Samsung Galaxy S4

The Galaxy S4 is the highest selling Android handset of this year. Yet, the device comes in at a lowly no. 6 in our list.

There really is nothing wrong with the Galaxy S4. It packs in everything that one would expect from a handset in 2013 including a quad-core processor, LTE, oodles of RAM, bunch of sensors and tons of gimmicky software features.

However, the Galaxy S4 fails to offer anything unique and innovative like other handsets in this list above it. The build quality of the S4 is nothing to boast about and feels very cheap, and Samsung’s TouchWIZ UI continues to get bloated with every new release.

Hopefully, Samsung will learn from its mistake and the Galaxy S4 will help the company win the heart of all reviewers like it had done in the past with previous Galaxy S flagship models.

LG G2

The G2 was the Korean company’s flagship handset for the second half of this year, and it packs in all the bells and whistles that one expects from a handset released in late 2013.

The G2 is an excellent handset in all categories – performance, camera, display and music quality. Where it shines, though, is battery life.  Thanks to its 3000mAh battery and a Snapdragon S800 processor, the G2 can easily last 1.5 days of heavy usage or give about 5+ hours of screen on time on 3G in a single day.

Another highlight of the G2, undoubtedly, has to be its 5.2-inch display that is barely surrounded by any bezel. The G2 manages to pack a screen that is just 0.1-inch smaller than the original Galaxy Note, in a much more compact body. If you love watching movies on your smartphone, the G2’s display will blow your mind away.

However, the handset does have its fair share of issues. LG’s UI skin is a usability disaster and is not really pleasing to the eyes as well.  The volume and power keys on the back of the handset will not be appreciated by everyone as well. Plus, LG terribly lags behind other OEMs when it comes to updating its devices to the latest version of Android.

While HTC and Motorola have already updated their flagship handset to Android 4.4 KitKat, LG expects to update the G2 to KitKat only by the end of Q1 of next year.

Nexus 5

The Nexus 4 was by no means a bad handset, but its poor camera performance and battery life were a deal breaker for many.

The Nexus 5 fixes all the flaws of its predecessor with all the yearly upgrades that one would expect. The glass back is replaced with a grippy soft touch plastic, and a 4.97-inch 1080p panel with excellent colour reproduction dominates the front.

The Snapdragon S800 processor makes sure the phone is no slouch in the performance department as well. While the 2300mAh battery might not be a huge upgrade compared to the 2100mAh one found inside the Nexus 4, the Nexus 5 still manages to last a day under mid-to-heavy usage.

The 8MP OIS enabled camera is also a huge upgrade over the Nexus 4, and can stand its own against the likes of the iPhone 5s and Galaxy S4.

What helps the Nexus 5 take the no. 4 position in our list is its price-to-performance ratio. For half the price of the Galaxy S4 and iPhone 5s, the Nexus 5 offers performance and features that nearly rival these handsets.

Moto G

When Motorola unveiled the Moto G back in November, it took everyone by surprise by releasing a phone that packed in quite a punch and offered some serious value for money.

For its price of $199, the Moto G packs in a Snapdragon S400 processor, a 4.5-inch 720p LCD, a 5MP camera, 16GB of internal storage and runs on near stock build of Android 4.3 Jelly Bean.

In day-to-day usage, the Moto G is almost as fast – if not faster — as some of the high-end handsets out there like the Galaxy S4. Motorola has also promised to update the Moto G to KitKat by early next-year, which should further improve the performance of the device.

If you are low on budget and want a no fuss Android handset, the Moto G would make a perfect companion for you. The Moto G makes it to the number 3 spot purely on its insanely good price to performance ratio.