A year of phones: 2010’s Top 10 Smartphones

A few years ago Apple totally dominated the smartphone market, but in the last few years Android phones have refined themselves and companies like Nokia and BlackBerry have started to catch up with the big ripples Apple have made in the market. Here’s a list of the top 10 smartphones available on the market to buy right now.

Apple iPhone 4

The ‘big hitter’ of the smartphone market isn’t just popular for the sake of it. While it’s one of the most expensive phones on this list, the iPhone 4 certainly packs an impressive amount of features including a front facing camera for voice chat and the world’s large amount of applications, both premium and free. While the problem with slightly poor signal has never been entirely resolved, it’s still an amazing phone overall.

Samsung Galaxy S

The Galaxy S hasn’t move away from the popular Apple design, though it does pack some impressive features, so it’s a great answer if you love the way the iPhone looks and feels but would much rather use android than iPhone OS to power you phone. The big attraction of the Galaxy is the 4 inch Super AMOLED screen which is one of the most attractive phone screens ever created.

HTC Desire

Looking and feeling very similar to the Nexus One, the Desire has refined that phones original features to produce a very impressive and evolved android handset that’s easy to use, attractive and incredibly powerful. There’s a bigger version with a larger screen also available now called the Desire HD.

HTC Legend

The Legend is a phone that lives up to its name. It looks amazing, it’s got a very cool and intuitive virtual trackball, it’s incredibly fast and responsive and its small form factor makes it great for people not wanting to lug a large smartphone around. Of course, a smaller phone also means a smaller screen, so people that value screen real estate might think twice.

Nokia E72

While the N8 has the monopoly on camera focused smartphones, the E72 provides a more all round experience. It’s ultra slim and sturdy build quality make it an attractive option, while it’s qwerty keyboard makes it a good choice for those that want a real keyboard on their phones but aren’t the sort to go for a newer BlackBerry model.

HTC Touch HD2

Windows Mobile hasn’t been a serious option for most consumers for years thanks to its dated design and poor interface. It’s been totally overhauled on the Touch HD2 however, making the phone one of the most interesting and exciting mobile phones to come onto the market in 2010, and a great alternative to the iPhone without copying the design.

BlackBerry Bold 9700

For people that want a real keyboard on their phone, the Bold delivers one of the best. BlackBerry is well known for their easy to use but compact keyboards which makes the BlackBerry a great phone for people that love to text. It’s down by a weak selection of apps and a rather average camera offering.
Sony Ericson Xperia X10

Sony might not be on the top of everyone’s minds when it comes to smartphones, but the excellent browser on the Xperia is testament to this, although the phone is slightly let down by its somewhat temperamental camera functions.

Palm Pre

The pre is a very attractive phone that uses a design that most smartphones tend to shy away from. While the clamshell design makes the phone thicker than most smart phones, it does allow the Pre to combine a big screen and a real keyboard. Unfortunately, as a Palm phone the app offerings are very slim pickings.

Samsung Wave

While the Samsung Galaxy offers an amazing screen the smaller Wave can’t quite compete with, it’s a superb smartphone in its own right. The interface will be familiar to anyone moving on from the iPhone, and the camera and browser are both incredibly well made. Plus, with the release of the Galaxy, Wave contracts have dropped in price.

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