Holiday Gift Guide: 10 Surefire Smartphones

Last-Minute Gift Ideas

Anointing one smartphone as "best" for holiday shoppers is a fool's errand given divergent tastes and wireless carrier support of specific handsets. Phones have become like shoes -- there is no universal best phone.

Rather, finding a smartphone that fits best in your life is more often defined by your lifestyle, what your wireless carrier is offering, and whether you have thousands of dollars invested in iOS or Android apps.

So, instead a top-down ranking approach to this year's top smartphones for holiday shoppers, here is a list that offers great options -- save the superlatives.