The long awaited Samsung Galaxy S4 Android smartphone powerhouse has finally gone up for pre-order from all leading UK mobile phone networks, and we've got the run-down on every deal going.

The 5-inch, 1080p handset (which you can read about in detail here) won't come cheap, so we've put together this guide as to what you can expect to pay from each mobile retailer. Expect a late April shipping date, with the majority of retailers here pushing from an April 26th release.

Carphone Warhouse

A 16GB SIM-Free Samsung Galaxy S4 from Carphone Warehouse will set you back £629.95, while contracts start at £41 a month for a free handset on a two year contract. That puts you on the T-Mobile network, with unlimited minutes, unlimited texts and unlimted data (subject to a fair usage policy). Carphone Warehouse are also offering a Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 for the first 2,000 people to pre-order a handset, sweetening the deal considerably.

Phones 4U

No SIM-free offer from Phones 4U, so it's straight to their contract deals. The free handset can be picked up on £41 a month contracts from either Orange or EE on a two-year deal. With Orange that bags you unlimited minutes, unlimited texts and 3GB of data. With EE you get unlimited minutes, unlimited data and 1GB of superfast 4G data, as well as £50 worth of Google Play app store credit. Anyone who orders through Phones 4U also gets entered into a prize draw to win Samsung prizes.

EE

If you're looking for the handset on a superfast 4G network, head over to EE, currently the UK's only LTE contract vendor. They're highlighting their best value deal as a 24-month, £41 a month contract with the handset costing £79.99, bagging you 1GB of 4G data, unlimited calls and unlimited texts. In this respect, it seems the deal they're offering through Phones 4U seems better, so maybe head over their first. If you're looking for 3G deals through Orange and T-Mobile, EE are also the place to grab them. T-Mobile are offering the handset for £36 a month on a two year deal with an upfront cost of £109.99, which gets you the 16GB handset, 2,000 minutes, unlimited texts and unlimited data. Details of Orange plans are yet to be finalised, but start with the phone costing £19.99 on £51 a month deals over two years.

Three

As ever, Three have gone a good value approach. On their network you can grab a free Galaxy S4 handset on a two year contract which costs £35 per month and gives you all-you-can-eat data, 500 minutes and 5,000 texts. Jump up a mere two quid to £37 and you get an additional 1,500 minutes and 5,000 Three-to-Three network call minutes too.

O2

O2 have yet to open their pre-order page, but you can sign up for updates from the network for news on their deals by clicking here.

Vodafone

Vodafone are offering the 16GB phone for free on a two year contract priced at £42 a month, bagging you unlimited UK minuted, unlimited UK texts and 2GB of data. Jump up to £47 a month and you bag an extra 1GB of data on top. If you've got a half-decent touchscreen phone to trade in, you can also get the Galaxy S4 for free on a £37 a month deal, with unlimited texts, minutes and 2GB of data. Vodafone's handsets are 4G-ready too, meaning you'll be able to sign up for their super-fast mobile download speeds once the network launches.

Virgin Media

Again, just a pre-registration page, which you can find here, to check out for now. But existing Virgin broadband and TiVo customers will get £5 off any eventual Galaxy S4 deals that arise.

Tesco Mobile

No pre-order pricing or pre-registration page from Tesco yet, but they have confirmed they will be carrying the phone at some point.

Unlocked-Mobiles

Unlocked-Mobiles are offering the best SIM-free price, offering the Galaxy S4 for a relatively cheap £529.98

Expansys

Again, just a pre-registration page from Expansys, who had initially been taking pre-orders for both black and white versions of the Galaxy S4. It may be a sign of stock shortages for the online retailer.

Clove

Another pre-registration page is all that's on offer from Clove.

Time to crown a new Android king, or is the Samsung Galaxy S4 a pretender to the Galaxy S3's throne? After a long old wait, and more leaks than a boat made of Hula Hoops, we've finally got the Samsung Galaxy S4.

But was it worth the wait and, more importantly, is it worth your money? We put the latest Samsung handset up against its predecessor to see if any major improvements have been made over last year's impressive model, and whether or not it's worth investing in the Galaxy S4 or picking up a bargain-priced Galaxy S3. Based on what we've found out tonight, hopefully this guide will help you pick between the two if you're stuck.

Design and Build Quality

Galaxy S4
The Samsung Galaxy S4, at least in terms of aesthetic design, looks almost identical to the Galaxy S3. Available in "Black Mist" and "White Frost" colours, it measures just 136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9 mm and weighs only 130 grams, making it a tad lighter than the S3. Still rocking a plastic polycarbonate build rather than an aluminium one (likely to keep costs down), the handset plonks a giant 5-inch 1080p display on the front, making it .2 of an inch larger than even its sizeable S3 older brother. Slim enough to fit comfortably in a trouser or jacket pocket, it's still a very large device that will put off some people looking for a smaller phone. It does have its advantages though, especially when browsing the web and watching video. 4G download speeds are also included, while there's also an IR blaster for controlling home cinema kit.

Galaxy S3
Thin at just 8.6mm and light at 133g, the Galaxy S3 feels great in the hand, and slips almost invisibly into a pocket. Available in Pebble Blue and Marble White, as well as other exclusive shades depending on your carrier, Samsung said last year that its curved edges are meant to conjure memories of nature. However, its plasticy "Hyperglaze" finish lacks that premium feel, and some may decide the Galaxy S3 is a little flimsy, albeit unfairly. The Samsung Galaxy S3 also has NFC features, as well as including 4G connectivity.

Winner - Though very similar, the slimmer, lighter, more-feature packed S4 wins it

Screen

Galaxy S4

Phone screens rarely come bigger than the one packed into the Galaxy S4. A massive 5-inch display sits up front, with a Retina-beating 441ppi full HD 1080p resolution. The handset uses Samsung's Super AMOLED display technology, which should also keep images and videos bright and vibrantly colourful on the handset, as well as offering wide viewing angles. It'll be a great phone for consuming media on or browsing the web with as a result, and even features screen tech that will let you use its touchscreen features whilst wearing gloves. Sturdy Gorilla Glass 3 is also used in its construction.

Galaxy S3
A 4.8 inch Super AMOLED HD display sits on the front of the Galaxy S3 and it's gorgeous. Though its extra size and resolution mean it "only" hits a 309ppi pixel density, to the naked eye that won't make a difference. Vibrant and colourful, it's still one of the finest displays on the market, but it has been surpassed in both size and definition by the S4.

Winner - Galaxy S4 is easily superior, providing you want an even bigger screen

Processor

Galaxy S4

Samsung have opted for their 1.6GHz Exynos Octa 8-core processor in the Galaxy S4. Seeing as even quad-core chips clocked considerably lower than the beast of a processor found in the S4 normally see Android apps and software features ticking over nicely, the Galaxy S4 looks to be a real powerhouse of a phone. It's arguably even overkill - we can't think of a single Android feature that would truly be able to capitalise on such a chipset.

Galaxy S3
Samsung popped a quad-core 1.4Ghz Exynos processor in the Galaxy S3, and there isn't a stutter or hang to be seen with it. This remains one powerful phone, best presented by the Pop Up Play feature that offers true picture-in-picture multitasking, offering windowed HD video playback. Impressive is an understatement.

Winner - Galaxy S4

Storage

Galaxy S4

The Samsung Galaxy S4 will come in three different sizes: 16GB, 32GB and 64GB. Each handset can also be expanded with microSD cards, up to an additional 64GB, making for plenty of flexibility when it comes to storage options. It's not yet certain whether or not the Galaxy S4 also includes the Galaxy S3's 50GB free Dropbox cloud storage promotion - it'll be a shame if it's lost this nifty feature.

