Ericsson have been making mobile phones for about as long as the industry has been around, but it wasn’t until the Sony-Ericsson brand was developed that they started to see real success in what has become an incredibly competitive market. Their partnership with the Japanese electronics company has developed a range of popular phones, for users who wanted a phone that was also a great camera and music player. But with the demand for smarter phones, how does the new Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 fair?

The Sony Ericsson Xperia X10’s large 4 inch screen is one of the things that makes the phone stand out from the others on the market. The clear, bright display makes normal phone functions clear and easy to see, but you’ll appreciate it most when you’re browsing the internet, watching movies and taking pictures with the excellent camera.

Sony Ericsson have built a reputation on providing phones with great camera technology, and the Xperia X10 is no different. With 8 megapixels, the camera can be used to take photos as well as capture video. The LED flash and simple but effective settings interface mean that whatever it is you want to capture, the Xperia X10 will give you the kind of impressive results you won’t get from other mobiles, and even some digital cameras.

The Xperia X10 is powered by Google’s Android, although there is a Sony Ericsson influence that may not be to everyone’s taste - but you can edit and customize the phone, so even the most demanding user is sure to get the look and feel they want. The X10 flexes its smartphone muscles with a full range of features similar to the other top mobiles, such as GPS and WiFi, but the excellent Sony Ericsson music interface will leave others lacking.

The sleek looks of the Xperia X10 are not spoilt by the necessary buttons, which are tucked out of the way but easily found when needed, and simple enough to use. Sony Ericsson have spent a lot of time and effort looking at how they can make their phones more ergonomic, and the overall shape of the X10 is a product of this research. This makes the phone comfortable to hold, and gives it the looks to compete the other smartphones you can buy.

With great looks and packed full of the kind of features that leave some competitors embarrassed, it looks like Sony Ericsson may have come up with a smartphone worth considering alongside the Apples, HTCs and Blackberrys of this world. But with its impressive screen, powerful camera and quality music capability, some mobile users will find it may have more to offer them.

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Apple recently launched its new iPhone 4, in its usual understated blaze of publicity. With the PR making excited claims that Apple customers finally had more of the features they had been asking for since the last iPhone, and the usual army of Apple fans desperate to be the first to get their hands on one, do all the new features and the new look live up to all the hype?

Whereas you’d be hard pushed to tell a 3G and a 3GS apart, the iPhone 4 has a completely new look. It’s flatter, thinner, and even die-hard 3GS fans would probably admit that it has a much more stylish, high-end look to it. But its looks are just the start, and the appearance of an extra camera on the front, and an LED flash for the main camera, give you an idea of the extra features that have been crammed into this smaller, better-looking iPhone.

Switch the iPhone 4 on and you can’t help but notice the impressive new screen. Thanks to twice as many pixels as before, icons, photos, email text and webpages appear much clearer. The improvement in the display isn’t just limited to still images either. High resolution videos look much better, and the screen easily copes with bright sunlight and being viewed form different angles.

Manufacturers like Sony Ericsson, LG and Samsung have won an army of fans by providing up to 12 megapixels in their camera phones, and this is traditionally an area that the iPhone has struggled with. The new iPhone 4 however, levels the playing field, and while it’s new 5 megapixel camera might not sound that impressive, the improved light sensing and image handling mean that those wanting high quality photos and video from their phone, won’t be disappointed. A flash for the main camera and video calling via the smaller second camera, complete the improvements.

The iPhone 4 also has a totally new operating system with some very nice features. You can now arrange all your homepage icons into folders, so you have all the similar ones in the same place, and can extend the number of icons you get onto your homescreens. Plus, genuine multitasking is now possible with the iPhone 4, letting you work in a number of different apps at the same time, easily choosing which one you want as the rest continue to run in the background.

Those who thought the 3GS was good will love the new look and greater functionality offered by the iPhone 4. Would be Apple converts who might still be on the fence should get down and join the queue to get one. Apple has improved what many thought was already the best smartphone in the world, and is sure to win over a lot of new fans with its great looks, class-leading display and usability.

