Top 10 smartphones to give as Christmas gifts
'Tis the season to decide between an iPhone, Samsung or HTC
It's December and time to start thinking about what to get the loved ones for Christmas. Oh joy. This will invariably lead to the last-minute dash around the shops on Christmas Eve trying to remember what phone everyone said they wanted.
No doubt they'll have been unhelpfully vague too: "Oh, you know, something that's light, but not too light, and looks swish, but not too over-the-top, and not too expensive, but not cheap either, and it should be able to play Angry Birds." Thanks, Gran.
So let V3 guide you through the endless array of smartphones on the market with our look at the best phones for every member of your family based on their different requirements. God bless us, every one.
Best budget smartphones for first-time users
Are your parents asking questions about your iPhone 4S? They're probably hinting they would like one for themselves. While the iPhone would probably make a great present for dear old mum, the price may be a little steep for her first smartphone.
We've come up with a couple of budget alternatives that would be good for the smartphone virgins among us.
10. Motorola Defy/Defy+
The Motorola Defy packs a very reasonable 3.7in screen, which isn't as intimidating as some of the other behemoths on the market, while the 800MHz processor and 512MB of RAM is more than enough to run Angry Birds and other popular apps.
The Android 2.1 interface with the Motoblur interface is a tad dated, but savvy users can help their friends and family update to later editions of Android. The Defy+ comes with an upgraded 1GHz processor and Android 2.3 for those who want to buy the latest model.
Of course, the main selling point of the Defy is the rugged shell, which has been designed to withstand spillages, raindrops and even a quick dunk in a toilet. It is easily the most resilient device we've had in the V3 office, and we wouldn't be surprised if it survived a dunk in the eggnog.
Prices: Free from around £20 per month on contract or around £215 SIM-free.
Top 10 smartphones to give as Christmas gifts
'Tis the season to decide between an iPhone, Samsung or HTC
9. ZTE Skate
Receiving goods brought from the East has been a staple of Christmas since Jesus was born.
Now, though, its smartphones from China that are finding their way under trees across the UK, and the ZTE Skate is an ideal example of a smartphone for someone who's not sure they want to leave their feature phone but just need a nudge in the right direction.
It's not too flashy or expensive, and has enough high-quality specifications, like a 4.3in screen, 5-megapixel camera and 800MHz single-core processor, and runs on the beloved Android platform. It'll keep your mum, gran or nephew happily swiping away for hours.
Prices: Free from around £20 per month or around £219 SIM-free.
Best multimedia devices for movie and music lovers
For some, the beauty of a smartphone is the ability to bring music, movies, pictures and games all into one place, and take them wherever you go. For such people these phones offer some compelling options.
8. HTC Sensation
The HTC Sensation is a high-end Android handset that has always stood out in a crowded market and is an excellent multimedia device.
HTC's decision to include a 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm processor, 768MB of RAM and a 4.3in screen with a 540x960 resolution combine to make it one of the most media-friendly devices on the market.
Those looking to use a smartphone as a music player may also want to check out sister devices, the Sensation XE and XL, which come with the Dr. Dre-endorsed Beats audio technology for enhanced sound.
Furthermore, HTC packs in its Sense overlay, software that Santa's little helpers would be proud of, that sits on top of Android and provides one of the best customised experiences on the platform.
Prices: Free from around £26 per month on contract or around £330 SIM-free.
Top 10 smartphones to give as Christmas gifts
'Tis the season to decide between an iPhone, Samsung or HTC
7. Samsung Galaxy Nexus
There's only one choice for those looking for the most up-to-date Android smartphone this holiday season. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus ships with Android Ice Cream Sandwich, the most customisable and user friendly edition of the platform to date.
With Samsung providing the hardware, you're definitely going to get bang for your buck too. The handset features a Super Amoled screen with a 1,280x720 resolution, while under the hood lurks a 1.2GHz processor, 1GB of RAM and 16GB of internal memory. A 5-megapixel camera and NFC technology round off the impressive specifications.
The only disappointment is that Flash support has yet to be released for Ice Cream Sandwich. Maybe Santa can spare a few elves to help Adobe release an update in time for the new year.
Prices: Free from around £36 per month on contract or around £500 SIM-free.
6. Motorola Razr
Getting someone a razor for Christmas is a bit of a cop out, but the Motorola Razr would make an excellent gift.
The high-end device from Motorola is a return to the glory days for the firm, now owned by Google, boasting a 4.3in screen with a 540x960 resolution, and an HDMI port so that videos can be watched on large-screen TVs.
