#6 Samsung Galaxy S3
(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)
(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)
Samsung's flagship smartphone successor burst forth this past summer with a surfeit of software features to wow and confound mass-market buyers of premium handsets. Set apart by its thin, light, and sleek design, the Android powerhouse fanned out across the range of carriers (starting with five in the U.S.) and instantly won wide appeal.
Surging sales and additional color choices worldwide have made the Galaxy S3 a global hit. Projections forecast 30 million sales; in November, Samsung pushed more GS3 units than Apple did of its iPhone 5.
For more on this story, see our full review of the Galaxy S3.