Five of the best pocket-sized smartphones

This year has been the best yet for smartphones, with more useful features, better designs and improved software. It has also been the year which has proven that top experiences don't have to have a premium price tag and good smartphones don't have to have massive screens.

Here's a quick look at five of the best smartphones, that won't stretch your hand or your pocket.

Sony Zperia Z5 Compact

Sony's flagship small phone has a 4.6in screen in a compact case that makes it the most powerful smaller smartphone currently available. A fast and accurate fingerprint scanner hides under the power button on the ring hand side of the phone, so there is no need to put your finger on a home button to unlock your device.

The new 23-megapixel camera is Sony's best yet and one of the best available. Its takes a micro SD card for adding extra storage and the phone is waterproof to depths of 1.5m for 30 minutes, meaning a trip down the loo isn't the end of the world!

But it is its three-day battery life that is the killer feature. This is longest lasting high end smartphone currently available.

Verdict; a powerful, waterproof smartphone that lasts three days between charges.

Samsung Galaxy S6

The Galaxy S6 is Samsung's first premium-feeling flagship smartphone with an all-metal and glass body and a big step up in design means it now matches the competition.

It's the fastest feeling smartphone currently available, zipping between apps and blazing through games. It has a great 16-megapixel camera that is among the best out there, a fantastic 5.1 2K screen and its thinner and lighter than its competitors.

A fingerprint sensor under the home button unlocks the phone and can authenticate payments. It's also got wireless charging and enough battery to see you through the day.

Verdict; The fastest feeling smartphone that just zips along.

Apple iPhone 6S

The iPhone 6S is the latest 4.7in model from Apple and one of the best smaller smartphones available. It's biggest selling feature is a pressure sensitive screen, which allows new gestures and a 12-megapixel camera that can capture Live Photos - still snaps combined with a short video shot at the same time.

The metal body is now made of a harder aluminium that reduces scratches. It's processor is 70% faster than last year. Apple's new Touch ID fingerprint scanner is almost instantaneous, while it's new Taptic Engine produces a great staccato vibrating feedback.

It's biggest downside is a battery that will not last a day, meaning you'll probably have to charge it during the day and overnight. Making sure you close apps will help conserve the battery.

Verdict; A very good phone, ruined by the battery life.

Google Nexus 5X

Google's latest non-phablet flagship, the Nexus 5X, is the successor to the popular Nexus 5 from 2013.

It has a good 5.2in screen, is thin and light and is one of the first smartphones to run the latest version of Android 6.0 Marshmallow. The phone, made by LG for Google runs Android the way the search giant intended it, without bloatware and will get software updates before anything else.

A fast and accurate fingerprint sensor on the back fits naturally under your index finger for unlocking your phone and authenticating payments. It also has a USB type-C port, meaning the cable can be pluged in either way up to charge. The battery lasts about a day, but not much more.

The camera is one of the best on the market and is easy to use to grab great pictures.

Verdict; Fast, light and bloat free, the way Google intended it.

Motorola Moto G (2015)

Motorola's third-generation Moto G is the greatest yet, and is the best all-round smartphone for under £200.

It runs Android without modifications, is snappier than the competition and gets the basics right. The battery lasts a good day, more with lighter use and it feels good despite being noticeably thick with a customisable plastic back.

The Moto G is waterproof to IP67 standards or 1m of water for 30 minutes, which means it'll be fine if your drop it in the bath or get caught in the rain.

The camera is capable of capturing above average shots but there's also a micro SD card slot for adding more memory if the 8gb or 16gb built-in storage isn't enough.

Verdict; The best balance of cost to experience available.

THERE'S A LOT OF NASTY VIRUSES GOING AROUND - GET THE FIVEBARS FLU JAB

Considering how integral Smartphone’s are now to everyday life, it’s scary to think how much damage can be done by malware – and sometimes all it takes is one lapse in judgement to become infected. Keep reading to find out what these infections could do to you, how to detect them, and how to shield yourself from them.

Smartphone malware infections might seem like a recent concern, but the first attack goes back nearly a full decade. As consumers, we can be lulled into a false sense of security when it comes to electronics and downloads. We believe that if we visit only reputable websites and only download apps, music and games from reputable sites, then all is well. Unfortunately, not!

Computer viruses have plagued consumers for many years now, causing companies to install every kind of firewall protection known to mankind and individuals to spend hundreds of pounds each year on keeping their security updated.

Smartphone’s are the new laptops just with a smaller, sexier design. As Smartphone’s continue to progress and consumers continue to use them for everything from taking pictures of their kids in the park, to managing their financial portfolios, viruses and hackers will continue to find new hunting grounds. Even Apple products with their stringent security processes are not beyond being hacked.

Below are five ways your phone can pick up a virus:

Downloading Apps – Before you can play with a new app, you have to download it and accept the terms and conditions. As a conscious consumer, you read every word in these agreements, right? For the majority of consumers, the answer to that question is (with a shameful bow of the head), "wrong." Within the tiny print of those permission agreements, you may miss the section stating what the app will have access to, including your location, contacts list, social media accounts, email, text, calendar and so forth. Pretty scary stuff.

The Web – Internet downloads are probably the easiest way for your mobile phone to contract a virus. With your favourite TV show or comic book on the line, you may be quick to download any file that promises that content. Beware! You have no idea what could be coded into those files. If your phone is not protected by mobile antivirus software, you will likely get more than just the latest "Community" episode. PC Hook-ups – If your child goes to school and a classmate has lice, it is likely that your little darling will come home with a hair full of the unwanted bugs. The same concept is true any time you connect your Smartphone to your computer via USB. If your computer has a bug and your phone is not protected, it will get the malware, too.

Message Attachments – Whether it's personal or business, you may receive hundreds of texts, video messages and emails every day. You simply ignore or delete texts from unfamiliar numbers and your email's spam box filters out the most obvious offenders. If your Smartphone has a virus, however, it can send you texts and emails that are disguised as messages from familiar contacts, which you'll probably open, exposing your phone to damage Bluetooth Connection – Bluetooth-enabled phones and connections are becoming the superhighways for airborne viruses. Like the human cold or flu viruses, Bluetooth phones can infect one another by simply being in the same vicinity. This is quite frightening, as almost every phone, Smartphone or not, has Bluetooth capabilities.

As more and more consumers use their Smartphone’s to store their personal and professional information, the temptation for hackers to create dangerous viruses and other malware will continue to increase. Even now, Smartphone’s are a primary target for malicious code.

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