Samsung's big push for 2013: content, corporates

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics, the global leader in consumer smartphones, is planning two major thrusts in 2013: bulking up mobile content and moving faster into the corporate market dominated by Research in Motion.
The South Korean electronics company is investing in devices that enterprise users like corporations will endorse, with a higher level of security and reliability than general users need. In doing so, Samsung is capitalizing on doubts about the longevity of the BlackBerry as its Canadian maker struggles to revive growth.
Samsung's corporate market ambitions have advanced as the Galaxy SIII, its popular flagship smartphone, won the requisite security certifications from companies, said Kevin Packingham, chief product officer for Samsung Mobile USA.
As RIM prepares to launch its next-generation BlackBerry 10 this quarter, the company's future remains shaky. Corporate technology officers have begun to explore other smartphones, such as those by Apple Inc or Samsung.
"The enterprise space has suddenly become wide open. The RIM problems certainly fueled a lot of what the CIOs are going through, which is they want to get away from a lot of the proprietary solutions," Packingham said in an interview at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. "They want something that integrates what they are doing with their IT systems. Samsung is investing in that area."
"It's been a focus for a long time but the products have evolved now that we can really take advantage of that," he added. "We knew we had to build more tech devices to successfully enter the enterprise market. What really turned that needle was that we had the power of the GS3."
Samsung in 2012 overtook Apple as the world's largest maker of smartphones, with a vastly larger selection of cellphones that attacked different price points and proved popular in emerging markets.
German business software maker SAP provides employees with Samsung's Galaxy S III, the larger Galaxy Note and the Galaxy Tab, SAP Chief Information Officer Oliver Bussmann said in an interview.
"The one clear trend in enterprise is the shift away from one device to multiple devices," said Bussman, who makes 10 devices available to SAP employees for official use. The list includes Apple's iPhone and iPad, Nokia Lumia and RIM's Blackberry.
"Because of the fragmentation of the Android software, we decided to go with just one Android company and we went with Samsung," he added.
Now, the Korean hardware specialist is beefing up its software - an area in which it has lagged arch-enemy Apple, which revolutionized the mobile phone from 2007 with its content-rich, developer-led iPhone ecosystem.
Packingham sees an area ripe for innovation - combining the mobile phone with Samsung's strength, the TV, which has barely evolved in the past decade.
Still, the U.S.-based executive remained cagey about Samsung's plans for content and enterprise.
"You are going to see from content services, we'll start to integrate what's happening on the big screen, what's happening on the tablet," he said.
"We know now that people like to explore content that they are watching on TV while they have a tablet in their lap, and that's going to be a big theme for this year.

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ZTE Grand S ‘phablet’ announced with a quad-core CPU and 1080p display

