The top gadgets of 2013 (Second of two parts)

Read Part 1 here

LG G2

MANILA, Philippines - Dubbed by UK’s Stuff magazine as the world’s best smartphone, the LG G2 sports a brilliant 5.2-inch HD display, super-fast quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, HD audio, and even its own user interface. Impressively, it has only one physical button (mounted on its back) that controls pretty much all the primary functions of this device.

The LG G2 is also distinctive in that it is the first LG flagship smartphone that does away with the “Optimus” brand. The Korean electronics giant is positioning the G series as a distinct line from its Optimus range. It’s that good.

HTC One

Taiwanese smartphone specialist HTC has always been some sort of niche player in the smartphone arena. Until the HTC One came along. In One fell swoop, HTC became a mainstream player that has in its sights no less than the Apple iPhone 5, the Samsung Galaxy S4, and just about every other superphone on the market.

HTC loaded the One with features overflowing to the brim: lightweight aluminum body, dual front speakers with BoomSound, Zoe, and UltraPixel Camera, among many others.    

Sony Xperia Z, Z1, Z Ultra

A full half-year before the PS4 made its acclaimed debut, Sony has been getting rave reviews for its Xperia Z line of smartphones and phablets. Starting off with the Z, followed by the Z1 and the Z Ultra, Sony has turned the smartphone world on its ear with super-thin form factors, stunning HD screens, powerful processors, and amazing cameras. The ability to take the waterproof Xperia Z’s underwater is just the icing on the cake. 

Starmobile

Starmobile is the latest Philippine smartphone-phablet-tablet brand that puts the best of Android computing in the hands of countless Filipinos — thanks to its aggressive marketing and pocket-friendly pricing.

Products like the Engage phablets offer screen sizes from seven to nine inches and even boast HD resolution, streaming TV, and Android Jelly Bean operating systems. The best part is they come with price points as low as P3,490.

The Diamond V7 5.7-inch flagship dual-SIM phablet retails for just P12,990 but offers an HD display, a quad-core processor running Jelly Bean 4.2, a stunning 18-megapixel main camera and an equally stunning 8MP front-facing camera.

The slightly smaller 4.7-inch quad-core Knight boasts a Corning Glass HD screen and retails for just P11,290. That’s what you call bang for the buck. 

Polaroid

The company that brought you instant film cameras is now into smartphones, phablets, and tablets. While the specifications are nothing to tweet about, the performance and build quality are surprisingly robust.

Best of all, the price points are very, very attractive — the devices are priced mostly below the P10,000 mark with some models retailing below P5,000.

And if you think that these Polaroids are just generic phones rebranded for the Philippine market, bear in mind that these very devices were on display in the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. These Polaroids are the real deal.