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But you don't have to go far to find further annoyances with the G910. And it comes back to that strange design: not only does this cause problems with making phone calls, but the way the hinge sets the screen behind the keyboard also means that operating the touchscreen is fiddly. Getting in the way further are two arrays of touch-sensitive shortcut buttons lined up on either side of the screen. These will quickly whisk you off to applications such as Media Player, Outlook, Messaging and Contacts, but what seems like a thoughtful touch quickly becomes a major irritation. If you attempt to use your finger to prod the screen, for instance, it's all too easy to brush one of the shortcuts while attempting to tap something else.

Call quality is fine, but the phone's ringer simply isn't loud enough. Despite having it turned up to maximum volume, I missed several phone calls during testing even when I had the phone in a jacket pocket. And battery life, despite hopeful claims of 330 minutes talktime and 460 hours standby, is nothing to write home about. I found that two days of light use was the most the phone was capable of and, to be on the safe side, a charge overnight was required to avoid running out at inopportune moments.

Verdict

The trouble with a smartphone such as this is that it has to perform well on several different fronts to be a success, especially for £400. So though it has its good points, the G910's numerous failings drag it down to earth with a solid thump.

It has a lovely screen and keyboard, a full array of high-end features and some thoughtful software extras, and for this I can forgive its size and heft. But its 'innovative' design means it's a nightmare to make phone calls with, and that coupled with other foibles means it's a product you're probably best avoiding.

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