ZTE (0763) on Tuesday became the latest company to showcase a full HD “phablet” at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The Android-powered Grand S smartphone comes with a 5-inch 1080p display, a quad-core Snapdragon S4 processor clocked at 1.7GHz and a 13-megapixel rear camera. The handset is also remarkably thin, measuring in at a mere 6.9 millimeters, and also includes 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, 4G LTE and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. The Grand S is slated to arrive in China during the first quarter of 2013, but no pricing information was announced and it is unclear if the device will make its way to the U.S. market. ZTE’s press release follows below.
[More from BGR: Corning demonstrates the strength of Gorilla Glass 3 [video]]
ZTE Announces World Debut of the Thinnest 5.0 FHD Quad-core Smartphone Grand S at CES 2013
[More from BGR: Apple’s next iPhone to reportedly feature larger screen and ‘brand new exterior design’]
Introducing more High-end Smartphones with Power and Style in 2013
LAS VEGAS, N.V. – January 8, 2012 – From the 2013 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), ZTE Corporation (“ZTE”) (H share stock code: 0763.HK / A share stock code: 000063.SZ), a publicly-listed global provider of telecommunications equipment, network solutions and mobile devices, today announced the world debut of the ZTE Grand S – 5.0 FHD LTE. As the flagship handset in ZTE’s high-end Grand Series line of products, the ZTE Grand S is the company’s first FHD smartphone and the world’s thinnest within 5 inch FHD quad-core smartphones, enabled by the Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, a product of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated. Developed by ZTE, the ultrathin body and high definition display of the ZTE Grand S offer consumers the latest in style, quality and functionality.
From the full-website display which enables optimal content browsing, to the 4G LTE high-speed network which powers a world-class multimedia experience, the ZTE Grand S offers cutting-edge features for even the most discerning smartphone user. The blazingly fast 4G LTE network allows for top-speed downloading and establishes the handset as a premier gaming and movie-viewing portal. Furthermore, the ZTE Grand S offers smartphone photography mavens advanced functions for more vivid self-photography and video calling effects. With face recognition, anti-shake and a panoramic camera, the ZTE Grand S truly presents a high-quality multimedia option for today’s smartphone audience.
The introduction of the ZTE Grand S completes the new Grand Series, which also includes the Grand Era and Grand X. In the series, the ZTE Grand X is for consumers with a passion for high tech, the ZTE Grand Era is for the most advanced smartphone user and the ZTE Grand S is the flagship handset offering the perfect combination of art and technology. The ZTE Grand S represents the company’s latest entry in a new era of smartphone design, which will continue in 2013 with the introduction of additional high-end smartphones.
“The ZTE Grand S gives our customers the latest in technology, functionality and style. We understand that today’s consumers call for advanced features and state-of-the-art multimedia options in their handsets, and the ZTE Grand S confidently addresses those demands,” said Mr. Kan Yulun, Corporate Vice President of ZTE Corporation and CTO of the ZTE Mobile Device Division. “It is fitting that we can announce the world debut of the ZTE Grand S at CES 2013, the world’s largest annual innovation event.”
Key features of the ZTE Grand S include:
4G LTE –Customers can expect fast download speeds of 100 Mbps and upload speeds of 50 Mbps in 4G LTE Mobile Broadband coverage areas
Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor with 1.7GHz quad-core CPU
Android Jelly Bean operating system
13M AF camera with Flash and 2M FF 1080P video
Expert hardware and software safety protection standard – Palm Manager helps users manage mobile phone software, optimize electricity use and protect private information
5 inch FHD screen capable of full-website display
Dolby Digital surround sound
Memory: 2GB RAM + 16GB EMMC
Dimensions: 142*69*6.9mm
The ZTE Grand S was introduced at a special press event at the Las Vegas Convention Center and will remain on display at the ZTE booth (Las Vegas Convention Center, Booth #36612) throughout CES.
The ZTE Grand S will be available for online purchase in China first in Q1 of 2013.

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Flextronics looks to Android for manufacturing innovation

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Flextronics International Ltd's recent agreement to take over Motorola Mobility's factories amounts to a big bet by the contract manufacturer on Google Inc's Android ecosystem, a senior executive said.
"We're doubling down on Android because we believe strongly in Google's innovative capability and ability to be a leader like Microsoft and Apple in iconic hardware," said Mike Dennison, head of Flextronics' High Velocity Solutions group, which manufactures smartphones, tablets, laptops, game consoles and other consumer electronics.
In December, Flextronics said it had agreed to take over manufacturing operations in Tianjin, China and in Jaguariuna, Brazil, owned by Motorola Mobility, a unit of Google.
The deal with Motorola includes manufacturing and service for Android mobile devices.
Dennison told Reuters at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Tuesday that Motorola's factories give Flextronics more exposure to leading-edge technology and manufacturing techniques used in smartphones and tablets.
The factories also give Flextronics access to employees trained in specialized manufacturing.
"You want to be in the Android ecosystem because it's driving so much hardware technology innovation," Dennison said. "There are so many new technologies out there that a factory of yesterday can't do.

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Microsoft lashes out at Google’s decision to spurn Windows Phone

Dave Heiner, vice president and deputy general counsel for Microsoft (MSFT), took aim at Google (GOOG) and the company’s unwillingness to develop for Windows Phone 8 in a blog post on Wednesday. Heiner claims that, “Google continues to prevent Microsoft from offering consumers a fully featured YouTube app [among other] for the Windows Phone.” Microsoft has been apparently been trying to get a full-feature YouTube app for its Windows Phone operating system for more than two years, however it has been unsuccessful.
[More from BGR: ‘iPhone 5S’ to reportedly launch by June with multiple color options and two different display sizes]
Despite the fact that the Windows Phone Marketplace has doubled in the past year, Google has not yet produced any quality apps for the platform. The company previously said that it will not be launching a native Gmail or Google Drive app for Windows 8 or Windows Phone until people start using the operating systems.

