5 Best Mobile Phones In The World Today

We’ve all got at least one mobile phone each, right? The trouble is, how do you decide which is the best one for you?
When deciding on a budget phone, it can be a nightmare trying to decide which one to go for. Is it power? Name? Specs? Or just a low price tag attached to a phone that doesn’t go bananas when you prod it?
Well, this is where we make it easy.
Number 5 Google Nexus 4
Google and LG have worked together to bring to market a fantastic offering, one that even Apple fans can’t help but coo over when they hear the price.
The fact of the matter is that this is a handset with world class specs – yet it’s at a cost you’d expect to get a budget phone for. Sure, there are a few things that could have been done better, but the positives definitely outweigh the negatives.
The Nexus 4 is beautifully designed with a stunning display and rocking the latest version of Android. It has more connectivity than a telephone exchange and even excels in the simple matter of making calls.
We’re not fans of the lower memory allowance, and it’s not got the best screen on the market, and there will be a few that see stock Android 4.2 as too stripped-down to consider it a valid phone OS choice; more a platform for the big hitters to build on.
But that doesn’t mean it’s not a fantastic handset, it would have competed even without the insanely low price tag.
Quick verdict
Make no mistake, this is the best Nexus handset so far by a long shot. We love it and can’t recommend it highly enough.
It was a contender for the top spot at launch, although it’s fallen just short ahead of intense competition. If you’re due a new phone and aren’t willing to spend the big bucks, you should check the Google Nexus 4 out without delay.
Nexus 4

Number 4: iPhone 5
Did you see this one coming? The iPhone 5 now behind three other Android phones in our rankings? Some think it should be higher, some think lower, it depends on your level of Apple love.
Never has a company polarised opinion in the smartphone world like Apple, and with the iPhone 5, so many are quick to decry it while others know it to be the smartphone they’ve been waiting for.
And let’s make no bones about it: this is a stunning phone, with a gorgeous two-tone finish, a high-res screen that’s been extended to four inches and an efficient yet powerful core.
The iOS 6 update is a good one, and while some feel it to be ageing slightly, many see it as doing exactly what they want, and given Apple has built it smartphone reputation on simplicity, this makes sense.
However, it’s not all cookies and cream for Apple, as it’s ditched the Google Maps app for something that’s not as slick or well-stocked in its own Maps app, which had some issues at birth. However, it’s certainly picked up more recently, and you can just download Google Maps anyway if you don’t want to take the risk.
The main problem we have with this phone, spec list aside, is the fact the iPhone 5 is STILL very expensive. We’re not sure how such sky high prices can be charged when equivalent smartphones are available on the market.
Quick verdict
Let’s not beat around the bush here: the iPhone 5 is still one of the great smartphones in the world thanks to a great package of technology, design and UI intuition.
iOS definitely needs an update, and we’ll always hope for a price decrease soon, but there’s no doubt the competition is starting to outstrip Apple’s bullet-proof reliability and simplicity of use.

iPhone 5


Number 3: Sony Xperia Z
Sony’s new handset is most definitely the most impressive the firm has launched either in its current guise or as Sony Ericsson. The latest handset should always be the best, obviously, but the Xperia Z is a real, real step forward.
You can see the Sony influence throughout the handset as it oozes quality and build from the large screen, which fits close to the edges of the bezel, to the intelligent camera that allows you to snap some really premium photos without needing to fiddle about with the settings.
And it’s water and dust resistant too, which makes it excellent for general life business. There’s a certain freedom that comes from knowing that the heart-stopping moment of your phone falling in a pint of beer is gone for good.
It’s also packing a microSD card slot in an impossibly thin chassis, for which we laud the phone even higher. Add to that the Bravia Engine 2, which can upscale standard definition movies and bring your content to life, and you’ve got a real matchwinning phone in your hands.
There will be an outcry from many that wonder how it’s managed to climb above the iPhone, we deliberated for a long time between the two, but the fact is that spec for spec, the Xperia Z beats the iPhone 5 down.
It’s not all about the numbers though, which is why the fact the Xperia Z uses those specs so well – a crisper video experience, a more powerful camera, being waterproof, expandable memory gives it the boost it needed to enter the top three.
Quick verdict
While it doesn’t quite pack the clout of the phones from HTC and Samsung, the Xperia Z is a phone that says Sony is definitely back at the sharp end of the smartphone game.
There’s still (a small amount of) room for improvement, as the screen can look a bit washed out from some angles, but there’s no doubt that if Sony keeps us this pace it will be vying for the top spot in no time at all, we just don’t know what Sony will call it.

