Samsung Galaxy S5

Samsung Galaxy S5

The Samsung Galaxy S5 is official - and it's not what we expected. Rumors got a few details right, but not the whole picture, obviously. After so many updates and sequels to the S4, it's perhaps not all that surprising that the S5 feels like a small step forward.

The screen grew up only a bit and it kept the 1080p resolution rather than going to QHD.

The camera does, however, record UHD video - Samsung's initial information was for 1080p, but we can now confirm it's really 4K UHD (2160p).

Samsung does maintain the clockspeed advantage with a rare Snapdragon 800 chipset and while the fingerprint scanner was no surprise, the heart rate monitor certainly is.

TouchWiz was a bit of a surprise too. We got pumped up for a brand new flat version of Samsung's custom UI, but the reality is closer to what we saw on the new Galaxy Pro tablets.

The back of the device is a new iteration of Samsung's leather-like plastic, with what looks like perforated holes. It only looks like it though, the Galaxy S5 is IP67 certified - we don't expect to see a Galaxy S5 Active.

Samsung Galaxy S5 at a glance:

• Form factor: Water-resistant bar phone, IP67 certification
• General: 2G, 3G and 4G LTE connectivity
• Dimensions: 142 x 72.5 x 8.1mm, 145 g
• Display: 5.1" 16M-color Super AMOLED HD capacitive touchscreen with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels (431ppi)
• Chipset: Snapdragon 801 MSM8974-AC
• CPU: 2.5GHz Krait 400
• GPU: Adreno 330
• RAM: 2GB
• OS: Android 4.4.2 (KitKat)
• Memory: 16/32GB storage, microSD card slot
• Still camera: 16 megapixel auto-focus camera
• Video camera: UHD (2160p) video recording
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth 4.0, microUSB 3.0 with MHL, GPS receiver with A-GPS and GLONASS, 3.5mm audio jack, NFC, Infrared port
• Battery: 2800mAh
• Heart rate monitor
• Fingerprint scanner
• Additional sensors: humidity sensor, temperature sensor

Nokia Asha 503

Nokia Asha 503

Asha phones. They take you a long way, but yet make you always want more. In this case, more would mean something with Windows Phone inside. Looks like the right thing for Nokia to do - keep customers in the Lumia waiting room, and away from Android temptation. That said, the Ashas have been putting the smart in dumbphones for a while now, so a cheap droid isn't the only option that users shopping for a touch phone with apps, games and fast data can afford.

The Nokia Asha 501 did well to demonstrate the platform's new look and feel, ticking some right boxes for a smartphone wannabe: touchscreen, Wi-Fi, fresh and reasonably fluid OS, and an app store. The Asha 502 and Asha 503 followed it up - the first one adding to the camera, while the one we are looking at now is the lineup's top spot, the 3G-enabled Asha 503.

The Nokia Asha 503 is obviously the most feature-rich of the new Asha generation, with a Gorilla Glass-covered 3" QVGA capacitive display, a 5MP camera with LED flash, 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity, optional dual-SIM support, plus expandable memory and the latest Asha Software Platform v1.2.

Sticking to a proven recipe, the new Asha 503 is available in six different flavors: yellow, black, green, red, blue and white. Nokia has those eye-catching paintjobs coated in an extra layer of icing, a nice and easy way to jazz up the looks. And it's a phone that looks fresh on the inside too - the swipe-driven UI with Fastlane, the ability to run a handful of popular apps and games, a proper app store, social services, good organizing skills and internet connectivity

It's a small handset with an even smaller screen and that won't be everyone's cup of tea. After all, screen real estate has only been getting cheaper. The resolution is nothing to write home about either, Ashas are at the very bottom of the food chain at QVGA. On a second thought, there're still droids launching with this kind of display resolution. On a positive note, the Asha 503's screen is covered with Gorilla Glass 2 and it is the first of its kind to offer Wi-Fi n connectivity, enabling faster data transfers.