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What Happened to the 2012 Tech Bubble That Never Was

Turns out Facebook's fizzled IPO was a pretty good microcosm for 2012 in startup land: it was all one big fizzle. The final numbers for last year in venture-capital IPOs and acquisitions are in, and while there was no dot-com-era type of explosion, the much hyped new tech bubble appears to have just... petered out. There remains hope, as always, for the unpredictable year ahead. Here are some key stats from the Thompson Reuters and National Venture Capital Association survey released Wednesday:
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Venture-backed companies made less money for their investors than they did a year ago.
There is less investment money out there, overall, with investors doling out $6.9 billion last quarter, compared to $10.1 billion the year before and $8.4 billion a quarter before that — a trend that The Wall Street Journal noted back in September, which we speculated may have had something to do with Facebook's IPO fail.
Acquisitions of "venture-backed companies" were also down, totaling $3.52 billion last quarter down from $4.99 the year before, as were acquisitions in general, which totaled $21.5 billion, down 11 percent from $24.09 billion in 2011.
The number of companies that opted to IPO fell to eight from 11 the year before.
The most positive figure from the entire report is actually skewed: Those eight companies that did IPO companies raised more money on average, combing out with higher valuations — an average that is weighed down almost entirely by Facebook. But venture-backed companies did raise $21.5 billion (way up from $10.7 billion the year before), which was the strongest annual funding since 2000.
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These numbers match the trends we saw all year, with Facebook's initial stock drop scaring away investors from start-ups, venture capitalists having a hard time raising money for tech ventures, and companies like Kayak pushing off their IPOs as long as possible until market conditions suit edtheir needs. It's just a lot of hesitancy. Part of that might just be a Facebook effect, or maybe 2012 was the "peak of the hype cycle" as Scott Sandell, a venture capitalist at New Enterprise Associates, described the year to The Wall Street Journal's Pui Wing-Tam.
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And a descent generally follows a peak, right? Still, Sandell doesn't see 2013 as a year of doom or gloom for Silicon Valley. Things are sunny! "The end isn't anywhere near," he said, pointing to bright spots in companies that sell technologies to businesses. Of course, those aren't the big tech 2.0 companies we hear about all the time, the ones that made up the much discussed and much more specific social media bubble. What will become of the Twitters and Tumblrs, the Pinterests and Paths and SnapChats and all the clones they've already spawned? The path is less clear than ever, but, hey, it's only the first week fo January. And it probably won't be as bad as this.

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Patent hints Apple may bring its own unique stylus to iOS devices

Many people had a good laugh when Samsung (005930) unveiled the Galaxy Note last year and made a big deal out of the device’s Palm Pilot-like stylus. But once the Galaxy Note became a hit, people stopped snickering and began to take the stylus seriously as an accessory once again. Apple (AAPL) is apparently considering hopping on the stylus bandwagon, as HotHardware reports that the company has filed a patent for a pen accessory it describes as an “active stylus” that “can either act as a drive electrode to create an electric field between the drive electrode and the sense lines of a mutual capacitive touch sensor panel, or as a sense electrode for sensing capacitively coupled signals from one or more stimulated drive rows and columns of the touch sensor panel or both.”
[More from BGR: ‘iPhone 5S’ to reportedly launch by June with multiple color options and two different display sizes]
Putting things into plain English, HotHardware says that this active stylus “would perform the same functions as a traditional stylus, it would just do a better job” by allowing for “more accurate input.”
[More from BGR: Nokia predicted to abandon mobile business, sell assets to Microsoft and Huawei in 2013]
Since Apple has willingly followed market trends over the past year by releasing a larger version of the iPhone and an 8-inch version of the iPad, it shouldn’t be too surprising that Apple is considering adding a stylus to its lineup of iOS products. That said, you probably shouldn’t expect Apple to release an “iNote” phablet anytime in the near future even if the company does release the next-generation iPhone in two different sizes.

