Review TechRadar: Phone and communications news 04-18-2014

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Bad Friday: Sky Go and Now TV outage on iOS persists into second day Apr 18th 2014, 11:08, by Chris Smith Sky has issued a second apology to customers struggling to access the Sky Go and Now TV streaming platforms on iOS devices, as the outage continues into a second day. The services went down for unexplained reasons on Thursday, with the issue also affective the BBC iPlayer, although the Beeb was able to restore service that evening. However, for Sky customers hoping to tuck into the Good Friday sports action (which includes important games in the Football League and the rugby Super League and F1 practice sessions) on their iPhone or iPad the outage persists. In a post on its Sky Help webpage, the firm said it was continuing to work with Apple to resolve the mysterious issue. No additional devices The company wrote: "We are really sorry. We know that customers continue to experience problems with Sky Go and NOW TV on iOS devices. "We are working very hard with Apple to fix it. We'll keep you updated here. Other devices are unaffected. Thank you for your patience and understanding." Understandably, not all Sky customers are feeling too patient or understanding at this point. One Twitter user suggested the firm allow customers to register another device in order to continue viewing. "Unfortunately we are unable to provide you with an additional device registration," the company replied. Seems like the least it could do really, huh? You can stay in touch with Sky's service updates here. In depth: Meet the team who want every smartphone waterproofed in five years Apr 18th 2014, 10:00, by Ben Stinson Statistics show the second leading cause of smartphone failure is liquid damage (the first being damaged screens). 33% of broken smartphones are accidentally damaged by water, with rain, drinks, toilets and showers all being common causes of this often-irreparable damage. After early efforts at splash-proofing phones, such as the otherwise mundane Motorola Defy, Sony came up with the water-resistant Xperia Z in 2013. The Xperia Z offered full submersion thanks to internal seals and gaskets. Alternatives previously only came in the form of bulky protective cases, which mostly hinder the design and functionality of the phone. Implementations of gaskets and seals to cover precious charging and audio ports have since become more compact, as we saw with the advancement between the original Xperia Z and the Z1. But it's still an inelegant solution, and ultimately the technology can still fail if subjected to the higher pressures of deeper submersion. The Xperia Z and Z1 cannot claim to be fully waterproof as there's still potential for the seals to degrade over time, and there is a limit to how long the phones can operate whilst submerged. This year, water-resistance and even waterproofing has become a specification to expect on many of top-end phones. Samsung's brand new Galaxy S5 comes with an IP67 rating, which means it is totally protected against dust and against the effect of immersion up to 1m. This is thanks to a combination of protective covers over the USB 3.0 port and a nano-coating from an unspecified provider, whilst the unreleased LG G3 is due to feature water and dust proofing. Sony has taken things a step further with its new Xperia Z2 flagship, which sports an IP58 rating. This allows it to go to a depth of 1.5m for up to 30 minutes. It's likely all the leading manufacturers will be have life-proofed smartphones by the end of the year, ones that don't sport the traditional rugged, tough look. There's a raft of companies that we looked at late last year all hoping to make the most of this trend in waterproofing, such as Liquipel, HzO, and P2i. However it's still too early to tell which, if any, of these companies will become the dominant force in smartphone waterproofing, or whether smartphone manufacturers will develop their own technology. P2i opens its doors TechRadar visited P2i's UK headquarters on its 10th anniversary to find out just how difficult it is to make a smartphone immune to water. Could it be that in less than a year we'll have a phone devoid of ugly covers yet still able to function in a glass of water? The nanotechnology's inventor Dr. Stephen Coulson was very bullish about the technology, saying that it can "coat anything other than liquids, and things that aren't living." Actually, after a hesitation he admitted: "Well, that's not strictly true, we could treat living things, but after the process they'd cease to be living, because our process involves a vacuum." Feline-water-protection might be out of the question, but there's plenty of space for nano-coatings to become a standard application during the manufacturing process of any device. That's what companies like P2i are aiming for. It's already becoming a key battleground, proven by the fact P2i holds of over 175 patents to protect its waterproofing process. There are already phones on the market featuring earlier revisions of P2i's splash-proof nano-coatings such as Motorola's Moto G, Moto X and Xoom 2. The next implementation of this technology, known as 'Dunkable', will allow devices to be fully submerged in water or almost any other liquid without suffering any of the corrosive effects that you'd expect. So how does it work? While there are a number of methods to make a phone waterproof, P2i reckons it's got the most inoffensive that won't upset any smartphone designers. The first step in the process of making a smartphone waterproof (without changing its design) involves placing the device into a vacuum, which will suck all the air from inside and around the handset. Once finished, a special plasma process that is both difficult to explain, and highly secretive, is used to apply a proprietary coating to every part of the device. This coating is 1000 times thinner than a human hair, and works by lowering the surface energy of everything inside and outside the phone. So rather than the water sticking to the device, it forms a droplet and rolls off. After being shown how the phones are waterproofed, P2i's engineers gave a number of demonstrations to prove just how effective the new Dunkable technology is. Thanks to the plasma process there is apparently no limit to the amount of times a smartphone can be submerged once the liquid-repellent nano-coating is applied. The only problem is that it's unlikely current generation touchscreens will work underwater, though it's possible that developments in capacitive technology will make this a reality in the future. P2i had lots of ways of proving the functionality of its technology, but none were simpler than showing how water interacts with a nano-coated paper tissue. Without the coating, the tissue is designed to be absorbent and will soak up water. Once treated, the tissue becomes water repellent or 'hydrophobic' and liquids will simply roll straight off. This process is almost identical to that described by California-based HzO, but how the process is done without infringing on P2i's patents remains to be seen. Coulson noted that P2i is "working with the top 10 manufacturers of mobile phones" to progress towards all phones having a waterproof coating as part of their specification within the next five years. This may seem like a relatively long time in the continually progressive smartphone lifecycle, but fitting the necessary equipment into the huge production lines of global smartphone manufactures is far from an overnight process. So far P2i has publicly shown processing chambers of up to 2000L, capable of coating 600 phones simultaneously. Though when you consider that Samsung ships approximately 75 million smartphones every quarter, you soon start to understand the necessary scale of operation required. P2i has sold much larger machines to some of its customers, though it couldn't reveal exactly who. These larger machines are capable of processing up to 100,000 phones a day at a cost of less than £1 (around $1.50 ,$AU1.80) per unit. At the moment, the scale of the technology used puts it outside the reach of home users or retail opportunities. However, within the next five years it's hoped that nano-coating machines will be small enough to be much more widely used. P2i's CEO Carl D. Francis is more wary about allowing home users free-roam with this technology saying: "we could put retail kiosks in shopping centres, but we thought that it may cause problems with the manufacturers warranties. "So we decided we didn't want to start there, and that starting with the manufacturers would mean we'd get an approval from them and we'd work with them to improve reliability." More than waterproof Francis doesn't see a place for water defences outside the invisible world of nano-coatings, saying "The trend is going towards thinner, lighter devices, meaning the ability to build in gaskets and membranes as some manufacturers have experimented with, is a far tougher proposition than to apply a coating at a nano level." With earlier forms of P2i's technology having been around for a couple of years, you'd wonder why all manufacturers haven't already embraced the technology. Francis leaves the ball firmly in their court, saying "production lifecycles are very long, and are lead by engineers keen to engineer a solution for the problem of waterproofing without turning to a relatively unknown process such as ours." There are, of