Verizon Wireless is home to a gamut of smartphones, but finding the right one can be tricky. That’s why we’re here to help. We’ve hand-picked our favorite devices on Verizon right now and, even though we think there are a few big hitters coming in the next few months, we think you’ll be satisfied with any of the devices below.
We like to take operating system into consideration, but sometimes there just isn’t room for everything to be represented. There are plenty of amazing choices, but we’re limiting ourselves to five right now. As usual, we think an OS is purely a point of opinion, so we’ll leave you to decide. That said, these are not listed in any specific order, but are just a batch of phones we think you should consider if you’re looking to upgrade or sign a new contract.
As a side note, we recently brought you our top 5 choices for AT&T, and our picks for Sprint and T-Mobile will be coming shortly.
iPhone 5
The iPhone 5 is still an incredibly successful smartphone, even though we know that a replacement is due out sometime between now and this fall, and even though it’s almost a year old it still deserves a place on this list. The device offers iOS 6, but we know that Apple will continue to update it with fresh software, including iOS 7. In addition, it’s one of the most intuitive devices on the market, is easy to use with one hand and has one of the most expansive application, music and video ecosystems out there.
Samsung Galaxy S4
The Galaxy S4 launched on AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint, though Verizon’s model could be one of the best on the market. Verizon already said the device will support its faster 4G LTE data speeds when it repurposes its AWS spectrum later this year. The device also offers a gamut of features ranging from S Voice to AirView and multi-window support. Toss in its faster Snapdragon 600 processor, decent battery life and solid 13-megapixel camera and you have one of the very best Android handsets on the market right now.
HTC DROID DNA
The DROID DNA may soon be replaced by the HTC One, since that’s confirmed to launch soon, but since it’s not offered by Verizon Wireless yet we think the DROID DNA is a great alternative. It costs just $50 with a new two-year contract and offers a large 5-inch 1080p display, an 8-megapixel camera, Sense 4.0+, a 2.1-megapixel wide-angle front-facing camera, a 1.5GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage.
Nokia Lumia 928
The Lumia 928 has seemingly slipped under the radar for some consumers, perhaps it’s that Windows Phone 8 still hasn’t taken off, but it’s a $50 handset definitely worth considering. It offers a Xenon flash, typically found on point-and-shoot cameras, a solid 8.7-megapixel PureView camera, a 4.5-inch AMOLED screen that bests the display on the Lumia 920, support for wireless charging, a dual-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor and access to Nokia’s solid suite of Windows Phone 8 applications. It’s one of our favorite Windows Phone devices on the market right now, and the price point makes it even more attractive.
Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX HD
The DROID RAZR MAXX HD still deserves a spot in the top five because it offers some of the best battery life we’ve ever seen from an Android smartphone. In fact, Motorola promises up to 24 hours of play and work, a statistic we’ve seen the phone come close to matching. Despite its relatively old age, the DROID RAZR MAXX HD still offers great specs, including an 8-megapixel camera, a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera, a 4.7-inch Super AMOLED display with a 1280 x 720-pixel resolution, a 2,530mAh battery, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, a 1.5GHz dual-core processor and 16GB of storage (expandable with a microSD card).
Wild Cards:
Verizon is a tough carrier to pick phones for. It doesn’t upgrade its portfolio with new devices as frequently as other carriers, and despite offering a gamut of amazing devices, there are always better ones coming. Right now we’re expecting the Motorola X will launch sometime in the next few months, in addition to rumors for the DROID RAZR Ultra and RAZR M Ultra, which will likely replace the current RAZR handsets. The iPhone 5S is no doubt coming between now and the fall, and Samsung is expected to announce the Note III in September, which could end up on Verizon soon after. There’s plenty of great devices incoming, but you’re also safe with Verizon’s current portfolio – especially at the current low prices.
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