x 540 pixels
OS: Android 2.2 Froyo (Upgradeable to 2.3 Gingerbread)
Processor: Dual-core 1GHz ARM Cortex-A9 processor
RAM: 1 GB RAM
Memory: 16 GB internal storage
Camera: 5 megapixel camera, 2592х1944 pixels with autofocus and LED flash, front facing VGA camera, video recording 720p
Connectivity: GSM, HSDPA, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n with DLNA, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP and EDR, microUSB 2.0
GPS: GPS with A-GPS support
Battery: Li-Ion 1930 mAh

HTC Thunderbolt

The lightning fast HTC Thunderbolt runs on the Verizon LTE 4G network and has a powerful set of specs backed up by a huge display. HTC has been unleashing a steady stream of top Android phones and they always deliver. The HTC Thunderbolt is the latest to hit the market and there’s little doubt it will make a mark. There are no real gimmicks here, just a powerful Android phone that performs extremely well. It may not have a dual-core processor but it does have a second generation 1GHz processor which significantly outperforms earlier releases.

Dimensions: 66 x 122 x 13 mm
Weight: 164 gms
Display: 4.3 inch TFT capacitive touchscreen display, 480 x 800 pixels
Memory: 8 GB internal storage (32GB card included)
OS: Android 2.2 Froyo (Upgradeable to 2.3 Gingerbread)
Processor: 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8655 Snapdragon Scorpion processor
RAM: 768 MB RAM
Camera: 8 MP camera, 3264x2448 pixels with autofocus and LED flash, front facing 1.3 MP camera, video recording 720p
Connectivity: CDMA, LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n with DLNA, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP and EDR, microUSB 2.0
GPS: GPS with A-GPS support
Battery: Li-Ion 1400 mAh

Samsung Galaxy S II

The Samsung Galaxy S was such a hit there was never any doubt that a second version would be released and here it is. This will be one of the top Android phones this year. It will also be the slimmest and lightest smartphone on the market and considering what it has going on inside that’s some feat.

Dimensions: 125.3 x 66.1 x 8.49 mm
Weight: 116 gms
Display: 4.3 inch Super AMOLED Plus capacitive touchscreen display, 480 x 800 pixels
Memory: 16 GB internal storage
OS: Android 2.3 Gingerbread
Processor: 1 GHz Samsung dual-core processor (Exynos?)
RAM: 1 GB RAM
Camera: 8 MP camera with autofocus and LED flash, front facing 2 MP camera, video recording 1080p
Connectivity: CDMA, HSDPA, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n with DLNA, Bluetooth 3, microUSB 2.0, NFC
GPS: GPS with A-GPS support
Battery: Li-Ion 1650 mAh

Which is the Best Android Phone?

These are the top Android phones out right now or about to be released. There’s one more that deserves a special mention if you are a gamer - the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play (otherwise known as the long rumored PSP phone). It matches up quite well in terms of specs but the real attraction for gamers is the slideout PSP controls and branding.

As for the best Android smartphone it is very tough to look past the Samsung Galaxy S II. It offers more speed and raw power than most of the competition and yet it is light and slim. There will be more to come in 2011 and the world of Android phones is fast moving but for right now go for the Samsung Galaxy S II.