Key features

• Quad-band GSM, GPRS, EDGE
• Dual-band 3G with HSPA
• Optional dual-SIM support, dual standby, hot-swappable secondary microSIM
• Nokia Asha software platform 1.2
• 3" QVGA capacitive touchscreen, ~133 ppi, Corning Gorilla Glass 2
• Proximity sensor
• Accelerometer, display auto-rotation
• 64MB RAM, 128MB ROM, 40MB internal storage
• Data-efficient Nokia Xpress browser
• Nokia Store and 40 EA games for free
• 5.0 MP camera, VGA video recording @19fps, LED flash
• microSD card support (up to 32 GB) and 4 GB microSD card in the box
• Wi-Fi b/g/n connectivity
• FM radio with RDS
• Bluetooth v3.0
• Standard microUSB port, charging
• 1200 mAh Li-Ion battery
• Excellent loudspeaker performance
• Solid codec support

Main disadvantages

• Low-resolution screen
• Fixed-focus camera
• No smart dialing

Nokia Lumia 1520

Nokia Lumia 1520

The Nokia Lumia 1520 is just like the rest of the premium Lumia smartphones we've seen, but bigger and faster. The advanced imaging and the custom app selection by Nokia will make the difference against Android phablets, with the Snapdragon 800 making sure the Finn won't feel outgunned. Sounds like a promise for the best experience yet on Windows Phone.

A few months ago Nokia was in the headlines for what seemed the wrongest of reasons to people who fondly remembered the Finns from their glory days. Voices were rising once again above the lamenting choir, about what might have been had Nokia gone with Android instead.

Oh well, we're well past the what-ifs and should-haves. And no, it's not because Microsoft's check has already been written. Nokia's first phabet has crossed into what was, until now, a strictly Android territory. And not just average droids either, but some of the biggest, meanest species of Android we have seen.

The Nokia Lumia 1520 didn't just tip-toe in, looking over its shoulder. Armed with a PureView camera, a 1080p display and a quad-core Snapdragon 800, the Finnish giant entered with a bang!

The latest GDR3 version of Windows Phone finally has support for quad-core Krait processors and Full HD displays. There's an attempt too, to make better use of the size and resolution by adding an extra column of contents across the interface. It was about time Microsoft brought the platform back in the hardware race and we are delighted to finally meet the first Windows Phone to aim for the pole position.

At first glance the Lumia 1520 looks like a magnified Lumia 1020 - it has the same design and build, only without the camera hump. The trademark unibody is the right bit more impressive at that size, while the PureView camera has lost some of its sensor area and half of its pixels, but hopefully kept the amazing image quality.

Nokia's Lumia Black update isn't bringing as many new features as Amber, while the GDR3 version mostly makes sure the OS would happily accommodate the new chipset and screen resolution. Users will perhaps have to wait for the 8.1 update for a notification center (hopefully) and a file manager (not too likely) among other things.

Key features

• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
• Quad-band 3G with 42 Mbps HSDPA and 5.7 Mbps HSUPA support
• Penta-band LTE Cat4 support, 150Mbps downlink, 50Mbps uplink
• 6.0" 16M-color ClearBlack IPS CLD capacitive touchscreen of 1920 x 1080 pixels; Corning Gorilla Glass 2; Nokia Glance
• 20MP PureView sensor (15MP effective), 1/2.5" sensor size, ZEISS lens, Optical Image Stabilization, dual-LED flash
• 1080p@30fps video recording; 2x lossless digital zoom
• 1.3MP front-facing camera
• Windows Phone 8 GDR3 OS with Nokia Black
• 2.2GHz quad-core Krait 400 CPU, Adreno 330 GPU, Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset, 2GB of RAM
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band
• GPS receiver with A-GPS and GLONASS support
• Free lifetime worldwide voice-guided navigation
• 32GB of inbuilt storage
• microSD card slot, up to 64GB
• Active noise cancellation with a dedicated mic
• Wireless charging with optional accessories
• Built-in accelerometer, gyroscope and proximity sensor
• Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
• microUSB port
• Bluetooth v4.0 with A2DP and file transfers
• SNS integration
• Xbox Live integration and Xbox management
• NFC support
• Digital compass
• Nokia Music
• FM radio

Main disadvantages

• Screen has average sunlight legibility
• Non-user-replaceable battery
• No system-wide file manager
• No lockscreen shortcuts

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo

Three generations on, the Notes are gadgets that people can't seem to get enough of so a new, less expensive, version must be good news for everyone. Well, except perhaps the Note II. Anyway, what was rumored as a Lite version of the Galaxy Note 3, seems to match the description with lower screen and camera resolution, but a brand new chipset with six cores operating simultaneously, sees the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo step out the shadow of its premium namesake.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo is not a mini version per se - with a Duos version in tow, it's more like a new branch in the Note family tree. A fork down the road that shouldn't have been a surprise - Samsung would be fools to not try and capitalize on a popular and successful line of devices.

