Five of the best smartphones on the market today

Apple may have recently announced its flagship iPhone 5S, but it has some stiff competition in the smartphone market now.

The past couple of weeks have also seen additions from Samsung with the Galaxy Note 3 and LG with the LG G2, making choosing a new phone even tougher.

It's easy to stick with what you know, whether that's Apple, Android or Windows. But, the market is constantly changing, so it’s worth having a look at what is out there first.

Here are five of the best smartphones on the market today. Literally today, next week it may all change.

HTC One

The HTC One features a lovely design and is wonderful to hold with its curved back. The 4.7-inch display has a Full HD resolution meaning everything looks pin sharp and it delivers some great visuals.

It comes with a 2300mAh battery and Snapdragon 600 processor, which isn't the most powerful hardware available on a smartphone today, but it skips through daily tasks without a problem.

The 4-megapixel camera features HTC’s UltraPixel technology and although it might not be the best for straight photos, it has some great features. Plus, the front-facing speakers give you brilliant sound quality.

Apple iPhone 5S

The Apple iPhone 5S has a wonderful design with great attention to detail. Although it doesn't vary much from the iPhone 5 except for the fingerprint scanner, it did get some internal modifications as well as a new OS to keep it fighting.

The fingerprint scanner provides ease of use, while the 64-bit support and a new coprocessor for handling motion sensors, set this device up for the future.

The 8-megapixel camera was upgraded with a better dual-LED flash and of course you have the App Store with thousands and thousands of apps to keep you entertained. It does have one of the smallest displays on the market however, coming in at 4-inches.

LG G2

The LG G2 is packed with power and has a great slim design with hardly any bezel so you get more space to play. It will also give you something a little different with its rear-mounted buttons.

The 5.2-inch LCD display is outstanding. You'll get a great detail and accurate colours that OLEDs can't claim, plus the high-quality audio system is brilliant too.

The 13-megapixel camera isn’t its best feature but it packs a 3000mAh battery and Snapdragon 800 processor under its hood, making it a quick and speedy phone worth considering.

Sony Xperia Z1

The Sony Xperia Z1 is a step up from the company's Sony Xperia Z and it brings you a powerful handset, slick design and a 5-inch display.

It comes with a 20-megapixel camera with a range of different features to keep you snapping and playing around with it. Inside, it has a 3000mAh battery, along with a Snapdragon 800 processor so it certainly competes with its rivals.

The device has a bigger footprint than the competition to accommodate the camera and battery boost, but it isn't quite phablet territory. Plus, the Z1's waterproofing feature is a great bonus to consider, if you are partial to dropping your phone near liquid.

Samsung Galaxy Note 3

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 isn't a small device but if you like big, then this handset is a fantastic choice. It looks better than its predecessor the Note 2, and it is hugely powerful, packing a Snapdragon 800 processor and 3200mAh battery inside.

It weighs 168g which makes it 8 per cent lighter than the Note 2 and it is also thinner and less wide, but the 1080p OLED display is larger by 0.2-inches and much brighter.

The Note 3 packs a 13-megapixel camera into it, and it is capable of 4K video, which looks amazing. You'll also get features such as handwriting recognition, as well as shortcuts with the S Pen stylus. If you can handle the size, this Android phone is well-worthy of your attention. If you want smaller, there is always the Galaxy S4 which is another definite contender.

All five of these phones are fantastic and any one of them you choose, we believe would give you a great experience. It’s just up to you whether you want Android or iOS.

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