The Best iPhone and Android Smartphone Alternatives – The Geek Girl Report

Contrary to popular belief, Apple and Google are not the only players in the smartphone market; they're just the biggest, baddest and most popular players on the market. But if you look past all the iPhones and the Androids, you'll find that there's a bevy of companies each coming up with their own entry into the smartphone market. Here's just a few example of the iPhone and Android alternatives out there.

Samsung

If I had to determine who the best 3rd-place competitor is in the smartphone market, (1st and 2nd place going to Apple and Google, respectively) it would probably be Samsung's line of Galaxy smartphones. The latest entry in the Galaxy line is the Galaxy S III, which is set to release in the US later this month. One of the most interesting things about this particular phone is its ability to track the user's eyes with its front-facing camera. If you're looking directly at the screen, the phone's display will stay bright, but will turn dark the moment you look away.

HTC

Another worthy competitor in the smartphone market is HTC's One line. All phones in this line come equipped with Beats Audio for some fantastic audio, as well as HTC Sense, which serves as an all-in-one photo gallery, music and movie player and GPS system. Right now, you can choose between the powerful One X, the smaller One V and the sleek and skinny One S.

Nokia

Nokia was once a leader in the mobile phone market. Unfortunately, they haven't been able to maintain that top position in the smartphone market. The newest phone Nokia has to offer is the Lumia 900, which released in the US back in April. Whereas Apple has the Mac iOS operating system, and Android has Google, the Lumia runs on the Windows Phone platform, and admittedly does a pretty good job of it. The biggest boasting point of this phone, however, is its $99 price tag, making it a great choice for those who can't splurge for the iPhone or Android.