Will these smartphones STEAL the thunder from iPhone 5?

While we've been sitting around twiddling out thumbs and waiting for the iPhone 5 release date (rumoured September 12) to be made a reality, a glut of high-end smartphones have made their way into the market gunning for 2012's coveted titles.

Nevertheless, the iPhone always has been and always will be the yardstick by which all others are measured, therefore it is worth taking stock of the situation so far and finding out which -- if any -- stands even the slightest chance of stealing the spotlight from Apple.

True, the sixth-generation iPhone is still essentially fictitious and therefore direct comparisons are difficult, but if we take a look at the following we can get a good look at exactly how the competition is shaping up at the moment.

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HTC One X

HTC's One X is categorically one of the best Smartphones you can buy today -- and by best we mean stunning to look at, fast as anything and its array of unique features.

One of the biggest draws of the One X is the titanic battery that keeps the thing running all day, regardless of what your throw at it.

Also, its camera may fall in just behind that of the iPhone 4S, but I would happily argue is still the very best of any Android device -- period.

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The One X continues to carry the torch for HTC and the AT&T network (in the US), having set a new standard like never before.

However, there is currently very little information as to HTC's plans to take things once step further during the latter half of 2012, therefore while the One X is a worthy contender now, time may indeed ravage its prowess.

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Samsung Galaxy S3

The Samsung Galaxy S3 is nothing less than the poster-child of everything an Android Smartphone can be in 2012. It basically takes each and every lesson learned over the course of Samsung's history and delivers a package that is almost impossible to poke holes in.

However, if you're really adamant on criticising the S3, it would be fair to say that it isn't exactly the complete and total iPhone 4S-killer many had pre-dubbed it to be, nor is it strikingly better than the HTC One X.

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Its hardware and software are both superb and right at the top end of the industry, though what it shares with the One X is the way in which it doesn't deliver anything truly revolutionary -- just a beefed-up version of its predecessor.

What's more, if it has been unable to entirely steal the show from the iPhone 4S, its chances cannot possibly be good against the iPhone 5.

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Nokia Lumia 900

One of the saddest stories of 2012 so far -- at least for its creators -- Nokia sacrificed the quest for raw-power and epic-specs to instead build a smartphone specifically around its Windows Phone OS.

Unfortunately, its generous performance, wonderful looks, super functionality and truly worthy operating system somehow added up to a package that nobody wanted -- or at least none wanted more than an iPhone or Android device.

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Worse still, Windows Phone 8 could have easily breathed new life into Lumia 900, though was revealed by Microsoft as being incompatible with existing devices.

As such, the best the Lumia 900 can hope for is a spot somewhere in the budget ranks and will not be classed even in the same league as the iPhone 5.

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Samsung Galaxy Note

When the Samsung Galaxy Note was first announced last year, it was met with equal parts excitement and bewilderment. After all, did we really need a tablet/Smartphone hybrid gap-filler?

Need one or not we got one, which went on to be a superb success story across many of the world's major markets where it still plays a key role today.

With regard to its chances against the iPhone 5 however, I seriously doubt that the Galaxy Note will ever be taken seriously enough to compete with any truly to-end smartphone -- it is just too big!

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It performs like a dream and is so blissfully functional, but the very idea of a smartphone is that it fits in a standard pocket -- the Note does not.

That being said, the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is expected to land in September with a superb new spec-sheet, therefore its day in the sun may not be over just yet.

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