Sony Xperia Z

Sony Xperia Z
Number 2: Samsung Galaxy S4
All change at the top! Samsung managed to hold off HTC at the top in 2012, but this year the supreme stylings of the HTC One proved too strong against a phone that’s a slightly-better-version of its predecessor.
Well, that’s not really fair, it’s only in looks that it’s too similar, and sadly that was one of the biggest issues most users had with the S3. It’s not the world’s biggest smartphone crime, but it’s enough to keep it from the top spot.
There’s a lot, a lot, to love with the Samsung Galaxy S4 though: whether it’s a powerful camera, a brilliant screen, a long-lasting battery or just a fluid experience, there’s everything you could want in a smartphone right here.
The cost is a tad higher than on other smartphones, but thankfully still cheaper than iPhone level. If only it was made out of something a little more premium.
Quick verdict
There’s no doubt that this is one of the best smartphone ever made. It’s clear, powerful and does everything we’d expect a flagship phone from Samsung to do.
It’s just a shame that the perceived ‘innovation’ doesn’t really add anything: motion gestures, smart scroll and it’s other non-contact bedfellows didn’t take smartphones to the next level, which is what we needed in the face of Ultrapixels and BoomSound.
Make no mistake though: you’ll love the Samsung Galaxy S4 if you choose to go for it, as it’s an amazing phone with some really cutting-edge features.

Samsung Galaxy S4


Number 1: HTC One
Well, here’s something of a shock if you’re a Samsung fan, after nearly two years of dominance, the Korean brand has fallen from the top spot.
It’s nothing to do with the quality of the S4, an outstanding phone in anyone’s book, but more the fact HTC has managed to bring out a smartphone that’s worthy of any user’s consideration.
The supreme aluminium chassis, the Full HD screen and the simplified version of Sense 5.0 sitting on top of Android Jelly Bean means it’s a pleasure to use and recommend this handset.
The new innovations are also pleasingly more than just marketing gimmicks; Zoe functionality allows the creation of delightful video highlight reels, and the Ultrapixel camera means you’ve got a much wider range of shots available thanks to being stunning in low light.
The only reason this isn’t a five star phone is the slightly off-key battery, which can leak juice if you’re power-creating videos or watching reams of video, but for day to day use it will be acceptable for most. We’ve also got high hopes a recent software update could have solved this little conundrum as well, meaning you could see another five star phone enter the fray shortly.
Quick Verdict
With power, poise and beauty all combined in this innovative phone, HTC has proved it can more than still cut it with the big boys when it comes to bringing out a lust-worthy flagship smartphone – and it’s also proved that it still knows how to beat Samsung into second place in the phone world too.
HTC One

“At last I have killed poverty in my life” –– SAKA, Hafiz Oyetoro

Hafiz Oyetoro’s controversial move from Etisalat to MTN as a brand face seems to have changed his fortune for good and he has also confirmed it.

“To the glory of God, level don change. Let me put it like that. I believe that in the nearest future, level will finally change. But now, level don dey change. I have murdered poverty and God has finally murdered it for me. I am no longer poor, but very comfortable.”

The lady he wanted to marry rejected him because of poverty but today his story has changed…

Oyetoro, who has also established himself as an actor and a popular face on TV, also recently stirred the scene. This is courtesy of his ‘shocking’ appearance in the MTN’s I don port advert, a commercial that many have described as an excellent one – not minding the fact that some believe it is a below-the-belt jab for Etisalat, the telecoms company for which he worked as an advertising model for some time.

Ever since Oyetoro’s crossover, in which he is required to lead a major advertising campaign to drive the network portability initiative by Nigerian Communication Commission, Nigerians have not stopped talking about him and his amazing rise to fame and riches. The deal is believed to be worth about N20m, which is enough to give the hardworking and self-effacing actor a clean break from poverty. But while the man himself has declined to comment on the positive twist in his fortune, he was recently quoted in THE NEWS as saying that he had finally conquered poverty.
In a telephone interview with Punch, SAKA said he was not ready to talk about his new contract with the telecommunications company. “For now, I don’t want to say anything. I promise you that I will talk at the appropriate time,” he said.