Galaxy S3
Samsung's generous storage options are seen in the Galaxy S3 too. For starters, you've got 16GB and 32GB handset options. A 64GB model was also touted, though released far later into the handsets life cycle and is a little hard to come by. The S3 too had the option of popping in as much as an extra 64GB from a microSD card, not to mention a superb 50GB of FREE Dropbox cloud storage that comes as standard with every Galaxy S3 purchase. Either way, the Galaxy range is hard to beat when it comes to generous storage options.

Winner - For now we'll give this one to the S3 based on the Dropbox functions. If the S4 is confirmed to have it too, we'll change this verdict to reflect it.

Battery

Galaxy S4

The Samsung Galaxy S4 includes a whopping 2,600mAh battery. That's over a fifth larger than the battery found in the Galaxy S3, and it's removable too, meaning you'll be able to hot-swap batteries on the go if you're running short on power. However, we'd imagine both that screen and processor churn through power at an incredible rate, so you may not see a dramatic jump in battery life despite the capacity bump.

Galaxy S3
Samsung popped in a 2100mAh battery for the Galaxy S3. It's a sturdy performer, but even it struggles to get a full day's use out of a single charge. Remember there's a massive screen to power, as well as a quad-core processor draining juice all the time. Touches like the Smart Stay tech keep battery usage as low as possible, but not by much.

Winner - We're going for the S4, hoping that the additional capacity is enough to improve its battery life despite the added bells and whistles.

Software and Apps

Galaxy S4

The Galaxy S4 runs Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, the latest build of Android while we await the launch of Key Lime Pie later this year. When it comes to apps, Android has grown remarkably over the last few years, with virtually every major app present on iOS now available on Android too. Android, unlike iOS, also comes with Google Maps as the default mapping provider, the premier mapping application on the planet. Jelly Bean also offers the Google Now service, which offers at-a-glance information provided by Google's search engine based on your interests and location. Everything from bus timetables to sports scores to local restaurant reviews are covered. It's a great feature.

Android is however a far less user-friendly OS, but what it lacks in dummy-proofing, it excels with customisation options. You can make your Android device look and act pretty much however you want it to, freely adding widgets and personal touches throughout the device, and even adding custom ROMs that totally change the way Android looks and feels.

Samsung have included plenty of their own software features through their own TouchWiz UI reskin too.For instance, there's a feature called S-Translator that can translate languages automatically. You type words out in English and the Galaxy S4 then speaks them in one of nine languages, making it a valuable travel buddy. The camera system can also recognise text in foreign languages and translate it.

Smart Scroll web-page eye-tracking and Smart Pause media pausing are also included, with the front facing camera following your eye movements and angle of the handset in your hand to pan pages automatically, or pause videos if you look away from the screen. The screen's "Adapt Display" will also kick in automatically, adjusting settings such as brightness depending on the apps you're using and ambient brightness so that it is comfortable to your eyes.

The S4 also has Group Play, a shared music feature which lets users sync and play music on up to eight devices simultaneously, while video calling has been enhanced so it now works with up to three people - or you can have a video call but show an image.

S-Health is a suite of health and fitness related features. It will tell you how many calories you are burning, gauge your heart rate and sleeping patterns. You can also monitor your blood sugar levels with an add on.

The TouchWiz UI however isn't as easy on the eye as stock Android, now anywhere near as attractive as Apple's iOS.

Galaxy S3
The Galaxy S3 shipped with Android Ice Cream Sandwich, though a 4.1 Jelly Bean update has slowly rolled out from many carriers. Even if you're stuck on Ice Cream Sandwich, it's still a great OS without the Google Now features, and is just as highly customisable as Jelly Bean. The Galaxy S3 also saw the debut of many now-standard Samsung Galaxy features, including picture-in-picture Pop-Up Play and Smart Stay screen sleep tech. It wouldn't be an unprecedented move for Samsung to eventually roll out some of the Galaxy S4's headlining software features to the Galaxy S3 over time either, which would further extend the possibilities of the handset.

Winner - Galaxy S4, as it has everything the S3 had and more.

Camera and Video Recording

Galaxy S4

The S4 sports a 13 megapixel camera, a significant spec-bump up from the 8 megapixel one found in the S3. 1080p video recording is also onboard.

Plenty of nifty shooting software features accompany the now-standard HDR, panoramic and photo filter shooting options.

For instance, It also includes a "Dual Camera" record feature, letting you shoot videos or photos from both the front and rear cameras at the same time, enabling you to be in the picture if you are taking the image. You can also add voice to an image as it can capture a few seconds of audio simultaneously.

The S4 also has a feature called "Drama Shot" that can snap 100 images in four seconds, and then make a composite of the most interesting moments captured. All these images and videos can then be stored in the "Story Album" gallery, that automatically makes a library of related shots based on date and location data.

Galaxy S3
Though many of the Galaxy S3's best camera features are now in the Galaxy S4, it's still a very capable snapper in its own right. The Galaxy S3 camera is an 8MP offering, with impressive start up speeds of 990ms, and the ability to fire off 3.3 photos a second. A 20 in a row, six photos per second burst mode also features, alongside Best Shot, which takes 8 pictures and picks out the best based on framing, lighting and blur, as well as elements such as open or closed eyes on the subject.

Then there are the facial recognition features. Snap a friend, tag them in one photo, and every subsequent picture you take of them in the future should automatically be tagged accurately by the handset. Groups of people appearing in the same shots can also have group tags associated with them, making organising large photo libraries incredibly easy. Images can quickly be shared via email or social networks using this feature too.

Elsewhere, more standard features like High Dynamic Range (HDR), panorama, Smile Shot and Beauty Modes are onboard too, as well as plenty of manual settings for things like exposure values.

1080p video recording is also onboard. Just like the S2 before it, the results from our tests look a real treat, with video stabilisation options working superbly. Up front, a 1.9MP camera for video calling and shooting 720p video is also available.

Winner - Galaxy S4

Price

Galaxy S4

Pricing has yet to be revealed, but expect it to be a lot more than what you can currently grab an S3 for.

Galaxy S3
Unlocked, the 16GB Samsung Galaxy S3 now sits at around £350, with the 32GB available at around £400 if you're willing to shop around a bit. Those are bargain prices considering how well the phone still performs. 24 month contracts sit at around £30 a month - depending on the deal you may even get the handset for free, though expect most of the time to spend a £30-£50 upfront cost, depending on the nature of the contract. With the S4 now out in the wild however, expect even these relatively low prices to drop further.

Winner - Galaxy S3

Verdict:

Was there ever really going to be any winner here other than the Galaxy S4? As a major update to Samsung's leading smartphone range, it of course ups the ante over its predecessor in pretty much every department. From screen improvements to a faster processor, cool new software features to nifty new camera tech, it's the superior handset in almost every way.

Of course, it does mean however that the Galaxy S3 is about to get very, very cheap indeed, and in the coming days and weeks expect it to hit bargain basement prices. If that proves true, you could be picking up a really excellent handset for considerably less than the S4 will sell for. If you don't mind being just a step behind the cutting edge, the Galaxy S3 still comes highly recommended.

For more Samsung Galaxy S4 launch news, click here

Samsung Galaxy S4 or iPhone 5? Following tonight's big reveal, that's going to be the question on every budding smartphone buyer's lips for the next six months or so. The two major smartphone manufacturers have been duking it out for years now, but the latest generation of flagship handsets from both stables is the closest fight we've ever seen.

Both the Samsung Galaxy S4 and iPhone 5 have impressive feature and specs lists, but which is best for you? Based on what we've learnt tonight, we compare the key features and specs of both to help you decide which you should be splashing the cash on.

