The wait is almost over for Samsung’s next flagship smartphone, with the highly anticipated Galaxy S5 going on sale worldwide next month. The Galaxy S line of smartphones is almost a home run when it comes to sales, but the handsets aren’t always universally well reviewed by those who like to dig a little deeper than simple screen size or fancy software features. This year Samsung hopes to right that.

The HTC One M8 today joins the might of the Samsung Galaxy S5 and Sony Xperia Z2 in the mobile market, with each set to do battle and attempt to cement its place as 2014’s most popular high-end handset. Here, we take a closer at the Big Three, including specs and form factor, in order to try and determine which of these humdingers will emerge victorious once the retail battle commences.

Not to be upstaged by the big Samsung announcement at this year’s MWC, Sony has also come through with its latest and greatest new smartphone – the Sony Xperia Z2. Another waterproof handset, it shares similar design traits to its predecessor, but in terms of both the hardware and software, the Japanese company looks to have been hard at work. I got a chance to spend a few minutes with the device in Barcelona, and as well as a hands-on video below, I’ll be letting you know what I think of this most recent addition to the Xperia family, and moreover, whether it can serve as a genuine competitor to the Samsung Galaxy S5.

I’ve expressed my disappointment with the Galaxy S5 already – in all fairness, it’s nothing but a modest upgrade over last year’s Android flagship from Samsung, the Galaxy S4. However, it’s still become a coveted piece of technology, and we’re sure that the sales numbers for the new device will be impressive as ever.

We’re really not all that far into Mobile World Congress 2014, held in Barcelona, but the announcements are already coming thick and fast. The latest to catch everyone’s attention is Sony, with the Japanese technology firm today announcing that it is launching a new flagship smartphone, hot on the heels of its not-long-since-announced Xperia Z1S. The new model? The Xperia Z2. They’re nothing if not predictable!