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The battle of the LED displays is an ongoing war which is unlikely to be won any time soon. Here we are looking at two of the most impressive and expensive new arrivals on the market, both offering something unique.

The Samsung UE55D8000 is an edge-lit LED display, that measures 55 inches across the diagonal and of course supports full HD on its large panel. The fact that this is edge-lit not only makes it very slim but also ensures that the display is able to boat better contrast levels than other LCD screens, even if it cannot quite keep up with bulkier, heavier plasma options in this price bracket.

The Philips 58PFL9955H has a stand-out 58 inch display measurement, although in terms of screen area, it is not much larger than the Samsung model. What it does offer is a stunning 21:9 aspect ratio, which is intended to match the ratio in which movies are shot. As such you can enjoy Blu Ray films and 3D content as it was intended, with no letterboxing or zooming required.

When it comes to gaming, the Philips 58PFL9955H is also excellent, particularly for sports titles. However, its unusual aspect ratio means that it is less than ideal for first person shooters, so Call of Duty fans might be better off picking the Samsung UE55D8000 instead.

Both of these TVs are obviously going to cost a pretty penny but if money is not an option and you want a truly cinematic experience, then these are two valuable options.

These two new phones have been revealed at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and both should be available to buy in the UK by the second quarter of the year, so let us see how these smartphone behemoths stack up to one another.

The Galaxy S2 is a slate-like beast, with a 4.3 inch Super AMOLED Plus display and a very slim profile. The Incredible S almost keeps pace with its four inch Super LCD screen, although it is unlikely to be quite as impressive as Samsung’s offering.

Within the Galaxy S2, there is a dual core processor to help power the latest version of the Android operating system. The Incredible S will also run Android 2.3, although its single-core 1GHz processor will feel a little bit dated when in direct competition with the Samsung handset.

In terms of video and photo capture, the two handsets will be on relatively level pegging. The Incredible S can record 720p video clips and while this is not quite up there with the 1080p credentials of the Galaxy S2, the actual quality of this full HD video remains to be seen.

The one area in which the Galaxy S2 may be inferior to the HTC Incredible S is interface, because the Sense software which sits on top of Android has always been lauded, while Samsung’s TouchWiz alternative is never seen in the same positive light. It should only be a couple of months until these mobiles arrive, so the battle can begin in earnest.

The recent announcement of the Samsung Galaxy Mini, which is set to launch later in the year, will obviously lead to comparisons between it and the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini. The latter is well established and popular, while the former is an untested newcomer, so which looks best on paper?

The Xperia X10 Mini lives up to its name with a 2.5 inch touchscreen display but it still packs a suitable processing punch with its 600MHz chip. A five megapixel camera on the rear takes good quality pictures and it has Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity for mobile browsing and app downloads.

The Samsung Galaxy Mini is larger than its ageing rival, with a 3.1 inch touchscreen display giving you a little more room for viewing web pages and enjoying videos. It has a 600MHz processor and will run Android 2.2, which will make it slightly more up to date than Sony’s offering.

The Galaxy Mini will not be able to match the Xperia X10 Mini when it comes to photography as it will have a three megapixel camera. Connectivity will be suitably smartphone-eqsue as Wi-Fi and 3G are expected to be onboard.

It is a very close fight between the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini and the Samsung Galaxy Mini. The X10 Mini is smaller but has a better camera and cuter form factor, while the larger Galaxy Mini has more contemporary software but is lacking when it comes to raw megapixels.

These two heavy-hitters of the smartphone world are expanding into the tablet market with a pair of devices that could go head to head with the iPad. The question is, based on the current rumours, which will be better suited to toppling Apple’s presently dominant device?

The HTC Tablet was originally going to be based on Google’s Chrome OS, but since Android 3.0 was made available to manufacturers, it looks like the Taiwanese firm will be opting for a slightly different software package from the same developer. HTC will make its usual efforts to customise Android 3.0 with an interface called Sensation, which may be similar to its smartphone-based Sense UI, but with obvious tweaks.