course, other factors that have slowed adoption, such as the cost of adding an extra stage to the production line that manufacturers may be resistant to. Though as Francis points out, "It's not like we're adding another [tool] to an existing manufacturing process, but rather we're asking them to add something to their bill and material costs which obviously they're trying to keep as tight as possible." Future tech P2i has 190 machines in factories across 16 countries. With revenues growing from £6m in 2012 to £8m last year and a forecast of £12m in 2014 and £18m in 2015, Francis rightly feels confident about the company's future in smartphone protection. He says "we're focused today on liquid and oil-repellency. There is a need, and we have a solution, though there are other coatings we've looked at such as scratch and fingerprint-resistant coatings." In the future it's very plausible that nano-coatings could do more than waterproof. Indeed nano-coatings that can provide scratch resistance and impact protection are not beyond the realms of technology. In 2010, P2i acquired Surface Innovations, another UK-based company specialising in a variety of nano technologies including anti-microbial coatings. Francis hopes this could be combined with P2i's waterproof tech: "We need to improve them to make them more robust and more scalable, but there is a huge demand for anti-microbial coatings that won't change the look or feel of a product." It's pretty obvious that nano-coatings provide a much more elegant solution than any other kind of waterproof protection, as well as adding minimal cost. For now it's just a waiting game until the manufacturers catch up and are willing to implement this extra stage of assembly. Whether it's P2i's technology or something very similar, there's little doubt that life-proofing smartphones and wearable technology is high on the agenda. Why aren't smartphones waterproof? HTC smartphone with optical zoom camera coming within 18 months Apr 18th 2014, 09:27, by Chris Smith HTC's top imaging expert has claimed the company is well on the way towards launching a smartphone boasting a camera with optical zoom tech. Speaking to the Vodafone blog, Symon Whitehorn says HTC is "not far away at all" from harnessing a key feature that could allow smartphones to encroach on DSLR territory. He said: "Optical zooming in a smartphone is not too far off at all for HTC. I can't give too much away, but within 12-18 months we'll see huge advances in phone optics. That's why we don't necessarily believe in doing a high-resolution, photo enlarging solution. "Everyone wants optical zooming, and that's on the horizon. We're trying to match the performance of dedicated cameras where one piece of glass inside it costs £3000 alone. We're never going to match that in the short term but we are getting towards those effects." To soon for 4K? Whitehorn said HTC is working towards improving smartphone camera tech to the point that it's harder to justify taking out a big camera and even buying one beyond "specialist and nostalgia reasons." Elsewhere, the imaging guru also claimed HTC could release a 4K ready smartphone right now, but said the firm is "waiting until 4K can really fit into people's lives, and to make sure that that decision makes sense." The firm has certainly been playing a huge focus on the camera tech within its latest phones. The HTC One (M8) features Duo Camera Ultrapixel lenses that allow users to alter the depth of field after the fact. We're excited to see what's next. HTC One M8 vs HTC One 2013: Is the upgrade worth it? Is the iPhone 6 really as big as this alleged battery leak suggests? Apr 17th 2014, 21:41, by Michael Rougeau The latest leaks regarding the iPhone 6 have suggested its screen will be larger than any iPhone past, and the most recent one points to the same. This image, seen on Nowhereelse.fr, is allegedly of the new iPhone's battery, and it looks like it comes straight from the factory floor. But more importantly the battery looks too big to fit inside any existing iPhone, including the iPhone 5S. The last leak showed supposed iPhone 6 molds that had room for about 4.7 inches of Apple-y goodness, and this battery matches up nicely with that. Far from the tree There are also rumors of a 5.5-inch new iPhone, but the battery seen here looks only slightly longer than the iPhone 5S's, so this leak does not directly support the existence of an even larger iPhone. The iPhone 6's battery is also expected to be thinner than the 5S, but it's not possible to tell from this photo whether the battery pictured here is thinner. Then again, there's not a way to tell that this is even the iPhone's battery at all that we're looking at. In addition to changes to its size and shape, the iPhone 6 is expected to be a major revision to Apple's iconic flagship in many areas. We're hoping to see the new iPhone in September, but hypothetically it could appear even sooner than that, so keep your eyes peeled for more leaks. Here's how the iPhone 6 should look Bing gets Google Now-like cards powered by Cortana Apr 17th 2014, 19:05, by klee Microsoft has done a lot of sprucing up with Windows 8.1 and Cortana for Windows Phone 8.1. Now the software giant has launched a new version of Bing featuring personalized cards similar to Google Now. The freshly launched feature is meant to help users keep track of things that matter to them. After setting up some interests, the Bing experience will update with personalized cards news, weather, flights and stocks. Microsoft says there's still more to come but the cards will automatically update with new information such as stock price changes or whenever your flight is delayed. Even when users aren't visiting Bing directly, it will also push updates to Microsoft's other Bing-powered services like Cortana and the Bing Sports app. Copy and paste It all sounds a bit familiar to Google Now but Microsoft promises even more personalization by letting users set their own topics such as their favorite sports teams. By comparison, Google Now requires no set up and simply works as soon as you start it. Consequentially, however, there are also no deep customization options because it learns everything based off of your search patterns and daily life. Assuming the new version of Bing also plugs into Cortana seamlessly, Microsoft's digital assistant will attune herself to the user's life and figure out even more interests organically. Users that want to get started using the new version of Bing can do so by logging in with their Microsoft account. From there users should look inside their settings and pick the new option called "Interests." Check out our hands on with Office for iPad Flickr for iOS and Android gets an impressive overhaul to battle Instagram Apr 17th 2014, 18:20, by Chris Smith Yahoo's attempts to give its Flickr photo-sharing service a rebirth has continued with a complete overhaul of the apps for iOS and Android. The completely redesigned apps for both platforms now feature a slick new feed that almost mimic the look and feel of competitors like Facebook-owned Instagram. The photos appear in a single, scrollable feed with photos cropped to square dimensions, expanded to their full aspect ratio when tapped by users. Users can also tap a single button to reveal the metadata for each photo, such as the camera used, the GPS position, focal length, aperture, exposure and more. Going social As well as photos, Flickr users can also capture 30 seconds of HD video for direct upload to their stream, while adding live filters in the process. The app also enables photo fanciers to like, comment and share photos that sit in their feeds, while the profile pages are also decidedly Google+ and Instagram esque. There's also an overhauled search functionality and image recognition tech that tag items like sunsets and cars. Another neat addition is the new auto-sync feature, which will automatically back up all photos at full resolution to the user's Flickr account, a la Google+ and Dropbox. The only downside for Android users is the need for them to be logged into a Flickr account when previously they've been able to get away with signing in through Facebook and Google accounts. Have you sampled the overhaul for iOS or Android? