6. HTC Droid DNA
As a Droid Device, the HTC Droid DNA is exclusive to Verizon Wireless. Not only do those red racing stripes make it fit right in with the big red carrier, but Verizon's fast LTE network is a perfect compliment to the phone's sharp screen.
Download speeds were outrageously fast, averaging around 20 Mbps during our tests. Occasionally they were over 30 Mbps. Upload speeds were impressive as well, usually coming in around 10 Mbps.
In the San Francisco Bay Area, we did encounter areas with 3G rather 4G service, but we were still able to maintain a reliable data connection as well as place calls.
7. Nokia Lumia 1020
Widely known for its massive 41MP shooter, the Nokia Lumia 1020's LTE speeds also aren't too shabby.
We got decent speeds over AT&T's LTE network, which was plenty fast for browsing the web, looking at Twitter and stalking photos on Facebook. The device also supports Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, NFC and LTE bands 2, 4, 5 and 17.
So if you've forgotten your camera at home, you've always got your phone as a handy back up to quickly upload shots to all your usual social media channels.
8. iPhone 5
It seems that Apple's decision to wait a little while before bringing the 4G technology to the iPhone 5 has allowed it to optimize the power pack.
AT&T's iPhone 5 LTE is as fast as advertised, and achieves true 4G speeds. Downloads on the 5 were blazingly fast, when compared head to head with an iPhone 4S in midtown Manhattan.
We tested our Verizon iPhone 5 around the city of Chicago and had no trouble maintaining our LTE signal throughout - and notched very impressive speeds along the way.
All plans for the Sprint iPhone 5 come with unlimited data and texting but perhaps Sprint can be so liberal with the offers because its 4G coverage is rather limited
9. BlackBerry Z10
To aid with global positioning, the BlackBerry Z10 also features A-GPS and you can utilize the handset's super fast 4G reception as a mobile hotspot, enabling other devices such as tablets and laptops to feed off the data connection.
BlackBerry has also stuffed NFC into the Z10, enabling you to wirelessly transfer content between handsets and other enabled devices without the need for wires or even a network connection.
Plus, with a relatively modest 4.2-inch display, it's one of the more pocketable modern smartphones and less of a slab than other big name models. Don't ignore it just because it's BlackBerry.
10. Samsung Galaxy Note 2 LTE
Connectivity runs through the Samsung Galaxy Note 2's blood, so you won't struggle anywhere here. We've mentioned how well DLNA works, and you've got full internet capabilities - especially LTE if you're lucky enough to have access to that.
During our day-to-day with the Galaxy Note 2, we often bounced between the two on the Bay Area's AT&T coverage.
4G speeds averaged around 14 Mbps, while LTE service was blazing, around 20-25 Mbps. While we never struggled for a data connection, the inconsistent presence of LTE was slightly disappointing.