It is likely that the HTC Tablet will run a dual core processor, feature 32GB of storage space and have an impressive 2GB of RAM to make multitasking run smoothly. A touchscreen interface with a native resolution of 1280×720 is also expected, along with a slew of potential retail names including the HTC Flyer and HTC Scribe.

The LG Optimus Pad will have the same dual-core processor as the HTC Tablet, but its 8.9 inch display will apparently be able to provide 3D effects without the need for polarising or active shutter glasses, which will help it outclass its rivals if this turns out to be true.

LG ’s Optimus Pad will also run Android 3.0 and expect to see a modified user interface to go on top and make the device feel unique.

The Optimus Pad and HTC Tablet should be fairly competitive, but if LG can get the implementation of a 3D display right, it could have the edge over its rival.

The midrange smartphone market is hotly contested by various manufacturers and both HTC and Samsung are launching new handsets in the coming months, which will bring high end functionality to those on a budget.

The HTC Gratia and the Samsung Galaxy Ace both follow in the footsteps of some well received Android phones and both sport version 2.2 of Google’s operating system, so let us look at which is more likely to win fans.

The HTC Gratia has a 3.2 inch touchscreen display, a five megapixel camera and a 600MHz processor operating under the skin. It will be available in a number of colours, including green and white and HTC has applied its popular Sense interface on top of the basic Android option.

The Samsung Galaxy Ace has a 3.5 inch touchscreen display, 800MHz processor and a five megapixel camera with LED flash. It has appeared in leaked images and seems to look faintly similar to the iPhone 3G S, which means it is a good looking phone, while the TouchWiz 3.0 interface adds widgets and other features to Android.

It is likely that the Samsung Galaxy Ace will be a little more expensive than the Gratia and for your money you get a bigger screen, faster processor and a flash to support the camera. However, the Gratia benefits from the much-lauded Sense interface and also features an optical trackpad for scrolling, so users will face a tough choice between the two.

These two heavy-hitters of the smartphone world are expanding into the tablet market with a pair of devices that could go head to head with the iPad. The question is, based on the current rumours, which will be better suited to toppling Apple’s presently dominant device?

The HTC Tablet was originally going to be based on Google’s Chrome OS, but since Android 3.0 was made available to manufacturers, it looks like the Taiwanese firm will be opting for a slightly different software package from the same developer. HTC will make its usual efforts to customise Android 3.0 with an interface called Sensation, which may be similar to its smartphone-based Sense UI, but with obvious tweaks.

It is likely that the HTC Tablet will run a dual core processor, feature 32GB of storage space and have an impressive 2GB of RAM to make multitasking run smoothly. A touchscreen interface with a native resolution of 1280×720 is also expected, along with a slew of potential retail names including the HTC Flyer and HTC Scribe.

The LG Optimus Pad will have the same dual-core processor as the HTC Tablet, but its 8.9 inch display will apparently be able to provide 3D effects without the need for polarising or active shutter glasses, which will help it outclass its rivals if this turns out to be true.

LG ’s Optimus Pad will also run Android 3.0 and expect to see a modified user interface to go on top and make the device feel unique.

The Optimus Pad and HTC Tablet should be fairly competitive, but if LG can get the implementation of a 3D display right, it could have the edge over its rival.

The midrange smartphone market is hotly contested by various manufacturers and both HTC and Samsung are launching new handsets in the coming months, which will bring high end functionality to those on a budget.

The HTC Gratia and the Samsung Galaxy Ace both follow in the footsteps of some well received Android phones and both sport version 2.2 of Google’s operating system, so let us look at which is more likely to win fans.

The HTC Gratia has a 3.2 inch touchscreen display, a five megapixel camera and a 600MHz processor operating under the skin. It will be available in a number of colours, including green and white and HTC has applied its popular Sense interface on top of the basic Android option.

The Samsung Galaxy Ace has a 3.5 inch touchscreen display, 800MHz processor and a five megapixel camera with LED flash. It has appeared in leaked images and seems to look faintly similar to the iPhone 3G S, which means it is a good looking phone, while the TouchWiz 3.0 interface adds widgets and other features to Android.