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below. For the rest of you, here's a look at the new features. YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_eC-cwC4Kk Flickr at 10: Time to start being the best Via The Next Web Updated: Sky Go, Now TV and BBC iPlayer struck down by streaming bug Apr 17th 2014, 15:19, by Gareth Beavis Update: The BBC seems to have fixed its iPlayer issues but the Sky services are still struggling. Sky and BBC have both confirmed that they are investigating issues that are stopping users from watching content on demand. The issue looks to be limited to iOS devices at the moment and means anyone trying to catch up on last night's TV on the go will be cruelly disappointed. Sky Go users are reporting a 'Client Server Certificate' issue, which means that neither streaming nor downloaded programs would work – Sky has acknowledged the issue, which is also affecting its Now TV service, and told TechRadar that a fix is in the works: "We are aware that some customers are experiencing problems accessing Sky Go and Now TV using iOS devices. We apologise to any customer affected and are working hard to resolve the issue." Beeb can't see too However, in either an odd coincidence or some sort of server glitch, BBC iPlayer is also refusing to play nicely with iPhones and iPads. The broadcasting giant took to Twitter to confirm it was working to find a solution: "We're aware of a technical issue affecting iPad/iOS users this morning and we are working to resolve it. Updates here http://t.co/1KmAQqbgR2." However, on iPlayer the issue is 'insufficient bandwidth', and while the Beeb is claiming it's only affecting iPads, our tests showed iPhones experiencing the same issue. If you are suffering with the Sky Go problem, many users are finding that rolling the time back 48 hours is resolving the issue, although the same trick isn't working for the BBC app. We'll update this story as we get more information on what's causing the problems and whether they are indeed linked. Let us know in the comments below if you're experiencing the same thing. Buying Guide: 10 best mobile phones in the world today Apr 17th 2014, 13:47, by Gareth Beavis Number 10: HTC One Mini You want the best smartphone, right? We've whittled our constantly updated selection down to the 10 best handsets you can get your hands on right now - but after you've checked out number one, we've still got plenty of other options to feast your eyes on. We've all got at least one mobile phone each, right? We've probably got about three or four nowadays, and that counts giving your old Nokia 3310 to your Mum a few years ago. But while you used to be able to just bank on the new Nokia or always get the next Sony Ericsson because it had a half-decent camera, there are now so many great options out there from loads of manufacturers. The trouble is, how do you decide which is the best one for you? Well, this is where we make it easy: we've played with nearly every device on the market and have found the ten best you can spend your money on. It needs to be good, after all, given it will reside in your pocket for the next two years. Our ranking of the best mobile phones available in the UK today celebrates the brilliance of the smartphone: we love handsets that add in functionality to enrich our lives in so many different ways. We also partially take into account the price of the phone too - meaning a low-price handset doesn't always need to have high-spec functions to be in our top 10. The HTC One was the star of last year, staying at the top of the charts for nearly 10 months, seeing off the challenge from the likes of Nokia, Sony, LG and Samsung (namely the Galaxy S4) - showing the smartphone market still has a fair few players. The iPhone 5S proved to still be a little too pricey with a smaller screen, and the iPhone 5C was cheaper but with some ageing hardware. And now Google is playing fast and loose with consumers' wallets, thanks to offering the ultra-cheap Nexus 5 and the even ultra-cheaper Moto G - could those be the phones for you? But now we're in 2014, and the game has changed. Relentless design reimagination from HTC has led to the excellent HTC One M8 landing right at the top of the tree, but now the Samsung Galaxy S5 and Sony Xperia Z2 are here - can either take the crown? Not so good news if you can't wait for the iPhone 6: that's not coming for a few months, so if you want something shiny and new from Apple now, you'll either need to go for the iPhone 5S (which is still a decent phone) or one of the plethora of high end Android handsets. If that still doesn't help, well, there's always our extensive mobile phone reviews pages as well - or check out our personally crafted smartphone buyer's guide: null : http://cms.techradar.com/article/y61JYYiFwbk36 And when you've decided which new phone to buy (and checked out the best mobile phone deal), why not cash in your old one with our phone recycling price comparison service? Here are our rankings for the best mobile phones around, currently available in the UK. 10. Samsung Galaxy S4 Samsung managed to hold off HTC at the top in 2012, but in 2013 the supreme stylings of the HTC One proved too strong against a phone that's a slightly-better-version of its predecessor, especially when you consider the design. There's a lot, a lot, to love with the Samsung Galaxy S4 though: whether it's a powerful camera, a brilliant screen, a long-lasting battery or just a fluid experience, there's a lot you could want in a smartphone right here. The cost is a tad higher than on other smartphones, but still cheaper than iPhone level and is descending as the S5 appears. If only it was made out of something a little more premium... LG, Sony and Google have come out with some attractive propositions and overtaken the best the South Koreans can manage, but that hasn't stopped this being one of the most popular phones of 2013 and the price is ever lower. Verdict There's no doubt that, despite the design criticism, this is one of the best smartphones ever made - it's clear, powerful and does everything we'd expect a flagship phone from Samsung to do. It's just a shame that the perceived 'innovation' doesn't really add anything: motion gestures, smart scroll and it's other non-contact bedfellows didn't take smartphones to the next level, which is what we needed in the face of Ultrapixels and BoomSound. Make no mistake though: you'll love the Samsung Galaxy S4 if you choose to go for it, as it's a decent phone with some really cutting-edge features - but remember there's something better thanks to the Galaxy S5. Samsung Galaxy S4 review See the best Samsung Galaxy S4 deals Number 9: Moto G 9. Moto G Motorola's back, and it's kicking off its global smartphone revival with the keenly priced Moto G handset. A mid-range handset with a low-end price tag - we're talking around £100 in some stores. On paper the Moto G looks like an excellent handset for the price, and in practice it lives up to the billing. As the Nexus 4 did with the mid-range market, the Moto G has turned the budget end on its head with features found on handsets double its cost. It exceeds its rivals in several key areas, from the well defined 4.5-inch display to its 1.2GHz quad-core processor and the early Android 4.4 KitKat update. There's a lot to love about the Moto G for its price. Quick verdict Motorola must have cut some corners to get the price of the Moto G so low, and the camera is one area which has seen the compromise, but that's one of the only gripes. So here's the upshot: Motorola is back folks, it's official. It may not be the return we would have predicted - there's no flagship phone stuffed full of the latest tech - but arguably what the now Google-owned firm has done is even better. The Moto G is a top notch, low cost smartphone and we wholeheartedly recommend this as the best budget mobile currently on the market. Moto G review See the best Moto G deals Number 8: HTC One 8. HTC One It's quite a tumble from the top spot for the HTC One, especially given it was our top smartphone for so long. However unless you're desperate to pay a little less per month, the newer One M8 does everything the original did, but so much better. It's nothing to do with the quality of the One – which is still one of the outstanding phones on the market – but more the fact that if you like Boomsound, and Ultrapixel camera, a sharp and bright screen or a powerful processor, the M8 has improved in every way there. But let's not forget what made this phone so great: the supreme aluminium chassis, the Full HD screen and the simplified version of Sense 5.0 sitting now on top of Android KitKat means it's still a pleasure to use and recommend this handset - but again, only if price is your main driver and you simply must have a One. The innovations are also more than just marketing gimmicks; Zoe functionality allows the creation of delightful video highlight reels, and the Ultrapixel camera means you've got a much wider range of shots available thanks to being stunning in low light - and none of that is diminished with time. Quick Verdict With power, poise and beauty all combined in this innovative phone, HTC has proved it can more than still cut it with the big boys when it comes to bringing out a lust-worthy flagship smartphone - and the One deserves to stay in the top ten. However, remember that this has one year fewer in terms of HTC promising to keep it upgraded, so if you pick it up now you might not get the newer versions of the software in 12 months time. The battery is also not as strong as on the One M8 - but it's still got a lot to offer. HTC One review See the best HTC One deals Number 7: iPhone 5S 7. iPhone 5S Did you see this one coming? The iPhone 5S behind five other Android phones in our rankings? Some think it should be higher, some think lower - it depends on your level of Apple love. Never has a company polarised opinion in the smartphone world like Apple - and with the iPhone 5S, so many are quick to decry it while others know it to be the smartphone they've been waiting for. And let's make no bones about it: this is a stunning phone, with a gorgeous two-tone finish, a high-res screen with good colour reproduction, a 64-bit chip and that all-powerful TouchID sensor that lets you unlock your phone with a simple fingerprint. The iOS 7 update is one that we sorely, sorely needed and does bring a lot more power and control - as shown by the impressive and pervasive Control Center. We really like TouchID, the 64-bit processor might be a little useless now but definitely brings a touch more zip to things, and the M7 chip gives developers something to play with in terms