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Quick fix for Boot Camp brings Windows 8 to new iMac computers

Early adopters of Apple’s (AAPL) new iMac computers who chose the 3TB Fusion Drive model have been unable to use Boot Camp Assistant. The program, which allows OS X users to install a Windows partition on their computers, is limited to drives of up to 2.2TB. Apple has hinted that the software may be updated in the future to support larger drives, however no set time frame has been given. Despite the set back, it has been discovered that it is still possible to create a working Boot Camp partition on new iMacs.
[More from BGR: ‘iPhone 5S’ to reportedly launch by June with multiple color options and two different display sizes]
TwoCanoes Software notes that, “since it is not possible to get around the 2.2 TB limitation with booting Windows, it is possible to organize the partitions so that Windows is the last of the first four partitons [sic] and is within the first 2.2 TBs of space on the drive. Since the Mac can see the remaining space above the 2.2 TB limit, this space can be used for addtional [sic] storage space for OS X.”
[More from BGR: Nokia predicted to abandon mobile business, sell assets to Microsoft and Huawei in 2013]
TwoCanoes has created a simple step-by-step guide that will help users install Windows on their new iMac computers, and the fix will work with the latest version of Microsoft’s (MSFT) operating system, Windows 8.

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Samsung forced to reveal Galaxy sales data to Apple

Samsung (005930) was found to have infringed upon six of Apple’s patents this past August and ordered to pay the company $1.05 billion in damages. Apple (AAPL) is also seeking additional damages after its bid to blocks sales of eight Samsung devices failed. In order to asses the damages, Apple requested that Samsung hand over its sales data for its popular Galaxy line of smartphones and tablets. The company refused, however, in an effort to protect its confidential pricing details and profit margins.
[More from BGR: ‘iPhone 5S’ to reportedly launch by June with multiple color options and two different display sizes]
U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh recently ruled that Samsung must file an exhibit listing the total number of units of sold during certain time periods, Bloomberg reported. In a separate order, the Judge granted Samsung its request to delay the publication of part of a sealed document that showed per-unit operating profit for two of its phones.
[More from BGR: Nokia predicted to abandon mobile business, sell assets to Microsoft and Huawei in 2013]
Koh denied most of Apple’s and Samsung’s other requests to seal documents, noting that here isn’t a “compelling reason” that would require them to be sealed.

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RIM offers biggest clients incentives to adopt BB10

TORONTO (Reuters) - Research In Motion Ltd on Thursday outlined a program of incentives to encourage its biggest customers to run its soon-to-launch line of BlackBerry 10 devices, seeking to persuade corporations and government users to stick with its secure smartphones.

RIM is betting that the devices, to be launched on January 30, will revive its fortunes. That will depend to a large extent on the response from RIM's enterprise customers -- the business users who value BlackBerry's strong security features.

Waterloo, Ontario-based RIM, once a smartphone pioneer, has bled market share to Apple Inc's iPhone and devices powered by Google's market-leading Android operating system, even among the business customers who once used BlackBerry exclusively.

RIM says its new devices will be faster and smoother than previous BlackBerry phones and will have a large catalog of apps, which are crucial to the success of any new line of smartphones.

It now plans to phase in a BlackBerry 10 Ready Program for enterprise customers, initially offering online training and webcasts, and then providing free trade-ups of licenses and services.

"We will be aggressively reaching out to our customers to make sure they are aware of this program," said Bryan Lee, senior director of enterprise at RIM. "We see this as really the linchpin for helping our customers to transition to BB10."

Early adoption of BlackBerry 10 by government and corporate clients will go a long way in easing the concerns of both RIM's clients and investors. Many fear that a lackluster market reception to BB10 could seal RIM's fate.

RIM, which does not say what percentage of its business comes from the enterprise customers, said its online training and webcast series are already in place. Trade-ups, including free upgrades on the licenses for BB10 operating system, will be available ahead of the January 30 launch.

Evercore Partners analyst Mark McKechnie said RIM's step-by-step program to woo enterprise customers was a positive move, though it highlights the challenges RIM faces.

"We are encouraged with an 'all out' marketing campaign with the right incentives to motivate enterprises to upgrade," he said in a note to clients. "Our take is that this will remove a roadblock for those already planning to upgrade, but likely won't push too many who prefer to wait."

McKechnie, who has an "equal-weight" rating on RIM's stock, said the move is unlikely to tempt back customers who have already abandoned the BlackBerry in favor of iPhones and Android devices. RIM offers support for the rival devices, but needs corporates to update to Blackberry Enterprise Service 10 so they can power and run BB10 devices on their networks.

BB10 READY

RIM's Lee said he sees tremendous excitement from enterprise customers who want to use the new platform, but he would not speculate on how many would be ready to transition to the new platform come launch day.

RIM said last month that its BlackBerry Enterprise Server 10, which runs the devices on corporate networks, is in beta testing with around 20 key government agencies and corporates.

Feedback on the BB10 devices and platform has been largely positive from both carriers and developers. Financial analysts remain divided.

