LG Nexus 4


After a series of leaks left very little for launch day, the Nexus 4 announcements ended on a high note - it's $100 cheaper than the Galaxy Nexus, yet it integrates a quad core Snapdragon CPU, larger display, and 8 megapixel camera. 

Core specsDisplay: 4.7 inch IPS Plus capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors, 768x1280 pixels (~318 ppi)
CPU: Qualcomm APQ8064, quad-core 1.5 GHz  
GPU: Adreno 320
Storage: 8/16 GB storage, 2 GB RAM
Camera: 8 MP, 3264x2448 pixels, autofocus, LED flash, 1080p@30fps, Secondary Camera
Connectivity: HSDPA, 21 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band, DLNA, Bluetooth v4.0 with A2DP, TV-out, microUSB (MHL) v2.0, A-GPS support and GLONASS
Battery: Li-Po 2100mAh
Price: $299, $350

OS and Software
Jelly Bean 4.2 supports wireless displays, and brings Swype-like keyboard input, panoramic photos, support for multiple user profiles, apart from features integrated in the previous release. 

Pros and Cons
(+) Uses normal SIM cards
(+) Assured of early firmware updates
(+) NFC, MHL, wireless charging
(-) No expandable storage slot

Verdict: 
At half the price of the iPhone, clearly the most exciting smartphone launch this year - here's hoping LG can bring the phone down to India soon, and keep prices level.

iPhone 5


The iPhone 5 runs on a new A6 CPU which it claims is twice as fast as its predecessor, and adds 4G network radios. A recent teardown by iFixit, along with some die analysis has established that the A6 runs on custom armv7 architecture, with three GPU cores.

Core Specs
Display:  4-inch LED backlit LCD, capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors, 1136x640 pixels, (326 ppi)
CPU: A6 Processor
GPU: Triple-core PowerVR SGX 543MP3
Storage:  16GB, 32GB or 64GB
Camera:  8 MP, 3264x2448 pixels, autofocus, LED flash, 1080p@30fps. 1.2 MP 720p secondary cam
Connectivity: DC-HSDPA, 42 Mbps; HSDPA, 21 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps, LTE, 100 Mbps, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band, Bluetooth 4.0 with A2DP, Lightning port, A-GPS support and GLONASS
Battery: Li-Ion 3.8V - 5.45Wh - 1434mAh battery
Price: Rs. 45,500, 52,500, 59,500

OS and SoftwareLaunched last month, iOS 6 brings over 200 new features, including native Facebook integration, Passbook, Shared Photo Streams, and a Panorama Mode for photography. 

Pros and Cons
(+)Unibody design
(+)Designed for one-handed use.
(-)Uses a nanoSIM card
(-)A lot of mapping features and voice search (Siri) will not be supported in India.

Verdict
With a larger screen, improved camera optics, and a uni-body design, it's a considerably improved iPhone.