Saturday 9 March 2013

Who designs the best looking smartphones

The HTC One is a gorgeous device.Look, it is hard to judge design as it is sometimes so subjective, but there seem to be some general agreement on what’s good and what’s not. And the just unveiled HTC One has pretty much swept us away with its refined aluminum unibody, carefully chamfered edges and thin profile. Slick looks.

But you cannot deny it also looks very similar to the iPhone 5 in its aluminum aesthetic.

Then we have the gorgeous glass Sony Xperia Z that is not just beautiful but also practical, dust and water resistant.

On the other side of the fence are Samsung’s devices, a uniform bunch with a soft, glazed polycarbonate plastic that feels great to hold, but does not necessarily have the same solid feeling.

And finally, there is Nokia, with its colorful plastic Lumia smartphones that are fun with their vibrant reds, yellows and blues. But just as Samsung, Nokia is on the side of the fence preferring plastic to the intricacies of aluminum.


Apple iPhone 5
4.87 x 2.31 x 0.3 inches
123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6 mm

Apple iPhone 5

Sony Xperia Z
5.47 x 2.8 x 0.31 inches
139 x 71 x 7.9 mm

Sony Xperia Z

Samsung Galaxy S III
5.38 x 2.78 x 0.34 inches
136.6 x 70.6 x 8.6 mm

Samsung Galaxy S III

Nokia Lumia 920
5.13 x 2.79 x 0.42 inches
130.3 x 70.8 x 10.7 mm

Nokia Lumia 920



We have also added LG and BlackBerry with their less consistent designs, but we’d rely on you to justify your choice in the comments, if you pick them.

Enough with the introduction, though. It’s time to vote - who has the best smartphone designs? Why? Would you vote for a phone maker for just one phone, or do you value consistency? Does copying and stealing count, and what is good design? Let's kick off this discussion with your thoughts in the comments right below.