The 10 Most Anticipated Smartphones of Holiday 2012

It's crazy to think that, in a year which saw the release of the Apple iPhone 5 and the Samsung Galaxy S III, we're still anticipating some major smartphone releases. So, what's on the horizon? Motorola hopes to repeat the success it had last year with two new Droid RAZR models due out later this week. LG and HTC are set to showcase their most promising phones to date, with both brands planning to offer handsets sporting competitive hardware and the latest version of Android. Samsung is looking gain more customers with a new mid-level offering. And Nokia is helping to usher in the new wave of Windows Phone 8 devices. In other words, the holiday season is looking real serious right about now. With so many handsets to choose from, we narrowed down the selection to give you a taste of what to expect over the next two months in case you're due for an upgrade.

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Release Date: October 29 (rumored)

Carrier/Price: Verizon; $50 w/two-year contract

Verizon’s Windows Phone 8 device won't carry the premium spec sheet of the Lumia 920, but it offers enough features to stand out as one of the season’s best mid-level devices. Reports have the Lumia 822 laced with a 3.5-inch WVGA display sporting an unimpressive 899 x 480 resolution, 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 8MP camera, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal memory, and wireless charging. It's a steal when you consider it's $50 price tag.

Release Date: October 18

Carrier/Price: Verizon; $300 w/two-year-contract

Motorola’s best Android phone to date gets the HD treatment, boasting a stunning 4.7-inch HD AMOLED screen that’s sure to deliver phenomenal visuals. You thought the battery life on the first-gen Droid Maxx was insane? Just imagine the amount of hours you’ll be able to pull from the Maxx HD’s huge 3,300 mAh battery. Besides offering double the memory of its little brother (32GB) and NFC capability, Moto is also pushing for a Jelly Bean update at the end of year.

Release Date: November 2

Carrier/Price: AT&T and Sprint; $200 w/two-year contract

It’s been a few months since we last heard about LG’s flagship smartphone, but it never fell off our radar. Powered by a monstrous 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro chip, 2GB of RAM, and 32GB of memory, the Optimus G may be the most overlooked handset of the season. A 4.7-inch IPS display (1280 x 768), 8MP camera, and 2,100 mAh battery round out the handset's key specs.

Release Date: November

Carrier/Price: AT&T; TBA

If you passed on the One X the first time around, we strongly recommend taking its successor into consideration. The latest addition to the One series will sport NVIDIA’s 1.7GHz quad-core Tegra 3, along with a smoother graphical experience thanks to Sense+. Battery life receives a boost, as well, with a 2100mAh battery strapped under the hood. HTC also reported to have made some improvements to its game-changing camera technology, if that's even possible.

Release Date: Late October

Carrier/Price: TBA; TBA

The best-selling Android smartphone of all time gets downsized for the mid-ranged crowd. The S III Mini doesn't sport the same robust specs as its big brother, with a 1GHz dual-core processor and 4-inch Super AMOLED screen running the show. However, the phone will still have some next-gen touches such as NFC technology and Android’s Jelly Bean OS. Not a bad trade off for a mid-level handset.

Release Date: November 14 (rumored)

Carrier/Price:AT&T and T-Mobile; $200 w/two-year contract

A super-sleek form factor combined with dynamic specs make the HTC 8X a strong contender for the best WP8 launch device. Carrying the same 1.5GHZ dual-core found in the One X, the handset is expected to deliver high benchmarks. The vibrant 4.3-inch Super LCD2 display compliments Microsoft's alluring interface, plus the two built-in amps in the rear, along with Beats Audio technnology, should make music listening all the better.

Release Date: October 29

Carrier/Price: AT&T; TBA

Now that the Finnish mobile manufactuer has gained some ground in the U.S. mobile scene with its critically acclaimed Lumia 900 series, hopes are extremely high for Nokia's upcoming handset. The Lumia 920 looks to offer the most robust Windows Phone 8 experience thanks to its high-powered specs which include a 4.5-inch PureMotion HD+ display (1,280 x 768), 1.5GHz dual-core CPU, LTE data, NFC technology, and Qi wireless charging. Sound promising?

Release Date: October 24

Carrier/Price: AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile; $300 w/two-year contract

The first Galaxy Note was a good phone that helped set the mold for today's tablet-phone hybrid market. Still, most reviewers felt it wasn't the "next big thing" Samsung promised, even panning it as nothing more than an oversized Galaxy S II with a stylus. The company looks to prove its naysayers wrong by integrating the enhanced S-Pen technology from the Galaxy Note 10.1 and some user interface features of the Galaxy S III. Hardware upgrades come in the form of a 5.5-inch HD SUPER AMOLED display, 1.6GHz quad-core processor, and 2GB of RAM. The phone is also said to come with Jelly Bean right out the box. Don’t call it a comeback.

Release Date: October 29 (rumored)

Carrier/Price: Unlocked; $400

If you Google the phrase ”worst kept Android secret,” you're bound to encounter numerous posts on the Nexus 4. Ironically, the leaked reports have played in LG's favor as consumers and tech blogs continue to show a tremendous amount of interest in the Jelly Bean-equipped smartphone. Rumored specs have the Nexus 4 sporting a 4.7-inch IPS LCD screen, quad-core Snapdragon S4 processor, wireless charging, and 16GB on-board memory. As the next "Google phone," also expect it to be the most pure Android experience money can buy.

Release Date: TBA

Carrier/Price: Verizon; TBA

Verizon's One X variant is already looking like the must-own smartphone of the holiday season. HTC's upcoming handset takes everything that made the One series a smash hit and ups the ante. BGR reports that the phone will have a five-inch 1080p display, 1.5GHz quad-core processor, 12 MP camera, 1.5GB of RAM, and a massive 2,5000 mAh battery. The newest versions of Sense and Jelly Bean are also said to be onboard. Let's hope we see this on Big Red's retail shelves come Black Friday.