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This year, possibly more than any year, has seen a dramatic shift in the way companies design, manufacture and sell smartphones and tablets. Business models have been increasingly shifted to a service-first model, as device makers attempt to lure customers to their platforms with the promise of value-added services and offering all the media content they could possibly want in one place.

In , Apple has gone from strength-to-strength, cementing its position as the biggest technology company in the world, while Google bought Motorola Mobility , seen Android reach hundreds of millions of people around the world and integrated more and more of its apps and services into its mobile offerings. Microsoft has pushed ahead with its Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 platforms, as it attempts to carve its own path in the tablet and smartphone markets.

As we come to the end of , we look back to identify the real smartphone and tablet winners. Read on to find out what they are.

Mobile phones most expensive in South Korea in 2012

Unveiled in mid-September and released in nine markets before the end of the month, Apple quickly notched up 2 million sales of the iPhone 5 in its first 24 hours on sale, reaching 5 million in its launch weekend. It saw a similar response when it launched in China, reaching 2 million sales in its opening weekend. Apple also did away with the pin jack for its new Lightning connector, which can be plugged-in without needing to fumble around to get it the right way up. With its bigger screen, you can see more content, enjoy more from videos and, of course, you get an extra row to place your icons.

By November, the smartphone had blasted past the 30 million mark , and with holiday sales behind it, may not be far from passing its next big milestone.

However, Samsung made sure to overhaul its TouchWiz UI, introducing a number of impressive new apps and features that mimicked its Cupertino rival, but also gave Android users some novel features not found on iOS and Windows Phone. This left customers unaware of order statuses or an idea of when they could get their hands on one of them. While LG and Google continue to try and overcome their struggles to keep up with demand and keep customers happy, those that have received their handset have loved it.

Featuring a quad-core 1. In our review , we felt that with the Nexus 4 and Android 4. Nokia finally got the chance to launch its new Lumia Windows Phone 8 handsets in November, putting an end to months of waiting for the chance to offer improved hardware and software features with its new Lumia and Lumia handsets. Allowing the lens to move at one with the device keeps the optics steady, ensuring that videos are less shaky and allowing more light to enter the assembly in low light conditions.

The phone really is innovative, but its weight might be a deal breaker for some.

Most Expensive Smartphones In The World - Business Insider

Image credit: Youtube. It boasted of an aluminium body and an external glass screen. Released in , the Ericsson T28 was the slimmest mobile phone during its time, weighing mere 83 grams. The phone was dual-band GSM compatible and had a phonebook for storing up to contacts. Classic games like Tetris and Solitaire were also on-board. Apart from its own collection of monophonic ringtones, the phone allowed users to compose their own. Image credit: GSM arena.

And the launched Pearl is an embodiment of that. Having a SureType keyboard, the smartphone came with a trackball for precise navigation.

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It was also the first Blackberry handset to offer a 1. Samsung is a name that has become almost synonymous with leading Android smartphones. And even though the recently launched Note 7 is a beast of a device, the first Galaxy Note, launched in , started it all.

With the Note, Samsung played a risky hand at a large-screen smartphone. HTC might be going through troubled times now, but it holds the distinction of being the manufacturer that launched the first commercially available smartphone to run Android.

HTC Dream had a horizontal slide-out touchscreen that hid a full keyboard underneath. Running Android 1. Launched by none other than the late Steve Jobs in , the Apple iPhone ushered in a new era in the realm of mobile phones. The all-touch device vowed the world with its futuristic for that time features like on-screen keyboard, quad-band GSM support and a gamut of sensors like accelerometer, proximity sensor and ambient light sensor.

And even though it lacked the App Store when it launched, the iPhone paved the way for modern-day smartphones. The rest, is history. Back in the day, Sony Ericsson was a force to be reckoned with when it came to mobile phones with capable cameras and outstanding audio quality. Launched in , the N95 represented the best of Nokia at the time of its launch. The phone was powered by Symbian S60 and had a unique two-way sliding mechanism, which could be used to access either the numeric keypad or media playback buttons.

It had the earpiece and microphone placed on the sides rather than top and bottom.

Image credit: wikimedia. Launched in , the signature feature of the Nokia was a mechanical slider that came down to reveal the keyboard.

15 most popular mobile phones of all time

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