Manufacturer: HTC
Model: One X (Tegra 3 AP30)
Operating system: Android 4.0.3 with HTC Sense 4.0
Availability: In stores, via carriers
Price: About €500
Web site & specs: HTC, GSMArena

Introduction
About four or five years ago HTC and Google started a collaboration that at the time few seemed to believed in, but that some years later would prove to be a huge success. The phone they released towards the end of 2008 was the HTC Dream, also known as the T-Mobile G1 and a couple of months later as the ADP1 — Android Dev Phone 1. The phone itself was never a smash hit in terms of sales, software or hardware, but it did not have to be. It was the spark that would slowly spread and eventually start a wildfire.

During 2009 and the first half of 2010 HTC capitalized on the head start their collaboration with Google had provided, and they more or less dominated the competitors who were only just taking their first shaky steps in the Android segment. The competitors, however, did not give up, and during the latter part of 2010 and onwards it was the opinion of many that HTC had lost its head start and was even lagging behind. HTC were still making lots of money on their Android devices, but had the tide turned?

When they finally launched their first dual core device, the HTC Sensation, they were already months behind the competitors, and even though the Sensation was a good phone we never felt that HTC caught up. Until now. Enter the HTC One X.

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Manufacturer: Samsung
Model: GT-P6810 WiFi 16GB
Operating system: Android Honeycomb 3.2 with Samsung TouchWiz UX 4.0
Availability:
Price: Around €500
Website/Specifications: Samsung, GSMArena

Introduction
Samsung showed us back in 2011 that they are serious about their commitment to keep moving forward with smartphones and tablets running Android. Their first Honeycomb and Tegra 2 powered device – the Sasmung Galaxy Tab 10.1 – was a a promising first step towards a usable Android tablet aimed at the mass market. Although initially plagued with some teething and quality problems such as the newton’s ring issue, most of those problems came to be resolved as the slightly smaller Galaxy Tab 8.9, also running Tegra 2, made its way to the consumers.

It’s now time for their third Honeycomb device; Galaxy Tab 7.7 — a smaller, lighter and slimmer version of the previous two tablets. The difference this time goes far deeper than just the size of the screen, since this is the first Samsung tablet running Samsung’s own dual core Exynos 4210 platform under the bonnet, and as if that was not enough they’ve also fitted it with a Super AMOLED Plus screen – the first ever tablet with and AMOLED screen.

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Manufacturer: Sony
Model: Xperia S LT26i (32GB)
Operating system: Android 2.3.7 with Sony UX (v6.0)
Availability: In stores
Price: Depending on country, about €450 and up
Website/Specifications: Sony, GSMArena

Introduction
Xperia S is the first Sony Android phone hitting the market since Sony and Ericsson recently split up. Since Ericsson were responsible for the UI development, and since they were responsible for making the Sony Ericsson UX one of the least bloated and fastest UI’s on the market, there has been some concern that Sony with its track record would revert back to a bloated UI – one that not even powerful hardware can handle without lag and stutter.

The hardware itself is certainly nothing to scoff at. Sony has equipped the Xperia S with Qualcomm’s MSM8260 SoC (“System on a Chip”) which consists of a dual core processor at 2×1.5GHz and the Adreno 220 graphics chip. In addition to that we find 1GB of RAM and a 4.3 inch TFT screen with an insanely high pixel density. The camera of the Xperia S is yet another impressive part of the puzzle — a Sony Exmor R sensor with a whopping 12 megapixels.

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