iPhone 5 fails to knock Samsung Galaxy S3 from top spot

iPhone 5 fails to knock Samsung Galaxy S3 from top spot
iPhone 5 - it ain't the best, you know

The iPhone 5 hasn't managed to nab the top spot in TechRadar's definitive ranking of the world's best mobile phones.

Anyone that's been following the iOS 6 Maps saga won't be surprised to hear that the new iPhone, which also features a larger screen and two-tone back, only manages to take the bronze medal in our rankings, despite garnering the same 4.5 star rating as the competition.

Our mobiles team deliberated long and hard over the final ranking, but in the end, the superb features and outstanding display made the Samsung Galaxy S3 the easy choice.

HTC One X-cellent

The HTC One X, with its impressive polycarbonate body and intuitive Sense UI, made it ahead of the iPhone 5 too, and both offer significant price savings and a more modern OS compared to the Cupertino effort.

The iPhone 4S only drops to ninth place, thanks to being a real alternative to the iPhone 5. With iOS 6 on board, it's still a very valid smartphone choice and is now a little cheaper too.

But there's still plenty to choose from in our top smartphone ranking chart: be it the budget Huawei Ascend G300, the Intel-powered Orange San Diego or the latest Windows Phone, we've sifted through the hundreds on sale to pot them down to the best on offer.

We're pretty sure some of you will disagree with our findings (what would be the fun in it else?) so if you've got an opinion on the best mobile phone, let us know in the comments below.

Gareth Beavis
Formerly Global Editor in Chief

Gareth has been part of the consumer technology world in a career spanning three decades. He started life as a staff writer on the fledgling TechRadar, and has grown with the site (primarily as phones, tablets and wearables editor) until becoming Global Editor in Chief in 2018. Gareth has written over 4,000 articles for TechRadar, has contributed expert insight to a number of other publications, chaired panels on zeitgeist technologies, presented at the Gadget Show Live as well as representing the brand on TV and radio for multiple channels including Sky, BBC, ITV and Al-Jazeera. Passionate about fitness, he can bore anyone rigid about stress management, sleep tracking, heart rate variance as well as bemoaning something about the latest iPhone, Galaxy or OLED TV.