But when asked if his new responsibilities as a brand ambassador for MTN would not clash with his job at the Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, he replied, “I am a responsible civil servant. My duty is to teach other people’s children well, just as I would expect others to teach mine. So I cannot abandon my job. I assure you, everything has been taken care of.”
A few years ago, little was known about Oyetoro.
Although he studied Theatre Arts at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ago Iwoye worked as a part-time lecturer at the Olabisi Onabanjo University before moving to Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education in Ijanikin, Oyetoro remained relatively obscure for a long while.
In those days, he managed to appear in a few insignificant theatre productions, in which he played mostly comic roles. It took a while before the qualities that would raise him a notch higher than most of his peers began to manifest.
First, Nollywood came calling with an opportunity to establish himself as a regular face on the lighted screen. Oyetoro, who was burning up with a desire to prove himself, had to grab it. Still, a few years later and with appearances in hundreds of Nollywood films to his credit, he was far from hitting the limelight.
Then another opportunity presented itself. This time, it came from Centrespread, an advertising agency. The agency wanted him to be their model for its advertising campaigns with Etisalat. The deal clicked and Oyetoro’s transformation began in earnest. That was when, for the purpose of the campaigns, he assumed a new identity: he became known ‘Saka’, a character that he helped create in 2004 for a TV comedy series titled ‘House A-part’.
Eventually, Oyetoro became the face of Etisalat campaigns. Within a short time, Saka had become a household name and Oyetoro could look forward to a brighter future free of the clutches of poverty.
In an interview published on the Internet, the actor cum lecturer admitted that he was involved in a bitter struggle against poverty for a long time.
Hear him: “Poverty was my friend and family for a long time. As you sit with me here side by side, that was how I was sitting with poverty in the past. There was a lady who disqualified me because I didn’t have a car. But, thank God, I eventually got a wife who genuinely loves me and who I genuinely love.”

Houses more expensive on Banana Island than London

High cost of property on Banana Island reinforces Lagos’ position as one of the most expensive cities in the world, SAMUEL AWOYINFA reports

A serene environment. Well-laid out streets. Undiluted breeze from the sea.  Good lighting  and other facilities that make life comfortable… All have combined to make Banana Island, Ikoyi, Lagos one of the most expensive areas to acquire a landed property in the country, nay the world.

 The ‘island’, which derives its name from the banana-shaped landscape, is approximately 1,630,000 square metres in size – less than a square mile. It is divided into 536 plots.

Landed property is even more expensive here than in some other parts of developed world such as the United Kingdom and South Africa, thus buttressing the various surveys that say Lagos is one of the most expensive cities in the world.

An investigation by our correspondent shows that Banana Island is, indeed, for the big players who have more than enough money to afford the luxury of life it offers.

 Both the luxury flats and even lands being offered for sale by developers attract staggering prices.  While a three-bedroom flat costs as much as N248m, a four-bedroom counterpart can go for as much as N3.5bn, depending on the facilities it offers.

Ironically, in  some parts of London, with all its international prestige, a four-bedroom flat goes for between N86.1m (£350,000)   and N3.46bn (£10m). In Johannesburg and Capetown, South Africa, such can be obtained for between N20.2m (R1,190,000) and N40.8million (R2,400,000).

Current exchange rate of N246 to a Pound Sterling and N17 to the South African Rand was used as the yardstick to arrive at the Naira equivalent.

Part of the irony is also that there is a tested mortgage facility the buyer enjoys in London and other developed places, whereas in Nigeria, this is almost non-existent as it is a system of cash-and-carry.

In some highbrow areas of London, including Notting Hill and Chelsea, however, four and seven-bedroom flats sell for N3.45bn (£14m) and N4.5bn (£22m).

Yet on Banana Island, a four-bedroom pent houses at the waterfront go for N3.5bn each. While a three-bedroom flat complete with three bathrooms, attracts N900m.

It is not only fully-built houses that attract such a staggering amount. Even virgin lands that are being put up for sale are very expensive.

A land area covering 19,000 square metres is, for instance, listed for sale for N5bn while the least available costs N250m on land area covering 1,100 square metres. There are others:  N370m for a parcel of land covering 1,800 square metres; N280m for a piece covering 1,527 square metres, and N900m for a total land area covering 6,000 square metres.

The consolation, however, is that at  Banana Island, residents are provided with world-class utilities,  including underground electrical systems (versus the overhead cabling common throughout Lagos), an underground water supply network, a central sewage system and treatment plant as well as street lighting and satellite telecommunications networks.

It is no longer news that many influential Nigerians and companies have found a home on this island of affluence.  Among offices of other business organisations, the headquarters of one of the telecommunications companies, Etisalat,  is located on this island.

