Smartphones are all the rage these days, but while there are plenty of models to choose from, there is one segment of the market that seems to have been neglected so far - the mid-range. There are many high-end models and a few entry-level products. But, so far, there hasn't' really been a mid-range smartphone - this is where Huawei's new Ideos X5 fits in. While its 3.8-inch touchscreen isn't as big as the 4-plus-inch displays of higher-end models, and its 800MHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor isn't as fast as the 1GHz chips of its more expensive peers, the Ideos X5 still offers plenty of features and functionality, but at a much more affordable price. You get the Android 2.2 operating system and all the applications that are now available from the Android market, including the Swype keyboard, which allows you to write with a single, continuous stroke through the corresponding letters. You also get the full spectrum of networks, including quad-band GSM, 3G, high-speed HSDPA at 14.4Mbps, Wi-fi and Bluetooth, as well as a 5megapixel autofocus digital camera that supports 720p HD video. Measuring a mere 11.6mm, the Ideos X5 is also one of the thinnest smartphones on the market today, coming behind only Apple's iPhone 4, at 9.3mm, and HTC's HD7 model, at 11.2mm. The Huawei Ideos X5 costs HK$2,880 - or less than half the price of the 32GB iPhone 4. Pros: affordable Android smartphone, one of the thinnest models on the market Cons: slower processor than the latest models