It is likely that the Samsung Galaxy Ace will be a little more expensive than the Gratia and for your money you get a bigger screen, faster processor and a flash to support the camera. However, the Gratia benefits from the much-lauded Sense interface and also features an optical trackpad for scrolling, so users will face a tough choice between the two.

The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas has concluded but now there are battles being fought as major tech manufacturers attempt to bring their tablet computing technology to the attention of the mainstream.

Motorola did its best to capture the imagination of conference-goers with the Xoom tablet, while LG almost stole its thunder with the G-Slate device, but which is likely to win out once they are launched?

The Motorola Xoom runs Android 3.0 and pushes a 10.1 inch display with a good resolution of 1200×800. Onboard a dual core processor from NVidia will keep multiple apps running smoothly and it has a five megapixel camera mounted on the rear, with HD video capture available as an option.

Onboard, 32GB of storage space will give you room for media files and apps while both Wi-Fi and wide-roaming 3G connectivity will help you stay online throughout the country.

The LG G-Slate is also an Android 3.0 tablet and it has been announced that network provider T-Mobile will be partnering with the South Korean manufacturer to launch the device in the coming months.

Impressively, it will be able to offer 3D views in Google Maps, which suggests that it will be sporting a decent graphics chip and processor. LG has been keeping quiet about the final abilities of the G-Slate, but observers have said that it is likely to use a 10 inch display that is similar to the Xoom’s.

Both of these tablets should be arriving within the first half of 2011 but official confirmation is required before fans can get really excited.

Acer has just released another Android-based smartphone and Sony Ericsson has refreshed the Xperia X10, with an update that brings Android 2.1 to the high end handset. As such, it seems like a good time to look at the two and decide which is the best for you.

The Acer Liquid Metal is relatively affordable and SIM free will set you back around £300. For your money you get Android 2.2 and an 800MHz processor, while the 3.6 inch display gives you plenty of room for everyday activities like web browsing and media playback.

The Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 will cost roughly the same as the Acer Liquid Metal if you shop around. With a four inch display and 1GHz processor, it is larger and superficially speedier than the Liquid Metal, although it only has Android 2.1 rather than 2.2, which means there is no native support for Flash content in the web browser.

The build quality of the Xperia X10 slightly outclasses that of the Liquid Metal, although both are well made in general. The X10 is also bulkier and thicker because of its larger display.

Both manufacturers have modified Android with their own interfaces, although the Xperia X10 has a much deeper customisation with the TimeScape and MediaScape services organising your media and social life, while Acer has largely made aesthetic alterations.

The choice between the Acer Liquid Metal and Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 is a relatively difficult one. The Liquid Metal is younger and fresher with a more up to date operating system, but the older X10 has beefier hardware, although its time on the market allows for their pricing to be roughly equivalent.

Google has recently announced that the Nexus S smartphone bearing its own branding and the brand new Android 2.3 operating system, will be touching down in the UK on December 20th. As such, now is as good a time as any to see how the pretender to the throne stacks up against Apple’s reigning handset, the iPhone 4.

The Nexus S has still not been revealed in full but there are several known details about this smartphone. With Android 2.3 onboard it will support near field communication (NFC) technology that will let users buy goods on the high street using their mobiles as a virtual wallet.

With a four inch Super AMOLED display the Google Nexus S offers half an inch more screen real estate compared with the 3.5 inch iPhone 4 Retina Display, although Apple’s device has a higher resolution and so can produce crisper text and onscreen images.

The Nexus S has 16GB of onboard storage and a 1GHz processor, comparable with the base model iPhone, although those who want to spend a little more can get a 32GB iPhone 4 if they so choose.

In terms of camera capabilities both phones appear to be evenly matched as each has a five megapixel snapper with HD video capture capabilities.

It is unlikely that the Google Nexus S will be able to outpace the iPhone 4 when it launches this month, although Google is not reliant on the success of a single handset but rather on the growth of the Android platform as a whole, in order to compete with Apple.

