{"id":6243,"date":"2011-12-01T14:36:59","date_gmt":"2011-12-01T20:36:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/techcitement.com\/?p=6243"},"modified":"2011-12-25T02:25:50","modified_gmt":"2011-12-25T08:25:50","slug":"techcitement-holiday-gift-guide-smartphones","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/techcitement.com\/hardware\/techcitement-holiday-gift-guide-smartphones\/","title":{"rendered":"Techcitement Holiday Gift Guide: Smartphones"},"content":{"rendered":"

Techcitement knows that holiday gift buying can be a stressful thing for many people, so we’re going to help out this year by providing buying guides for a range of tech items.<\/p>\n

The holidays are a time when many are looking for an upgrade on their contracts to get a brand spanking new smartphone. Whether you\u2019re buying a new toy for yourself or a loved one, the current pool is vast and confusing for the average human. Hopefully, this buying guide will help you navigate the vast expanse of smartphones available so you don’t drown in all the options available to you.<\/p>\n

This buying guide is split into four sections, by carrier.<\/p>\n

AT&T<\/strong>
\niPhone 4S<\/a> — Apple\u2019s current top-of-the-line smartphone features Siri, a state-of-the-art personal assistant. With the tried and true iOS and the best App Store on the market, Apple\u2019s wunderkind really shines. Including a brilliant Retina Display, dual core A5 processor, and stainless steel and glass industrial design, the iPhone 4S stands near the top of the smartphone pile. (AT&T, Verizon, Sprint) $199-$399<\/p>\n

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Motorola Atrix II<\/a> — While not as top of the line or as much of an engineering marvel as the latest out of Motorola\u2019s camp such as the Droid RAZR, the Atrix II is a stellar bargain with great specs including a 1 GHz dual core processor, 1 GB of RAM, and an 8 megapixel camera, all sprinkled with Motorola\u2019s special dose of Gingerblur. AT&T $99<\/p>\n

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HTC Titan<\/a> — While Windows Phone 7.5 may not have the 720p displays and dual core processors its Android brothers have, this massive 4.7 inch superphone dominates the smartphone landscape. Running Microsoft\u2019s beautiful WP7.5 Mango, the Titan\u2019s industrial design makes it a great candidate for a holiday gift. AT&T $199<\/p>\n

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Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket<\/a> — The first Galaxy S II with LTE in the US, the Skyrocket brings Samsung\u2019s gorgeous WVGA Super AMOLED Plus display combined with spectacular data speeds and a great 8 megapixel camera. An ultraslim and lightweight design ensures this smartphone propels its way into your pocket this holiday season. $249<\/p>\n

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Verizon<\/strong>
\niPhone 4S<\/a><\/p>\n

HTC Rezound<\/a> — The first smartphone to launch in the US with a 720p display, not to mention HTC\u2019s brand-spanking new Beats Audio branding, this LTE monster packs a punch in every department. Running HTC\u2019s latest version of Sense, this is perhaps the most technologically advanced Gingerbread smartphone on the market. While not the slimmest on the runway, this smartphone is still a great buy, coming with some fist-pumping earbuds sure to please any ear. $299<\/p>\n

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Motorola DROID Razr<\/a> — I\u2019d be remiss in a holiday smartphone shopping guide if I neglected to mention the much hyped Droid RAZR. Its brilliant Kevlar and stainless steel design allows the Droid RAZR to be the slimmest smartphone ever at a svelte .28 inches. A Super AMOLED Advanced qHD display, 1.2 GHz dual core processor, and 1 GB of RAM coupled with Motorola\u2019s handy new Smart Actions to save battery life make this a top choice as a gift for your favorite Droid fan. $299<\/p>\n

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Pantech Breakout<\/a> — The best LTE smartphone in the low budget range, the Breakout is a breath of fresh air in an arena of huge superphone with beastly specs. Made more for the average consumer on a budget who wants LTE, the Breakout pleases without breaking the bank. A 4 inch WVGA screen, 512MB RAM, and a potent 1 Ghz processor round out the midrange specs of this surprisingly excellent smartphone. $99<\/p>\n

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Samsung Galaxy Nexus<\/a> — While not officially released (at least of this writing), the Galaxy Nexus marks a tremendous step for Google and Android. The first phone with Google\u2019s revolutionary new operating system, Ice Cream Sandwich comes with a gorgeous 720p Super AMOLED display. Top of the line specs also grace this smartphone, but it\u2019s really Ice Cream Sandwich and that 720p display that make the Galaxy Nexus so mouthwatering. -$199\/$299?<\/p>\n

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Sprint<\/strong>
\niPhone 4S<\/a><\/p>\n

