The Only Smartphones Worth Buying Right Now [RANKED]

Even though it's well over a year old now, the iPhone 4S is still a great device because you still get access to Apple's excellent ecosystem of movies, music, and apps. 

In short, the 4S gives you basically the same experience as the iPhone 5 at half the price.

Price: Starts at $99 with a two-year contract (Sprint, Verizon, or AT&T)

Nokia's current flagship phone, the Lumia 920, is one of the first devices to run the latest operating system from Microsoft called Windows Phone 8. Nokia worked closely with Microsoft to make the Lumia 920, so it's one of the best representations of what the platform can do.

Just be warned: The Lumia 920 isn't as light and thin as most top-tier smartphones. This thing is a brick.

But if you're looking for a unique experience from Android or iPhone, the Lumia 920 could be worth it.

Click here for our full review of the Lumia 920 >

Price: $99.99 with a two-year contract from AT&T

Samsung is largely credited with kicking off the so-called "phablet" craze, and the Galaxy Note II is the best device in the category. It has a huge 5.5-inch screen plus a stylus for drawing and taking notes. 

If you want a phone with a super-huge screen, the Galaxy Note II is the only device you should consider buying.

Click here for our full review of the Galaxy Note II > 

Price: $299.99 with a two-year contract from Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint. The T-Mobile version costs $369.99 with a two-year contract.

On paper, LG's new Optimus G is one of the most powerful smartphones you can buy today. It's not the prettiest phone, but it's a good option if you want a lot of horsepower. 

Click here for our full review of the Optimus G >

Price: $99.99 with a two-year contract from AT&T or Sprint

If you want a Windows Phone, HTC's Windows Phone 8x is the first device you should consider buying. We think it's the best phone on the platform today. 

Click here for our full review of the Windows Phone 8x >

Price: Starts at $99.99 on AT&T or $99.99 on Verizon

HTC's One X+ was one of the best smartphones to launch in 2012. It's nearly identical to the HTC One X that launched early last year, but has a faster processor and more memory. 

If you're an AT&T customer, the One X+ is one of the first phones to consider buying.

Click here for our full review of the HTC One X >

Price: $199.99 with a two-year contract on AT&T

HTC's Droid DNA is the first smartphone that can play full 1080p HD video. Impressive. 

Even though the DNA has a big 5-inch screen, the device doesn't feel absurdly large. It's the best phone HTC makes right now.

Click here for our full review of the Droid DNA >

Price: $199.99 with a two-year contract from Verizon

Google's Nexus 4 flagship phone appears to finally be in stock for good. After months of supply problems, you can now get the Nexus 4 unlocked straight from Google for a very reasonable price. 

There's one major downside: The Nexus 4 can't connect to LTE networks, meaning you won't get the fastest data speeds possible.

Click here for our full review of the Nexus 4 >

Price: Google sells the unlocked model starting at $299. You can get it from T-Mobile for $199.99 with a two-year contract.

After all this time, we still think Samsung's Galaxy S III is the best Android phone you can buy today. It has the best design, best screen, and best software features compared to the rest of the Android phones out there.

The Galaxy S III's price has dropped on several carriers recently, so you're getting an incredible smartphone for just the fraction of the cost of a comparable iPhone or other top-tier device.

Click here for our full Samsung Galaxy S III review >

Price: Starts at $199.99 with a two-year contract, but price varies by carrier (Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and U.S. Cellular)

The iPhone 5 is the best smartphone choice for most people. If you're having trouble deciding, you won't be disappointed if you buy Apple's latest and greatest phone.

Click here for our iPhone 5 review >  

Price: Starts at $199 with a two-year contract (Sprint, Verizon, and AT&T)

BlackBerry announced its new phone, the Z10, at a big launch event at the end of January. It's launching as early as the first week of February in some countries, but won't be available until mid-March in the U.S. Stay tuned!

In the meantime...

Click here for photos of the BlackBerry Z10 >

Click here for screenshots of the new BlackBerry 10 operating system >

HTC will announce its next flagship Android phone, the M7, at a press event on Feb. 19. Images of the phone have leaked a few times in recent weeks, but we're still waiting for final details from HTC.

Click here to see the 14 most anticipated smartphones launching this year >