The iPhone 6, Nexus 6 and LG G3
It's 2014 and your mobile is looking a little dated against the latest offerings on the market, so it's time to pick out a new smartphone.
Waterproof bodies, high definition displays, all metal frames and fingerprint scanning technology are all taking the mobile market by storm this year as manufacturers look to grab our attention.
Being just a few months into the year we're constantly on the lookout for the hottest handsets, bringing you all the latest on what to expect below.
Some top notch mobiles have already launched though, so if you simply cannot wait to get your hands on a new smartphone head over to page two where we give you a smorgasbord of reviews on 2014's best offerings so far.
iPhone 6
An invite to the iPhone 6 launch will be one of the hottest tickets of the year, and we expect Tim Cook to take the stage in San Francisco during September 2014.
What Apple actually has up its sleeve is a still a little bit of a mystery, but various rumors suggest we'll see two screen sizes from the Cupertino this year - both of which are said to be larger than the 4-inch offering on the 5S and 5C.
As rival handsets continue to get bigger, the iPhone is getting left behind so reports of 4.7-inch, and either a 5.5- or 5.7-inch, iPhone 6 aren't particularly difficult to believe.
Apple looks set to protect those supersized screen with the ultra-tough Sapphire Crystal glass, something which already features on the iPhone 5S, covering the rear camera and front fingerprint scanner.
There also seems to be some confusion around the successor to the 5C, with some saying the plastic clad phone will be canned, while others are saying the opposite as it points to Apple's new 'two tier' approach to affordability in the market.
The talk of a larger screen aside, one of the other key elements expected to headline on the iPhone 6 is an increased focused on health and fitness, with leaks pointing towards a new Healthbook application and a variety of new sensors hidden inside the handset.
LG G3
The G2 was the surprise hit of 2013, with the Korean firm putting itself back on the mobile map after the success of the Nexus 4 and Nexus 5 and we can't wait to see what the LG G3 has in store for us.
We're expecting to see the LG G3 arrive sometime between May and July and it's being tipped to sport a super high definition QHD display.
That would translate to a resolution of 1440 x 2560, a serious treat for your retinas - although we fear for the G3's battery life if this is the case. Then again, the brand is one of the very best at eking out more juice from the power pack, so if anyone can do it we'd punt for LG.
The G3 might join the likes of Apple and Samsung in the fingerprint scanning war, as the phone is tipped to sport the security tech, while under the hood you could well find Qualcomm's powerful Snapdragon 801 processor - or even the all new 805, given it will probably arrive later in the year.
Nexus 6
There are murmurings that Google may can its Nexus range of smartphones in favor of Google Editions, but that hasn't stopped talk of the Nexus 6.
When you see the Nexus logo splashed across a smartphone you can expect a relatively decent level of specs at a price which undercuts the high-flyers in the market.
LG has been responsible for the pervious two Nexus handsets, and it's the Korean firm which is currently favorite to produce the Nexus 6 - which could be based on the LG G3.
Expect the camera department to be dialed down a little, no microSD slot and a screen which isn't quite as cutting edge as the flagship competition, although we'd expect it to still be a full HD resolution.
Samsung Galaxy Note 4
While Samsung hasn't confirmed its next installment of its popular phablet series, we're all expecting it to launch the Galaxy Note 4 later this year.
Previous iterations have been shown the light of day at IFA in Berlin, which takes place in early September, and we'd put our money on the show being used by Samsung again for the Galaxy Note 4 launch.
There's currently not much information surrounding the Note 4 at the moment, but you can probably expect a larger screen (up from 5.7 inches on the Note 3), faster processor and a bumped up camera (possibly 20MP) to all be on board.
It may even inherit the waterproof body and heart rate monitor from the Galaxy S5.
The top phones already here
Of course, not all of us can wait for LG and Apple to sort themselves out and launch some new handsets - you just want to buy your new smartphone right now.
Luckily we've already seen some top handsets launched this year and you'll be spoilt for choice.
HTC One M8
The new HTC One M8 is special. It had quite the shoes to fill following on from the top-rated HTC One, but it's managed to snaffle a five star TechRadar rating of its own.
This is the best looking and feeling Android handset on the market and only the iPhone 5S comes close in terms of premium build quality.
It's not just surface deep quality either, as the HTC One M8 also features an excellent full HD 5-inch display, powerful Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor and Android 4.4 KitKat with the firm's new Sense 6.0 overlay.
The novel Duo Camera setup on the rear is certainly intriguing, but HTC has opted to stick to its rather confusing ultrapixel camera which translates to a lowly 4MP snapper. It's not the worst phone camera we've used, but it certainly isn't the best.
Samsung Galaxy S5
The Samsung Galaxy S5 surprised us slightly by revealing itself during the hustle and bustle of MWC 2014 in Barcelona, but slightly hidden launch event aside it's still a force to be reckoned with.
Samsung has built up a supremely strong brand around its flagship Galaxy smartphones and the S5 is no different - it's the firm's best offering to date.
If may not be as big of a step up on the Galaxy S4 as we hoped for, but the dust and water resistant body and fingerprint scanner hidden under the physical home key are welcome additions.
For those of you looking to spend a lot of time watching movies or playing games on your new smartphone then the Galaxy S5 should be in your sights as it's been dubbed the best smartphone display on the market.
There's also an interesting heart rate monitor on the rear of the handset which will no doubt catch the eye of fitness fanatics, but its use is a little limited - you're better off getting the Gear Fit if you want to monitor your pulse.
Sony Xperia Z2
The Sony Xperia Z2 is actually the third flagship handset to come out of the Japanese firm in little over 12 months, but don't let that put you off considering it for your next smartphone.
Sony has learnt its lessons from the Xperia Z1 and improved the contrast ratio and viewing angles of the 5.2-inch full HD display on the Xperia Z2.
This pulls it nicely in line with the Galaxy S5 and One M8, while its sturdy water resistant metal frame feels premium and solid in the hand, if not a little cold and industrial.
There's plenty of power under the hood with a 2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor, 3GB of RAM and Adreno 330 GPU, while a 20.7MP camera resides on the rear.
If you've already got a Xperia Z1 you may be looking a little enviously in the direction of the Z2, but there's really no need for you to upgrade. At the rate Sony is going, the Z3 will probably be out before the iPhone 6 darkens our shelves.
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