Great alternatives to the iPhone 5s

Apple will gladly move mountains to prove that there is no better phone than the Apple iPhone 5S in the market today. Anyone who has used an iPhone won't deny they are one of the best designed devices in their hands and the company has continued that trend with their newest flagship.

Now the iPhone 5c on the other hands is whole different story. It has nothing Apple about it. The colorful polycarbonate body is a poor imitation of Nokia's Windows Phones with Apple replacing the beautiful exterior or the iPhone 5 in an attempt to expand their profit margins.

The iOS ecosystem is unmistakably one of the richest ecosystems, but it is definitely not the only one. If you use and iPhone and prefer using Google's services like GMail, Google Maps and Google+ you may want to consider some top of the line Android devices, which don't even cost as much as the newest iPhone.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 comes with a 5 inch full (1080p) HD display, expandable microSD storage, a very capable 13 megapixel camera and a quad-core (optional octa-core) processor with 2GB of RAM. The Galaxy brand is one of the best alternatives to the iPhones with user friendly TouchWiz interface on touch of Android combined with a wide collection of Samsung applications. You can get the Galaxy S4 from Amazon for around $613 unlocked
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We consider the HTC One as the best physical alternative to the iPhone with a solid aluminum unibody design. Even though the HTC One only has a 4 megapixel camera, its Ultrapixel technology, Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) and Zoe software result is amazing low light photos, something that Apple has worked hard to achieve on its iPhone 5S. Other key features include a 4.7 inch full HD display and a quad-core processor with 2GB of RAM. The HTC One is Priced less than $610 on Amazon.
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The LG G2 is the company's newest flagship and it is a beast of a phone. Though LG chose to follow Samsung by building a plastic phone, the 5.2 inch full HD display, 13MP camera, expandable microSD storage and quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor make it a force to be reckoned with. LG has also customized Android for a unique experience for their users, but the most unique feature of this device is the location of its physical buttons, which are placed below the rear camera.  A feature which LG engineers claims best suit their users. The factory unlocked LG G2 is rather pricey on Amazon, but costs just $574.99 unsubsidized on AT&T.


The Sony Xperia Z1 was introduced at the IFA 2013 as the company's newest flagship. Its features include a 5 inch full (1080p) HD display, expandable microSD storage, a 20MP camera which the company claims is the best in the market, and a quad-core Snapdragon 800 CPU with 2GB of RAM. However its most intriguing feature is its water resistant body, which is a layer of protection not offered by any of its contenders in this list. The Xperia Z1 has still to make its way to the U.S., but it can be purchased SIM free on Amazon UK for a reasonable £599.99.

While Microsoft has not made a reputable name for itself with mobiles in the past, they greatly rectified it with Windows Phone. Now Windows Phones can compete with the best Android and iOS have to offer, in fact the upcoming GDR3 update to Windows Phone 8 will see a new breed of phablets and quad-core devices running Microsoft's latest platform. With Windows Phones you also get access to familiar services like Microsoft Office and Xbox Live offering a truly unified experience not available on iOS or Android.

If you are willing to run with Windows Phone, there is no better device that the Nokia Lumia 1020. Its 41 megapixel camera is unmatched, though the Xperia Z1 gives it a run for its money. The camera comes with optical image stabilization (OIS), pixel binding and separate flashes for photos and video; a combination that results in amazing detailed photos which are blur free. Other key features include a 4.5 inch HD Super Sensitive display, 32GB of internal storage, optional wireless charging and 2GB of RAM with its dual-core CPU.

The Lumia 1020 won't win any prizes for being the thinnest phone in this lineup, but excuses itself by citing its far superior camera as the cause of its girth. If you want the best cameraphone in the market, you can now purchase the Lumia 1020 for $610 on Amazon
without a contract.


At the end of the day, iOS users are loyal to their brand and it won't be easy convincing yourself to switch to the Android or Windows Phone platforms. Especially if you have invested money on apps. But its important to remember that Apple's choice in offering lower hardware than their contenders results in your iPhone slowing down with every new iteration of iOS, whilst these alternatives will smoothly sail along for years.