SONY ERICSSON XPERIA ARC
It took ages for the Xperia Arc to launch in Singapore (just early this year) but the wait was worth it.
Specs: 4.2-inch BRAVIA touch screen (480×854 pixels) | 1GHz Snapdragon processor | 8MP camera capturing 720p HD video | Android 2.3 Gingerbread
Pros
- Sleek and super thin design (8.7mm)
- Sony’s first phone to run Android 2.3 Gingerbread, so flicking through applications, games and social media is much smoother
- Sony’s TimeScape offers great looking multi-tasking
- The Exmor R takes pics in low-light conditions
Cons
- No front camera
Price: $888
LG OPTIMUS 2X
First launched in 2010 in South Korea, the Optimus 2X the first phone to come with a dual-core processor for faster and smoother running programs.
Specs: 4-inch touch screen (480×800 pixels) | Dual-core 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra processor | 8MP camera capturing 1,080p HD video + 1.3MP front camera | Android 2.2 Froyo
Pros
- Awesome look and metal finishing
- A 1.3MP front camera for real-time video chat
Cons
- The arrival of the Galaxy S II (probably next month) will make the Optimus quickly obsolete
Price: $698
SAMSUNG GALAXY S II
Launched in South Korea in April and in the UK in May, the successor to the popular Galaxy S could arrive here as early as June.
Specs: 4.27-inch Super AMOLED Plus touch screen (480×800 pixels) | Dual-core 1.2GHz Hummingbird processor | 8MP camera capturing 1,080p HD video + 2MP front camera | Android 2.3 Gingerbread
Pros
- A super fast processor
- 8.49mm thick, making it thinner than Xperia Arc
- A wider and brighter screen.
Cons
- It’s not yet in stores
Price: TBA
MOTOROLA DEFY
The quietly launched Motorola DEFY won’t end its manufacturer’s slow demise but it is built like a tank.
Specs: 3.7-inch touch screen (480×854 pixels) | 800MHz OMAP processor | 5MP camera capturing 720p HD video | Android 2.1 Eclair
Pros
- IP67 certified, meaning the phone is resistant to scratching, dust, falls (1.5-1.8 meters) and water (1 meter, 30 minutes)
Cons
- The specs just can’t compare with the other phones in this roundup
Price: $528
NEXUS S
Launched in the USA last year, the Nexus S is Google’s second official phone based on Samsung’s Galaxy S platform.
Specs: 4-inch Super AMOLED touch screen (480×800 pixels) | 1GHz Hummingbird processor | 5MP camera capturing 480p video + front VGA camera | Android 2.3 Gingerbread
Pros
- The world’s first Android 2.3 Gingerbread processor phone, Google phones also get free upgrades to the latest versions of the Android operating system
- Front camera
Cons
- 5MP camera with non-HD video
Price: $688
