It’s raining Android phones and while you are spoilt for choice, it is also about finally zeroing on the perfect handset that gives you your money’s worth. With a vast range from multiple vendors and each claiming to offer a better, smoother and nicer Android experience, getting to the cream of the crop is surely a task, and we enjoyed doing so.
Our Top 10 Android Phone listing provides information on the key specifications, has links to detailed reviews and our hands-on experiences with devices that have just been released in the Indian market. The pricing of the Top 10 Android phones have been taken from popular and dependable online stores. We shall keep updating the list as per changes in pricing and accordingly the rankings will also be altered to ensure that the Top 10 list is accurate.1) Samsung Galaxy S II (I9100)
Price: Rs 32,890
Awarding the Samsung Galaxy S II as the best Android device, without a through lab review was not an easy call, thanks to the device itself and the brief encounter we had during a reviewers meet, we have no doubt that Samsung has nailed it perfectly. The Samsung Galaxy S II certainly delivers and keeps up with all that hype, the Samsung Galaxy S II is the best Android phone for sure; it perhaps is the best overall smartphone today. While we eagerly wait for our review unit, we urge you to read the international reviews to get some idea of what the device is capable of while we continue to pursue a review unit from Samsung. What makes the Galaxy S II even more tempting in India is the price-point; the S2 is delightfully priced lower than the international pricing. With an MRP of Rs 32,890, the S II should soon settle around the 30K mark in the market. While 30K is a lot of money, but when you consider the fact that most of the other high-end android devices are priced around the 25K mark, 30K for a phone that is far, far ahead of the rest of the pack in every department is clearly justified in our books.
The Samsung Galaxy S II is launching on June 9th and if you are keen to get one,
Key Specifications and Features
- Android v2.3.3 with TouchWiz 4.0
- 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus display
- Super-slim body, weighs just 116g
- 1.2GHz Dual Core Processor
- 1GB of RAM
- 8MP Camera with autofocus
- 1080p video recording@30fps
- HDMI port
- USB 2.0 (MHL), USB on-the-go
- NFC (Near Field Communication) ready
2) HTC Incredible S
Price: Rs 26,399 (flipkart.com)The Incredible S is HTC's current top-end offering in India; it is superbly built, has the HTC Sense UI and offers a very fluid Android 2.3 experience. With a 4-inch screen, the Incredible S is sized perfectly, striking a good balance between screen-size and handling. With 1 GHz Qualcomm processor and 768MB RAM, the Incredible S is well specced, offering a stutter free overall experience across the interface, apps and multitasking (especially after the Android 2.3 update).
Key Specifications and Features
- Android 2.3.3 with HTC Sense UI 2.0
- 4.0-inch SLCD display
- Slim, ruggedized body with excellent build
- 1.0 GHz Qualcomm MSM 8255 CPU
- 768MB RAM
- 8MP Camera with Autofocus
- 720p video capture@30fps
- Gorilla Glass Display
3) Google Nexus S
Price: Rs 26,900 (flipkart.com)
The Nexus S is a “Google” phone, which offers a massive advantage over other Android phones with respect to receiving Android updates. Any minor update or a newer version of the OS itself that the hardware qualifies for will be first seen on the Nexus S. The Nexus S ships pre-loaded with the Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) version and it does not come with any customized UI, giving you the “RAW” android experience. If you are one of those purists wanting the core Android experience, the Nexus S is certainly your best bet today. The 4-inch SuperLCD display of the Indian version is sharp, bright and visibly vibrant, and while it doesn’t compare to the SuperAMOLED of the original, it is still one of the best displays out there.
The Nexus S is a “Google” phone, which offers a massive advantage over other Android phones with respect to receiving Android updates. Any minor update or a newer version of the OS itself that the hardware qualifies for will be first seen on the Nexus S. The Nexus S ships pre-loaded with the Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) version and it does not come with any customized UI, giving you the “RAW” android experience. If you are one of those purists wanting the core Android experience, the Nexus S is certainly your best bet today. The 4-inch SuperLCD display of the Indian version is sharp, bright and visibly vibrant, and while it doesn’t compare to the SuperAMOLED of the original, it is still one of the best displays out there.
Key Specifications and Features:
- Android 2.3.4
- 4-inch SAMOLED display
- Well-built with contoured screen
- 1.0 GHz ARM Cortex-A8 processor
- 512MB RAM
- 5MP Camera with Autofocus
- WVGA (800x480 pixels) video@30fps
- Gorilla Glass Display
Price: Rs. 26,990 (flipkart.com)The only other dual-core processor phone available in India, apart from the Galaxy S II, the LG Optimus 2x sports the popular 1GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 processor onboard, and in fact, holds the title of the world’s first dual-core smartphone. Running Android 2.3 Gingerbread, the Optimus 2x has a 4-inch IPS LCD screen, 512MB of RAM, 8GB of inbuilt storage, an 8MP rear camera and 1.3MP front-facing camera, as well as GPS/A-GPS connectivity. At its price, all this makes the phone a great value for money proposition. It's also one of the few phones in the market to offer 1080p HD video recording.
Key Specifications and Features:
- Android 2.3
- 4-inch IPS LCD display (800x480 pixels)
- World’s first dual-core smartphone
- 1GHz dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 processor with ULP GPU
- 512MB RAM
- 8MP Camera with Autofocus and LED flash
- 1080p HD video@24fps
- Gorilla Glass Display
5) Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc
Price: Rs. 27,499 (flipkart.com)Announced back at CES 2011, the Xperia Arc is Sony Ericsson’s current flagship phone, and is one of the thinnest phones in the world, measuring just 8.7mm at its thinnest with a beautiful contoured form factor. Bearing a 4.2-inch LED-backlit Reality Display powered by a Mobile Bravia Engine, a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 512MB of RAM, and an 8.1MP camera powered by an Exmor R sensor capable of 720p HD recording. It runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread out of the box, with Sony Ericsson’s Timescape UI, and an Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread update has been released for it as well.
