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 (480x854 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 (480x800 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 (480x800 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 (480x854 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 (480x800 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