of fitness, with the likes of FitBit taking advantage already. The issue of price is starting to diminish somewhat - but many vendors are still charging the same for this older phone as the likes of the HTC One M8 despite being a few months older. Quick verdict Let's not beat around the bush here: the iPhone 5S is still one of the great smartphones in the world thanks to a great package of technology, design and UI intuition. iOS 7 is the update we've needed for a while, and does a lot to help keep Apple current at the sharp end of the market - but we still can't wait to see what the iPhone 6 will bring, as essentially this is still the same phone as the iPhone 5 but with a better engine under the hood. iPhone 5S review Compare the best iPhone 5S deals Number 6: Sony Xperia Z1 Compact 6. Sony Xperia Z1 Compact Hey Sony...what's this? A phone without a 1080p screen? A smaller battery? Are you MAD? Wait, we get it. This is the mildly-nonplussing Xperia Z1 shoved into a smaller frame, with almost nothing compromised (the above two points aside). With a 4.3-inch screen it's one of the most easy to use devices in the hand, coming in next to the iPhone 5S, but it does it with a much lower cost and a great battery life to boot. On top of that it's waterproof and has expandable memory, plus a superb screen. It's been usurped in some ways by the Xperia Z2 insofar that if you want that Bravia-powered IPS screen, the G Lens camera or just general access to Sony's tight band of media apps, this is no longer the best Sony phone on the market and has dropped a couple of places as a result. However, if you're more about size then this is still the best of the mid-range players... check it out if you want to save a bit of cash over the bigger brother flagship too. Quick verdict Want a great phone that's just a little bit smaller without losing all the power? If so, then we've found your ideal device. Strong CPU, great battery and expandable memory are traits we love to see. It's not got the same screen sharpness as some of the others on show here, and the camera can oddly throw in a little noise here and there, but these are minor gripes indeed. It's been launched with a palatable price tag as well - so head on down to your local emporium and throw it in some water. Because it's waterproof too, not because you're a vandal. Sony Xperia Z1 Compact review See the best Sony Xperia Z1 Compact deals Number 5: Google Nexus 5 5. Google Nexus 5 So we've updated our review with the new phone software, and thankfully things are a lot better now. The battery is improved, the camera a little more stable, and the low cost is still in place. You already know we like Android 4.4, the clever implementation and the £299 price tag. We love the high power CPU, the quality screen; even the rubberised outer shell. You can get the LG G2 for around the same price now though, and that offers a far superior camera, better battery life and a huge slew of extra features - it really depends if you're a fan of the stripped-down experience. Quick verdict We're glad to put this smartphone higher up in the rankings, as it's one of the cheapest out there in terms of bang for buck. It's a great phone that hits the marks well - it lacks something in terms of innovation, but that's not a problem for those that want to be able to run all manner of apps and games at a decent price. It doesn't come in at the same price point as previous Nexii, but it's still jolly cheap. Google Nexus 5 review See the best Nexus 5 deals Number 4: LG G2 4. LG G2 Wait, an LG phone in at number two? Believe it people; LG has made a phone that not only impressed us but ran the HTC One very, very close for the top spot in 2013 - and holds that place into 2014 too. We don't know where to start in terms of extolling the virtues of this new handset from the South Korean firm: it's got an insanely good screen, quality camera, the best audio pumping out from its speakers and headphone jack... the list goes on. We even came to tolerate, then love, the power and volume buttons being placed on the rear. These aren't ideal, but the ability to knock on the screen makes it really easy to interact with this impressive device. Verdict There's so much on offer here that we can't help but recommend it to anyone looking for the best smartphone powerhouse. The only things that we dislike are the cluttered UI (pull down the notifications bar and you'll see why) and the plastic casing, which drops the premium feel of the phone a lot, especially compared to the handset that sits one place above. But launching at £400 on PAYG (and even cheaper with a few third party retailers), along with comparable contracts older phones, is a really nice touch from LG, and we reckon it's going to pay dividends. LG G2 review See the best LG G2 deals Number 3: Samsung Galaxy S5 3. Samsung Galaxy S5 2014 is turning out to be a stellar year for the prospective smartphone user, as the HTC One (M8) was joined by the Samsung Galaxy S5 in our 'best smartphone' list, and now the Xperia Z2 enters the fray too. There was a lot of hype around the new Galaxy, and rightly so: it's by far the best phone Samsung has ever produced, with a blazing fast core, a strong result in the benchmarks and a larger 5.1-inch screen. Then there's the fact that with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 CPU the Galaxy S5 is one of the best phones on the market when it comes to battery life, besting the already impressive One M8 in the power stakes. Samsung has also dropped the 'innovation' of the air gestures from last year (well, they are in there but not the main focus) and improved the hardware with a better camera, fingerprint scanner and heart rate monitor too. The last addition is pretty pointless... but hey, it's fun for down the pub. Quick verdict The Samsung Galaxy S5 is a good phone, apart from the design. It's something that needs to be updated sorely, and while it doesn't have to be an all-metal shell, it needs to evolve. The next generation of smartphones is a cut above last year's models - that said, the LG G2 still impresses even with a few miles on the clock - and if you're looking for a new phone, you should check out one of the top three first. The S5 has a clear UI, powerful innards and is also waterproof... the rivals might edge it slightly overall, but it's very, very tight at the top and whichever handset you end up with won't disappoint. Samsung Galaxy S5 review See the best Samsung Galaxy S5 deals Number 2: Sony Xperia Z2 2. Sony Xperia Z2 Sony has something of a slump last year, following up the impressive Xperia Z with the lacklustre Xperia Z1 just a few months later. The camera, which was supposed to be the headline feature, didn't impress as much as we'd hoped, and the screen was still lacking the IPS clout that the Xperia Z Ultra managed - meaning muted colours and poor viewing angles. Anyway, enough about last year - Sony's back in 2014 and comes with an excellent phone in the shape of the Xperia Z2. Tipped to be the third of the stellar smartphone triumverate, alongside the Samsung Galaxy S5 and HTC One (M8) we were intrigued to see how it shaped up. And the good news is it's impressive. Really impressive. The industrial design is a little chunky but oozes premium quality in a way that Samsung's plastic shell doesn't, and it's a little more robust than its Galactical and Primary rivals thanks to being IP58 rated. Great battery life, strong power and a good camera all are present and correct with our new top three phones, but Sony steals second simply by being a great all-rounder. It doesn't have the polish of the HTC One M8, nor the more functional UI, but it does what's asked with top-end specs. That's what we like. Quick verdict What did Sony need to do to impress? Not a lot, but that screen and camera needed a fix as well as adding in some other features. Front facing speakers, a new screen with better colour reproduction, 4K video recording and inbuilt noise cancellation all make a great device that should be right on your possible upgrade list. Make sure you check it out in-store before purchase, as some won't like the larger build, but for a good all-round experience the Xperia Z2 excels. Sony Xperia Z2 review See the best Xperia Z2 deals Number 1: HTC One M8 1. HTC One M8 What to say about the HTC One M8? They often say the second album is the hardest, but the follow up to the all-conquering HTC One takes the best of that phone and yet still re-invents things enough to make it a massive recommendation over the old model. We love the speed of the camera, the Duo Camera is smart as a tack, the Boomsound upgrade is impressive and the design... well, you have to hold it. The Snapdragon 801 processor has boosted battery dramatically compared to the 600 of last year, and that means that photos also process much more quickly as well - even the front-facing camera is much better. Gaming, movies, photography, browsing all work really well, and in a phone that that's easily going to destroy whatever anyone else can design, unless Apple or LG have got some dark sorcery up their sleeves when the iPhone 6 or LG G3 appear later in the year. Quick Verdict If we were to criticise the One M8, it would be the camera's lack of a megapixel upgrade, which means pictures are a little less sharp than they might otherwise be. That said, it's a minor point in a phone that has barely any flaws. The lower megapixel camera means faster shutter speeds, and if you don't