The iPod Touch has been king of the portable music players for the last few years but now Samsung is taking it on, with its Galaxy Player, essentially a stripped-down version of its Galaxy S smartphone which cannot make calls, but still has most of the other features intact. Let us examine whether the new arrival can topple Apple’s monolith.

The Galaxy Player 50 is the first model and according to the manufacturer blurb, it is unique in being the world’s first Android-based portable media player. It has a 3.2 inch touchscreen display, a two megapixel camera on the rear and connectivity onboard including Wi-Fi and GPS for navigation.

Android 2.1 is running onboard which means you also get access to the Android Market for game downloads and extra app fun, although it would have been nice to see a more current version of Google’s platform onboard as 2.3 has just been launched.

Either 8GB or 16GB of storage space can be found onboard the Galaxy Player and the presence of a microSD memory card slot means you can add an extra 32GB if you so choose.

The iPod Touch from the latest generation features a high resolution 3.5 inch touchscreen display, between 8GB and 64GB of onboard storage and impressive camera capabilities which allow you to shoot video in 720p HD with the rear-facing camera, while a lens on the front makes video chat via FaceTime possible.

A powerful processor within the iPod Touch is brought straight over from the iPhone 4 and the App Store is packed with hundreds of thousands of apps to download and enjoy.

The iPod Touch is technically superior to the Samsung Galaxy Player, although the latter device is likely to occupy a much lower price point, which could appeal to a wide audience.

Sony Bravia KDL-22PX300 featuring integrated PlayStation 2, goes up against standalone alternatives

Sony has made a very interesting decision at the bottom end of its Bravia range of TVs. It has created the KDL-22PX300, which is significant because of its inclusion of an integrated PlayStation 2 console.

This is an interesting move and, in theory, makes sense for a 22 inch flatscreen TV, since many other similar products have integrated DVD players to make them convenient for use in the bedroom or kitchen where space is of utmost importance.

The Sony Bravia KDL-22PX300 is able to play all PS2 titles, from God of War to Gran Turismo 3, so it is sure to be an intriguing choice for long time gamers who have a back-catalogue of discs gathering dust. You could play while munching cereal or preparing dinner, although whether it will garner mainstream attention is doubtful.

With a 22 inch display, the Bravia KDL-22PX300 is small but has a relatively large bezel for some unknown reason. A 720p HD resolution and four HDMI inputs means it will also accept high definition content but the standard definition nature of PS2 games means there will be no improvement.

Onboard Freeview makes the KDL-22PX300 competitive and its £199 price point is relatively affordable for a Sony TV. One issue may be that the PS2 market is so saturated and second hand devices are so cheap, that opting for this all-in-one solution may be uneconomical.

The UK launch of Microsoft Kinect has followed hot on the heels of its arrival in the US and this controller-free interactive gaming peripheral for the Xbox 360 console has already sold over a million units around the world.

Microsoft has said that it hopes to sell five million of the motion-sensitive camera systems before the end of 2010 and with a fifth of this total reached in ten days, it looks like it will vastly exceed expectations and win the title of the hottest toy this Christmas without any real competition.

You can buy the Kinect device as a standalone add-on which is compatible with all versions of the Xbox 360 or you can get it bundled with a new console which will save you a bit of cash.

Kinect uses a selection of camera technology to not only work out where you are in the room but also to recognise your face, detect depth and respond to voice commands. You can use your hands to move through menus and make selections, while the Kinect will let you jump, run, shoot and carry out innumerable other in-game actions using your body.

The idea of motion-controlled gaming has been around for years, but it was popularised by the Nintendo Wii back in 2006. Now both Microsoft and Sony have taken their own unique approaches to the technology, although it looks like these figures could help Microsoft beat out both of its rivals.

The war of the motion controllers has well and truly begun! This week Microsoft announced that it had already sold 2.5 million of its Kinect system for the Xbox 360 console, with a five million sales goal set for the end of 2010.

But for Sony PS3 owners, the PlayStation Move is the only real alternative and now that both Move and Kinect are here, it’s time to see which one is best before Christmas arrives.