It also has 16GB of built-in memory so you can store a lot of content without having to worry about deleting photos and videos to make space.
What's more, it'll be updated to Android Ice Cream Sandwich fairly soon after the new year so that's a little bonus gift you can promise the lucky recipient.
Prices: Free from around £31 per month on contract or around £400 SIM-free.
Best business phones for the workaholic
Some people just can't switch off. Even on Christmas Day you'll find them checking their phone thinking they might get an email. It's Christmas Day, you tell them, no-one is at work. But all they're thinking about is when the markets open again and they can crunch some more numbers.
5. BlackBerry Bold 9900
So, if you can't stop them, why not give them a helping hand and get a phone that's perfect for those that love their job: the BlackBerry Bold 9900?
Firstly it's a BlackBerry, the true businessperson's phone of choice (none of this iPhone nonsense), and has a nice interface built around the trusty keypad input that allows important emails to be fired off in seconds.
However, RIM has also recognised that a touch screen is where it's at, including this functionality and increasing the screen size to a 2.8in window with a nice 640x480 resolution. Just hope the network doesn't crash.
Prices: Free from around £31 per month or around £400 SIM-free.
Top 10 smartphones to give as Christmas gifts
'Tis the season to decide between an iPhone, Samsung or HTC
4. Nokia Lumia 800
Then again, perhaps the BlackBerry is just a bit too corporate. It is Christmas after all. You want something that has a bit of excitement and pizzazz, and that's where the Nokia Lumia 800 could be ideal.
There's plenty to look at and admire with the fun and funky Windows Phone 7.5 Mango operating system, but it also has a number of Microsoft's festive offerings such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and more. How jolly.
Plus it's a thing of beauty so, for the man or woman in your life who likes to mix business with pleasure, it could well be the perfect gift: watch their face light up as they proudly add a live tile of their stock options to the home screen.
Prices: Free from around £26 per month or around £399 SIM-free.
Best high-end smartphones for the tech savvy
If the Three Wise Men travelled to Bethlehem today there's no doubt that one of them would be carrying a high-end smartphone. These are the smartphones that everybody wants and the flagship devices of their respective manufacturers.
3. HTC Titan
A giant in the world of smartphones, even Santa might have trouble squeezing this underneath the Christmas tree.
The HTC Titan packs a large 4.7in display and at times feels like a tablet, making it great for web browsing, although the lack of Adobe Flash support is disappointing.
Nevertheless it still boasts a 1.5GHz Qualcomm processor that provides impressive performance, and 16GB of internal memory.
Furthermore, it runs the Windows Phone 7.5 Mango operating system, which is probably the most underrated mobile software platform on the market, and will no doubt prove popular to the maverick in the family who wants to stand out from the crowd.
Prices: Free from around £31 per month on contract or around £440 SIM-free.
Top 10 smartphones to give as Christmas gifts
'Tis the season to decide between an iPhone, Samsung or HTC
2. Samsung Galaxy S II
The Samsung Galaxy S II has been widely embraced as the main challenger to the iPhone, judging by how quickly it's been flying off the shelves, and is generally considered the Ferrari of smartphones.
The device runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread and will be upgradeable to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, so it will be useful for a while yet too.
A 1.2GHz dual-core ARM Cortex A9 processor and 1GB of RAM ensure that speed is not a problem, plus it's got a jaw-dropping 4.3in Super Amoled Plus display that brings pictures and videos bursting out of the screen.
Adobe Flash support is included so you can browse the web without restrictions, and the 8-megapixel camera on the back is impressive. This Android handset could well be the perfect stocking filler for those who haven't bought into the iPhone ecosystem.
Prices: Free from around £36 per month on contract or around £500 SIM-free.
1. iPhone 4S
If you want to give one gift this Christmas to guarantee a smile (and the sound of a computerised voice saying: "I'm sorry I can't answer that") the Apple iPhone 4S is the gift to give - unless that person isn't a fan of closed ecosystems.
The world has been falling over itself to get hold of the iPhone 4S since it was launched in October, with its advanced processing power, new and improved camera (easily the best on the smartphone market) and iOS 5 with iCloud syncing.
Even better, pre-download a copy of the Steve Jobs biography alongside it and the Apple lover in your life will be kept quiet for weeks to come. Except when you hear Siri piping up in the background.
Pricing: Free from around £35 per month on contract or around £499 SIM-free.