best mobile phones in the world today

 BlackBerry Z10

BlackBerry was (sort of) back - there's no doubt about that after the huge launch of the BlackBerry Z10 and it's BB10 operating system. The lateness of said launch caused some to question the relevance of the phones, but it's still a phone that ticks a lot of boxes.
The BlackBerry Z10's Peek function, interesting camera features and ability to offer you a work and life balance will appeal to a lot of people who struggle to carry around two handsets when the office won't let you bring the iPhone in.

The Z10 has a quality finish as well as a clever interface, and the expandable storage, removable battery and Adobe Flash support are all small wins for the Z10 and will help as it tries to stand out in a crowded market.
Add in the presence of BlackBerry 10.2 to supercharge the OS (to some extent - improving the Priority Hub is a nice move) and you can see it's not game over for BB just yet.

Quick verdict

The Z10 is a decent smartphone offering up a strong range of features and a fancy new operating system that may catch the eye of the technologically adventurous.
It does pretty much everything we'd expect from a high-end device and there are no major flaws to go running to the presses about. It's only the lack of any real cutting-edge features to mark it out that keeps it from going higher in our list, so if you're all about BlackBerry, then this phone won't disappoint.
OK, it's not been a massive success - but then again, it's just dropped to £149.99 from the lofty £500+ price point. It won't be supported for much longer we'd guess, but enough to warrant that much money to get a second phone.

 Samsung Galaxy S3

With the Samsung Galaxy S4 (and friends) now launched, the S3 has predictably fallen down the rankings thanks to there being a better phone to recommend.
But don't worry: the S3 is still a strong phone: it's got every kind of feature we could ask for and more, and raised the bar once again in terms of what consumers should be expecting in terms of battery life, processor speed and media management.
Would we recommend you buy one if you're hankering for a spot of Samsung? Yes, but only if you're trying to save money, as the S4 is a much better version of this phone indeed.
Price isn't the only reason the Samsung Galaxy S3 is worthy of consideration though. Smart Stay, Super AMOLED HD screen, up to 128GB storage, Music Hub, removable battery, quick camera; for the price, this phone still delivers in ways that many others on the market can't.

Quick verdict

If you're after a decent slab of Samsung tech, the Galaxy S3 is an OK choice. It's getting on a bit, hence the slip down the rankings.
Samsung faced an almost impossible task in trying to create a worthy sequel to the Galaxy S2, and while this is an older model, it's still worth a look.

Samsung Galaxy Note 2

Many (including us, we admit) were not convinced when the original Samsung Galaxy Note launched. Who on earth would want something so big to make their calls and surf the internet, even with a glorified stylus? Cue awkward silence.
Millions of you, it would appear. The Galaxy Note sold by the bucketload, so how do you follow that up? With something better, of course - the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, which has shifted 20 million units worldwide, and now is the elder statesman thanks to the new Galaxy Note 3 appearing.
Still a strong and eye-catching device, the Galaxy Note 2 is well-connected, and thanks to that increased screen size (up to an eye-bulging 5.5-inches), is, among many things, a quality media player.
Samsung has achieved something special here, because it has made the Galaxy Note 2 bigger than the original, but pulls it off so that you don't notice it too much and anyway, it's the features that make it so amazing.
Air View, Multi-window, a dock that can turn it into a fully-fledged computer - it's all here, people..

Quick verdict

As a phone, it's big, but once you get over that, if you can, it's great. As a PMP, it really does excel, but there are better options on the market (Note 3 and Sony Xperia Z Ultra, for instance).
Ultimately, there's no getting away from the fact that the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is a niche device. But it does almost everything it sets out to do perfectly, with grace, class and maximum functionality.
With a lower price, it's still powerful enough to last for at least a year or two, so we have no qualms recommending it as a viable option for your next phone.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Active

Want the Samsung Galaxy S4 but are too worried about dropping it in the bath or flinging it into a sand dune? Well, you can either not do either of those things, or buy the Samsung Galaxy S4.
With a powerful IP67 water and dust proof case the Active is far more hardy than a lot of the top end devices currently on the market.
The only other handset which can match the rugged credentials of the S4 Active is the Sony Xperia Z, (and Z1 successor, of course) although those being covered in glass front and back makes them feel far more fragile.
While the 5-inch display may not sport the Super AMOLED technology of the S4, the full HD resolution still makes for an excellent visual experience which is only really bettered by its namesake, the LG G2 and the HTC One.

Quick verdict

If you're in the market for a super powerful smartphone which you can take on extreme activities, swimming and in the bath then sure the Galaxy S4 Active is the best around, although that's a pretty limited market.
And hey, chuck it in a bucket of water and your mates will be seriously impressed (honest).
We've only got this phone so far down on the list as we don't think huge amounts of users will be desperate to add the heft to an S4 to make it a bit more life proof, and that isn't going to be something most people will worry about.
But if you want the security of a phone that can withstand a few knocks but doesn't scrimp on the specs or usability, then you could do a lot worse than checking out the S4 Active.

Nokia Lumia 925

What's better than a top Windows Phone 7 handset? A Windows Phone 8 one, and we've got no qualms about telling you this is the best high-end Windows Phone out there.
Simplicity is the key here, the Lumia 925 does the basics well, from contact integration and calling, to web browsing and messaging. The camera is market-leading, and offers excellent performance from low-light to jumpy videos.
The 8.7MP PureView camera on the back of the Lumia 925 is actually one of the best we've used, and for anyone looking to get a top end cameraphone: you need to seriously consider this Nokia, although the recent glut of handsets (Sony Xperia Z1, HTC One, LG G2 and iPhone 5S) have all stepped up their game significantly to offer strong camera experiences too.
The 4.5-inch display is also a good'un, crisp and clear it makes watching movies, surfing the web or Facebook stalking an enjoyable experience, thanks to the PureMotion HD technology on offer.
And you can even use it with gloves on... what more could you want? You're right: hologram messages. But they don't exist yet.

Quick verdict

The Nokia Lumia 925 is a worthy ambassador for Windows Phone 8 and probably a strong part of the reason Microsoft decided to acquire the Finnish handset division.
It's not got the clout to take on the likes of the HTC One and Galaxy S4