HTC Sensation Android 2.3 smartphone

This is the first smartphone handset from HTC to use the company's latest HTC Sense software, which sits on top of the Android operating system and adds some graphical and usability enhancements.

It has a large 4.3in display, the same as you would find on a sat-nav, and bigger than the 3.5in screen on the iPhone. Its resolution is appropriately high, so text and graphics looked sharp.

The screen is slightly concave and sunk into the phone case for protection. The metal-and-plastic case is tough, but we wouldn't recommend throwing it about.

It was a little heavy at 148g but the dimensions of 126x65mm are small, and it's only 11mm thick.

Its two cameras mean you can use it to make video calls and the rear one is capable of eight megapixel stills and 1080p high-definition video. Both video and stills were fine for a phone, but not up to the quality of dedicated devices. The small flash did a good job considering its small size but it added a blue cast to images. Sound from the built-in speaker was good, and it was impressive over headphones.

The phone was fast, with a dual-core processor that made it speedy and a joy to use. The new graphics-intensive Sense interface looked great, with lots of fun 3D animations such as when you swipe across the screen.

As with all smartphones, battery life isn't particularly good. It lasted more than a day in light use, but medium-to-heavy users will need to charge it every day. The box contained a small, neat mains charger, and it also connects over USB to a computer for charging or copying files.

It's not cheap though: our phone was from Vodafone, which charges £199 up-front plus £25 a month. Or if you pay £35 a month there is no up-front charge (both are 24-month contracts). It costs £550 unlocked.

This is a superb phone, and as with the iPhone 4 the best phones command top prices. If you want the best of Android phones at the moment, this is pretty much it, but be prepared to pay the price.