The PlayStation Move system relies on one or two handheld wireless controllers. Both have integrated motion sensitive accelerometers which can detect how they are being held, but the forward-facing camera mounted above the user’s television is used to measure depth and placement with even greater accuracy, thanks to the colourful ping pong ball-style augmentations to the larger of the move controllers.

Kinect ditches the concept of controllers altogether, using instead a complex camera accessory which can measure the position of multiple players simultaneously, as well as tracking them as they move around the room and even reacting to voice commands.

The launch titles available for PlayStation Move are numerous, with around 30 games available and some retro-fitting of Move compatibility occurring with older games. For Kinect, the line up is a little less packed, but most will be looking for quality over quantity and each Kinect comes bundled with Kinect Adventures so users will be able to get playing straight away.

What both Kinect and PlayStation move are lacking is a killer game to make them must-have accessories. Sports and party games make up a majority of the early releases and, while these are a great distraction for the early adopters, there is nothing to keep hardcore fans hanging around for long.

Both systems are plagued by poor controls in certain games, so checking out reviews is worthwhile. It is important to remember that the hardware is not faulty but the software needs work.

The Apple iPad managed to rejuvenate the tablet computing market and now Dell is attempting to provide a hybrid device which is as much a netbook as it is a touchscreen tablet PC.

The Dell Inspiron Duo has been given its premier public airing in the run up to its launch and it possesses an undeniably striking design with a ten inch touchscreen display that can rotate through 360 degrees, allowing you to easily flip it to make it available on the outer shell or keep it protected within and usable like a standard laptop screen.

Like all netbooks, it has a full physical QWERTY keypad and the presence of Intel’s Atom processor is no surprise either, with 2GB of RAM expected to make an appearance within. Prices upon launch are rumoured to start from around £450 and rise depending on the specs you choose.

Dell has attempted to make the most of Windows 7’s multimedia features and touchscreen support by partnering with speaker manufacturer JBL on a dock, which will let you watch the Inspiron Duo without having to hold it.

The one issue with the Inspiron Duo which will make it a less than ideal alternative to the iPad is its weight, which will hamper its portability and handheld usability. However, it is an invaluable experiment and a great indication of where the computer market is going.

If you have invested in a 3D TV since the launch of the first devices in the summer, or if you are regularly heading to the cinema to catch the latest 3D flick, then you might be interested in buying a pair of the new designer 3D glasses being marketed by Oakley.

The Oakley 3-D Gascan glasses are a world first in as much as they have been specifically designed to enhance the onscreen image, at the same time as allowing the passive polarising effect to make the most of the stereoscopic displays. Oakley announced that the glasses will be able to work in tandem with most cinemas and will work to remove the imperfect 3D experience necessitated by the cheap plastic specs you can buy for a couple of pounds.

This includes making colours clearer and truer to their intended form as well as reducing any glare which may be directed upon you while watching.

The price tag of around £80 for a pair of these designer 3D glasses might make them a little less than accessible to mainstream users, which is compounded by the fact that they are US exclusives for the time being, although you can import a pair if you are particularly excited by the 3D craze.

The brand new tablet from Samsung called the Galaxy Tab has touched down in the UK, although it comes in a week when the latest figures show that the Apple iPad has a 95 per cent share of the tablet computer market. The launch of the Samsung Galaxy Tab in the UK marks what could be an end to the dominance of the iPad, although on the surface the two devices are actually quite different and could appeal to disparate groups.

The Galaxy Tab has a seven inch multitouch display and is able to make voice calls just like an oversized smartphone, thanks to its 3G connectivity. While the current generation iPad cannot match this it does have a well established library of high end applications, made specifically for its large, high resolution 9.7 inch display. In terms of processing power both the iPad and Galaxy Tab are thought to be on a par, but with Android 2.2 onboard, the Samsung device is able to provide full support for Flash content in the web browser while Apple’s spat with Adobe means this is lacking from the iPad.