want to zoom in a lot, most will enjoy the depth perception and background de-focus ability to make some pro-looking snaps. We urge you to hold this phone for a few seconds and try not to feel at least a small flicker of smartphone attraction. It's got great specs, a splendid design and some clever hardware innovation where the competition is relying on software to do the same thing. The Samsung Galaxy S5 and the Xperia Z2 failed to take the top spot, and we honestly don't know if the iPhone 6 will be good enough to head straight to the top of the pile when it appears? It looks like you're going to be spoilt for choice in 2014. HTC One M8 review See the best HTC One M8 deals You might also like... If a phone isn't in the 10 best phones in the world list, that doesn't mean it's not worth giving two hoots about. Here's a few handsets you might want to think about should none of the above tickle your fancy... although you're clearly VERY hard to please: HTC One Mini If you hold both the One and the One Mini, you'll struggle to tell the difference, apart from the fact one is smaller than the other (obviously). The aluminium build quality pervades, and it's hard to believe that you're not holding one of the most premium devices on the market. Even the polycarbonate band that runs around the edge of the phone is unobtrusive, which means you get a distinctive design that doesn't impact on the way the One Mini sits in the hand. We love that the functionality of the One Mini isn't compromised from its larger relative, with the likes of UltraPixels and BoomSound all involved without being watered down. HTC has been very clever in the design of this phone by bringing nearly every great element of the One to the smaller version, and packaging it in a way that still makes it very attractive. In short, it's a cheaper version of the larger phone that scales down the processor and drops the price. Good combo, HTC. Quick verdict Would we recommend the HTC One Mini? Absolutely - the mid-range market renaissance is something we didn't expect, but is an area that HTC is intent on winning - and we think it's managed that with the One Mini. We really love the aluminium shell, the UltraPixel camera and BoomSound on board, plus we get to play with the latest version of Android as well as all the cool apps like the Music Player, which show lyrics to songs as they're playing. Actually, we're just happy to have the headphone-boosting amplifier on board - as long as our songs are nicely audible, we don't really care. There's a sub-class of phones around at the moment that try and replicate top-end features in the mid-range market, and while this isn't the best phone in that class any more (we'll serve that title to the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact) it's still a cracking buy. HTC One Mini review Compare the best HTC One Mini deals Samsung Galaxy Note 3 The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 breathes yet more life into a mobile form factor many thought would be dead on arrival, ramping up the specs and the size to give us a new monolith of mobile. It may be big, but the 5.7-inch display is fantastic and the Full HD Super AMOLED technology makes everything pop from websites to movies. You're able to fit a lot more on screen at a time and that means less scrolling in messages, on websites and down your long contact list and that can only be a good thing. What really impressed us with the Galaxy Note 3 though was its battery life and sheer speed under the finger. We're used to a day at best when hardcore using the device, but we got far past that without breaking a sweat throughout our tests. The speed of the Snapdragon 800 quad core processor, combined with 3GB of RAM, means this is the least-slouchy phone we've encountered in a while. Quick verdict The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is a great phone and if you were to own one you wouldn't be disappointed. It provides a great onscreen experience - as long as your hands are big enough to reach across it - and its stuffed so full of tech to almost warrant its lofty price tag - which refuses to tumble much. Its size will be a real stumbling point for many and we'd recommend going into a store and just holding the Note 3 for a while to see if it's something you can cope with - in short, we want all this but in a form that we can hold easily, at a lower price and without the S Pen. If that's you, then just go ahead and buy the Galaxy S5. Samsung Galaxy Note 3 review Compare the best Samsung Galaxy Note 3 deals Nokia Lumia 520 The Nokia Lumia 520, much like its big brother the Nokia Lumia 620, is a jack of all trades and a master of none - although it really manages to make a good fist of everything it tries, for the low, low price tag it carries. It looks good, it's got a decent screen both in terms of size and resolution, it rarely stutters or slows down, it's great for calls and messaging, reasonable for media and okay for photos. To achieve a lower price point the 520 has had to strip away a few things - there's no NFC, compass, camera flash or front facing camera here. But on the other hand it's also got a bigger screen, a larger battery, a sleeker, slimmer, lighter build and the same processor and RAM as the Nokia Lumia 620, so in many ways it's actually better. Combine that with a lower price tag and we reckon that this just might be the best entry level Windows Phone 8 handset that you can buy and certainly the best value. Quick verdict The Nokia Lumia 520 certainly isn't an iPhone or Samsung Galaxy beater - but it's a superb Windows Phone device that you can pick up for under £100. If you're a fan of a simple interface with some quality add-ons, then you should definitely look at Nokia's latest attempt to win over the smartphone naysayers. Nokia Lumia 520 review Compare the best Nokia Lumia 520 deals Samsung Galaxy S3 With the Samsung Galaxy S4 AND Galaxy S5 now launched, the S3 has predictably fallen out of focus somewhat. But don't worry: the S3 is still a strong phone: it's got a good slug of decent features we want and more, and knows what it's doing with processor speed and media management too. Would we recommend you buy one if you're hankering for a spot of Samsung? Yes, but only if you're trying to save a lot of money, as it's really ageing now. Price isn't the only reason the Samsung Galaxy S3 is worthy of consideration though. Smart Stay, Super AMOLED HD screen, up to 128GB storage, Music Hub, removable battery, quick camera; for the price, this phone still delivers in ways that many others on the market can't. Quick verdict If you're after a decent slab of Samsung tech, the Galaxy S3 is an OK choice. Samsung faced an almost impossible task in trying to create a worthy sequel to the Galaxy S2, and while this is an older model, it's still worth a look. Samsung Galaxy S3 review Compare the best Samsung Galaxy S3 deals Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Many (including us, we admit) were not convinced when the original Samsung Galaxy Note launched. Who on earth would want something so big to make their calls and surf the internet, even with a glorified stylus? Cue awkward silence. Millions of you, it would appear. The Galaxy Note sold by the bucketload, so how do you follow that up? With something better, of course - the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, which has shifted millions of units worldwide, and now is the elder statesman thanks to the new Galaxy Note 3 appearing. Still a strong and eye-catching device, the Galaxy Note 2 is well-connected, and thanks to that increased screen size (up to an eye-bulging 5.5-inches), is, among many things, a quality media player. Air View, Multi-window, a dock that can turn it into a fully-fledged computer - it's all here, people.. Quick verdict As a phone, it's big, but once you get over that, if you can, it's great. As a PMP, it really does excel, but there are better options on the market (Note 3 and Sony Xperia Z Ultra, for instance). Ultimately, there's no getting away from the fact that the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is a niche device. But it does almost everything it sets out to do perfectly, with grace, class and maximum functionality. With a lower price, it's still powerful enough to last for at least a year, so we have no qualms recommending it as a viable option for your next phone. Samsung Galaxy Note 2 review Compare the best Samsung Galaxy Note 2 deals iPhone 5C What's this? A new iPhone not making it into the top five? Wait... not even the top ten? Well, you can't really blame us. This isn't a new iPhone - it's last year's device in brand new package with more colours to choose from. There are more LTE bands to choose from too, which is important to UK buyers as it means it can give superfast speeds from all the networks. It's still a really rather good phone, with the Retina display still giving market-leading colour reproduction, a strong camera and the best App Store around. Quick verdict We'll be honest: this is the section the iPhone 5 would have lived in, as the iPhone 5C is just a tweaked version of 2012's model, the same phone with a new skin. There will be loads of people looking to buy it simply because the iPhone now comes in pink or green, and to those we say: look at the Lumia range. Nokia's been doing the same thing for years and at a much, much cheaper price point. The iPhone 5C is the same as a every phone from Apple: too expensive for what it is, but if you're desperate for such a device from the Cupertino brand then this is still a strong handset to plump for - but beware of getting the 8GB option as it can fill up with apps or media very quickly. iPhone 5C review Compare the best iPhone 5C deals Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini Samsung created a mid-range handset, putting itself right against the 4G-toting Sony Xperia SP and Nokia Lumia 820 - but most importantly now in a war with the HTC One Mini too. The Galaxy S4 Mini takes the design language of the full-fat S4, and does well to shrink it down without losing the same 'atmosphere'. A vibrant screen, bright and clear enough, added to the fact it's only 4.3-inches large, mean the S4 Mini is a lot easier to hold in the hand, and the camera is as powerful as we'd expect on a phone of this size and price point. Quick verdict What you get with the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini is a far better trade off of price and features than you got with the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini, and a phone that sits very comfortably within the S4 range. It's got a lot of the S4 power at a lower price point, and while the S3 to S3 Mini divide was just too great in our eyes, the S4 Mini is a lot closer to its bigger brother. Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini review Compare the best Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini deals Nokia Lumia 1520 The Nokia Lumia 1520 is a trailblazing 6-inch smartphone that forges a path for Windows Phone 8 into true high-end territory. And what a swathe this oversized phablet cuts - it's huge. Its 6-inch 1080p display is a thing of beauty, and is a great way to watch videos and view photos on the go. Nokia has produced another excellent camera phone here, learning lessons from the Nokia Lumia 1020 and the Nokia Lumia 925 to produce a very well balanced snapper. However, there's also no denying that this is a ridiculously large phone, and whipping one out in public will be as embarrassing as it is tricky to wield for those who appreciate a little subtly and mobility from their phones. Quick verdict The Nokia Lumia 1520 is an absolute beast of a phone that we suspect only the large-handed and generous pocketed will be able to live with day to day. Those who accept the challenge will find the most capable Windows Phone 8 device yet, with top-of-the-range specs that include a stunning 1080p display and a superb 20-megapixel camera. Nokia Lumia 1520 review Sony Xperia Z1 The Sony Xperia Z1 is another powerhouse of a phone. With a 20.7MP camera with G Lens technology, the ability to withstand rain, snow and sand and a superfast Snapdragon 800 processor running the show, it's clearly a great handset to have around. It also comes in a variety of funky colours, has a pleasing build quality that helps justify the higher price to a degree and basically offers the best of the Sony brand in a smartphone. We do have a few reservations insofar as the Z1 doesn't really carry the mantle the Xperia Z created; it's got a massively uprated camera and screen technology, but neither particularly wow. Quick verdict Don't think that this is anything less than a leading phone from Sony. It's just that the added thickness to accommodate the camera doesn't impress enough to plop it into the top five, nor the sub-par screen, and after the really great showing from the Xperia Z, we were a little disappointed. It's only better than the Z1 Compact if you want a larger screen - other than that, the two are identical. Sony Xperia Z1 review Compare the best Sony Xperia Z1 deals Sony Xperia Z2 trumps the S5 in TechRadar's official phone ranking Apr 17th 2014, 13:45, by Gareth Beavis There are loads of great phones on the market today - but how do you decide which is for you? Sony's the latest to enter the fray with the Xperia Z2 - and it's gone straight in at number two. That means there are two Sony handsets in our definitive top ranking of the best phones in the world, with the Z1 Compact sitting pretty in sixth place too. Samsung fans will want to look away though, as the Galaxy S5 is the phone that's lost out and slips to third place, hindered by a less-than-appealing design update and some slight performance issues in our tests. Lofty heights The Sony Xperia Z2 has taken second place in our ranking thanks to a combination of strong design, some of the highest spec internals going and a really great camera - taking all the crucial bits of a smartphone and putting them together in an appealing manner. It didn't do enough to unseat the HTC One M8, which we still rate higher thanks to the combination of speedier camera, Boomsound speakers, enhanced design and overall speed of use... but if you're a fan of the waterproof phone, Sony's got you covered. We are now living in a world where Samsung's flagship didn't make the top two and the iPhone isn't even in the top five phones on sale. Oof. Think we might need a lie down. Check out the full run down here: The 10 Best Phones In The World Today. In Depth: Storage wars: do we really need microSD cards in our phones? Apr 17th 2014, 09:45, by James Rogerson Why the microSD may have had its day MicroSD cards are serious business, or at least that's the impression given by the uproar surrounding any major Android handset that doesn't include a slot for one. But are they really necessary? There's no denying that they can be appealing. Regardless of how much storage a handset has a microSD card can boost it - and with the launch of SanDisk's 128GB card it can be expanded massively. That can certainly be useful for anyone who wants to jam their phone full of media, but even if you don't it's comforting to have that safety net, knowing that the storage is there if you need it. But do you need it? Really? You might argue that there's no downside to having a microSD card slot even if it's not likely to get used, but that's not entirely true. For one thing they simply don't fit with the design ethos of some handsets. Phones of a certain design, such as the unibody HTC One, can't easily support a microSD card slot and the design is one of its biggest selling points. To compromise that would be to compromise the whole handset. On the other hand it's arguably a minor compromise, especially as design and manufacturing processes improve. That's a large part of why HTC One (M8) has a microSD card slot when the HTC One didn't, as an HTC spokesperson explained to us that: "Advances in our design and manufacturing processes have allowed us to introduce the microSD card without feeling like we need to compromise on design. With last year's One, we felt the compromise was too large – particularly given the prevalence of free cloud storage – so we opted not to include microSD. This year, advances allowed us to revisit that decision if the customer demand warranted it." Sure, the HTC One (M8) would probably still look better without a covered slot breaking the lines, but it's always going to need a certain number of slots and ports anyway. Slow storage Then again, a microSD card slot isn't necessarily desirable even when it can easily be included. Because while microSD cards sound good on paper in reality they can hugely impact a phones performance. According to a study carried out by Hyojun Kim at the Georgia Institute of technology, using a microSD card in your phone can cause it to become sluggish, with even basic tasks like web browsing suffering as a result. Overall performance can often drop by between 100% and 300% and in one case the study found that there was an incredible 2000% decrease in performance. Even at the lower end that's a massive loss in performance and is an unacceptable trade off for some extra storage, particularly on higher end handsets where you're paying hundreds of pounds extra for a boost in specs. The reason for the performance loss is simple, microSD cards themselves aren't fast enough. They can't keep up with the power and speed packed into modern smartphones. Though some are better at this than others and the brand and class of card you choose will have a big impact. Bad memory Speed isn't the only issue either. In late December, hardware hacker Andrew Huang gave a talk at Chaos Compute Club Congress, where he explained that "flash memory is really cheap. So cheap, in fact, that it's too good to be true. In reality, all flash memory is riddled with defects - without exception." The illusion of a contiguous, reliable storage media is crafted through sophisticated error correction and bad block management functions. This is the result of a constant arms race between the engineers and mother nature; with every fabrication process shrink, memory becomes cheaper but more unreliable. Likewise, with every generation, the engineers come up with more sophisticated and complicated algorithms to compensate for mother nature's propensity for entropy and randomness at the atomic scale." Cheap, but not so cheerful Which brings us to another key issue in the appeal of microSD cards, the fact that they're cheap. On the face of it the price can be appealing, particularly in comparison to paying through the nose for increased built in storage on a phone. Take the iPhone 5S for example. The 16GB model already retails for a whopping £549, but for a 32GB model you're looking at £629. That's £80 more for just 16GB of extra storage, while the 64GB model is yet another £80 more expensive. Admittedly