Buyer's Guide: The Best Mobile Phones & Smartphones

With so many smartphones out there right now, choosing a handset can be tricky. Should you look for a high-end smartphone or a more functional, affordable model? Which operating system should you pick from iOS, Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry and Bada? Rest assured, even if modern mobiles do all look quite similar, there's still something out there to suit different tastes, priorities and budgets. Here are a few things to look out for when shopping for a new mobile:

- Screen. For smartphones, screen quality is very important. It's largely determined by the type of LCD technology used. To make sure you don't end up with tight viewing angels and low contrast (which can make a screen hard to read outdoors), look for AMOLED, Super AMOLED, Retina and Bravia displays.

- Design and finish. Most phones are designed to be pleasant to hold and handle and their size and weight are generally kept in proportion. Don't hesitate to try a phone out in store before you buy, especially if you're tempted by a smartphone over four inches in size. It's also wise to test the virtual or physical keyboard, especially if you send a lot of text messages and e-mails. The general finish can vary, however, and while most phones are still made from plastic, you may need to look for a high-end handset if you want a top-notch build and feel. Some mid-range models are still perfectly acceptable, though.

- Multimedia. The camera is the most widely used multimedia feature of any smartphone. Unfortunately, the quality of mobile phone cameras varies greatly, so you may need to pick a top-of-the-range handset if you want the best picture quality. At the moment, there's a handful of smartphones out there that can take pictures worthy of certain entry-level compact cameras.

- Applications. All smartphones are linked to an application store where you can buy little programs that bring new features and content to your mobile. That means you customise your phone as much as you like with tools, games and more. All mobile OS have their own store but some offer a greater choice of apps than others. You'll find the biggest selection in the Apple App Store and Google's Android Market.

With these factors in mind, here's our pick of the best mobile phones out there right now.

Editor's Choice

The original Galaxy S was already a function-packed smartphone, but Samsung's second-generation handset has edged its way closer to the cutting-edge of mobile phone technology. The powerful Galaxy S II is a surprisingly slim and light phone. However, we were slightly disappointed with its Super AMOLED Plus screen, since colour reproduction is verging on crazy. It's also a shame that the HDMI cable sells as an optional extra.

Otherwise, the Galaxy S II is one heavyweight smartphone. Web browsing on the 4.3-inch screen is particularly nice, and even pages with Flash content load up in a few seconds and run perfectly smoothly. The 8-Megapixel camera is great too, even if some smoothing and image enhancement are sometimes visible. The Galaxy S II also comes loaded with a fantastic media player that's compatible with all kinds of files, including 1080p HD content.

Along similar lines, the Google Galaxy Nexus by Samsung is a nice-sized smartphone with a good screen, and a fast, innovative interface thanks to Android 4.0. In fact, this latest version of Google's mobile OS really feels like it's tidied up an often busy-feeling operating system. However, with its limited battery life and hit-and-miss camera, the Galaxy Nexus is something of a mixed bag. The Samsung-Google Galaxy Nexus is a very good smartphone ... but it's not the only one!

Two Alternatives

Best of the Rest

Here are a few more of our favourites.