Design and Build Quality

Galaxy S4

The Samsung Galaxy S4, from an aesthetic perspective at least, looks very similar to the Galaxy S3. Available in "Black Mist" and "White Frost" colours, it measures just 136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9 mm and weighs only 130 grams overall. Still rocking a plastic polycarbonate build rather than an aluminium one (likely to keep costs down), the handset plonks a giant 5-inch 1080p display on the front, making it considerably larger than the iPhone 5 and even its S3 predecessor. Though slim enough to fit comfortably in a pocket, it's a large device that some will likely feel a little silly using for calls on a day-to-day basis, though will have advantages when browsing the web and watching video. 4G download speeds are also included, while there's also an IR blaster for controlling home cinema kit.

iPhone 5
The iPhone 5 was a considerable re-design for the iPhone line. Measuring 7.6mm thick and weighing 112 grams, it's 20% lighter than the previous iPhone 4S generation, and significantly trimmer than the S4. Available in two colours, either black or white, the rear panels are different on each. The white version has a raw aluminium back plate, while the black version has an anodised black finish on its rear. It's also the biggest iPhone to date. 4-inches diagonally, it now sits in a taller, widescreen ratio, but that's still considerable smaller than the Galaxy S4 screen. It'll still sit more comfortably in one hand though, which may swing the choice for small-handed smartphone fans. Made entirely from aluminium and glass, it has a real premium feel to it, though we're not personally sold on the whole two-tone look. The 4G download speeds of the S4 are also matched.

Winner - iPhone 5

Screen

Galaxy S4

If you like your phone screens big, but not as gigantic as the Galaxy Note 2 or other "phablets", there's quite literally a lot to love with the Galaxy S4. A massive 5-inch display sits up front, with a Retina-beating 441ppi full HD 1080p resolution. The handset uses Samsung's Super AMOLED display technology, which should also keep images and videos bright and vibrantly colourful on the handset, as well as offering wide viewing angles. It'll be a great phone for consuming media on or browsing the web with as a result, and even features screen tech that will let you use its touchscreen features whilst wearing gloves. Sturdy Gorilla Glass 3 is also used in its construction.

iPhone 5
Apple's top-notch Retina display with 326ppi features in the iPhone 5. Though it's in a 4-inch screen of the usual width, it is however taller than previous iPhones. The resolution of the display sits at 1136 x 640. Closer to a 16:9 ratio than before, the iPhone 5 is now better for viewing films on, with 44% better colour saturation, and with touch integrated into the display to reduce glare in sunlight. But despite being the biggest iPhone screen to date, it's still considerably smaller than that of the Galaxy S4. If you're looking to comfortably watch videos at length on a handset, it's arguable that the iPhone 5 screen will be too small. It will however look far more sensible when held up to your face for calling!

Winner - Galaxy S4

Processor

Galaxy S4

Samsung have opted for their 1.6GHz Exynos Octa 8-core processor in the Galaxy S4. Seeing as even quad-core chips clocked considerably lower than the beast of a processor found in the S4 normally see Android apps and software features ticking over nicely, the Galaxy S4 looks to be a real powerhouse of a phone. It's arguably even overkill - we can't think of a single Android feature that would truly be able to capitalise on such a chipset.

iPhone 5
The iPhone 5 comes equipped with an A6 processor, which is said to be 2x as fast with both CPU and GPU processing as the already-speedy dual-core A5 chip found in the iPhone 4S. Shrinking down the transistor size, it's smaller and more energy efficient too. Apps will load as much as 2x faster using the new chipset. Though it's arguably a slower processor than that found in the Galaxy S4, you'll be hard-pressed to tax it, meaning all apps and operating system functions flow without trouble.

Winner - Tie (Both processors will offer speedy, responsive user experiences)

Storage

Galaxy S4

The Samsung Galaxy S4 will come in three different sizes: 16GB, 32GB and 64GB. Each handset can also be expanded with microSD cards, up to an additional 64GB, making storage options far more flexible than with the iPhone 5. It's not yet certain whether or not the Galaxy S4 also includes the Galaxy S3's 50GB free Dropbox cloud storage promotion - it'll be a shame if it's lost this nifty feature.

iPhone 5

Though Apple's iPhone 5 doesn't offer expandable storage, they at least offer three different configurations when it comes to size. 16GB, 32GB and 64GB iPhone 5 models are all available, with pricing rising appropriately. It's a crafty tactic though, as those opting for more storage space have to pop money directly into Apple's coffers, rather than picking up cheaper expandable storage elsewhere. With the iCloud back-up feature you've got a little leeway with which to store files remotely too, though extensive cloud storage through Apple doesn't come cheaply.

Winner- Galaxy S4

Battery

Galaxy S4

The Samsung Galaxy S4 includes a 2,600mAh battery. That's over a fifth larger than the battery found in the Galaxy S3, and it's removable too, meaning you'll be able to hot-swap batteries on the go if you're running short on power. However, we'd imagine both that screen and processor churn through power at an incredible rate, so you may not see a dramatic jump in battery life despite the capacity bump.

iPhone 5

According to Apple, you'll get 225 hours of battery life on standby for the iPhone 5, with 8 hours 3G or LTE talk time, and 10 hours Wi-Fi usage. In reality however, you're going to be juggling through all these tasks (plus video or audio playback) throughout a day, meaning that you're going to need to recharge that battery long before the day is done.

Winner - Tie (We're going to withhold judgement until we see how much power the Galaxy's screen and processor eat up)

Software and Apps

Galaxy S4
The Galaxy S4 runs Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, the latest build of Android while we await the launch of Key Lime Pie later this year. When it comes to apps, Android has grown remarkably over the last few years, with virtually every major app present on iOS now available on Android too. Android, unlike iOS, also comes with Google Maps as the default mapping provider, the premier mapping application on the planet. Jelly Bean also offers the Google Now service, which offers at-a-glance information provided by Google's search engine based on your interests and location. Everything from bus timetables to sports scores to local restaurant reviews are covered. It's a great feature.

Android is however a far less user-friendly OS, but what it lacks in dummy-proofing, it excels with customisation options. You can make your Android device look and act pretty much however you want it to, freely adding widgets and personal touches throughout the device, and even adding custom ROMs that totally change the way Android looks and feels.

Samsung have included plenty of their own software features through their own TouchWiz UI reskin too.For instance, there's a feature called S-Translator that can translate languages automatically. You type words out in English and the Galaxy S4 then speaks them in one of nine languages, making it a valuable travel buddy. The camera system can also recognise text in foreign languages and translate it.

Smart Scroll web-page eye-tracking and Smart Pause media pausing are also included, with the front facing camera following your eye movements and angle of the handset in your hand to pan pages automatically, or pause videos if you look away from the screen. The screen's "Adapt Display" will also kick in automatically, adjusting settings such as brightness depending on the apps you're using and ambient brightness so that it is comfortable to your eyes.

The S4 also has Group Play, a shared music feature which lets users sync and play music on up to eight devices simultaneously, while video calling has been enhanced so it now works with up to three people - or you can have a video call but show an image.

S-Health is a suite of health and fitness related features. It will tell you how many calories you are burning, gauge your heart rate and sleeping patterns. You can also monitor your blood sugar levels with an add on.

The TouchWiz UI however isn't as easy on the eye as stock Android, now anywhere near as attractive as Apple's iOS.

iPhone 5

They say there's an app for everything, and with Apple's iOS App Store, that's more or less true. There are well over 700,000 apps available in Apple's store, with an app to cover almost every potential need. From fitness to finance, arts to archaeology, you name it, there's a shed load of apps for every possible niche. Gamers are served particularly well with the iPhone, with it more than a match for handhelds like the Nintendo 3DS or PS Vita these days.

