The Google Nexus S has a sleek design that is similar to the Samsung Galaxy S.  The phone runs on the fastest Android operating system and includes a 5 MP camera with a LED flash.  One of the highlights is the sound capabilities of the phone.  The rear speakers provide great volume for music or voice, making this a top choice for those who use their phone as a MP3 player.

The Google Nexus S comes with preinstalled Google services and offers 50MB of RAM.  With a fast start up and shut down time, users enjoy the unique features, stylish design and included software offered with this phone.

Google Maps Navigation is one of the most popular sat nav apps.  This app is totally free and offers the best map system available.  Even though the app is free, Google constantly updates the software and offers customer support for all users.

Copilot Live 8 is another commonly used Android sat nav app.  This app has the ability to store maps and data.  If users lose their internet connection, they will still be able to use this navigator since the data has been stored.  This app does not offer the extensive search functions of Google, but the stored maps and data accommodate for this lack.

Sygic Mobile Maps 10 is a popular app for Windows Phone platform users.  It can also be used on Android and iPhone.  This android sat nav app offers many features that are not available in other apps, making it a top choice for many users.

Skobbler and Navigon MobileNavigator are both great apps that offer extensive features.  Tourists will benefit from Navigon and local commuters will benefit from the Open Street Maps offered with Skobbler.

With an eye on current trends and at the forefront of technological advances, Samsung developed their first wireless internet mobile phone in 1999, and by the year 2000 a special edition Samsung Olympic Games Phone was selected to be the official handset of the Sydney Olympic Games.  Following this success, Samsung branched out to produce colour mobile phones and handsets with integrated megapixel cameras, and by 2006 had produced another world first with a handset that included a 10 megapixel camera.

Samsung have continued to grow their mobile phone brands, and are particularly targeted at the high end of the market.  Their Galaxy and Omnia ranges have proved to be a huge worldwide hit, and Samsung remains focussed on their core of Android smartphones which continually rate amongst the world’s best.  Within the Galaxy range are the Samsung Galaxy S2, at present the world’s slimmest mobile phone, which features a cutting edge Super AMOLED capacitive touch screen, and the extremely highly rated Google Nexus S which leads the field in terms of speed, design and a wide variety of Android sat nav apps.

There have been a number of updates to the operating system. Each version has been developed under a name based on various types of dessert. They have included Cupcake, Donut, Gingerbread and the forthcoming Ice Cream Sandwich, which will be version 4.0 of the operating system. 

The system helps in a number of areas such as connectivity, messaging, web browsing, Java support, media support, streaming media support, touchscreen interface support, database storage, video calling and more. It has allowed manufacturers such as Samsung and LG to concentrate on other aspects of smartphone production. 

There are a wide range of Android phones now available, such as the Samsung Omnia 7 and the LG Optimus One. These phones come with a GPS system in-built combined. When combined with the Google Maps app it has turned these phones into an android sat nav device. Some phones come equipped with cradles to use while driving around, or they can just be used while walking around. 

As well as the superb rear-facing camera, the phone comes with a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera, which is perfect for video calling.  Out of the box, the phone comes equipped with the 2.2 version of Android’s operating system, although this is easily upgradable.  The HTC Incredible S has been compared to both the HTC Desire S and the HTC Wildfire S, and, judging by looks alone, it is easy to see why.  However, technologically speaking, the Incredible S lends itself much more to the Desire HD, with its massive 4-inch capacitive screen and its wonderful 8-megapixel camera.  Like the Desire S, the Incredible S comes equipped with 1.1GB of internal memory, 768MB of RAM and the option to increase the memory to 32GB with the insertion of a MicroSD™ card.

One criticism of HTC in the past is its failure to address poor battery-life issues.  While various software updates have been rolled out by the firm in order to correct the issue, none have really worked.  However, HTC now feels that it has addressed this issue by fitting the Incredible S with a high-powered battery (1450mAh) and boasts that the phone will produce 9.7 hours of talk time from a fully charged battery.  Due to this, the Incredible S should definitely be a consideration for a consumer wanting a reliable, feature-filled smartphone.

The Atrix comes with fingerprint technology. On its initial setup you have it so you can use both left and right index fingers. Unlocking the phone is then achieved through swiping an index finger on the phone. The screen is 4 inches, has a crisp and sharp definition, and is also highly responsive. Typing and correcting mistakes is made easier by this capability. 