Apple products tend to be expensive anyway, but even a 32GB Nexus 5 costs £40 more than a 16GB one and other companies have similar price differences. Compare that to on average just £7-10 for a 16GB microSD card, £15-20 for a 32GB one or £35-45 for a 64GB one and the pricing does seem quite steep. You could argue that you're paying the extra for a product which isn't 'riddled with defects' but it still seems like a substantial difference, particularly when you can get a 1TB external hard drive for around £50. Robert Leedham, writer for Which? Tech Daily agrees, saying "microSD cards aren't essential in phones, but they're a cheap way to get added storage. Spending £15 for 32GB extra space on your mobile is a good deal in anyone's book." An argument could certainly be made that manufacturers should charge less for extra storage then, but given how slow and unreliable microSD cards are it's still often worth paying the extra to avoid them. Upping the limit Of course sometimes even paying for a high-capacity handset isn't enough, as you're still not going to be getting more than 64GB of storage, which should be more than enough for most people but it's still easy to fill. Smartphone storage can be even more limited than it initially appears to be too, as some of the advertised memory is taken up by the operating system and often by apps which can't be uninstalled. Leedham sees this as a major problem, arguing that: "Manufacturers will begin to offer more storage space if they think it will make more people buy their phones. Realistically, they need to ensure operating systems don't eat up too much existing storage space. Our recent storage test found only 8.56GB (or 54%) of a Samsung Galaxy S4 was actually available for you to use." Sometimes the hit is only a few gigabytes, as on the 16GB iPhone 5S and Nexus 5, which give you 12.20GB and 12.28GB of usable storage respectively, but other times you can be left with only around half the advertised amount, as in Leedham's example, making a microSD card all but essential. The good news is that phone storage is increasing. The iPhone 3G had a choice of 8 or 16GB of storage, the iPhone 4 brought the potential storage up to 32GB and the iPhone 5 boosted it to 64GB. Sadly Apple didn't continue that trend with the iPhone 5S, as that too tops out at 64GB, but there's always hope that the iPhone 6 might have 128GB of storage. You can see a similar increase among other manufacturers. HTC for example put just 512MB of storage in the Hero, but that went up to 1GB in the Sensation, 16 or 32GB in the One X and 32GB in the HTC One. Though the HTC One (M8) hasn't increased that any, instead opting to include a microSD card slot to augment the storage. But despite some recent flagships halting the march towards increased storage we're still likely to see it grow quite rapidly in the next few years. Tablets like the iPad Air already offer 128GB of storage and there's even a smartphone with that amount of capacity, unfortunately it's only available in China, but it's surely only a matter of time before 128GB of storage and beyond become common in phones. Given the rate that storage has increased so far that's likely to happen sooner rather than later and when it does microSD cards will become a lot less desirable. MicroSD: the alternatives Up in the air In the meantime there's at least one viable alternative to microSD cards and in many ways it's a far more attractive option. We're talking of course about cloud storage. After all why have your files stored on one device when you could access them from every device you own by uploading them to the cloud. The pricing compares favourably to microSD cards too, with most providers giving a certain amount of storage away for free, right up to 50GB in the case of Mega. But even subscriptions don't have to break the bank. Box for example charges just £3.50 per month for 100GB of storage. Cloud storage does have its limitations, as uploading large files can take a while and as Leedham points out "your phone won't always be connected to wireless internet, so internal storage is still important. The interesting thing will be whether apps continue to grow in size, just as flash storage does." But it's increasingly rare to be without some form of internet connection on phones and with most major storage providers offering smartphone apps the whole process is normally very easy, while your data is safer than it could ever be on something as unreliable as a microSD card. Streaming services are another alternative and while they're even more dependent on an internet connection they take storage out of the equation entirely. With a Netflix subscription you have instant access to thousands of films, while Spotify gives you access to millions of songs, far more than could ever fit on even the biggest hard drives and you have access to them across all of your devices. But if you're particularly attached to your own music collection or don't want to pay a subscription then there's always Google Play Music, which allows you to store up to 20,000 of your own songs in the cloud for free and stream them to your devices. For cloud storage to truly match local storage there will need to be fast, free internet connectivity everywhere and we've not at all reached that point yet, but as the likes of 4G take off and Wi-Fi hotspots become more prevalent we're edging ever closer. Indeed Rob Hodges from Mobiles.co.uk believes that phones will be heading even more towards cloud storage in the future, saying that "with all the leading operating systems moving towards cloud storage (Google Drive, SkyDrive, iCloud) content is going to be more off your phone, and more accessible from anywhere. Cloud accounts can be quite generous for storage meaning you have plenty of space for your major content. Whether apps will have the functionality to be accessed remotely without using memory on your device is the next challenge, but it will be something smartphone manufacturers are trying to conquer." Right now you can't store apps in the cloud or stream them, but then you're increasingly unable to move apps to microSD cards anyway, so that's not such a factor. Separation anxiety Even if the phone and apps you have do allow for it you might want to reconsider, as above and beyond the issues with microSD cards highlighted earlier there's also the fact that separating an app from OS features on the phones internal storage can cause problems of its own. Hodges explains it like this: "Downloaded apps need access across a range of the pre-installed OS features. Even the little things like WhatsApp accessing your phone contacts list, or Skype accessing your camera. Building a partition between app memory and OS memory would only slow things down, meaning a more disruptive user experience." MicroSD cards aren't all bad of course. Hodges argues that they're "great for your disposable media files such as music, movies and camera content. Definitely recommended as a way to access your library and can easily be taken out the phone and plugged into business/personal devices. Should your phone break down, the microSD card is that sigh of relief that your valuable photos and multimedia are safe, easily accessible and can be uploaded to your computer via SD card adaptor or another smartphone." On the way out With phone storage increasing in size and cloud storage taking off, microSD cards are becoming increasingly unnecessary, but they've not been rendered totally obsolete just yet. HTC has seen fit to include one in its latest flagship, explaining that "we heard the customer feedback over the past year asking for expandable storage. We want to provide the best experience possible in our flagship One, and microSD now offers more space and flexibility to use their phone exactly how they want with all the content they want." It's clear then that a lot of consumers still place value in microSD cards. We'd wager that there's a silent majority that doesn't really use them but for anyone who wants local access to a lot of media or other large files they still serve a purpose. The sooner that ceases to be the case, the better, given all the problems inherent in them, but until onboard storage breaks the 128GB barrier and comes down in price they're a necessary evil....or a godsend, depending on your perspective. In any case a microSD card slot in a phone can hardly be seen as a bad thing, since it simply increases your options. But you might want to think twice about actually using it unless you really need to. Looking up to the cloud but not sure where to start? Check out our tips on making the most of free cloud storage. Updated: 10 best smartphones in the US Apr 16th 2014, 18:13, by Marc Flores Best smartphones: Our Top 10 What's the best phone? Our verdict on the best smartphones - constantly updated Sometimes choosing between two cell phones is easy. Just look at the specs and it becomes woefully clear that some phones (even those positioned directly against one another) aren't created equal. But most of the time it's not as easy as just reading numbers. A phone is something you'll use everyday for two years (if you're lucky). It needs to be durable, adequately future-proof and feel right in your hand. Where do we begin? We have for you here our continually updated comparison of the top 20 best cell phones you can get in the US. We've given you a brief overview of every phone and why we love it. But feel free to check out our incredibly