Nokia Lumia 925
If you liked the features of the Lumia 920 but simply couldn't get behind the colorful, oversized polycarbonate body, you're likely love the Nokia Lumia 925 ($TBA). Like the 920, it offers an 8.7 megapixel PureView camera with optical image stabilization, a 1.5 GHZ dual-core Snapdragon processor with 1GB of RAM, a 4.5" WXGA screen, and 1.2 megapixel front-facing camera. But instead of polycarbonate, the 925's outer frame is made from metal, with the plastic stuff relegated to a white, black, or grey panel on the back, a feature that makes possible the optional wireless charging cover. Arriving next month.
Sony Xperia ZR Waterproof Phone
It's not completely klutz-proof — it lacks the ruggedness of those old yellow-and-black, construction-grade Nextel phones — but the Sony Xperia ZR Waterproof Phone ($TBA) will be ready for your next pool party. It's IP55 and IP58 compliant, letting you keep it submerged in up to 1.5 meters of water — roughly five feet — for up to 30 minutes, allowing you to capture shots and 1080p videos with its 13 megapixel fast capture camera that an iPhone can only dream about. Other features include a Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core 1.5 GHz processor, 4G LTE, a 4.6" HD Reality display, and NFC capabilities. Arriving later this year.
Samsung Galaxy Mega
Nope, it's not a late April Fools joke — we checked. The Samsung Galaxy Mega ($TBA) officially straddles the line between "big but usable" and self-parody with your choice of a huge 5.8-inch screen or a 6.3-inch behemoth. Oh, did we mention these are supposed to be phones, not tablets? Yeah. And as such, they also offer powerful dual-core processors, fast HSPA networking with LTE support on the 6.3 model, 8 or 16GB of internal storage, a microSD slot, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, NFC, 8-megapixel rear cameras, and 1.9 megapixel front cams. Extra fabric to expand your pockets to accomodate their oversized bodies? Not included.
HTC First with Facebook Home
Facebook finally took the wraps off its long-rumored Android project, and the result is... an app? Kinda. The HTC First with Facebook Home ($100) will be the first handset blessed with Facebook Home, the social network's new home/lock screen replacement. While the phone itself isn't exactly bleeding edge, with a 5 megapixel cam, a 1.4GHz dual-core processor, a 4.3-inch, 720p screen, and LTE networking, it's the software that counts. Software that transforms your lock screen into a Facebook feed, complete with full-screen pics, status updates, and IMs, and offers deep Facebook integration after you unlock. Like we said, it's a Facebook Phone, only it isn't.
Made-to-order Timepieces by Refined Hardware
The Los Angeles based craftsmen at Refined Hardware have finally released their second edition of luxury timepieces. These industrial conceptions are the ideal extension for the modern man, and follow the highly sought after, and sold-out, 'P1' edition. The 'P2' will showcase a flying tourbillon movement encased in your choice of billet stainless steel, PVD black steel, or a hand-finished bronze. A necessity for any connoisseur, only 33 pieces of each variant will be crafted so you better order yours today.
Fuel Micro Charger
You can get extra power from a big battery that straps to the back of your phone — but if you prefer to use your phone "naked", the Fuel Micro Charger ($20) is a good thing to keep around. This keychain-friendly device looks like a rusted fuel can — literally — and rocks a micro-USB port that you can use to access and/or charge the 220 milliAmp battery, which is good for about 20-30 minutes of extra juice. So no, it's not going to get you through a full day of bad service — but it might be just enough to get you out of a jam.
Samsung Galaxy S4
How do build the followup to the most successful smartphone in your company's history? You start by leaving a lot the same. At a glance, the Samsung Galaxy S4 ($TBA) looks much like the S3 — but look closer, and you'll notice changes like a 5-inch, 1080p Super AMOLED display, Gorilla Glass 3 for added durability, a 1.6GHz Exynos Octa 8-core processor, a larger battery, and a 13 megapixel camera. Of course, software plays a part too, with new features like Smart Scroll and Smart Pause that use eye-tracking and the accelerometer to scroll pages and pause videos automatically. Arriving Q2 2013.
HTC One
After a thorough drubbing at the hands of Apple and Samsung last year, HTC's back with its latest take on a flagship smartphone. The HTC One ($TBA) is the result, blending features of both the iPhone and the Galaxy series into a single, interesting handset. It features an aluminum unibody design with chamfered edges — sound familiar? — a 4.7" 1080p screen, a 4-megapixel rear-facing camera, dubbed Zoe, that promises larger individual pixels and therefore better low-light performance, dual front-facing speakers, LTE networking, a totally re-imagined Sense skin atop Android Jelly Bean, a 1.7GHz quad-core processor, NFC, 2GB of RAM, Bluetooth 4.0, and 32 or 64GB of onboard storage. Coming soon to a carrier near you.
Blackberry Z10
Is it an iPhone- or Galaxy-killer? No, probably not — but if you're still clinging to your 9900 like a shipwreck survivor to a piece of snapped-off wood, the Blackberry Z10 ($200) is surely a sight for sore eyes. Powered by the all-new, gesture-filled BlackBerry 10 OS, the Z10 features 2-megapixel front and 8-megapixel rear cameras, a dual-core 1.5 GHz processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, a microSD slot, fast LTE networking, NFC support, and a 1,280 x 768, 4.2-inch display. Assuming you're still in, you'll finally be able to use that upgrade in April.
Colorware iPhone 5
Well, that didn't take long. For all of you who long for a more vibrant iPhone 5 than Apple's stock black and white versions, the Colorware iPhone 5 ($1,700) is now available. Using an online tool, you can choose a custom color for the 64GB, SIM unlocked phone's body, top rear glass, bottom rear glass, Home button, and SIM tray. A wide variety of both solid, metallic, and pearlescent colors are available, but obviously, we prefer the white/orange/black combo.
HTC 8X Phone
Think Nokia's the only company cranking out brightly-color phones? Think again. The new HTC 8X Phone ($TBA) is the company's signature Windows Phone handset, packing a 4.3-inch HD LCD screen with a Gorilla Glass 2 covering, Beats Audio for an improved headphone experience, a 2.1mp front facing camera, an 8 megapixel backside-illuminated sensor and f/2.0 28mm lens on the back, and, of course, Windows Phone 8. Arriving in November in a variety of colors, including blue, black, red, and "that's obviously not an iPhone" yellow.
SpareOne Emergency Phone
Never get stuck without a working phone again. The SpareOne Emergency Phone ($60) is a dead-simple GSM cell that draws its power from a single AA battery, meaning that it should be good to go in any situation, assuming you can find a battery — and the cell towers are working. Other features include one-button emergency dialing even without a SIM card, the ability to be geo-located in an emergency, 9 speed dial buttons, and a built-in LED torch light.
iPhone 5
It might be a year later than we expected, but it's here all the same. The Apple iPhone 5 ($200-$400) looks quite a bit like its predecessor, but packs in a number of all-new features for the family, including a 4-inch widescreen Retina display (hello, fifth row of apps!), a new, speedier A6 processor, a new aluminum and glass enclosure, an all-new Lightning connector, 4G LTE and dual-channel 802.11n 5GHz networking, an improved 8 megapixel iSight camera with panorama mode, a FaceTime HD camera, 16, 32, or 64GB of storage, and all-new EarPod headphones. Arriving on September 21 in black or white.
