5. Google Nexus S

The follow up to the Nexus One, the Nexus S was developed by Samsung. In terms of hardware it can't compete with the other entries on this list but because it features the vanilla Android OS it will receive upgrades to the platform before other phones. Currently it runs on Android 2.3. It has a 1 GHz Hummingbird processor with 512 MB of RAM. Internal storage is 16 GB but you can't expand that. The display is a 4 inch Super AMOLED touch screen with a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels. It has a 5 MP camera but it lacks support for HD video recording. It is a great Android smartphone but other releases are quickly surpassing it and the vanilla Android OS is the only real attraction.

6. Sony Ericsson Xperia Play

The specs of the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play are not going to blow you away but this is the long awaited PlayStation phone and so for gamers it is a great choice. The phone slides open to reveal a proper PlayStation gamepad. It sports a 1 GHz processor with 512 MB of RAM. The display is a 4 inch capacitive touch screen with a resolution of 480 x 854 pixels. The internal memory is just 400 MB but it ships with an 8 GB microSD card and you could switch that for a 32 GB card. It also had a 5 MP camera but with no HD recording. On the plus side it runs Android 2.3.

7. Kyocera Echo

Here's another unusual entry on the list with a unique selling point. The Kyocera Echo is a dual screen Android smartphone. The specs are unimpressive with a 1 GHz Snapdragon processor, 512 MB of RAM and 1 GB of internal memory (expandable to 32 GB via a microSD card). It also has a 5 MP camera with 720p video recording capability. The real attraction here, though, is obviously the dual screens. Both are 3.5 inch capacitive touch screens with a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels. With the screens combined you're looking at a 4.7 inch display which is a definite draw.