A six-core CPU based on ARM's big.LITTLE architecture, an 8MP camera with 1080p video and a SuperAMOLED screen are still solid credentials if you're not going to compete at the very top of the league. The S-Pen is of course a prominent part of the deal. Granted, the screen resolution is down but 720p isn't too bad. The screen is decently sharp, while promising to place less strain on the battery and keeping cost down.

Key features

• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE; quad-band 3G with HSPA; LTE Cat 4 (LTE+ model only)
• 5.5" 16M-color 720p Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen; Adobe RGB mode
• S Pen
• Android OS v4.3 Jelly Bean with TouchWiz UI
• Dual-core 1.7GHz Cortex-A15 & quad-core 1.3 GHz Cortex-A7, Mali-T624 GPU; Exynos 5260 chipset
• 2GB of RAM
• 8 MP autofocus camera with LED flash
• 1080p @ 30fps; continuous autofocus and stereo sound
• 2 MP front-facing camera, 1080p video recording
• Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct and DLNA
• GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS
• 16GB of built-in storage (11GB user available)
• microSD card slot (up to 64GB)
• microUSB 2.0 port
• Bluetooth v4.0
• NFC
• IR port for remote control functionality
• Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
• Accelerometer, gyroscope, compass, hall, ambient light and proximity sensors
• Smart gestures: Smart stay, Smart pause, Smart scroll
• Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic
• Ample 3,100mAh battery
• Smart volume and Adapt Sound features for the music player

Main disadvantages

• Large size makes single-hand operation problematic
• No dedicated camera key
• No FM radio
• Shared camera interface makes framing tricky

Samsung Galaxy Core LTE

Samsung Galaxy Core LTE

The Samsung Galaxy Core LTE crosses no lines to deliver what the company thinks is the right balance between equipment and price. Focus is on a single feature, until recently exclusive to premium smartphones - LTE connectivity.

It's a simple gameplan the Galaxy Core LTE is following, like a number of namesake predecessors, to offer strictly the essentials and little more. The original Galaxy Core was quite successful, and warranted a couple of upgrades. We guess most of the credit goes to the dual-SIM version. Less than a year later, the Core lineup is promoted to the LTE league.

Key features

• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE; dual-band 3G with HSPA
• 4.5" 16M-color qHD capacitive touchscreen; 244ppi
• Android OS v4.2.2 Jelly Bean with TouchWiz UI
• Dual-core 1.2GHz Cortex-A9 CPU, PowerVR SGX 544MP GPU
• 1GB of RAM
• 2,100mAh Li-Ion battery
• 5MP autofocus camera with LED flash, 720p video recording @ 30fps, continuous autofocus
• 0.3 MP front-facing camera, VGA video recording
• Wi-Fi b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, Wireless Hotspot
• GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS
• 8GB of built-in storage
• microSD card slot
• microUSB v2.0
• Bluetooth v4.0
• Stereo FM radio
• Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
• Accelerometer and proximity sensor

Main disadvantages

• Mediocre performance
• Uninspiring screen
• Android version is not up to date

LG Nexus 5

LG Nexus 5

Nexus phone releases are timed to let Google have the last word - and what a way to have it! A phone that matches any flagship on specs and premieres the latest OS version, but costs barely half as much as some of them. The Nexus 5 promises a great finale to yet another exciting smartphone season and it's not only the droids that stand to attention.

This could have been a deja-vu moment for everybody but the fifth gen Google phone will probably have to work harder than ever. There's already a bunch of Snapdragon-800-powered Android flagships, while Qualcomm's latest is ticking inside Windows Phone-powered devices by Nokia too and Apple has the new 64-bit A7 chipset.

On a second thought, Nexus phones have never been too keen on getting into the skirmish, keeping their distance, aloof and somewhat out of touch, nothing to prove to anyone. The best of Google on your homescreen - that's what it's all about - and at a price that's almost too good to be true.