The iPhone 5 also features the Siri voice control app, letting you search the web, set calendar reminders, dictate emails and much more with just your voice alone. However, it's still more useful in the US than the UK, where a giant database of details on local businesses and events integrates directly with the app. In the UK, it's far less comprehensive in terms of what it can do, meaning it is still a bit of a novelty.

The iPhone also offers FaceTime as the native video calling application, allowing users to call Mac, iPad and iPod touch owners for free, as well as other iPhone users.

As for the design of the iOS operating system itself, it's incredibly easy to use and looks beautiful. It pretty much invented the grid-based app layout that everything from the Xbox 360 to Roku entertainment players have ripped off since.

What you gain in ease of use you lose in customisation options though, and if you're a tinkerer who likes to get tweak every property and potential UI layout, it's not a patch on Android. The latest version of iOS, iOS 6 (which the iPhone 5 ships with) also drops the superb Google Maps app in favour of Apple's own Maps application. Apple's take on cartography is pretty but buggy and inaccurate, nowhere near as extensive or precise as Google's and lacking useful features such as Street View.

Winner - Tie (iOS is slick but closed, Android and TouchWiz open but more complicated)

Camera and Video Recording

Galaxy S4

The S4 sports a 13 megapixel camera, a significant spec-bump up from the 8 megapixel one found in the S3. 1080p video recording is also onboard.

Plenty of nifty shooting software features accompany the now-standard HDR, panoramic and photo filter shooting options.

For instance, It also includes a "Dual Camera" record feature, letting you shoot videos or photos from both the front and rear cameras at the same time, enabling you to be in the picture if you are taking the image. You can also add voice to an image as it can capture a few seconds of audio simultaneously.

The S4 also has a feature called "Drama Shot" that can snap 100 images in four seconds, and then make a composite of the most interesting moments captured. All these images and videos can then be stored in the "Story Album" gallery, that automatically makes a library of related shots based on date and location data.

iPhone 5

Though its megapixel count of 8 isn't any higher than the majority of top-tier smartphones, and considerably lower than that found in the Galaxy S4, the iPhone 5 sees Apple's imaging systems again impressing. A dynamic low-light mode for better night time shooting is added to the 5-element lens and f/2.4 aperture. There's also a panorama shooting mode natively built into the camera app for the first time, with a 360-degree shot resulting in a giant 28 megapixel image. The A6 chip allows for faster photo capture too, as well as a smart filter for better colour matching and reduced noise. Share Photo Streams allow you to share photos with pals, and receive messages on your snaps too.

Combine all that with clever HDR and Macro software, and you'll get excellent still image results almost every time. A super-fast shutter speed that lets you snap multiple images directly after each other sweetens the deal, as do the many superb photography apps on the App Store.

1080p video recording with anti-shake functionality and facial recognition tech will likely impress too, with the iMovie app letting you make a few simple edits on the go.

Winner - We're going for the Galaxy S4, based on the rich feature list and higher megapixel count

Price

Galaxy S4

Pricing has yet to be revealed for the Samsung Galaxy S4.

iPhone 5

iPhone 5 handsets come in three sizes, 16GB, 32GB and 64GB, with the price scaling with each. Unlocked and direct from Apple, you're looking at £529, £599 and £699 respectively for each handset. A free 16GB handset on 24 month contracts hover around the £30 a month mark.

Winner - Not sure yet. We'll update once Galaxy S4 pricing is revealed.

Verdict:

Based on what we've learnt about the Samsung Galaxy S4 tonight, it looks as though Apple's iPhone 5 may have been unseated as the smartphone king. As well as the impressive hardware tech, a slew of interesting software features make the Galaxy S4 look very attractive indeed.

Having said that, the two flagship smartphone lines are now very different indeed, and look to serve two quite different audiences. If you're after a giant, luscious display, the Galaxy S4 is certainly what you should be looking at. But if you're after a more subtly-sized smartphone made of superior materials, the iPhone is the one for you. Certainly, both operating systems are mature enough to offer excellent user experiences regardless of which you choose to side with.

It will likely be ultimately a question of pricing, one as-yet-unanswered as we await the Galaxy S4 pricing structure. It's likely to be considerably cheaper than the iPhone though, adding another string to its bow. All in from what we've gathered so far, were calling the Galaxy S4 the winner overall here.

For more Samsung Galaxy S4 launch news, click here

Today, we'd intended on posting our review of the long-awaited SimCity, the 2013 revamp of one of the most revered god game series of all time. However, if you've been watching news on SimCity closely, you'll know that the game's always-online requirements have been causing havoc and preventing players from building their cities. That includes us - we've yet been able to have substantial time with the game in order to put a review together to our usual standards.

So, to tide you over while you wait for our review (and possibly while you too wait to get into a game of the crippled SimCity yourselves) here are 12 of our favourite god games as SimCity alternatives!

Video games. We play them because they are fun. But are they always happy? No. Not by a long, long shot. Here Tech Digest run-down the top 20 most depressing video games of all time, depressing not because they were bad (the games on this list are almost uniformly excellent) but because they have a dark heart, examining some of the more shadowy or painful sides of the human condition.

So what are you waiting for? Scroll down and have...er...fun?

Sony have officially launched the PlayStation 4 during a glitzy launch event in New York City today, and with it comes the launch window for the next-generation games console. Those looking to get their hands on the PS4 console will be able to pick one up by the end of the year, during "Holiday 2013". No pricing has been revealed yet. Read on for all the details of what was revealed at today's press conference.

Hardware

Despite going into detail about the games set to be available for the console, as well as the PS4's online and social features, Sony failed to reveal the console hardware itself, keeping the PlayStation 4 design still shrouded in mystery.

Sony did however unveil some of the tech that will go inside the PlayStation 4: there will be an x86 processor, an undisclosed combined CPU/GPU, 8GB of unified GDDR5 memory (a significant jump over the PS3's 512MB) and a local HDD, possibly Solid State given the speedy boot up and game resume times Sony touted at the event.What was on show at the event in terms of hardware however was the new DualShock 4 controller. Similar to what's on offer already in the PS3's DualShock 3 controller, the DualShock 4 adds a touch sensitive panel front-and-centre on the controller, a 3.5mm headphone and mic jack for easy player communications and a Move-like lightbar for identifying players and interacting with a 3D motion sensing camera. That light was also seen to change colour during live game demos at the event, suggesting it will add visual cues to go along with onscreen action. There was also a share button, perhaps the classic controller design's most intriguing, forward-thinking addition.

Social, streaming and sharing

Most often referenced during the PS4 press conference the dedicated "Share" button on the DualShock 4 controller. With it, gamers will be able to upload video content of games they are playing instantly, as well as broadcast live streams of gameplay sessions through video streaming service Ustream. It looks as though Sony are keen to tap into the blossoming competitive eSports gaming market, something that relies on shared video content of games, and something that the PS4 is now well poised to deliver.

Such social gaming features will be core to the PlayStation 4 experience, allowing gamers to talk about games over social networks like Twitter and Facebook, as well as offering the chance for pals to check out friends games as they are playing and be given the chance to remotely take control of difficult sections when invited, much like remote desktop management on a PC.

No native backwards compatibility

Game streaming will make up the pseudo-backwards compatibility of PS3 games on the PS4 using Gaikai tech. Though you won't be able to pop your old PS3 discs into the PS4 to play them, the PlayStation 4 will allow you to stream older games over the internet direct to the console. It's unclear yet whether or not a premium will be charged for this service, even if you have a physical copy of the game for the PS3.

