7 Exciting Smartphones Upcoming in 2013

The new year got off to an extremely slow start in terms of new devices. The arrival of the Sony Xperia Z marked the first big arrival of the year but up until a few weeks ago, it was alone. In the weeks since, the HTC One and the Samsung Galaxy S4 have joined it on shelves. And while those three devices are now out, they aren’t the only devices that will be emerging in 2013.

In years past, manufacturers and carriers have unleashed a flurry of smartphone launches in the first half of the year. In 2012, it was the new Droid devices from Motorola, the launch of the HTC One X, One S and One V, and the emergence of the Samsung Galaxy S3.

In 2013 however, carriers and manufacturers have been a little more selective with their releases, opting to introduce fewer devices from which consumers can choose from. Of course, as we head deeper into 2013, that has changed, a bit.

Instead of the Sony Xperia Z on shelves by its lonesome, the HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4 have joined it, and have quickly become two of the most sought after devices on the market. Both devices likely represent two of the biggest smartphone launches of the year, however, consumers should know that they won’t be the only big name devices to arrive in 2013.

While we still haven’t hit the halfway mark of 2013, there are already rumors about what the rest of the year has to offer. Rumored devices include the successor to the best selling Samsung Galaxy Note 2, the popular LG Optimus G, Google’s current Nexus smartphone the LG Nexus 4 and of course, Apple’s iPhone 5. We’re also still waiting for Motorola’s first big release of the year.

The HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4 may not have serious opposition beyond the iPhone 5 at the moment, but in the months ahead, the competition is going to get fierce.

Here, we take a look at that competition and the seven most exciting smartphones that are upcoming in 2013.

Motorola X Phone

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One of the most heavily rumored and most exciting smartphones upcoming in 2013 is the Motorola X Phone, thought to be the first Motorola product with Google's fingerprints. The device has been rumored to be a number of things but current information suggests that the device is codenamed Ghost, that it will be heading to all four major U.S. carriers including Verizon in LTE form, that it will come in over 20 colors with different casing options available including wood, with a more compact design than other Motorola devices. It's also said to have some powerful software on board and a possible release slated for August. Motorola has yet to release a meaningful device this year so expect the X Phone to be a solid replacement for the Droid RAZR HD and Droid RAZR MAXX HD.

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