Techcitement Guide: Graduate Your Graduates’ Smartphones

Graduation is an exciting time for any student, and that goes for anyone graduating from high school, college, or even graduate school this year. New graduates need to have the edge wherever their next step will be, whether it’s in the business world or further into academia. An important component of this edge is a new smartphone, enabling a new graduate to access the latest news, email, and apps to have to the tools to get ahead.

Here are a few choices from each carrier to give your graduate the upper hand as they move on in life.

Verizon

Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX: With a whopping 3300 mAh battery bound to last a day or longer, this smartphone ensures your new graduate never misses important texts, calls, or emails with the transition to a new job, grad school, or a feeling of regret for getting a liberal arts degree [Editor’s note: Hey!] . Fitted with a Super AMOLED Advanced qHD screen and soon to be updated to the newest version of Android (4.0), Ice Cream Sandwich, you really can’t go wrong with this beautiful handset. ($199)

Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX: With a whopping 3300 mAh battery bound to last a day or longer, this smartphone ensures your new graduate never misses important texts, calls, or emails with the transition to a new job, grad school, or a feeling of regret for getting a liberal arts degree [Editor’s note: Hey!] . Fitted with a Super AMOLED Advanced qHD screen and soon to be updated to the newest version of Android (4.0), Ice Cream Sandwich, you really can’t go wrong with this beautiful handset. ($199)

Samsung Galaxy Nexus: The king of Android, Google’s own supported Galaxy Nexus running LTE guarantees your graduate will always have the latest software. The gorgeous 720p Super AMOLED display is a joy to use, but make sure you buy the extended battery, because this phone doesn’t last too long on a charge. ($199)

iPhone 4S: With the largest App Store and a great industrial design, the iPhone 4S really can’t disappoint. The huge app ecosystem, along with great accessory compatibility will help prepare your graduate for their new life, wherever it takes them.  ($199/$299/$399) (Also available on AT&T and Sprint.)

AT&T

HTC One X: While it may have a Qualcomm dual-core S4 processor as opposed to the new and trendy quad-core Tegra3, HTC’s latest comes with Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0), the latest Sense 4 UI, a powerful 8 megapixel camera with dedicated Image chip, and a 720p SuperLCD2 screen. Packed in a light polycarbonate body, every graduate would look smart carrying this. ($199)

Nokia Lumia 900: While the Lumia 900 might not pack the latest 720p screen or dual- or quad-core processors, the sleek unibody polycarbonate design, simple Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango) OS, and great apps like Nokia Drive for GPS navigation, make it a smartphone any graduate would desire. At the tempting price of $99, the Lumia 900 in white, black, or cyan is a great buy for your new graduate. ($99)

T-Mobile

HTC One S: While the One S might not be quite as large or have the same 720p display as the flagship One X, it holds it own. Running the latest dual-core Snapdragon S4 SOC, the One S flies with Android 4.0 in a package not as gigantic as the largest 4.7 inch phones out there. Any graduate would be proud accepting their diploma with this in their pockets. ($199)

Nokia Lumia 710: A great option for the first-time smartphone user, the Lumia 710 flies with Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango) and comes with a cheap price tag to match. ($39)

Sprint

Samsung Galaxy Nexus: Same as the Verizon one, just waiting for an LTE network. ($199)

HTC EVO 4G LTE: While it might have been stopped at customs for a short time, the EVO 4G LTE is the phone to have for when Sprint’s nascent LTE network comes into the picture. Essentially a customized One X, the EVO 4G LTE has all the latest features and runs Android 4.0, somewhat rare even today. Graduating geeks would love to have this in their pockets, that is, when LTE rolls around. ($199)