The search giant is partnering with LG for a second year in a row. Whether the Koreans are offering the best production cost or both sides were happy with the Nexus 4, it's a choice we don't mind at all. Anyway, Android 4.4 KitKat on a five-inch full-HD screen, powered by a Snapdragon 800 is a package no one would say not to.

Check out the key specs to see what we're on about.

Key features

• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
• Penta-band 3G with HSPA; LTE cat3
• 4.95" 16M-color 1080p True HD IPS Plus FullHD capacitive touchscreen
• Corning Gorilla Glass 3 display protection
• Android OS v4.4 KitKat
• Quad-core 2.3 GHz Krait 400 CPU, 2 GB RAM, Adreno 330 GPU, Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset
• 8MP autofocus camera with LED flash, geotagging, optical image stabilization, photo sphere, 1080p video recording @ 30fps with continuous autofocus and stereo sound; HDR mode, Dual recording, optical image stabilization
• 1.3 MP front-facing camera
• 16GB/32GB of built-in storage
• microUSB port, USB host support, USB on-the-go, SlimPort TV-out
• Bluetooth v4.0
• NFC
• Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct and DLNA
• GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS
• Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
• Voice commands
• Accelerometer and proximity sensor
• Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic
• 2300mAh Li-Po battery, wireless charging

Main disadvantages

• Non-expandable storage
• Poor video and audio codec support out of the box
• Non user-replaceable battery
• Comparatively poor battery life (except for calls)
• Loudspeaker is on the quiet side
• Limited availability at launch

HTC Desire 700 dual sim

HTC Desire 700 dual sim

A flagship, a mini and a phablet. From there on, it's all you Desire. This pretty much sums up the Taiwanese smartphone portfolio where the once premium Desire line is doing double and triple shifts to cover all kinds of price brackets, shapes and sizes in the midrange. It's a place where dual SIM support is closer to a must-have than a nice-to-have.

The HTC Desire 700 dual-SIM has bits of the character of the current flagship but some of the smarts have been obviously traded for size and an extra SIM slot. There's no mistaking where the Desire 700 got its looks from but instead of a gapless aluminum unibody this one has been treated to glossy plastic. The upside is a detachable back panel and hence, a removable battery.

At 5 inches, the Desire 700's screen is bigger than the 4.7-inch screen of the HTC One, but the qHD resolution means that the pixel density is at lower-midrange levels. The good news is the front-mounted stereo speakers are available here as well.

The back isn't adorned in Ultrapixel glory but a regular 8MP camera more than suffices for the price range. The HTC Desire 700 greets you with Sense 5 atop the aging Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean with, hopefully, an update to at least Android 4.3 in the works (and the more advanced Sense 5.5 in tow).

Hoping to balance price-conscious decisions and delivering value to customers, the Desire 700 dual-SIM looks like a good match for the Asian markets where a big screen and multiple SIM slots go a long way. That said, like others before it, the Desire 700 will certainly find its way to the old continent, too.

Let's see everything the HTC Desire 700 dual-SIM has to offer in our breakdown below.

Key features

• SIM 1 GSM 850/900/1800/1900, SIM 2: GSM 900/1800/1900 HSDPA 850/900/2100
• 5" 540 x 960 pixel Super LCD2 capacitive touchscreen, 220 ppi
• Android OS v4.1.2 Jelly Bean with Sense UI 5.0
• Spreadtrum Shark chipset, quad-core Cortex-A7 CPU @1.2GHz, Mali-400 GPU, 1GB of RAM
• 8 MP autofocus camera, 1/3.2'' sensor; LED flash
• 1080p video recording @ 22fps with HDR mode
• 2.1MP front-facing camera, 1080p video recording
• Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct and DLNA; Wireless TV-out; Wi-Fi Hotspot
• GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS
• 8GB of built-in storage
• microSD card slot
• Bluetooth v4.0
• Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
• Accelerometer and proximity sensor
• Front-mounted stereo speakers with BoomSound tech
• FM Radio
• USB On-The-Go

Main disadvantages

• Not competitively priced (€300 at the time of writing)
• Budget-grade chipset
• Disappointing camera output in both stills and video
• 5" screen a tad thin on resolution
• No 3G support on the secondary SIM card
• No carrier video-call support
• Poor video codec support out of the box
• No quick settings toggles in Sense 5
• MHL, NFC, IR and Beats audio reserved for the top dogs