Of all the gadgets in the gadget universe, smartphones present the most daunting and densest choice. First you have to choose an operating system – Android, Apple iOS or Windows Phone – then one of the myriad models available for each. Here are my choices for the Top 10 best smartphones this year.
Why: HTC's 8X (from AT&T, T-Mobile or Verizon) is a Windows Phone 8 smartphone for the rest of us – not bleeding-edge technically sophisticated, but aesthetically ahead of the class thanks to its unique two-tone design with great sound, thanks to its Beats headphone enhancement. You can see/read more about my hands-on with the 8X here.