Key Specifications and Features
- Android 2.3 (2.3.3 update available)
- 4.2-inch Reality Display (854x480 pixels)
- Super-slim and elegant, contoured design
- 1GHz Scorpion processor with Adreno 205 GPU
- 512MB RAM
- 8MP Camera with Autofocus and LED flash
- 720p HD video@30fps
6) Sony Ericsson Xperia Play
Price: Rs. 29,999 (flipkart.com)The long-awaited PlayStation Phone arrived earlier this year with much fanfare and excitement. Officially called the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play, the device is a one-of-a-kind product in the global and Indian market today, with its slide-out hardware gamepad that’s inspired by the PlayStation controller, with a D-Pad, two touch-based ‘analog’ sticks, and the PlayStation buttons. The phone is meant for both hardcore and casual gamers who are sick of touchscreen games, with their lack of accurate, responsive control and over-use of display real estate. The Xperia Play comes with exclusive PlayStation games, and a whole section dedicated to it in the app store.
Key Specifications and Features
- Android 2.3.3
- 4.0-inch LED-backlit LCD display (854x480 pixels)
- A bit bulky, the Xperia Play still fits comfortably in your pocket and hand
- 1GHz Scorpion processor with Adreno 205 GPU
- 512MB RAM
- 5MP Camera with Autofocus and LED flash
- WVGA (800x480) video@30fps
7) HTC Desire S
Price: Rs. 26,999The Desire S is a refresh of the popular 2010 Android device, the HTC Desire, and brings notable new features, including the new Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS, while maintaining the old styling. It sports the same 3.7-inch SuperLCD display, the same 5MP camera capable of 720p HD video recording, and the same distinctive aluminium unibody. The HTC Desire S has some useful newer components, justifying the product refresh – more RAM, at 768MB, and the new 1GHz Scorpion processor and Adreno 205 GPU. It also sports better connectivity options, like Wi-Fi b/g/n with DLNA, and HSDPA 14.4Mbps/HSUPA 5.76Mbps.
Key Specifications and Features
- Android 2.3 with HTC Sense UI 2.0
- 3.7-inch SuperLCD (800x480 pixels)
- Sturdy well-built aluminium frame
- 1GHz Scorpion processor with Adreno 205 GPU
- 768MB RAM
- 5MP Camera with Autofocus and LED flash
- 720p HD video@30fps
8) Samsung Galaxy S I9000
Price: Rs. 22,900 (flipkart.com)The Samsung Galaxy S might just be the most popular Android phone ever, having sold millions of units worldwide. With it, Samsung derived many variants, enough to inspire a Galaxy S family of devices. Bearing a 4-inch Super AMOLED display, the Samsung Galaxy S currently ships with Android 2.2 Froyo, but is easily updatable to Android 2.3 Gingerbread. It comes in 8GB and 16GB variants. While it has a slightly aging chipset when compared to the competition, the 1GHz ARM Cortex-A8 processor and PowerVR SGX540 GPU still hold their own against many modern speed demons. With excellent build quality, a great display, snappy performance, and a highly responsive touchscreen, the Galaxy S remains one of the best Android phones today.
Key Specifications and Features:
- Android 2.2 (2.3 update available)
- 4-inch SuperAMOLED (800x480 pixels)
- Solid yet lightweight build
- 1GHz ARM Cortex-A8 processor with PowerVR SGX540 GPU
- 512MB RAM, 4GB ROM
- 5MP Camera with Autofocus and LED flash
- 720p HD video@30fps
- Gorilla Glass Display
9) Samsung Galaxy S I9003 (Galaxy SL)
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Price: Rs. 19,990 (flipkart.com)The low-priced version of the Galaxy S, the Galaxy S I9003 is a great value for money proposition, with the exact same specifications as the Galaxy S, excepting a few minor cost savings – an impressive SuperLCD screen instead of a SuperAMOLED, and 4GB inbuilt storage for the base model. Neither of these things detract from the other qualities and overall performance of the phone, and Samsung has a winner on its hands in the segment, with consumers incredulous at the technology they are getting for less than Rs. 20,000
Key Specifications and Features
- Android 2.2 (2.3 update available)
- 4-inch SuperLCD (800x480 pixels)
- Solid yet lightweight build
- 1GHz ARM Cortex-A8 processor with PowerVR SGX540 GPU
- 512MB RAM, 2GB ROM
- 5MP Camera with Autofocus and LED flash
- 720p HD video@30fps
- Gorilla Glass Display
10) HTC Desire Z
Price: Rs. 24,835The HTC Desire Z is a sleek QWERTY-slider, one of the best the Android platform has to offer. It’s a feature rich phone with great performance, boasting of a 3.7-inch SuperLCD display with a 480x800 resolution, an 800MHz Scorpion processor and Adreno 205 GPU, and 512MB of RAM. It has a surprisingly capable 5MP camera that can also record 720p HD video, a well-designed QWERTY keyboard and responsive touchscreen, and an excellent battery life. It comes with a document editor onboard, perfect for enterprise users.
Key Specifications and Features
- Android 2.2 (2.3 update available) with HTC Sense UI 2.0
- 3.7-inch SuperLCD (800x480 pixels)
- Sturdy, lightweight with well-built keypad
- 800MHz with Adreno 205 GPU
- 512MB RAM, 1.5GB ROM
- 5MP Camera with Autofocus and LED flash
- 720p HD video@30fps
- Gorilla Glass Display
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