Here at giffgaff, we’re very close to launching 4G. However, to get that extra G in your life, you’re going to need a phone that can handle all that speed.
Luckily, it looks like giffgaffers have already been preparing, with the number of 4G capable phones on giffgaff roughly doubling every 3 months for the past year.
Most 4G phones come packed to the rafters with features designed to make the most of the extra speed. For example:
- A speedy 4G connection means less waiting and buffering on those HD videos, which look awesome on large screens.
- You can make the most of a great camera on 4G by uploading and downloading your high-quality photos in a flash (sorry, couldn’t resist).
- 4G phones normally come with lots of storage for apps. With 4G, you can download apps in a jiffy, then spend less time twiddling your thumbs when the inevitable 100 updates roll around.
- Powerful processors also mean you make the most of the 4G speed, so your phone loading doesn’t hold back your download speeds.
With that in mind, we recently put it to the Community to find out what you thought were the best 4G phones money can buy right now. So what was the outcome?
At joint 5th place, we find the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and HTC One with 7% of the vote each.
A big screen is certainly a great way to take advantage of 4G speed, whether you’re watching HD videos or just surfing the net. The Galaxy Note 3 certainly provides this with a 5.7-inch monster of a screen.
With the HTC One, you get a pair of loud and clear BoomSound speakers built-in, along with a terrific Full HD display. Add that up, and you've got one serious media powerhouse.
In silver position with 22% vote share, it's the juggernaut from Samsung, the Galaxy S4. This Samsung again has a 5-inch screen and speedy processors, along with a 13 MP camera for those high quality snaps.
Worked out who our winner is yet? Yes, it's the phone which needs no introduction (I can already hear Android fans getting their pitchforks ready). Pipping the Galaxy S4 in the last moments of the poll, the iPhone 5S is the community's pick with 24% of the vote.
While the iPhone lacks an HD screen, its compact shape makes it great for one-handed use and the speedy A7 processor keeps things moving along nicely.
Despite the lack of pixels, the display quality is up there with the best and the camera is also great. Therefore, an iPhone with 4G would be perfect for photos, speedy App Store downloads and a bit of turbo-charged surfing.
The half mentioned in the title goes to our honourable mentions, which are the Sony Xperia Z1 and Z1 Compact and the 41 Megapixel Lumia 1020.
If you're looking for a 4G phone even cheaper than the Nexus 5, we'd recommend the Nokia Lumia 625 that packs a spacious 4.7" screen for less than £200. For slightly bigger budgets, the £225 Sony Xperia SP throws in an HD screen in addition to more megapixels and a faster processor.
So, do you agree with the list? Is one of your favourites missing? Excited about a future release? Sound off in the comments and let us know your 4G favourites. You can find the full results for the poll here.