Technology as a whole is moving fast, but the mobile phone industry is moving twice that pace. This made it even more compelling for us to look through all the phones launched this year as it comes to an end and bring you only the best. We found it extremely hard to pinpoint just several out of the handful of phones and interestingly, it seems that most phones launched in the first half of the year will be left out. The reason for this is not them being bad performers, it is just that what we see in the recent months is a leap over what we saw just a few months earlier. Some brands will go unnoticed and some will get more of the limelight as the market adjusts to the smartphone revolution of recent years and the upcoming 4G speeds. Ultimately, what we saw this year is bigger (4”+ screens are increasingly popular),faster (most processors are clocked at 1GHz) and better (with an ever-increasing app support - 300,000 for iOS and 100,000 for Android). But enough with the introduction, here are what we believe to be the top 5 phones of 2010:

1. Apple iPhone 4 

It is in everyone's wish list and even the death grip issue wasn't so deadly so as to hamper its sales. What's more, Apple seems to start listening more to its customers and now iOS has highly-valued features like multitasking and a more open App Store policy. Should we mention the gorgeous high-resolution display and humongous catalog of apps? The only possible drawback we could think of was the 3.5-inch screen (it's actually not a real drawback, but imagine all those beautiful games running on a 4” display!)

2. HTC EVO 4G 

Gets the second place for being the first phone with 4G support – it is a peak in the future and in a way opens the door to 2011. With the gorgeous 4.3-inch screen and the latest sweet treats from Android, it is only the battery that could hold you down. And the iPhone.

3. Samsung Galaxy S 

The Galaxy S finished third, but it has become available with almost every carrier, which says more than enough about how serious Samsung is about it. Is it good enough? No doubt, it is not only a great all-around player with an excellent AMOLED screen and battery life, but it also relies on a lightning-fast chipset. 

4. Motorola DROID X 

Okay, just a warning before we start - the third place was as close as a photo finish. The Motorola DROID X was just a notch behind. But nevertheless it is a great device with good battery life to support the visuals on the 4.3-inch supersized screen. A great all-around performer as well.


5. Windows Phone 7 handsets

Windows Phone 7 caught the last train. It is the new kid on the block and it still has a lot to learn. Despite the fact that the platform still lags behind a bit in terms of functionality (a big update might fix that soon), it delivered enough to leave us hopeful and that is the reason why it stands fifth. Most of the handsets running the new OS show a solid performance and it is hard to pick a single best phone. You can look at the Samsung Focus if Super AMOLED is your thing or pick the HTC HD7 for the extra-large 4.3-inch screen, or maybe the LG Optimus 7 with its solid build. Finally, you have the options of the HTC Surround with its great sound quality and the all-around player in the face of Samsung Omnia 7. But really, there is no ultimate winner here to grab our hearts instantly. You can also look at other handsets running the OS and be confident that most of them perform on par with the ones we mentioned.
Disappointment of the year:

The Miami Heat? Okay, we were talking about phones and the biggest disappointment here is... the Microsoft KIN. The young and hip feature phones did not sell young and hip and it was just few weeks after the launch that they were officially declared dead. Who was to blame? Microsoft would probably say Verizon and Verizon would probably put the blame on Microsoft. Finally, the saga ended with the two KINs back on sale at Verizon, this time with no data plan obligations. 

Second to that comes a brand and not just any brand but Nokia, the world's biggest phone maker, as the Finns failed to update their veteran Symbian OS to match the market leaders Android and iOS. It is not the hardware that put them here – phones like the Nokia N8 and the C7 are on par with what other phone makers offer – but rather the software. We will hope to see them make a comeback in 2011 as the company put a lot of effort in research and restructuring and a brand new OS is on the way. But don't call it a year just yet for the mobile industry.