Some have upgraded their ratings and targets on RIM's share price in anticipation of a successful launch of BB10, while others believe the new platform has little chance of succeeding.

TD Securities analyst Scott Penner on Wednesday raised his price target on RIM to $12 from $9.50, but said RIM still faces significant hurdles.

RIM's stock has surged over the last two months from multi-year lows around $6 as the launch date for the new devices nears. The stock is still more than 90 percent below the 2008 all-time high around $148.

The latest TSX data indicates that short positions in RIM shares have fallen dramatically in the last two weeks. The total short positions in RIM, a bet that the stock price will fall, on the TSX fell to 15.2 million as of November 30, down from 20.6 million in the prior two weeks.

RIM shares slipped 0.4 percent to $11.89 on the Nasdaq on Thursday. The Toronto-listed shares ended down 0.3 percent at C$11.81.

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Windows Phone shipments could surge by 150% in 2013

2013 might go down as the year that Windows Phone finally hits the mainstream. A new study from Digitimes Research predicts Microsoft (MSFT) is expected to see the highest increase in shipments among all mobile device operating systems next year as Windows Phone devices, including both Windows Phone 7 and Windows Phone 8 models, will see shipments increase 150% to 52.5 million units, good for a 6.1% share of the smartphone market. The firm also predicts that Google’s (GOOG) Android  operating system is expected to “solidify its market leadership” in the mobile space in the upcoming year.  With continued support from a wide-range of smartphone vendors and higher sales in emerging markets, the platform could see shipments top 600 million units, or 70% of the market, for the first time. Apple (AAPL) is once again expected to take second place with its iPhone accounting for 20% of all smartphone shipments, while Research in Motion’s (RIMM) BlackBerry devices are expected to only account for a 3.7% share.

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iPhone 5′s lack of NFC called ‘a serious blow for the technology’

Phil Schiller, Apple’s (AAPL) senior vice president of worldwide marketing has said before that the iPhone 5 doesn’t have NFC because “it’s not clear that NFC is the solution to any current problem.” While most Android smartphones happily tout that NFC’s wireless capabilities are the future of mobile payments, Juniper Research analyst Dr. Windsor Holden  wrote in his latest report that NFC growth will slow from the previously forecasted $180 billion industry by 2017 to $110 billion. Holden pins his projections for NFC’s slower growth on Apple’s failure to include NFC in its iPhone 5. He says the company’s decision is “a serious blow for the technology” and that it will be “even more difficult to persuade consumers – and retailers – to embrace what amounts to a wholly new means of payment.” Juniper Research is projecting that North America and Western Europe will have a “two-year lag” in growth based on the lower rate of NFC adoption in point of sale systems.

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Apple and Samsung return to court to battle over $1 billion verdict

Samsung (005930) and Apple (AAPL) on Thursday return to a San Jose, California courtroom to once again square off in front of U.S. District Court Judge Lucy Koh regarding an earlier ruling from August, the Wall Street Journal reported. The South Korean vendor is looking to have the federal judge throw out or soften the $1.05 billion in damages it was hit with for infringing upon Apple’s protected technology earlier this year. At the same time, however, Apple is seeking an additional $535 million and is looking to ban 26 infringing Samsung products from being sold in the U.S. Apple recently made peace with HTC through a 10 year patent licensing agreement, which Samsung argues shows that the iPhone-maker is willing to settle and an injunction against its devices is not necessary. Judge Koh  can rule on any of the arguments before, during or after the hearing, although both companies are expected to appeal an unsatisfying decision and keep the battle going for many years to come.

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The best smartphones of 2012: Sprint

Sprint (S) is featured in the third installment of our series and while it doesn’t sell quite as many smartphones as its rivals Verizon Wireless (VZ) and AT&T (T), it offers smartphone users something the big-two do not: Truly unlimited data with no caps and no throttling. That unlimited data is somewhat slow in most parts of the country since Sprint’s  LTE network is in its infancy, but the carrier still had a great smartphone lineup for subscribers in 2012. Sprint’s newest addition to its flagship brand — the HTC (2498) EVO 4G LTE  — didn’t make the cut this year along with a few other phones that came close, but the five handsets listed below were our clear stand-outs for 2012.
Samsung Galaxy S III ($199.99+)

Samsung (005930) has taken a lot of heat over the past year following countless allegations that it is ripping off Apple’s (AAPL) hardware and software designs. Some agree and some do not but the fact of the matter is that Samsung has a formula that works.