Specifications and features are obviously important in this market, but in reality it will be price that has a serious impact on the success of the Galaxy Tab. Subsidised editions which come with fixed term network contracts might tempt some, but the standalone cost is equivalent to the iPad and so the Apple faithful are unlikely to jump ship in favour of this new arrival.

The arrival of two new products from Microsoft in the run up to Christmas will be accompanied by a huge marketing push, which will cost the US software giant an estimated $1 billion, or about £650 million.

Windows Phone 7 was announced last week and represents a real step forward for Microsoft in the mobile market, where it had previously been languishing with little mainstream appeal in its previous Windows Mobile platforms.

Now around $400 million is going to be spent in an effort to make sure that the public knows Windows Phone 7 can compete and trump rival platforms from Google and Apple, as the first range of smartphones based on this software arrive this week.

Meanwhile, the Kinect gaming accessory for the Xbox 360 and the associated controller-free games will be subject to a $500 million ad spend, with insiders explaining to the New York Post, that Microsoft is taking the same approach as movie studios do, when marketing the next big blockbusters. This means that Kinect will become very visible in mainstream media in the run up to its launch date.

Various launch events are planned for Kinect when it hits the UK on the 10th of November and Microsoft’s Roger Matthews has said that this launch is even bigger than that which was given to the Xbox 360 itself, which should illustrate the levels to which the firm is willing to go to win the hearts and minds of casual gaming audiences who previously plumped for the Nintendo Wii.

Anyone looking to upgrade their mobile in the coming weeks might want to hold out for the arrival of the Dell Venue Pro as it now looks like this smartphone could be available in the UK on the 8th of November for a price of around £500 SIM free.

The Venue Pro will join the likes of the Samsung Omnia 7 and LG Optimus 7 as one of the first mobiles to sport the brand new Windows Phone 7 operating system. While on paper the Venue Pro has basically the same internal hardware as its main rivals, there are a few unique twists that allow it to differentiate itself from the crowd.

The most notable feature of the Venue Pro is its slide out portrait QWERTY keypad which is definitely going to become a favourite feature of anyone who likes typing out long messages and sending emails while they are using their mobiles. Its 4.1 inch touchscreen display means you do not only have to use the physical keypad, but its presence might be a selling point for business users.

The Dell Venue Pro is a smartphone that looks like it could be a hit despite the fact that Dell is still a relatively small member of the mobile community. If you trust the Dell brand and enjoy its laptop and home computing products then the Venue Pro might be the Windows Phone 7 mobile for you, once it launches in the UK this November.

Software giant Microsoft has pulled back the curtains on its brand new mobile operating system sensibly named Windows Phone 7. With a UK launch date of October 21s, the initial run of smartphones that will support the platform have also been announced.

Firstly, Taiwanese manufacturer HTC is bringing the largest selection of Windows Phone 7 mobiles to the table, although before looking at them, it is worth noting that Microsoft’s imposition of minimum hardware requirements does make most of the phones sound rather similar on paper.

The HTC HD7, 7 Trophy and 7 Mozart will all be launching on the official UK release date of October 21st. The HD7 has a monster 4.3 inch multitouch display, 16GB of onboard storage and a five megapixel camera with dual LED flash on the rear.

With a 3.8 inch screen, the HTC 7 Trophy will be smaller, lighter and have half as much internal storage as the HD7. However it will still pack the same 1GHz processor and five megapixel camera, so it should appeal to a wide audience within a lower price bracket.

The HTC 7 Mozart, with its 3.7 inch display, will be the smallest of all, but its eight megapixel camera is designed to make it stand out and appeal to photography enthusiasts.

HTC has said that its next Windows Phone 7 mobile, called the 7 Pro, will be arriving in the UK before Christmas and will feature a full slide-out physical QWERTY keypad to appeal to messaging fans and corporate users.

Samsung’s Omnia 7 will impress with its four in Super AMOLED display, which should be brighter and more colourful than its rivals. Meanwhile the LG Optimus 7 has a 3.8 inch display and a digital compass that will make navigation a little easier.

The Dell Venue Pro concludes the list with a 4.1 inch display and a pre-Christmas launch.