Our test comprises of the five flagship handsets on the market. These are the Apple iPhone 5, BlackBerry Z10, Google Nexus 4, Nokia Lumia 920 and the Samsung Galaxy S3.
Android is represented twice in this list via the Galaxy S3 and the Nexus 4. This was done because the S3 has proved to be the best selling Android handset to-date, and Nexus 4 is the cheapest high-end device available.
Apple iPhone 5
The most recognisable handset on test - the word smartphone and iPhone are almost interchangeable at this time. The Apple device is currently shipping with the firm's proprietary iOS 6 operating system, and this has the biggest repository of apps out of all the platforms on the market. The iPhone 5 has the smallest screen size (4ins) and is the lightest handset on test. However, it is also the most expensive with a SIM-free starting price of 529.
BlackBerry Z10
Being the newest device, there is added pressure on the BlackBerry handset to perform. The device comes with the first iteration of the BB10 OS, which is markedly different to competitors in terms of navigation as it is reliant on swipes.
Google Nexus 4
Manufactured by LG, the Nexus 4 is the cheapest device from a SIM-free perspective (239), as Google is selling it at a heavily discounted price. However, the Nexus 4 still includes high-end components which allow it compete with the other devices.
The handset ships with basic Android Jelly Bean 4.2 minus fancy overlays. It has a 4.7in display and is the only device on the test to use both glass on the front and back.
Nokia Lumia 920
The best Windows Phone 8 device in terms of specifications and features, the Lumia 920 aims to attract users by offering apps such as Office. Although it's screen size is 4.5ins, the Lumia 920 is the big beast of the group, with a weight of 185g making it the heaviest of all devices.
Samsung Galaxy S3
The S3 is the oldest device on test, but up there in terms of performance and popularity. It runs on the Android platform and has Samsung's TouchWiz overlay.
The Korean firm has decided that bigger is better with a 4.8in screen size making it the biggest device on test. Some users will find this a little too big, and the glossy back does make it slippery.
