2012 was a good year for mobiles that were high on design and packed with performance. We saw top guns in the mobile industry battling it out with some of the sleekest, fastest and sophisticated phones. Though this may have created some inevitable chaos, confusion and mayhem, no one can deny the extraordinary results that have come out of it.
We take you through a rundown of the entire year and discuss the highlights of 2012 and some of the most popular phones of the year.
Samsung
Samsung
This year has proven to be one of the most successful years for Samsung. Holding almost 26% of market share, Samsung has become one of the leading handset makers in the world. 2012 saw the company escalating to number one position as a mobile company, as it shipped more than 50 million smartphones this year and was deemed as the most trusted brand in USA and UK. Amongst its offerings across various segments of the market, the Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note 2 were unanimously approved as the best.
Galaxy S III
The Samsung Galaxy S III, launched in April, gave us a glimpse of what was in store for us this year. Not only did it start off as one of the best phones in the smart phone industry, but even after arch rival and stiff competitor, released the iPhone 5, its counterpart in terms of technical genius, the Samsung Galaxy S III managed to reign as the best in the gadget world. This sleek, smart and power packed smart phone has sold more than 30 million units and is still going strong.
Samsung Galaxy Note 2
Big, bulky and cumbersome, are all things that should make up for the list of the features of what not to have in a phone, and this is exactly how one can describe the Samsung Galaxy Note 2. But these same features are what worked for this mammoth of a phone or the ‘phablet’. The large screen gives it a crisp resolution and makes surfing the internet fun and unrestricted. The phone initially did get put down by many tech critics and design analysts but by the looks of the truckloads of shipments of this phone, the phone’s success is pretty evident.
Apple
Apple
If there is a name in the market that manages to compete if not overthrow the reputation of Samsung, it’s Apple. The world is literally divided into Apple fanboys and Android lovers. With the lawsuits, hard-core ad campaigns and cut throat competition, where there is a mention of Samsung, Apple has to follow.
2012 saw this Cupertino-based company come up with yet another marvel in the world of mobile telephones – iPhone 5. After the release of the iPhone 5, the company elevated to position of the most valued company of the world, displacing Microsoft. Deemed as the best iPhone so far, this was the sole contender from Apple and sold 5 million units in just three days.
iPhone 5
The iPhone 5 is undoubtedly one of the most successful smartphones of this year. Oozing with technical sophistication, ergonomic appeal and overall Apple sleekness, the iPhone 5 is the mobile everyone has an eye on. Despite the mishap of the maps, iPhone 5’s sales continue to grow and beat records of its predecessors.
Nokia
Nokia
Nokia has been one of the largest producers of mobiles for over two decades. For the past few years, this Finnish Company had almost lost its popularity. With the advent of Android and fall of Symbian, Nokia lost its place as one of the most popular mobile brands in the world.
This year, however, we were glad to see Nokia back into the league of making top quality mobiles. Nokia have been doing well with their Windows OS for phones. This year Nokia launched a number of phones in the Lumia series, the Nokia 808 Pure View and the Asha Series. But the phone that was Nokia’s best contender this year was undoubtedly Lumia 920.
Lumia 920
This may be by far the best Windows phone out there. With its simple and neat design, this phone surely made heads turn in the tech world. It crisp and rich colour resolution and sturdy build is definitely a winner.
HTC
HTC
2011 was not a very good year for HTC and they were not willing to let that get in their way. 2012 saw a whole new range of smartphones, that were worthy of its name and the best among them was the HTC 8X.
HTC 8X
The HTC 8X is one of the few phones that manages to shine in a world dominated by iPhones and Galaxies. Sleek in its design and smooth in its operation, the HTC 8X runs on the Windows 8 OS, this makes it even more alluring. In fact, critics as well as users can vouch for this being the best windows 8 phone for its budget out there!
Sony
Sony
Known in the telecom world to produce mobiles that have the perfect blend of technology and price, Sony came up with a number of choices this year. Sony Xperia Series marks the entry of this Japanese company into the mid-range Android devices and the phone that really stood out was the Xperia T.
Xperia T
The Xperia T was released in the latter half of 2012 and is marked as a flagship device released by the Sony. The Xperia T mobile was loved for its excellent chipset and brilliant design, but most of all for its modest pricing, for its extra ordinary features.
LG’s Google Nexus
The Korean company recently launched one of its best products in the mobile market, the Google Nexus 4. This may not win you over with its looks, but once you turn it on, it is quite difficult to put it down. With the Nexus 4, Google has finally bridged the gap between itself and the iOS.
2012 also brought about the downfall of many companies, many of whom were looked up as pioneers of the mobile industry. Motorola mobility moved to Google, RIM saw a 9 year down and cut down a lot of its work force all over the world and finally Nokia, once the most formidable name in the mobile industry saw a 16 year low and lost its position as the most valuable company in its own homeland Finland. Overall, it has been a roller-coaster ride for mobile manufacturers and consumers have ditched brand loyalties to switch to newer vanities.
