Six of the best gadgets and gizmos on a theme. This week: Six of the best new smartphones.

By Peter Jenkinson

Watch out

Samsung Gear 2 - £TBC, register at expansys.com

The South Korean outfit are paving the way in wearable technology, and this updated version of the relatively new original has a built-in 2.0 megapixel camera and it loads your 4GB memory with music for when you (maybe) go for that run. Fitness is very much at the Gear 2's centre, with an integrated heart rate monitor, pedometer and sleep tracker. It also connects to your mobile in your pocket and tells you who is calling, and can send/receive texts too, but the the screen might be a tad small for actually reading them.

Worth waiting

Samsung S5 - £TBC see carphonewarehouse.com

Launched to much fanfare at an event called Samsung Unpacked (though the room of journalists vying for a peek was very full indeed), the S5 has a water-resistant case, finger print ID technology and a heart monitor, as well as somehow shoehorning in a 16 megapixel snapper. A serious adversary for Apple.

Water works

Sony Xperia Z2 - SIM free, £549.95 from carphonewarehouse.com

After making an impressive return last year, the update to the Z1 is thinner, packs a more powerful processor and adds some screen size (5.2 inch vs 5 inches), but crucially retains its waterproof capabilities, that superbly sharp HD screen, stereo speakers, and the video camera that takes 4K Ultra HD. Keep it up Sony, we're liking your work.

Simpler stuff

Libertone 810 - £109.99 from 02.co.uk

Taking away the overtly fancy stuff allows a feature rich phone aimed at those who want apps but not necessarily all the top-notch technology. This fine example had three hard keys on the front for easy navigation, larger on-screen icons and the four inch touchscreen makes navigation a breeze. A very decent mobile offering indeed.

Outstanding snaps

Nokia Lumia 1520 - £532 from pixmania.co.uk

The Finnish firm has had a tumultuous ten years, but now under the leadership of Microsoft it has plenty of good gear to shout about. This handset has a very decent six-inch full HD for looking at your snaps taken from the 20 megapixel camera (and Carl Zeiss lens) - there's also plenty of space to keep them all with an eye watering 32FB of internal storage.

Latest arrival

Huawei G6 - £TBC see huawei.com/uk

The Chinese manufacturer have only been on our shores for about a year, but if the massive take up of their phones in their home market is anything to go by, then watch out everyone. This Android powered number is notable for its forward facing five megapixel camera, which makes it about the best on the market for taking selfies (up to you if that's actually a good thing or not).

App of the week

Greggs - Free on iTunes and Google Play

Load up your Greggs app with cash and make it easier to pay when you pop in for your food and drinks. It also features a shop finder, menu and a rewards icon for those additional treats every now and then.

Top 10 paid for apps

1. Weather Live - Detailed Forecasts and Live Weather Conditions

2. The Chase

4. Minecraft - Pocket Edition

5. Plants vs. Zombies

6. The Room

7. The Room Two

8. Balloon Drops

9. Birds of Britain

10.Cut the Rope

(Charts supplied by amazon.co.uk)

Top 10 free apps

1. Mahjong Premium

2. Unroll Me

3. Candy Crush Saga

4. Flappy Wings

5. LEGO City My City

6. BBC iPlayer

7. BBC Media Player

8. Facebook

9. Netflix

10. The Walking Dead: The Complete First Season

(Charts supplied by amazon.co.uk)