LG Optimus 4X HD

The new Optimus smartphone is available for considerably less per month when on contract compared to either the S III or iPhone 5, which offers power and mega pixels on a budget. Having design cues taken from the LG Prada Phone 3.0, the 4XHD appears stunning in black-and-silver and features a huge 4.7in, 720p screen. LG placed its Optimus Ul 3.0 on top of Android 4.0 and equipped it with a feature-stuffed 8MP camera (with an imminent voice shutter update) and a microSD slot to tick all our Android-shaped boxes.


The 4X HD has a 1.5GHz, quad-core Tegra 3 chip which tests showed that it could handle what you may ask of it, even the most processor- hungry games. The display is great, with sharp texts, clean whites and a 313ppi. Tends to be a smudge-magnet but this is nothing an add-on screen protector can't handle. The camera performs well, having rapid touch-to-focus function and natural colors. Battery life is average lasting 7 hours during tests. LG's Ul 3.0 skin includes a great deal of nice touches, like the ability to peek through the lockscreen to the homescreen and tailor fit everything from transitions to widget sizes.

SAMSUNG GALAXY S III

This one definitely killed the iPhone. Even after six months after its launch, the S III remains to be the android to beat. Its 4.8in Super AMOLED display and quad-core Exynos engine have charmed millions away from iPhones and cheaper Android handsets. It has a massive, changeable 2100mAh battery, NFC and a storage that can be expanded. It's likewise equipped with nifty functions like Smart Stay, which prevents it from going to sleep while you're looking at it, and Popup Play where it allows you to watch a film in a window while doing other tasks.

Size maybe S Ill's not-so- secret weapon, but it is also its main drawback. That glaring 720p screen just obliterates the rest of the handsets in this test, (but colors appear a little strange) and the battery lasts for 8 hours of video playback. On the other hand, some might struggle in getting grips with it - if you have a small hand, one hand operation could be a challenge if your try swiping down the notifications bar using just your thumb. The plastic feel of the body will not live up to everyone's tastes either. Performance- wise, this is a phone that delivers. It runs Android Ice Cream Sandwich without a hitch, has a quick 8MP camera, and continues to be the phone to beat overall.

LG Optimus 4X HD

Samsung Galaxy S3