Fast booting fast downloads

Accessibility and seamless interactions with the console were highlighted by Sony. Not only will the console's increased RAM and (possible) SSD storage allow for faster loading and start-up times (as well as the ability to put the console into low power mode and pick up from the last played moment almost instantly) Sony's improved network downloads should make grabbing games over the internet far easier. With the PS4 you'll only need to download the bare minimum few files of a game required to play before being able to start messing around in a gameworld, while the rest of the files needed for the complete game finish downloading in the background.

Remote and multiplatform play

The PlayStation 4 will also work alongside smartphones and tablet tech, with at least one game showcased (Drive Club) launching alongside a dedicated interactive app. Most significantly, Sony aim to be able to have every single PS4 game available to be streamed to their PS Vita handheld (as is already possible with a number of PS3 games), allowing for Wii U style second-screen functionality, adding a modicum of in-the-house mobility.

Games

The true stars of the show however were the many games previewed at the event. Sony stated that they've got every major third-party developer onboard for the PS4, and many key partners were in attendance to show off their forthcoming wares.

Sci-fi shooter Killzone: Shadow Fall was revealed by developers Guerrilla Games (shown in the trailer above), while MotorStorm devs Evolution Studios showed off Drive Club, a first-person driving game that focusses on team play and social challenges.

Ubisoft's promising open-world action game Watch Dogs (initially revealed as a PS3, Xbox 360 and PC title at E3 2012) was finally confirmed as a PS4 title, and showed some stunning free-roaming, free-running hacking action, while a teaser trailer for InFamous: Second Son was also shown (as seen in the trailer directly above). Ex-Halo developers Bungie also took to the stage to share gameplay footage of their eagerly-anticipated social-shooter-in-space Destiny, also now confirmed for the PS4 with console-specific content in tow.

Those looking for less intense titles will be able to look forward to action platformer Knack (as seen in the trailer above) from PlayStation 4 architect and Marble Madness creator Mark Cerny, while there's a new puzzle game called The Witness from the team behind the critically-acclaimed Braid.

Perhaps the biggest coup was the announcement that Blizzard will be making games for the PS4, starting with a port of Diablo III. Though its unlikely to be an exclusive deal considering owners Activision publish to every major console, its significance can't be understated given Blizzard's sole focus on PC gaming in recent years. Could the long-rumoured World of Warcraft successor come to the PS4?Capcom also showed a promising fantasy-themed tech demo called Deep Down, looking to build on the popularity of their Dragon's Dogma series (which you can see in the YouTube clip above), though Square Enix's disappointing tech demo had to be buoyed by the announcement of a new Final Fantasy game for the PS4.

Though not showing new games themselves, LittleBigPlanet developers Media Molecule and Heavy Rain mastermind David Cage were also in attendance, showing that Sony's other first-party partners will soon have PS4 fruits of their own to share.

A solid start for the next-generation of PlayStation gaming

It's a promising start for the PlayStation 4. Sony's intentions with the console seem to put gamer's first, as all good gaming console launches should. While there was a brief mention of TV and media services coming to the console, the focus was on new games and partnered developers, and new ways for gamers to interact with titles. Stunning graphics were on show, as well as innovative social features which appear to be far deeper than and more ingrained in the console than any gaming machine has attempted before. We may not have seen the actual console hardware itself yet, but what we've now officially been told it can do looked very impressive indeed.

Keep checking back to Tech Digest for more news on the PlayStation 4 and its next gen-rivals in the coming days, weeks and month as their launch dates approach.

Some mobile phone games blow you away with nifty graphics. Some mobile phone games keep you gripped with a riveting story. Some mobile phone games keep you hooked by pitting you against your friends.

But some mobile phone games are more addictive than nicotine-filled, chocolate-covered crack. These games have a magical hold over us, always sitting at the back of our minds, making us hear little voices that whisper "Plaaaaaaay meeeeee...plaaaaaaay meeeeeee", every waking moment of the day. We play them every chance we get, we love them, and we just cant help ourselves.

Here are the top 10 most addictive mobile phone games, all available on both Android and iPhone. Play them at your own risk.

Amazon's Kindle Fire HD is one of the best value 7-inch tablets on the market. Kicking off at £159 for the 16GB version, it's got a vibrant 1280x800 resolution screen and a bag-sized form-factor that make it a great on-the-go travel tablet.

Though it comes pre-loaded with apps like LoveFilm, IMDB, OfficeSuite, a nifty email client and the speedy Silk web browser, to get the most out of the Kindle Fire HD you'll be wanting to grab some new apps for it.

And some free ones at that! We've tracked down the 20 best free apps for Amazon's Kindle Fire HD tablet. From Temple Run 2 to TV catch up services, there's something here for everyone, even if your budget is simply the air that you breathe. Scroll down to see our picks!

(NOTE: Though an Android tablet, the Kindle Fire HD grabs its apps through Amazon's own Amazon AppStore. As they're not being bought through the Google Play Store, they'll only be tied to Amazon Kindle Fire devices unless you grab the Amazon Appstore app on another compatible Android device.)

James Dyson is a British engineering legend. A graduate of two of the UK's most prestigious design schools (Byam Shaw School of Art - now part of Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design - and The Royal College of Art), he's been wowing the world with his inventions since 1970, re-imagining everyday household appliances and tools like the vacuum cleaner and washing machine, and taking the world a few steps closer to the vision of the future we'd seen in The Jetsons cartoons.

Today, he and his team are at it once again, revealing the re-invention of the humble tap with the AirBlade Tap, which both washes and dries your hands.

To celebrate the great man's work, here's our pick of the Dyson team's top ten best inventions.

Samsung are rumoured to be revealing a new smartphone/tablet hybrid at this year's MWC event in Barcelona. A 5.8-inch dual-SIM number with a 960x540 AMOLED screen and Android Jelly Bean software, it's all sounding pretty good except for one point: its name.

Combining phone and tablet, Samsung look set to christen the device the Samsung Galaxy Fonblet. Phone + tablet x lack of common sense = Fonblet.

As the device has yet to be officially revealed by Samsung, the South Korean firm thankfully have time to come up with a less ridiculous name before launch.

But what of the phones that make it to market with their dumb names intact, destined to bring ridicule and shame to all who own them? Here, Tech Digest run down the 10 worst phone names in mobile history. Scroll down to check them out.

With the end of yet another Consumer Electronics Show drawing near, it's time to look back on a week of newly unveiled tech goodies, sifting the wheat from the chaff as we run down our favourite gadgets from CES 2013.

It's a year of subtle change for the tech industry; 3D TV made way for 4K Ultra high-definition as the headlining feature of many an AV showcase, smartphones continued to blur the lines with tablets as average screen sizes continued their upwards rise and a few unexpected players entered the gaming hardware race.

But change of an even more significant kind is certainly in the air. There's a sense that physical hardware has hit a kind of plateau, where the services contained within rather than the device itself are more important. For many, CES 2013 felt like the end of an era, the changing of the guard as the "internet of things" and cloud connectivity dominated an event that was once the domain of high end AV and cutting-edge gadgetry. Sure, there was impressive hardware on show, of which we're about to pick the best of the bunch, but one now wonders how important, or even how relevant, a giant event like CES is any more.

Still, there were plenty of lust-worthy devices on the show floor that we can't wait to get a nice long play with. Here is Tech Digest's CES 2013 Best in Show selection.

Razer Edge
Razer have a vocal community of fans who offer invaluable feedback when producing the company's upcoming gaming hardware devices. And having that source of real-gamer feedback has certainly proved its worth with the development of last years Project Fiona gaming tablet, reborn at CES 2013 as the Razer Edge. A 10-inch full Windows 8 tablet that's just as comfortable as a portable PC gaming machine as it is tablet or even desktop replacement, it's a nifty design that makes high-end, portable PC gaming a reality.