In this digital age, Banana Island’s fame has spread to the social media. For instance, our correspondent, on Monday, watched a documentary on its fortunes on Youtube. While this provides an opportunity for its admirers to further savour its beauty, however, some people have also exploited the media to criticise the expensive paradise it seems to represent.

Omarie Combs, on his Youtube account, describes the staggering amount being used to acquire property there as crazy.

“My uncle recently moved to Banana Island from Toronto, Canada. I believe he got the land and the mansion for N600m.

“Nigerians have the best houses in the world. Trust me, I have been to most of these areas. It’s crazy and it’s worth millions of dollars,” he writes.

In his account, Martins Major says it is amazing that such an exclusive haven can be found in a country regarded as a ‘declining one.’ He adds that the beauty of some houses on Banana Island “cannot be compared to some houses in the United Kingdom.”

How To End A Relationship In A Mature Manner.

Breaking up with someone you love can be one of the toughest emotional struggles you’ll go through. How have you handled breakups in the past? What can you do to minimize pain for the other person and yourself?
I’ve been on quite an emotional ride recently. What has been weighing heavily on my heart and mind involves a slice from my personal life. Without going into details, Adam, my partner for the past year, and I have decided to part ways. We will remain good friends.
The past three weeks have been a tremendously painful period, feelings of empathy mixed with remorse and guilt. The impulse to burst into tears would hit me sporadically throughout the day.

When I first wrote about the art of keeping a relationship, my friend Pete Forde suggested that perhaps people could also benefit from an article on how to end a relationship. I noted his brilliant suggestion without further thought. Little did I know, this would become the center of my experience a month later.
This being a sensitive topic, I had a tough time finding genuine and in-depth resources online. My goal here is to capture the understanding and wisdom I’ve gained from going through this event, and to perhaps be of help or a point of clarity for your life story.
Source:Think Simple Now

Check Out This Piece On President Jonathan In The UK Guardian

The piece sums up President Goodluck Jonathan’s 3 years in office as president of Nigeria, written by UK Guardian’s Remi Adekoya. See it below…
Nigerians had no rational reason to believe their lives would improve after Goodluck Jonathan became president three years ago this week. The list of promises their rulers have broken is so long it would make a virgin cynical. But then Nigerians can be stubbornly optimistic.
When Jonathan first appeared on the political scene in 2007, when Nigeria’s then president, Olusegun Obasanjo, announced him as the running-mate of his party’s next presidential candidate, Musa Yar’Adua, many mythologised the good fortune that seemed linked to Jonathan’s first name. And so, when Yar’Adua died in 2010 from heart disease and Jonathan was handed the most coveted job in Nigeria, many voters believed good luck had come to Nigeria. Were they right?
Nigeria’s economy has averaged an impressive 7% annual growth since 2010. Fiscal policy is responsible. The country has a debt-to-GDP ratio of roughly 18% and a budget deficit of under 3%, levels Europe would be delighted with today. This is largely thanks to finance minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, a former World Bank managing director. But Jonathan deserves praise for not intefering.
Still, his end-of-year report is not spotless. While the economy is booming, precious little wealth trickles down to the poor. Jonathan must be more energetic about changing that. The electricity supply is erratic, so businesses and individuals spend fortunes on generators and diesel. This in one of the world’s biggest oil exporters. Things have improved since 2010, but far too tepidly: Jonathan only gets a C minus.
Infrastructure also remains a problem. Without a modern road network, doing business in Nigeria will remain prohibitively expensive and logistically challenging. Nigeria is a federation: individual states play a big role here. In the richer, well-governed states such as Lagos, where the commercial capital city is located, progress is visible. But Jonathan needs to do more to facilitate modernism in poorer states: he gets a C.
On healthcare, Jonathan gets an F. If a Nigerian gets cancer today and can’t afford private treatment, he will die. Even obtaining aspirin in a public hospital can prove impossible.

