Best Android phones to buy in 2012: Smartphone buying guide

. Samsung Galaxy SIII (T3 rating: 5/5)
The S2 successor that’s powerful, feature-packed and very durable now comes with the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean OS straight out of the box. Amongst the killer specs is a meaty 1.4GHz quadcore processor, an 8-Megapixel camera with LED flash and a host of social networking-friendly modes like Social Tag all of which is fronted by a hulking 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED screen. The new LTE model also means you can reap the benefits of speedy 4G.

2. HTC One X (T3 rating: 5/5)

HTC's flagship One Series smartphone is super slim with a powerful quadcore processor and one of the best cameras you are likely to see on a smartphone. Running on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, the One X has a spectacular 4.7-inch screen to show off the slick new Android update and with Beats Audio thrown in, comfortably makes it one of the best Android smartphones on the market.

3. Google Nexus 4 (T3 rating 4/5)

Swapping Samsung for LG, the latest Nexus sports a 4.7-inch IPS display with a screen resolution of 1280x768 putting it up with the S3 in terms of clarity and vibrancy. Running Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, the Nexus 4 gets to reap the benefits of more cards for Google Now and the ability to take 360 degree photos amongst other new features. There's a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor to take care of performance and it even packs wireless charging.

4. Samsung Galaxy Note 2 (T3 rating: 4/5)

The second coming of the screen that feels like a tablet, the Note 2 brandishes a larger 5.5-inch 1280x720 AMOLED display and comes with a more intuitive and accurate S-Pen. It's got a great 8-Megapixel rear-facing camera with 1080p shooting capability, and with a 1.6GHz quadcore processor and 2GB of RAM can handle the Note 2's impressive multitasking prowess.

5. Sony Xperia S (T3 rating 4/5)

Having recently swallowed up Sony Ericsson, Sony released its first smartphones with the Xperia S the pick of the new handsets. Running on Android 2.3 (upgradeable to Android 4.0) the Xperia S boasts and iPhone-like design with a 4.3-inch screen that comes loaded with Sony's impressive Bravia screen technology. Unsurprisingly, there’s a 12-megapixel camera joined by a 1080p HD video recording capabilities which all runs on a 1.5 GHz Qualcomm dual-core processor.

6. HTC One S (T3 rating 4/5)

Arriving as HTC’s slimmest handset yet at just 7.8mm thick, the 4.3-inch AMOLED qHD screen device features Gorilla Glass and comes in a ceramic or metal finish, making it durable enough to take on the odd scratch from keys and any loose change in your pocket. Powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core processor and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, the One S features an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera, Beats Audio technology, the new HTC Image Chip, 16GB internal storage and like the One X, 25GB free Dropbox storage over two years.

7. Motorola RAZR MAXX (T3 rating 4/5)

Having recently revived its iconic Razr line, Motorola has set about solving one of the biggest bugbears of modern smartphones: crappy battery life. The Razr Maxx’s 3,300mAh battery gives it 17 hours 40 minutes of talk time. This is at the cost of a slight girth boost, but at 8.99mm deep it’s hardly obese. The 4.3-inch Super AMOLED, eight-meg camera and 1.2GHz dualcore processor of the standard Razr are all present.

8. Samsung Galaxy S2 (T3 rating 5/5)

Samsung struck gold with the Galaxy S2 delivering one the lightest and thinnest smartphones you can lay your hands on, with a gorgeous Super AMOLED screen to go with it. Running on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich it's packing a 1.2Ghz dual-core Qualcomm processor, a 8-megaxpixel camera and shoots 720p and 1080p HD video. Combining great looks with a speedy performance and the S2 is another Android great.

9. Samsung Galaxy Nexus (T3 rating 4/5)

One of the biggest smartphone launches of 2011, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus is the first smartphone with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich which brings a host of new features including Face Unlock, Android Beam, NFC support all housed behind a gorgeous 4.7-inch touchscreen display.

10. Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S (T3 rating 4/5)

Sony Ericsson has made a great comeback with Android phones and the Xperia Arc S is its best effort yet. Upgraded with a beefier 1.4Ghz processor making it 25% faster than the previous Arc, other stand out features include Sony's 2D and 3D Sweep Panorama function which have been seen cropping up on some of Sony's latest cameras.