Best smartphones for 2012

Choosing a smartphone isn't easy, and these days picking a mobile seems like the biggest decision we make. You need to find a handset that's cool and crammed with features, and that falls within your budget.

If you can't decide, the following rundown should give you some inspiration. They're not all brand new to the market - some have been around for months. But they all have at least one thing in common. They're pretty great!

Here are some of the best smartphones to see you through the 12 months ahead.

Nokia

Among the most exciting new product launches at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) event in February 2012 was the Nokia PureView 808 with its incredible 41-megapixel camera - even more powerful than the DSLR cameras used by most professional photographers.

For social messaging addicts there is the Nokia Asha 302, which is equipped with a full QWERTY keyboard and seamless integration of Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp.

And we can’t forget Nokia’s snazzy Windows Phone 7 handsets, the Nokia Lumia 800 and slightly more affordable Nokia Lumia 710, both of which generated a lot of buzz.

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Samsung

With a string of prestigious accolades to its name, the Samsung Galaxy S II is still one of the finest mobiles money can buy. It was named best smartphone at the GSMA Global Mobile Awards and even earned a five-star review rating from Mobilechoices.co.uk.

Elsewhere, there's the Samsung Galaxy Ace - less powerful but far cheaper than the Galaxy S II - and the impressive Samsung Galaxy Nexus, which many have suggested is a precursor to the Samsung Galaxy S III. It was also. the first phone powered by Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

Also worth a look is the smartphone and tablet hybrid Samsung Galaxy Note.

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Galaxy S4(black) £0.00

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£33.00

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Apple

Until the iPhone 5 arrives, Apple has given us the iPhone 4S with its quirky - and sometimes useful - voice recognition tool Siri. It's one of the most popular handsets around, followed closely by its older sibling the iPhone 4, which doesn't have Siri but can still be upgraded to the same iOS 5 operating system.

If you're looking to save money, the iPhone 4 is still a fantastic device and looks almost identical to the iPhone 4S. And if it's a tablet you're looking for, the iPad 2 is still arguably the one to beat. But with Apple you never quite know what's in the pipeline.

The big question is can you wait as long as it takes for the iPhone 5 to appear?

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HTC

Another massive launch at MWC 2012 was the HTC One in its three varied forms. First and foremost, there's the HTC One X - the first HTC smartphone equipped with a beefy quad-core processor - and its mammoth 4.7in touchscreen. HTC boss Peter Chou calls it the "beast".

The slimmer HTC One S uses the same 1.5GHz chipset but has a smaller 4.3in display and less storage space, but is ultimately more budget friendly. And finally the HTC One V comes with a smaller 1GHz processor and a notably smaller screen. Still a super phone, just cheaper.

But let's not forget the HTC Incredible S and HTC Desire S which have been around a while but still pack a lot of bang for your smartphone buck. And the HTC Sensation XL is considered by many as the only other Android phone to really compete with the Samsung Galaxy S II.

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Sony Ericsson

February brought the launch of the highly-anticipated Sony Xperia S, will soon be joined by a cheaper and less advanced version the Sony Xperia U. Both phones carry on the Xperia tradition of prioritising music and social media above almost everything.

Those on a budget might look at the older Sony Ericsson Xperia ray, one of the most petite and stylish smartphones of 2011. There's also the excellent Sony Ericsson Xperia mini pro which is also teeny tiny but has a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard.

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XPERIA X10 mini pro(black) £0.00

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£29.00

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BlackBerry

Love them or loathe them, BlackBerry smartphones are still as dependable as ever when you're looking for a powerful messaging device. The BlackBerry Bold 9900 is currently one of the best in show but the BlackBerry Curve 9360 is a more affordable alternative.

If you spend more time sending emails than you do streaming movies, BlackBerry is a fine choice of handset. Dedicated followers looking for their next BlackBerry upgrade should definitely place a phone like the Bold 9900 at the very top of their wish list.

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LG

While Transformers have Optimus Prime, the fearless leader among LG smartphones is the LG Optimus 3D. It first hit the market in May 2011, but has aged very well and has not yet been ousted by a better LG handset.

All could be about to change, however, when the LG Optimus 4X HD arrives in mid-2012. With a 1.5GHz quad-core processor and a full 1GB of RAM it sounds like a genuine force to be reckoned with, but off limits to anyone with a modest budget.

If you want to save money, consider the LG Optimus 2X. It was quite revolutionary in 2010 and has confidently stood the test of time. It's still crammed with features but of course lacks the flashy bells and whistles of a brand new release.

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Motorola

Have you seen the "impossibly thin" Motorola Droid RAZR? It's an incredible thing to behold and the ideal smartphone if you have hands the size of King Kong's. It's almost like having a cinema screen in your pocket - a 4.3in Super AMOLED touch display with 16 million colours.

With a screen made of tough Gorilla glass and a chassis packaged in Kevlar - the material used in body armour - the Droid RAZR is robust as well as lean. But if you're prone to accidents, consider the even sturdier Motorola DEFY+ which is also strong on features at a lower price.

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RAZR i(black) £0.00

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£15.00

ZTE

In the global marketplace, ZTE is by far one of the biggest players. It's yet to create a big splash here but that could all change when the ZTE Era gets it UK launch this year. Equipped with Android Ice Cream Sandwich and a quad-core 1.3GHz processor, it seems to have everything going for it.

There's also the ZTE Tania, which runs on Windows Phone 7 if you're not an Android fan.

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Huawei

Another rising brand in the crowded smartphone arena is Chinese telecoms giant Huawei. Its biggest launch this year will no doubt be the Huawei Ascend D, a high-spec device that will surely give any iPhone or Samsung Galaxy a decent run for its money.

It will also be a member of the quad-core club, with a hefty 1.5GHz processor and Dolby Mobile 3.0 for cutting-edge sound enhancement. Also worth a look is the impressive Huawei MediaPad 10 if you're in the market for a versatile Android tablet.

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Photo by MJ/TR

One(black) £0.00	600 min Unlimited texts	£29.00
iPhone 4 (8GB)(black) £0.00	600 min Unlimited texts	£21.00
iPhone 5 (16GB)(white) £0.00	600 min Unlimited texts	£33.00

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