Education is particularly problematic: tens of millions of Nigerians are illiterate. Most cannot afford an education: without government assistance, thus far feeble, they will remain intellectual invalids. Nigeria’s rulers need to understand that a country is not respected because of the number of oil barrels it sells, but because of the quality of citizen it produces: F.
Jonathan’s record on corruption is a disgrace. A recent report from the US State Department was spot on when it cited “massive, widespread, and pervasive corruption affecting all levels of government”.
Asked to disclose his assets, the man whose parents couldn’t afford shoes refused. For emphasis, he said he “doesn’t give a damn” what anybody thinks about it. The Council of States, led by Jonathan, meanwhile pardoned his former boss, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, who had been convicted of money-laundering.
On security, Jonathan has dithered. Boko Haram, the Islamist terrorist group, has killed thousands on his watch, while he seems unsure whether to use crushing force or grant “amnesty” (read: bribes), as he has offered. Boko Haram laughed in his face. It is Jonathan’s government that should plead for amnesty, it has suggested.
In a country where the rule of law remains a dream, Jonathan’s message is terrible: he is, in effect, saying: “Prove to us you are strong enough to make our lives difficult and we’ll give you a share of the pie.” How can a president expect loyalty from his citizens if he appears to lack the power to protect them?
It’s no easy job running a country that is half-Christian, half-Muslim, underdeveloped and home to some 250 ethnic groups. Some say Jonathan is too weak for the job. But you don’t have to be a great man to be a great president, as long as you are clever enough to you surround yourself with wise advisers, possess the intelligence to process information and have a steadfast desire to improve things for your people.
I personally don’t deny that Jonathan some good intentions. But he is hostage to the powerful interests that catapulted him to the top. Ultimately though, he is Mr President, which gives him some pretty sharp fangs. If he wants to be remembered fondly, he should start baring those fangs in the interest of his people. Otherwise, he might as well call it quits in 2015, and spare us a second term. Nigeria has a lot of catching up to do. There is no time to waste.

FG releases $3.7bn, targets 20,000MW

Vice-President Namadi Sambo on Sunday said efforts were being made to wheel about 20,000 megawatts of electricity for the country to improve power transmission.

A statement by the vice-president’s spokesman, Mr. Umar Sani, quoted Sambo as saying this during a meeting he held with members of the Nigerian-Canadian Association in Toronto, Canada.

Sambo said to achieve the feat, the government had last week approved the release of $3.7bn for the power sector.

“The Federal Government last week approved the sum of $3.7bn to improve power transmission so as to wheel 20,000MW,” the statement quoted him as saying.

Sambo told the gathering that the present administration was committed to the provision of necessary infrastructure.

He added that efforts were being intensified in the areas of power supply, transportation, aviation, Information and Communication Technology, agriculture and the provision of affordable healthcare services.

He also said the administration was addressing educational advancement issues with the provision of good governance.

He called on Nigerians in the Diaspora to come home and be part of the new development.

Sambo appreciated their contributions to national development, adding that it was in recognition of the contributions that a Diaspora bond of N1bn was set up.

The vice-president urged them to key into such a laudable initiative.

Earlier, the association’s President, Mr. Fabian Nwoha, had expressed the desire of the body to contribute positively to the country’s development.

Nwoha, however, said members were holding back due to the reported negative incidences and other vices in Nigeria.

He noted that with the new development being witnessed in the country, citizens in the Diaspora had confidence in the ability of the government to deliver on its promises.

He used the occasion to remind the government of its promise to provide a consular office in Toronto to help ease emerging diplomatic issues.

The Nigerian High Commissioner to Canada, Dr. Ojo Madueke, said the association represented the future that would import their talent and know-how into the country.

This is the History of fuel price increases in Nigeria.

This is the History of fuel price increases in Nigeria by Aliyu Ibrahim
 Gowon - from 6k to 8.45k
 Murtala - from 8.45k to 9k
 Obasanjo - from 9k to 15.3k
 Shagari - from 15.3k to 20k
 Buhari - from 20k to 20k (Price remain the same)
 Babangida - from 20k to 70k
 Shonekan - from 70k to N5
 Abacha - from N5 to N3.25k (Price drops)
 Abacha - from N3.25k to N15
 Abacha - from N15 to N11 (Price drops)
 Abubakar - from N11 to N25
 Abubakar - from N25 to N20 (Price drops)
 Obasanjo - from N20 to N30
 Obasanjo - from N30 to N22 (Price drops)
 Obasanjo - from N22 to N26
 Obasanjo - from N26 to N42
 Obasanjo - from N42 to N50
 Obasanjo - from N50 to N65
 Obasanjo - from N65 to N75
 Yar'Adua - from N75 to N65 (Price drops)
 Jonathan - (New year present) N141
 Jonathan - (After nationwide strike) N97
 Buhari appears to be the only leader that never touched the price of fuel (Increase
 or decrease).
 YAR'ADUA is the only leader who did not increase the price, rather he reduced the
 pump price from N75 to N65 (RIP).