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The Motorola Milestone XT720 is actually the newer version of the modified Motorola Milestone, which whilst an impressive feature-packed smartphone, wasn’t as well-received as hoped because of the slide out keyboard. Relaunched as the same feature-packed smartphone, but this time with more market-friendly touchscreen, and a few millimeters thinner, can the Milestone XT720 do better second time around?

The Motorola Milestone XT720 designers were obviously keen to improve on the old Milestone smartphone, without all the effort of a complete redesign. Removing the slide out keyboard allowed them to shed a few grams and millimeters, and just to give the new version it’s own identity, they also made a couple of other slight changes - so it looks and feels more like a new model. The result is a quality mobile phone, as you would expect from Motorola, although it might not be everyone’s idea of good looking.

While the design of the new Milestone won’t win everyone over, you can’t help but be impressed with its 8 megapixel camera ? much bigger than any of the other Android smartphones available. But the Motorola Milestone XT720 isn’t just about sheer megapixel power, additional features like HD video recording, as well as image stabilization, multi shot and face detection, mean the new Milestone is one of the best smartphone cameras on the market.

Using the increasingly popular Android operating system, the new Motorola Milestone XT720 gets the 2.1 version which works well with the various other features, and of course gives you access to thousand of apps via the Android Market. Like most other smartphones on the market, the Motorola Milestone XT720 has 3G, Bluetooth and also WiFi connectivity. For navigation and geo-location GPS is included, and you also get an FM radio. In fact, there are so many powerful features that the performance can occasionally suffer under all the demand, and whilst a faster processor would have been a useful edition, it is unlikely to be anything that will put users off.

While the Motorola Milestone XT720 might find it hard to gain many converts from the likes of Apple, HTC and Google, it’s amazing 8 megapixel camera and a host of other features that give it respectable smartphone credentials, will win a lot of fans. It almost seems unfair to look at it as a revamped version of the original Milestone as the improvements have been considerable, and just what smartphone users have been looking for.

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LG have been providing mobile users with great phones for a number of years, and with the launch of the LG Optimus, they are trying to tap into the ever increasing demand for smartphones. With a healthy list of smartphone features, does the Optimus have everything it needs to compete in this market?

It’s probably fair to say that LG don’t make many ugly mobile phones, and this tradition continues with the Optimus’s good looks. The quality finish of the phone also helps its appearance, and it’s size and shape mean it is easy to hold when you’re using it, and slip into your pocket when you’re not.

The touchscreen on the Optimus is smaller than some of the other smartphones at just 3 inches, but it’s big enough so that you can comfortably use it to view web pages, emails, photos and video. The touchscreen itself provides a nice clear and bright display, with a handy auto-rotate feature provided by the built in accelerometer.

The Optimus has the standard 3G and Bluetooth connectivity, and like all the other smartphones on the market, it also allows the user to connect to WiFi networks for a faster browsing and download experience. With more people using their smartphones to access the top social networking sites, the Optimus’s built in features have got real-time Facebook and Twitter updates covered.

LG looks to have decided on Android as their operating system of choice for their smartphones, and whilst the Optimus comes with the slightly outdated version, it still has the functionality most will need in a basic smartphone. Plus, with Android you can take full advantage of the Android Market, and the technology inside the Optimus means it’s performance and battery life will let you make the most of the apps you install.

The only real downside to the Optimus is the 3 megapixel camera, which is a adequate if not outstanding in today’s smartphone market. The autofocus is a great feature that makes taking photos much easier, however there’s no flash, which makes shooting inside or in low light a little disappointing. The video capture is good, but it isn’t going to worry any of the bigger smartphones.

LG’s Optimus is a good looking entry into the smart phone market. While some of its features might lose it points when compared to the top phones in the market, it will do very well as a mid-market offering for those who want smartphone functions, without the HTC or Apple price tag.