extensive mobile phone reviews for a more in-depth look to decide for yourself which cell phone is best. 10. HTC One (M7) We're excited about the prospect of the HTC One, as it's still a premium Android handset despite its age. We love that the functionality of the One, including the camera's UltraPixels and speaker's BoomSound. HTC has been very clever in the design of this phone and has really stepped up what a high-end Android handset should be. Metal and glass always look and feel so much better than cheap plastic. The issues with the battery and storage do rankle somewhat, and do detract from an otherwise flawless performance from one of HTC's best phones out there. If you can still get your hands on one at a lower price than the newer model, you won't be making a huge compromise. Read the full HTC One Mini review 9. Sony Xperia Z1S Sony's come out here with a very strong message: we are back and we mean business. There's no hint of this being a niche Android phone - or by any means a cheap one. Now the waterproof Z1S is carried by T-Mobile, with zero down on its contract-free plans. The Z1S features a beastly 20MP camera with the largest sensor you'll find on a mobile phone at 1/2.3", coupled with an f/2.0 aperture you'll get great shots in low light. It's also running Android Jelly Bean, powered by a 2.2GHz Snapdragon 800, so this thing is certainly no slouch in the performance department. Moreover, you'll be getting a 5-inch 1920 x 1080 display and a 3,000 mAh battery. What more could you possibly want? More memory storage? Not only does it come with 32GB on-board storage, but it supports microSD cards up to 64GB - perfect for those 20MP photos. We are currently working on our Sony Xperia Z1S review, but in the meantime, you can check out the Xperia Z1S page on Sony's website. 8. Samsung Galaxy S4 The Samsung Galaxy S4 is a phone that we really, really like. The combination of powerful innards, the market's best screen and a clever design ethos all combine to make a really strong contender for the handset you should be buying when you wander into your local phone emporium. The Galaxy S4 shell isn't made of metal meaning it doesn't feel as premium, but what you're giving up in feel you're getting back in weight, removable battery and general hardiness - the combination of Gorilla Glass 3 and a plastic shell means this is one tough cookie. The gestures are cool, and the touch-less experience amazing at times - in short, it's a wonderful phone you want to pull out of your pocket again and again and again, making it a worthy second place contender in this list. Read the full Samsung Galaxy S4 review 7. LG G2 The LG G2 is the beastly smartphone that is LG's answer to the Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One. It's a massive, yet not entirely unwieldy, smartphone brimming with great specs. The display and camera are really killer, and performance is incredible. It ate up every benchmark for breakfast, turned out great photos and dazzled us with its high-resolution display. Oh, and on top of that, battery life was a charm. The button placement drove us insane for the first few days, and it wasn't pretty. It's incredibly frustrating and takes some time to get used to. Adjusting volume when on a call was relatively easy if you spent enough time feeling around for the volume keys, but adjusting volume for watching videos is a total pain. There aren't too many flashy bells and whistles with the LG G2 but there aren't that many issues either, so you really can't go wrong picking one of these massive phones up. Read the full LG G2 review 6. iPhone 5C Though it's pretty much a dressed up, slightly nicer version of the iPhone 5, the iPhone 5C at least has decent improvements and a low price tag - if the starting pay of $99 with a two-year contract is your thing. The bright colors make the iPhone 5C look a bit childish but look beyond that, the 5C does feel structurally sound in the hand, no doubt helped by the steel frame hidden under the polycarbonate exterior, which makes us less concerned about it smashing. While the screen size might not be anything special, the 1136 x 640 Retina display is present and correct on the 5C, meaning it has the same offering as both the iPhone 5 (and 5S). You'll even find the same A6 processor, 8MP rear camera, 1.9 MP front camera, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0. So what have we got so far then? Well, the iPhone 5C is a slightly overweight iPhone 5 with a plastic body, larger battery and a slightly lower price tag - meaning it's a great mobile device but don't expect it to be the 5S. Read the full iPhone 5C review 5. Samsung Galaxy Note 3 The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is quite similar to its predecessors, the Galaxy Note and Galaxy Note 2; you're going to get something that looks like a giant phone and a small tablet meaning it's definitely not a device a lot of people will be clamoring for - but that doesn't mean it's a bad phone - in fact, it's a really great phablet. The Galaxy Note 3 has grown again since the 5.5-inch offering on the Note 2 to a palm busting 5.7 inches complete with a full HD, 1080 x 1920 Super AMOLED display. The Note 3 has also retained the metal frame from the Galaxy S4, which runs around the edge of the device providing a rigid body and a more premium look. The leathery texture adds to the idea of high quality, though it could look a bit tacky to some. But it actually does give the phone a nice grip and solid feel. Read the full Samsung Galaxy Note 3 review 4. Nexus 5 The Nexus 5 and Moto X are so close that it's really more like an equal second place here, and the difference between the two is going to come down to personal preference. It has a large, sharp display and excellent battery life with its 2,300 mAh unit. If there is anything lacking, it would be the camera, but since Google's latest update to it, it turned out to be a good enough shooter. What really makes the Nexus 5 incredible is the top-tier hardware - 2.3GHz Snapdragon 800, 5-inch 1920 x 1080 display, 2,300 mAh battery, 8MP camera - all at a starting price of just $349 unlocked. You won't find anything in that pricing realm with these specs these days, which makes the Nexus 5 an even more killer deal. Moreover, you're running Android 4.4. KitKat, the latest version of Android, and you'll be getting Google's updates as swiftly as they come. Read the full Nexus 5 review 3. iPhone 5S The iPhone 5S is a phone that takes everything Apple has learned over the last six and a half years and put it together in an incredibly cohesive manner. There's always an apathy with any kind of "S" device from Apple, as it's historically just the same thing made a little bit better, and it's true the advances on the iPhone 5S are few - but the ones that are there are very impressive indeed. Below the surface, Apple has put together one of the most cutting-edge smartphones around, imbued with a top-end camera and a really innovative feature with Touch ID. There's only so much that smartphone manufacturers can do to differentiate these days, and while Apple can't expect consumers to be wowed by the same shell, it can expect to get some interest in the sharp camera and gives a sense of relief with the new A7 chip. Its performance is consistent, battery life is good and the camera is one of the best - if not the best all around - in the market. Read the full iPhone 5S review 2. Samsung Galaxy S5 The Galaxy S5 pushes that flagship Galaxy S line into the future, and with it, Samsung has listened to critics and decided to scale back on all the junk they stuff into the UI. The camera is good as ever, its processor more powerful and its design rich with plastic, as usual. We love that it's one of the few smartphones that still allows swappable batteries and memory cards, which is huge in an age when 32GB isn't enough, and battery technology hasn't quite caught up with our needs and demands. The large, high-res display is beautiful, and it's covered with strong, scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass. If you're in the market for an Android handset, this is pretty much amongst the top-tier devices for 2014. You really can't go wrong with it if you don't mind the plastic build. Read the full Samsung Galaxy S5 review 1. HTC One (2014) The HTC One (M8) is probably going to remain our number one pick for the year. HTC managed to keep many of the beautiful design elements of the 2013, or M7, model. along with refinements to Sense UI that make the experience feel fresh. Perhaps it's biggest shortcoming is its low-resolution camera, but we've already given our opinion on that: what you do with the camera is more important than the actual camera itself. One neat camera trick is that you can now choose your focus point after shooting a photo, thanks to that secondary camera. The 2014 version, or M8 model, has a slightly larger display than its predecessor at 5 inches over 4.7 inches. With the same resolution, that brings the overall PPI count down, but even the most discerning eyes wouldn't be able to tell the difference. Moreover, the HTC One's processor gets a bump with the new Snapdragon 801. Overall performance on the device is excellent. Coupled with its design, UI and overall build quality, you can't get better bang for your buck in the Android space. The HTC One is the easy winner this year. Read our full HTC One M8 review

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