19 of the world's best phones

Sony's beautiful new 5-inch Xperia Z is the company's flagship phone for 2013. It's got a 1080p display, quad-core processor and a sweet 13-megapixel camera. But get this, it's waterproof. (Sony)

Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Note 8 at the Mobile World Congress. With its 8-inch screen, it's officially the world's largest phone and a worthy iPad mini competitor. (AP Photo)

The Huawei P2 Ascend is being touted as the "fastest phone in the world" given its 150Mbps 4G capability. Huawei also claims the P2 Ascend has more horsepower than the iPhone 5 and a better battery than the Galaxy S3. (Huawei)

HTC had a rough 2012 so the company is trying to make a statement this year with the HTC One, a maxed out flagship smartphone (running Android) that combines many of the best features of the iPhone 5 and the Galaxy S3. (HTC)

The ZTE Open is the world's first official Firefox phone running Mozilla's new mobile OS. Rumored to have a Cortex A5 processor and a 3.5-inch HVGA touchscreen display, the phone is a low-end device geared for emerging markets. (ZTE)

Nokia's new mid-range Lumia 720 has the same polycarbonate unibody of its 920 elder, but a slimmer frame, powered by a dual-core 1GHz Snapdragon CPU. Cool perks: it's got a dual camera setup and wireless charging capability. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Nokia isn't the only company pumping out brightly-colored Windows phones. HTC's 8X finally gives Verizon subscribers a taste of the full Windows 8 experience along with a 4.3-inch HD LCD screen with a Gorilla Glass 2 and Beats Audio integration. (HTC)

BlackBerry at long last unveiled its new flagship touch smartphone, the Z10 and it didn't disappoint. Equipped with the company's revamped BlackBerry 10 operating system, a dual-core 1.5 GHz processor and a 4.2-inch display, the Z10 is a compelling alternative for those looking for something different. (BlackBerry)

The Asus Padfone has the kinds of specs you'd expect from a flagship phone: a 5-inch 1080p display, LTE connectivity, 64GB of storage, and a 1.7GHz Snapdragon 600 quad-core processor. But here's the kicker. It comes with a 10.1-inch Infinity Station dock that turns your phone into a full-fledged tablet. (Asus)

Finally, a touch smartphone with a real keyboard. BlackBerry's Q10 will appeal to tactile traditionalists while still offering the amenities of a modern smartphone. (BlackBerry)

With superb battery life, Motorola's latest RAZR offering, the Droid RAZR Maxx HD, has everything you'd want in a modern smartphone. (Motorola)

By no means revolutionary, the much bally-hooed 5 is still the best iPhone ever. (Now with Google Maps again.) (Apple)

The HTC One X, with its NVIDIA Tegra 3 1.7 GHz quad-core processor, is one of the most powerful phones on the market, making it serious competition for Samsung's Galaxy SIII. (HTC)

Nokia's Lumia 920 is one of the best Windows offerings in the smartphone market. And despite some marketing controversy, it also has one of the best cameras. (Nokia)

Despite being LG's first successful attempt at bringing a flagship smartphone to U.S. carriers, the Optimus G well executed and well rounded with a quad-core processor, LTE, fantastic screen, and solid build quality. (LG)

The Droid DNA is a welcome arrival for Verizon customers looking for a flagship HTC phone. It's big, beautiful and runs the latest version of Android, Jelly Bean. (HTC)

Google's Nexus 4 by LG is one of the best Android phone on the market and you can get it for only $300 unlocked. There's just one caveat: no LTE. (Google)

While the word phablet still makes us cringe, Samsung's Galaxy Note II addresses many of the issues of the original, making it a compelling hybrid option for those looking for a bigger screen. (Samsung)

Samsung's Galaxy SIII is the Ferrari of Android phones with its gorgeous screen and powerful innards. It's a veritable iPhone-killer. (Samsung)