Two models are available, the Razer Edge and the Razer Edge Pro. The entry level unit starts at around £650 and packs in a Core i5 processor, discrete Nvidia GT 640M GPU, 4GB of RAM and a 64GB SSD. The £1000 Pro model jumps up to a Core i7 with the same Nvidia GPU, 8GB of RAM and either a 128 or 256GB SSD depending on how much extra cash you're willing to lay out.
With those specs (especially the Pro model) you'll be able to do some serious gaming on the Edge, and thanks to a control pad convertor case that packs in analogue sticks and mechanical buttons, you'll be able to play any number of gamepad enabled PC games through Steam's Big Picture mode. HDMI-out also allows the tablet to be hooked up to a big screen HDTV.

Battery life is said to be comparable to other tablets, which should offers something between 8 to 10 hours of usage, with an option battery pack adding another two hours on top. A keyboard and dock add-on, expected to land later in the year, will allow the Edge to become a fully-fledged desktop replacement too, letting shooter fans add a mouse for pinpoint sharpshooting.

Sony Xperia Z
Sony had a really strong showing at this year's CES, and despite suffering a number of leaks, it couldn't dampen the enthusiasm and excitement its Xperia Z handset garnered.

The handset packs in a 5-inch full HD Reality Display, running at a full HD resolution of 1080 x 1920. Using Sony's Mobile Bravia Engine 2, it even employs some of the same technology that goes into Sony's TV sets too. The Xperia Z is also the first handset from Sony to use a quad-core processor, using a 1.5GHz variant backed up with 2GB of RAM.

Running Android Jelly Bean 4.1, the Xperia Z also sports a 13.1MP camera with 1080p video recording capabilities, with a 2.2MP front facing camera onboard too. All the usual conenctivity options are onboard too (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, A-GPS) as well as super-fast 4G data connectivity and NFC capabilities. 16GB of storage comes as standard which can be expanded via the microSD card slot.

Sony's handsets often look better on paper than they eventually prove to be, but with the Xperia Z everything's pointing towards them having a genuine winner on their hands.

Polaroid iM1836 Android
Said to be priced between £250 and £300, the Polaroid iM1836 looks to be a great deal if it can land in stores at its suggested price point.

The Polaroid iM1836 is an Android powered camera (running Jelly Bean 4.1) just like the Samsung Galaxy Camera, but one that also throws in interchangeable lens functionality. Shooting 18MP images, the camera comes with a 10-30mm kit lens, but will be compatible with all micro four thirds lenses with a mount adapter.

With both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth built in, you'll quickly be able to upload super snaps directly to social networks using the iM1836's 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen. There's even full HD 1080p video recording onboard too.

Sounds great, right? But is it too good to be true? We'll have to wait and see, but at that relatively low price we'd be willing to take a chance on it!

Plastic Logic PaperTab
They've left the eReader market behind, but Plastic Logic still had new electronic paper developments to show at CES 2013, turning heads with their PaperTab concept.

PaperTab is a 10.7 inch flexible tablet that could well represent the future of regular wood-mush paper. A bendy, high-resolution display that's paper-thin, the PaperTab is powered by a Core i5 processor, and uses innovative gesture controls to navigate. For example, bending the display would turn a page in a book, a completed email could be sent by bending forward a corner of the sheet, while touching two PaperTabs together would let you share information between each device.

Intriguingly, the plan is to run a single app on each PaperTab, rather than swiping between multitasking apps as with a traditional tablet experience. Positional awareness of the PaperTab allows each sheet to know what's being shown on the other and display relevant information. The PaperTab would also know when it's within reaching distance of its user, displaying an overview of contained documents for instance when out of reach.

Sony 56-inch 4K OLED TV prototype

An "in development" 56-inch 4K OLED TV from Sony, this headlining set wiped the floor in terms of pure image quality with every other TV on show at CES 2013.

The first and largest 4K OLED TV in the world, Sony have used a new "Super Top Emission" technology to overcome the challenge of pushing light through larger OLED glass. It looked incredibly impressive according to experts in attendance, setting a new standard for OLED TVs (despite the fact that the technology is still yet to become available in western stores). Elsewhere, LG also impressed with a curved 4K screen that was said to offer an IMAX-like experience in the living room.
Click here for more news from CES 2013

Day two of the world's biggest technology show *in the world* is in full swing and while all the big boys have had their fun with giant press conferences, our attentions turn to the smaller guys in town.

Today's most intriguing story is definitely the relaunch of Razer's Project Fiona, now revamped and renamed the Razer Edge. A tablet/PC/handheld games console hybrid, it's going head to head with Nvidia's Shield at this years show.

Read on for more of today's top tech news from CES 2013!

Five new dual-SIM Lenovo IdeaPhone Android smartphones on the way

Panasonic Toughpad FZ-G1 Windows 8 Pro and JT-B1 Android tablets head out into the wild

Nvidia's Shield handheld console to be the first of many

Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound" finally achieved with Bang and Olufsen's BeoLab 15 and 16 speakersProject Fiona gaming tablet reborn as Razer Edge

LG show off IMAX style EA9800 curved OLED TV

ZTE Grand S officially revealed

Lenovo K900 is a 5.5-inch super-slim Intel powered smartphone

Click here for more news from CES 2013

CES 2013 has officially opened its doors!

Things got off to a good start with the exciting announcement of Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 800 mobile processors, looking set to herald in a new age of smartphone greatness, while both Sony and Samsung showed off impressive TV sets. Perhaps today's biggest story though is news of Valve's fabled Steam Box, making a low-profile unofficial appearance on the show floor.

Read on for all today's biggest stories in one handy place!

Sony's new one-piece waterproof sports Walkman offers an hour of tunes from a 3-minute charge

Huawei Ascend W1 Windows Phone 8 handset better come cheap or not at allIs Valve's Steam Box hiding in plain view as the Xi3 "Piston"?

Samsung 85-inch UN85S9 4K UHD TV "floats" in striking frame stand

Sony Xperia Z UK release date set for 1 March, headed to Vodafone, O2, Three

Super-powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 mobile processor will put 4K recording in mobilesPolaroid iM1836 Android camera with interchangeable lenses looks great and is cheap as chips

Sony reveal Xperia Z smartphone official specs - 4G quad-core Jelly Bean delights

Sony reveal 56-inch 4K OLED TV prototype

Click here for more news from CES 2013

CES 2013 is here! Weeks of rumours and leaks are over and the show-proper is about to begin. The biggest week in the tech year, the Las Vegas show is opening its doors officially tomorrow on January 8, but there's still been a whole load of pre-show leaks, as well as the first handful of press conferences taking place ahead of the main show.

We've put all the news from the conference together in this one handy post, and will be doing so throughout the week, letting you keep abreast of the reams of releases as the show rolls on. We'll also be putting together our "Best In Show" at the end of the week, so keep your eyes peeled for that!

Canon PowerShot N compact camera has a tilty touchy screen

Watch your waist from your wrist with the Fitbit Flex

Plastic Logic PaperTab flexible tablet could be the future of paper

Alcatel One Touch Scribe HD is the latest 5-inch Galaxy Note rival

Alcatel Idol Ultra Android smartphone is latest to lay claim to "world's thinnest" title

Lacie Blade Runner 4TB Hard Drive protects from backups lost like tears in rain

Belkin Thunderstorm Handheld Home Theater boosts your iPad audio capabilities

Lenovo Horizon is a 27-inch Windows 8 touchscreen table tablet/PC hybrid

Onkyo reveal first line of headphones with HF300 and FC300

Nvidia Grid cloud gaming service announced

Nvidia Tegra 4 chip official, most powerful mobile chip in the world

Nvidia Shield handheld console combines both PC and Android gaming

ZTE P945 rumoured smartphone gives fingers a workout with 5.7-inch screen

Corning Gorilla Glass 3 to launch, now three times stronger

Archos TV Connect turns your set into an Android powered Smart TV

Samsung launch NX300 compact camera with 3D capabilties

Samsung add ultrabook and updated Chronos laptop to Series 7 rangeHuawei ready trio of high end smartphones, including 6-inch Ascend Mate

Samsung reveal Series 7 multitouch Windows 8 monitor

Click here for more news from CES 2013

Samsung's Galaxy S3 was one of 2012's best, and best-selling, handsets. Chalking up over 30 million sales so far, it's propelled Samsung to the top of the Android smartphone mountain, and making them a serious rival to Apple's iPhone and its mobile market dominance.