The company’s flagship smartphone for 2012 is the Galaxy S III, and it became Samsung’s most successful smartphone ever for good reason: A sleek design, cutting-edge components and a giant, beautiful display combine to form an overall user experience that smartphone users just can’t get enough of.

Highlights include a 4.8-inch 720 x 1,280-pixel Super AMOLED screen, a quad-core 1.4GHz processor, up to 64GB of internal storage, microSDXC support, an 8-megapixel camera and a suite of great Samsung services mixed into Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

The Galaxy S III was first unveiled in May but even now, more than seven months later, it’s still one of the best smartphones on the market.
iPhone 5 ($199.99+)

Apple’s iPhone 5 has already made two appearances on our best-of lists, and now it’s back for a third mention.

Including the fastest-selling smartphone in history on a list like this is considered a no-brainer by many, but Apple’s latest smartphone has plenty more going for it than just sales.

It’s easily one of the most solid smartphones that has ever been produced in terms of build and materials, the design is arguably the sleekest on the market, and iOS 6 offers one of the most refined and comprehensive mobile experiences available. And while several smartphones make the iPhone 5 look puny on paper, specs are a small part of a much bigger picture — independent tests performed by PC Magazine earlier this year found Apple’s latest iPhone to be “the fastest smartphone in the land.”

Apple is bound to top the iPhone 5 when it launches the handset’s successor next year but for the time being, this phone is definitely one of the best in the business.
LG Optimus G ($199.99)

If you had told me last year that I would be naming an LG (066570) smartphone as one of the best smartphones of 2012 — for the second time — I definitely wouldn’t have believed you.

It’s not that LG makes bad phones — far from it. LG’s smartphones have never really been anything to write home about though, trumped time and time again by offerings from the likes of Samsung, HTC and Apple. In 2012, however, all that changed.

The LG Optimus G is without question one of the most impressive smartphones that launched in 2012. On paper, it’s a beast thanks to its 1.5GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 4.7-inch 768 x 1,280 display, 8- or 13-megapixel camera (Sprint’s version has the 13-megapixel version) and 32GB of storage. Where some well-spec’d phones fall short in the real world, LG’s Optimus G shines with lightning-fast performance, an extensive feature set and a gorgeous and unique Optimus user interface.

I will say that I prefer the styling of AT&T’s version of this phone as opposed to Sprint’s, but the Optimus G is still one of the best smartphones Sprint has ever offered.
Samsung Galaxy Note II ($299.99)

Sure I call it “smartphoneasaurus” behind closed doors, but Samsung’s Galaxy Note II was still one of the best smartphones to hit Sprint this year.

The phone’s 151.1-millimeter height and 80.5-millimeter width make it one of the least pocketable handsets on the planet, but the brilliant 5.5-inch HD Super AMOLED screen makes the phone’s massive size well worth for many users. In fact, Samsung has sold more than 5 million Note IIs to date, making it one of the company’s fast-selling phones yet.

Packed within the Note II’s monstrous case lies a 1.6GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, microSDXC support (up to 64GB), an 8-megapixel camera and Samsung’s TouchWiz software. The Galaxy Note II also ships with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean so users have access to great new features like Google Now.

“Phablets” certainly aren’t for everyone and the $300 price tag is a tall order, but those looking for a supersized smartphone should look no further.
Samsung Galaxy Nexus (free)

Can a smartphone that launched in 2011 be named one of the best smartphones of 2012? Why yes, yes it can.

While it’s true that the Galaxy Nexus was first released by a U.S. carrier in December 2011, Sprint didn’t pick up this pure Google (GOOG) phone until the end of April 2012. And while Google has already launched another Nexus phone, the Galaxy Nexus can definitely still hold its own despite its age.

Beyond the gorgeous curved display and sleek case, the Galaxy Nexus brings users a pure Android experience exactly as Google intended it. It also runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, which was found on less than 3% of all Android devices as of November.

Power users may want to look elsewhere since the phone isn’t cutting edge, but with 32GB of storage, a high-definition 720p display, a 1.2GHz dual-core processor and an 1,850 mAh battery, the Galaxy Nexus can still keep pace with most Android phones out there. And the best part? Sprint is offering the Galaxy Nexus online for free on contract right now, and the promo code BATTERY1 gets you a free extended battery and replacement battery door as well.

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