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Samsung first launched the Wave as a feature-packed, technology-rich smartphone based on their own Bada operating platform. There wasn’t much you couldn’t love about the original Wave, and even if it was trying to compete at the top end of the market, it still proved popular. With the Wave 2, Samsung is trying to achieve something different for its Bada platform, but what does this mean for the next generation of Wave users?

The new Wave 2 carries on where the previous phone left off, and has the necessary good looks it takes for a smartphone to make it these days. The screen is a good size at 3.2 inches, although Samsung has opted for a TFT display to replace the original Wave’s better quality AMOLED screen, in an effort to trim some cost from the phone. Using the touchscreen is as easy as you would expect, and the inclusion of an accelerometer means it quickly adapts to suit whichever way you want to view the phone.

Unlike the original Wave which was a 3G smartphone, data is managed through the Wave 2’s EDGE and GPRS connectivity. However, the newer version of the Wave does get the latest Bluetooth, WiFi and GPS, that you will find in many of the top smartphones. You also get a clever feature that records directly from the FM radio that’s included in the Wave 2.

Probably one of the more interesting aspects of the Wave 2 is Samsung’s own Bada operating platform. The mobile manufacturer is committed to developing more of their phones on this platform, even though many feel the market it already overcrowded. With support for developers, to make sure Bada gets the features and apps that it needs to be a success, Samsung is pinning its hopes on the Wave 2 to introduce and promote Bada to a wider audience.

Using Bada gives the Wave 2 the opportunity to benefit from a host of Samsung-created software and features, including the easy to use Touchwiz interface, as well as the popular Social Hub that puts all your networking in one place, and a range of Samsung Apps. The 3.2 megapixel camera works well, if it’s maybe not as impressive as the original Wave’s 5 megapixel version, but it does have the ability to record video as well as take still good quality photos.

All in all, the Samsung Wave 2 is less a successor to the original Wave, but more of a slimmed down version to appeal to the much bigger market of consumers who want smartphone capabilities without the price tag - which is exactly what the Wave 2 offers. The unique operating system, and other features based on it, offer users an attractive alternative, and making the Wave accessible to more people will hopefully give Samsung the Bada converts they need to ensure its success.

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Trying to decide which is the best mobile phone on the market isn’t an easy task. There are so many different shapes, sizes and features, that it can be difficult to know which manufacturer to believe when their clever advertising tells you that they have the best phone on the market.

Phones like Apple’s new iPhone 4, HTC’s Desire, and the Google Nexus One, not to mention Blackberry’s Bold, could easily claim to be the best mobile around, if you need a phone that is capable of a lot more than just calling home. For mobile users who don’t need hundreds of different features and Apps, and are more concerned about having the best-looking phone, Sony Ericsson and Samsung have plenty to offer, and LG even has a Prada phone for those looking for the ultimate fashion accessory.

If you’re choosing a new phone, you don’t just want what others tell you is the best phone on the market, you want the phone on the market that’s best for you. Apart from calling home and sending texts to your friends, what else do you need it to do? You might want a phone that can do everything, so you can play music and games on it, as well as watching films. You might not be bothered about a touchscreen, as long as the phone is small and looks good. You need to ask yourself what you’re going to be doing with your phone, so you can make sure you pick the best phone for your needs.

If you want to choose the best mobile phone, you also need to think about how much it’s going to cost to use it once you’ve actually spent the money to buy it. Some of the networks will let you have the phone for free, but only if you agree to spend a certain amount on your monthly tariff; and even then, they might make you sign a 24 month contract. With a contract this long, your phone could be outdated long before you are eligible to upgrade to a better one. Even if you chose Pay As You Go, offers from the different networks vary, so you need to look into them all to make sure you are getting the best deal.

Any of the major manufacturers will tell you that their mobile phone is best, but only you can decide. Considering what you want from your mobile, will help you choose the one that’s best for you; and you’ll make sure you get the best call plan as well, if you know how you’re going to be using it.

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