HTC One Max (5.9) review

Pros :

Bright, spacious 5.9-inch HD screen; Memory card slot; Ultrapixel camera; Tough, sleek design

Cons :

Iffy fingerprint scanner; Typically chunky and heavy

The full HTC One Max (5.9) review

HTC’s first phablet rocks the great design and features of the five-star original

We still absolutely bloody love the HTC One, many months on from its launch – in fact, we threw it our ‘Phone of the Year’ award thanks to its gorgeous design and innovative features. HTC then thrilled us with the One Mini, an easy-to-handle compact version that lost next to nothing in its miniaturisation. Now we have the HTC One Max, which swings the other way. This full-on 5.9-inch phablet isn’t just a massive HTC One, however, as it adds some brand new features such as a fingerprint scanner and pop-open case.

LG G2 review

Pros :

Glorious edge-to-edge HD screen; Smart and feature-packed camera; Effortless multitasking; Great battery life

Cons :

No memory card slot; Plasticky design

The full LG G2 review

Innovative design, tons of features and strong multi-tasking

Earlier this year we were awestruck by the fantastic LG G Pro, a smartphone so rammed with fantastic features that we’re surprised it didn’t explode into tiny chunks, Mr Creosote-style. The only bum being that it didn’t actually hit British shores. It’s a great relief, therefore, to say that the LG G2 – an innovative 5.2-inch slab of glory – is available in the UK. Anyone after a slick multi-tasking or media handset should seriously consider it.


LG G2: Design

It’s incredible how LG has managed to make a 5.2-inch smartphone feel a hell of a lot smaller, and the G2 is one of the first full-sized mobiles that we’ve comfortably used one-handed. The likes of Sony’s Xperia Z1 and Samsung’s Galaxy S 4 are five-inch devices, but we struggle to operate them with a single hand. However, the G2 boasts an incredibly thin, almost non-existent bezel around the screen, and that combined with the slender, curved body makes it feel marvellous.

Nokia Lumia 1020 review

Pros :

Strong camera and features; Bright, colourful screen; Neat and colourful design

Cons :

Auto mode not as strong as we’d hoped; Pauses between shots; Lack of decent apps

The full Nokia Lumia 1020 review

A 41-megapixel Super Snapper

Nokia's last attempt at a smartphone packing a 41-megapixel camera, the Nokia 808 PureView, was disappointingly crushed by the unwieldy Symbian OS and an intrusive thick-and-heavy design – a real shame, given how amazing that camera was. Thankfully Nokia has learned its lesson and the spiritual successor, the Lumia 1020 PureView, boasts a slender design and full Windows Phone 8. But can the camera stand up to other smartphone giants, and is the phone part of it any good?