The Top Smartphones of 2013

We first met the Sony Xperia Z ($480 without contract) at CES 2013, where the Android phone (runs 4.1 Jellybean) wowed us with its water-defying capabilities. The phone can be submerged in three feet of water for up to 30 minutes — and survive. The audio, micro USB, and SIM ports are covered, and tempered glass and anti-shatter film cover the entire body of the phone.

The 4G LTE-capable Xperia Z has a five-inch 1080 x 1920 full HD display and runs on a 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 processor with 2GB RAM. The rear-facing camera captures 13MP images and is the first ever with high dynamic range capability for video. At 7.9 millimeters slim and weighing about 140 grams, the Xperia Z is a lightweight device despite its larger dimensions.