It's a near certainty then that Samsung will be following up the Galaxy S3 with a sequel, which we're going to imaginatively presume will be called the Samsung Galaxy S4.

No big changes there then, but what of the specs? The Galaxy S4 rumour mill is starting to heat up now, and new snippets of information and whispered leaks concerning Samsung's next flagship handset are starting to slide in each day. To help you stay on top of these rumours, we've put together this rumour round-up, collecting everything we know so far on Samsung's next big smartphone hope.

We'll be updating this post every time we hear new information on the phone, so bookmark this page and keep checking back in the coming weeks and months for more updates!

Screen

Samsung's Galaxy S3 had a pretty special display. At 4.8-inches, it offered plenty of real estate for playing back videos and displaying web pages, while its 1280 x 720 resolution delivered a crisp 306ppi. The Galaxy S4 will have to match this at the very least, and we have heard word of a 5-inch, 1080p resolution display being included with the Galaxy S4. That'd lead to a super-sharp 441ppi.

More interestingly are the rumours that the Galaxy S4 will ship with a flexible display. Samsung have been testing bendy screens for sometime now, showing off their Youm prototype at CES 2013. if they could pull it off without undermining the quality of the display, it'd be a totally unique selling point. There'd no longer be any fear of sitting on your phone and crushing it under an ample gluteus maximus.
Processor

There are rumours running rife that the Galaxy S4 is going to be sporting a ridiculous eight-core (or "Octo-core") processor. It'd definitely attract attention, seeing as the mobile chips currently available max out at the quad-core level. But it's arguable whether anyone actually needs an eight-core mobile; as it stands, there are very few mobile applications that tax even a quad-core chipset.
Either way, those Octo-core rumours may be all for nought, as Samsung have just revealed a new quad-core processor, the Exynos 5440, on its Kernel Git webpage. It's an updated version of the dual-core chip inside the Korean-made Google Nexus 10 tablet. Could this eventually power the Galaxy S4 too?
Little else is known about the Exynos 5440, and we're not yet ruling out an eight-core processor, which would be exactly the sort of headlining feature the Galaxy S4 would need to go up against the rumoured HTC M7 and iPhone 5S.
Software

We're 99.9999999999% certain that the Samsung Galaxy S4 will run Android, seeing as though the rest of Samsung's Galaxy S series has done so, and proved wildly popular in the process. What's less certain is the version of Android that it'll come with.
The recent release of the Google Nexus makes the most up-to-date version of Android currently stand at Jelly Bean 4.2.1. It's great, but the core Jelly Bean experience will be almost a year old by the time the Galaxy S4 rears its head. Therefore, we're expecting Samsung to opt for Android Key Lime Pie, the widely-rumored code name for the next major revision of Android.

Google have stayed tight-lipped about what to expect to find in Key Lime Pie, but experts have suggested the inclusion of app previews and gifting options for the Google Play app store, multiple user profiles per device, performance profiles to push hardware to its limits when needed and enhanced social network support with aggregator widgets (though Google's conflicting interests over their own Google+ network may scupper hopes of deeper Twitter and Facebook integration.

You'll likely also find an updated version of Samsung's TouchWiz UI in there too, with improved picture-in-picture Pop Up Play features and app hubs. Samsung have a knack for making relevant small improvements to the core Android interface, and it's a tradition we hope they continue with. S Voice in particular (Samsung's answer to Apple's Siri voice control) felt half baked in the Galaxy S3, and could be a really powerful tool if reworked successfully for the Galaxy S4.Release Date

Where once Samsung reserved their best gear for the annual MWC mobile phone show in February, last year's launch of the Galaxy S3 saw them instead opt for their own personal launch event. Well, as personal as a take over of London's Earl's Court, complete with a full orchestra, can be.

With Samsung looking to compete with the circus surrounding Apple launch events, we can't see them veering much from this approach when it comes to the Galaxy S4. As for when that event shall be, an annual launch would suggest May 2013.

However, recent rumours have hinted at a March 2013 launch (apparently revealed by a Samsung "representative"), while there's also been talk of the launch of a phone dubbed "Project J" from Samsung landing as early as April 2013. It's a balancing act Samsung have to be very careful with; launch the phone too early and you face annoying fans who've upgraded to an S3 less than a year earlier, while push too late and people's attentions may turn to the latest happenings at Apple HQ in Cupertino.

UPDATE: 4/01/2013

No more Home button?
See that photo above? That's the first alleged "real" sighting of the Samsung Galaxy S4.

Acquired from an "insider at Samsung" by SamMobile, it's the clearest alleged look at the rumoured Android handset thus far, though the source was unable to provide any further details concerning the handsets design and features.

If the real deal, the photo suggests that Samsung have finally dropped the physical Home button that has been a staple of all Galaxy S and Galaxy Note handsets so far.

Indeed, though the device does look very similar to the design of the Galaxy S3, the slightly elongated screen suggests that a touch-sensitive onscreen Home button could be on the way. It's something that Google have urged Android handset manufacturers to embrace since the launch of Ice Cream Sandwich.

We'll take the image with a pinch of salt right now, as it wouldn't be difficult to fake such a shot, but all the potential changes spotted here are at least credible ones.

UPDATE: 23/01/2013

Samsung Galaxy S4 to use S2 square design, not S3 "nature" curves?
Samsung may be ditching the natural curves of the Galaxy S3 in favour of the Galaxy S2's more square-shaped design when it comes to their forthcoming Samsung Galaxy S4 handset.

The latest rumour surrounding the hotly-anticipated smartphone has come from a picture posted to Picasa, which has been sitting patiently waiting to be picked up for months. It shows what's assumed to be an S4 mock up with straighter edges and corners sitting next to the curvy "inspired by nature" Galaxy S3.

For the true conspiracy theorists out there, the render even has a date on the screen showing Monday April 22. Could this be the Galaxy S4 launch date?

With no verified source for the image, it's likely a Photoshop hoax in all fairness. But with the Galaxy S3's design cues receiving a mixed reception, perhaps a marriage of both the S2 and S3's design styles is the perfect compromise.

This week's stories from Tech Digest and our pals

Evil Knievel talks cycle safety

Brilliant video of a hammered Kim Wilde singing Kids in America on a train

Nintendo Wii U games console review

Samsung's budget new big screen phone 

Huge selection of Christmas gift guides

Great pics from the golden age of Formula One - the 60s and 70s

Last minute Christmas jumper ideas

Which is the best Live album ever?

Some great pics of Football in the snow

Arsenal destroy Reading pics

Tis the season to be jolly, and nothing makes us happier than some cracking festive tunes blaring out of soe top-notch audio gear.