Samsung Galaxy S II, Epic Touch 4G<\/a> — This incredibly long-named smartphone is one of the best out of Sprint\u2019s stable, boasting the omnipresent WVGA Super AMOLED Plus display and the typical 1.2 GHz Exynos dual core processor with 1 GB of RAM. Powerful and fast, packed with WiMax 4G, the Epic Touch 4G stands out as the smartphone to beat on Sprint. $199<\/p>\n

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HTC EVO 3D<\/a> — The successor to Sprint\u2019s wildly successful EVO 4G, and first in the US with a 3D qHD display, the EVO 3D marks its way with a 1.2 GHz dual core processor and Sense on Gingerbread. While 3D may not be catching on quite how HTC would like, this smartphone is powerful and a great 4G option on Sprint. $199<\/p>\n

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HTC EVO Design 4G<\/a> — This 4G on a budget in a slightly smaller form is perfect as a gift for just about anybody. While not packing the same specs as the top of the line Epic Touch 4G or EVO 3D, the Design 4G\u2019s 4 inch qHD display and single core 1.2 gHz processor are more than sufficient as a daily driver. A perfect balance between price and power, the EVO Design 4G is a great gift for anyone. $99<\/p>\n

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LG Optimus S<\/a> — LG\u2019s budget smartphone runs Gingerbread with aplomb, proving well-priced smartphones can still perform well. While not at the top of the list when it comes to specs, the 600 mHz processor with an 3.2 inch HVGA display and 512 MB RAM are more than adequate for the average consumer\u2019s needs. The Optimus S is a great gift as a first smartphone or just for someone on a budget. $0<\/p>\n

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T-Mobile<\/strong>
\nHTC Amaze 4G<\/a> — HTC\u2019s engineering prowess clearly comes through in this high-class smartphone. A beautiful qHD display, aluminum design, and T-Mobile \u201cfaux G\u201d support make this smartphone desirable for even the geekiest of your loved ones. A super fast and accurate 8 megapixel camera with 1080p video recording, a true point-and-shoot replacement, make this smartphone unique among others of its kind that only pretend to have true cameras. $229<\/p>\n

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Samsung Galaxy S II<\/a> — With the same WVGA Super AMOLED Plus display that powers the rest of the Galaxy S II series, this time at 4.5 inches like the Sprint variety, the Galaxy S II is a gateway to a smartphone fantasy land. A 1.5 gHz dual core processor and 1 GB of RAM make this delectable smartphone even more mouthwatering with its 21 mbps HSDPA speeds that verge on LTE\u2019s prowess. A great choice regardless of carrier, the T-Mobile Galaxy S II would be welcome in anyone\u2019s pocket this holiday season. $229<\/p>\n

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T-Mobile MyTouch 4G Slide<\/a> — Finally, a smartphone with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. Gone are the days when physical keyboards graced every smartphone, but the Slide is the perfect combination of great touchscreen and keyboard. A 3.7 WVGA display paves way for the 4-row keyboard, paired perfectly with a powerful 1.2 gHz dual core processor and the same amazing camera as the Amaze 4G. For any fan of physical keyboards, on T-Mobile, the MyTouch 4G Slide is the perfect choice. $199<\/p>\n

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HTC Radar 4G<\/a> —\u00a0Perhaps the best value on the market, the currently free Radar 4G packs a beautiful white and gray aluminum unibody design with the grace of Windows Phone 7.5 Mango. Lacking the huge screen of its bigger brother on AT&T, the Titan, the Radar 4G instead has a 3.8 inch screen at the same WVGA resolution so it can actually fit in your pocket. While not the most technologically advanced smartphone on the planet, the Radar 4G blends beautiful design and OS in a compact package affordable for everyone. $0<\/p>\n

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Whether you\u2019re on AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, or T-Mobile, there are great options this holiday season in every budget range. iOS, Android, and WP7 are available for the picking regardless of carrier. It doesn’t matter if you\u2019re laying out the big bucks for the latest Android or iOS piece or just looking to save a few bucks while retaining your data fix, there are options in this guide for you. No matter if you\u2019re picking one up for yourself or a friend, the receiver is sure to pleased with any of these smartphones.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Techcitement knows that holiday gift buying can be a stressful thing for many people, so we’re going to help out this year by providing buying guides for a range of tech items. The holidays are a time when many are looking for an upgrade on their contracts to get a brand spanking new smartphone. Whether […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":6333,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31,1917,38],"tags":[171,133,68,16,65,1703,107,74,1705,1731,6,57,75,132,9,439,1730,61,108,10,66,67,389],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/techcitement.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6243"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/techcitement.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/techcitement.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techcitement.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techcitement.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6243"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/techcitement.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6243\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6266,"href":"https:\/\/techcitement.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6243\/revisions\/6266"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techcitement.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6333"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/techcitement.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6243"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techcitement.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6243"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techcitement.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6243"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}