The qHD screen provides good detail on web pages and images. The Zinio app allows you to download magazines and even fully zoomed out words remain legible. Browsing the internet is easy due to the responsiveness of the screen.

The phone is equipped with a GPS device and Google Maps, so you can use it is a sat nav. There is a good 5 megapixel camera available, which is also capable of shooting HD video. It has all the kinds of connectivity you could wish for, such as Wi-Fi and DNLA. It comes with 16GB of internal memory, enabling you to take lots of pictures and cope with the memory demands of various apps easily. 

At the moment you can get some good Motorola Atrix deals from Orange. Battery life is good for this type of Android phone and you will be able to get over a day’s use from one full charge.

The Galaxy S2 is the latest in the line of Samsung smartphones. It is the thinnest phone around, measuring just 8.49mm. It has a dual-core processor and comes with the Android operating system. The screen is 4.3 inches in size, and has the Super AMOLED technology to display crisp images. Its 8-megapixel camera can also record full HD video. Its power means that it can even display the BBC iPlayer without significant problems. 

The Samsung Tocco Iconis is aimed at people who love their social networks. It doesn’t come with Android but instead is powered by Samsung’s UI combined with TouchWiz 3.0. It has all the basic apps you need such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. The resolution is fairly low at 240 by 400 pixels, which makes images look somewhat blocky. However, it costs much less than the current generation of smartphones. 

Samsung have also got a tough, water-resistant phone available, the Samsung Solid Immerse. It can withstand water and knocks easily, which some people may find very useful. It doesn’t have touchscreen technology and its 3G connection is not great, but it complements the range of Samsung mobile phones that are currently available.

Owned by Google, the Android platform is compatible with a number of new, highly rated smartphones. These include the Samsung Omnia 7, made by Samsung mobile phones, the LG Optimus 2X, and the HTC Desire S, which scores highly in all departments. Sony Ericsson mobile phones have recently brought to the marketplace their Sony Ericsson Arc model, powered by Android 2.3, an extremely stylish handset showcasing a superb touch screen enhanced by Sony BRAVIA technology, giving a fabulously bright appearance. Similarly, the HTC Desire S, incorporating HTC Sense, is another extremely well received model that has a superb 5-megapixel camera and high quality HD video recording. What is HTC Sense exactly? It is an innovative, user-friendly experience that allows your HTC handset to anticipate all kinds of activities and aims to give the phone user the fastest and best possible experience.

Competing with Android smartphones are the latest models from BlackBerry. What is BlackBerry? It is the premier choice of business users throughout the UK, combining traditional and classic aspects such as the QWERTY keyboard with excellent hardware, sharp text and high resolution.

For this model, LG has pushed its NOVA display, which it claims not only provides better screen visibility in sunlight, but also saves up to 50% of battery consumption.  While the quality of resolution is not quite as good as super AMOLED displays found on many other models, the NOVA technology means colour appears more natural on the LG Optimus Black than with many competitors.

The phone arrives with 1GB of internal memory storage although an expansion of up to 32GB is available via the MicroSD™ slot.  The 4-inch screen of the Optimus Black means that video calls are superb thanks to the 2-megapixel front-facing camera.  While the rear-facing camera is of an average 5 megapixels, LG has pushed video calling with a front camera that beats many rivals.

With regards to battery life, the huge 1500mAh battery and NOVA display means that the Optimus Black will require a lot less charging than some smartphones of a similar price range.  While the Optimus Black cannot claim to be the biggest or the best, LG has built a sturdy, reliable phone that will not let you down.

There is no doubting that when the original Desire was launched in 2010 it was fantastic.  It was a feature-filled phone that heralded the progress of mobile technology companies and spawned many bigger and better models.  The Desire S, HTC hopes, has retained what made its predecessor so good as well as introducing new features and advancements, which will ensure this model line can still compete with the best.

To look at, the HTC Desire S has taken a big step forwards aesthetically.  No longer are the big buttons visible on the front of the phone, rather they are seamlessly integrated with the large 3.7-inch touchscreen which has been retained from older models.  Another noticeable difference is the introduction of a front-facing camera, which will support 3G video calling, a feature which manufacturers are keen to progress.

Inside, however, the HTC Desire S is not massively different to its older brother.  The phone packs 1.1GB of internal memory and 768MB RAM which is not greatly improved from the Desire.

All in all, while the HTC Desire S is something of an improvement from the original Desire, it doesn’t seem to have taken the huge leap forward which consumers want.