We've been trawling through the Tech Digest archives from the past twelve months to help pick out some of our favourite home audio gear from 2012. There's plenty to pick from here for all sorts of situations and prices to match all wallet sizes. If you're looking for a gift for a music lover this Christmas, you're sure to find something that fits the bill here!Orbitsound T9 SoundbarOrbitosound's tiny T9 soundbar was one of our audio highlights of the year at Tech Digest. In our full five star review's final verdict, we said that:

The Orbitsound T9 ticks almost every box for a soundbar. Room-filling, crystal-clear and spacious sound is complemented by a balanced subwoofer, all in a package small enough to fit into even the most cramped of AV set-ups. The Spatial Stereo technology continues to impress, and though it's a shame that high-quality Blu-ray sources aren't better catered for through HDMI, there are plenty of connectivity options to counteract that. Take into account the relatively low £199.99 price too and the T9 quickly climbs to the top of the soundbar pile. Great stuff.

Pick it up for £199 direct from Orbitsound.

Sonos SUB wireless subwooferIf you're already the lucky owner of one of Sonos's superb wireless music systems, and are looking to boost the speaker set's bass performance, look no further than their SUB wireless subwoofer. A monolithic, stylish beast finished in gloss black, it looks like its landed straight out of a sci-fi flick and delivers stomach rumbling bass levels. It's expensive, and it only works with other Sonos gear, but it's the best upgrade owners of the wireless gear can make. We awarded it four stars in its full review back in June.

Grab it here.

Otone Audio Aporto portable speakersIf you need a pair of speakers to beef up your laptop's audio capabilities, but are also in the market for a portable speaker set, check out the Aporto speakers from Otone Audio. Working off batteries or powered by USB in a desktop set-up, they feature a really smart design that sees the two speakers and central control unit combine into a baton shape, or separate up for a wider stereo effect through the use of a spring-back bungee cable.

Cheap as chips at £34.99 direct from Otone Audio.

Sennheiser RS 220 wireless headphones
If it's a wireless headphone set-up you're looking to bestow upon someone this Christmas, make sure you've got the Sennheiser RS 220 wireless headphones on your shopping list. In our five star review back in April, we said that:

Everything about the Sennheiser RS 220 wireless headphones oozes quality. From the smart design to the comfortable weight and fit, they're a product very much worthy of their premium pricing. Sounding just as great as they look, with clever features like the charging station built into the base, they're a joy to use. It's not a particularly cluttered market when it comes to wireless headphones, but the RS 220s would shine even if it were. If you're after both convenience and superb sound quality, Sennheiser's latest effort should be at the top of your wish list.

They're priced at £349.99 from Audio Affair.

Klipsch Image S4i Rugged sports earphones
If you're buying a gift for a marathon man or fitness freak, Klipsch's Image S4i Rugged sports earphones offer both a hard-wearing build quality and a defined, pleasurable sound. In our four star review back in September, we said that:

Though they lack the aural subtlety of previous Image line earphones, Klipsch's latest rugged earphones offer both a sturdy sound and sturdy finish, making them ideal work-out fodder. They'll take more of a beating than your average earphones and, with a sound quality fitting of their £90 pricing, will feel like a marked upgrade on the bargain-bucket earphones you may otherwise chose to face the rigours of your exercise regime. A revised model with a more refined sound and smaller remote would be welcome, but they're small faults in the Image S4i Rugged earphones that otherwise deliver on their promises.

Click here for more info.

Bang & Olufsen BeoPlay B9 speaker
If you're after something for the music fanatic who has everything, and have cash to burn, check out the $2,699 Bang & Olufsen BeoPlay B9 speaker.

Shaped like a giant satellite dish, it crams in a 2.1 bass reflex loudspeaker alongside five dedicated speaker units for a room-filling 480 watts of power.Breaking those audio components down, the BeoPlay A9 uses two 3/4-inch tweeters and two 3-inch midrange units. These are driven by 80-watt class D amplifiers, while a sizeable 8-inch, 160 watt bass unit, powered by its own class D amplifier, provides rumbling lows.

Controlling the speaker is as stylish as its design is, with a simple swipe across an edge-placed sensor adjusting volume levels. Placing a hand on the top of the speaker mutes the device.

Visit the Bang & Olufsen website for more info.

Bose SoundLink Air

Bose's first Apple AirPlay-enabled device, the SoundLink Air lets you stream music directly from Apple devices, including iPods, iPhones, Macs and iPads. Using Bose's waveguide speaker technology to deliver punchy-but-detailed sound, it can also be used on-the-go thanks to a rechargeable battery pack, though it's a sold-separately add-on.

£299.95 direct from Bose.

Onkyo CR-N755 Mini Hi-Fi
Onkyo's latest networked Mini Hi-Fi has plenty of tricks up its sleeve. As well as playing back CDs, tracks stored on USB thumbsticks and FM, AM and online radio stations, its web connected capabilities allow it to access Spotify playlists, Last.fm, AUPEO!, and vTuner as well as MP3s, FLAC and other lossless audio files through DLNA support. Onkyo offer free Android and iOS apps to make controlling the stereo easy as pie too. Looking more closely at its audio specifications the CR-N755 is also kitted out with 96 kHz/24-bit optical and coaxial digital inputs and a 192 kHz/24-bit DAC for high-resolution audio, perfect for hooking up a laptop or TV, as well as WRAT (Wide Range Amplifier Technology), the Three-Stage Inverted Darlington Circuitry and VLSC noise-mitigation technology for the best possible audio playback quality.

Onkyo also offer optional D-055 2-way speakers to go with the Hi-Fi. They're fitted with high quality N-OMF (Onkyo Micro Fibre) speaker cones, with moulded layers of aramid and lightweight non-woven cotton to provide "the perfect balance of stiffness and sensitivity required for fast and accurate response."

You can grab the CR-N755 in either silver or black for £300, or cough up an extra £150 to have the D-055 2-way speaker pair thrown in too. Grab one from this Amazon seller for the slightly cheaper price of £275.

It's been another fantastic year for PC gamers. With the current generation of consoles in their twilight years, the PC gaming sphere was the place to be if you wanted to play games looking their very best on top-tier up-to-date hardware.

Though sequels proved as strong as ever, the indie gaming scene on PC continues to make waves, while both the MMO and FPS genres had a handful of standout titles really pushing their respective gaming categories forward.

Cutting this list down to just ten was no mean feat, and we've had to leave out many great PC games. A few notable titles that we also enjoyed were Torchlight 2, Max Payne 3, Kingdoms of Amular: Reckoning, PlanetSide 2, Dear Esther, The Walking Dead, the Black Mesa Half-Life mod and War of the Roses. They didn't make our top PC games of the year list, but are all worth a shout.

Scroll down to find out what did! In no particular order, here are Tech Digest's top 10 PC games of 2012!

We use a PNY GeForce GTX 680 for our PC game reviews. To find out why it's our graphics card of choice, click here.

What a year for Android smartphones! 2012 was really the year that Google's mobile operating system came of age, not only wiping the floor with iOS devices in terms of the number of device activations, but also in the consistently high quality of hardware that the OS was paired with.

Though Samsung continue to dominate the field, all the major Android players had at least one stand-out handset this year. Huawei came in from left-field to prove they've got what it takes to make a dent in the UK market, while HTC's One series devices were incredibly sleek. The Google Nexus 4 though stole the show, offering a premium Android experience at (almost) a pocket money price.

Scroll down for our pick of this year's best Android smartphones, and let us know if you agree with our choices!

Kickstarter, the crowd-funding website that lets creative people of all disciplines pitch their ideas directly to consumers in order to help them raise money to make projects a reality, has finally opened its doors in the UK.

Now accepting funding in Great British Pounds rather than US dollars, anyone over the age of 18 with a registered Companies House number, UK address, bank account and ID can post proposals to the site.

Here, Tech Digest pick five of the most deserving UK-based pitches to have landed so far. Scroll down to check them out!