Best Mobile Phones of 2010

The year 2010 is coming to an end and it has been a great year as far as mobile phones are concerned. We saw the introduction of three new mobile operating systems, namely, Microsoft's Windows Phone 7, Samsung's bada and Nokia's Symbian ^3. Apple launched the fourth generation model of the iconic iPhone (after its controversial leak earlier this year) and Google launched three versions of Android, and offered a sneak peak of the next version.

There have also been countless handsets released, running different operating systems from all manufacturers. But not all these phones were good and some were easily forgettable. But there were some that stuck in our minds long after they left our hands and we couldn't help but remember them while we put together this list.

This article is dedicated to all those awesome phones that were launched this year and set a benchmark for the phones that will come out next year.

Apple iPhone 4

This is the only phone in this list that we never got to fully review, but we did get to use it just enough to know that the boys over in the States weren't going crazy over it for no reason. For most of us at Techtree, there is little doubt in our minds that the iPhone is the best smartphone in the world and the iPhone 4 is the best iPhone that has ever come out.

It is hard to come across a device that unites so many qualities so beautifully as the iPhone 4 does. The phones has a drop-dead gorgeous design, visually stunning display with the highest resolution of any smartphone, a world-class operating system that remains unbeaten when it comes to design, ease of use and the quantity and quality of applications that are available for it.

The iPhone 4 was also blessed with a superb hardware that perfectly compliments the software. Although the phone has been burdened with controversies such as the early leak of the antennagate issue and the non-availability of the white-colored version, the iPhone 4 managed to survive all that and create some record-breaking sales that are still going strong. Call us Apple fanboys if you will, but we are yet to see a more complete smartphone than Apple's iPhone 4.

Samsung Galaxy S Series

Had Apple not gone ahead and launched the iPhone 4, stealing Samsung's thunder, we would have been waxing poetic about the Galaxy S series. But we will still go ahead and do it anyway because it deserves it. Samsung's Galaxy S series have not only been the best phones that are made by Samsung but also the best Android phones available on the market right now.

They offer by far the widest range of features and match them with performance. It has a slim design, eye-popping display quality and excellent communication and multimedia performance. Marred slightly by a plasticky design and lack of features on certain models such as an LED flash, the Galaxy S series still manages to impress greatly and reserve a spot for itself in our best of 2010 list.

(The Galaxy S series includes all the Galaxy S handsets, including the US carrier specific ones, as well as Google's Nexus S)
Nokia N8

Some of you may be surprised to see the N8 in this list, but we couldn't be surer about placing it here. We know the N8 got some pretty bad reviews internationally but we couldn't figure out exactly what's so bad about it. We know the Symbian ^3 OS is far from being as user friendly as iOS or Android but the software aside we really couldn't find too many reasons to complain about the phone.

In fact, the N8 absolutely delighted us in almost every other aspect. Whether it is the opulent anodized aluminum body, the brilliant multimedia performance or the terrific 12 megapixel camera, the N8 left few stones unturned. Add to it useful little features such as USB On-the-Go and HDMI output with Dolby Digital Plus surround sound and the N8 basically just walked in and put itself on this list.



Samsung Wave

This is another mobile phone that we felt should have received more love from reviewers and people alike. The Samsung Wave is an astonishingly capable handset and the best part about it was how it could do so much while not being expensive. Samsung's first phone running on its new bada operating system, the Wave did pretty well on the software front for a new OS, but where it truly impressed, nay shocked us, was with the hardware. We are yet to see a better display in that price range than the Wave's fabulous 3.2-inch Super AMOLED display. Then there is the super fast 1GHz processor, really good 5 megapixel camera with 720p HD video recording and 1080p video playback.

The phone looks great and has a solid metal body that makes the Galaxy S look cheap in comparison. But where it really lacked was in the apps department, and even after so many months since its launch there aren't too many apps to choose from. What's even worse is that the Wave is no longer on sale in India, and we feel it has something to do with the Super AMOLED display shortage that Samsung was facing.

Now that the Wave 2 is going to be launched soon, with its feature list and price being near identical to the Wave, we guess we won't really be missing the original Wave that much.