Apple vs. Samsung Round 2: iPhone 4S to Take on Samsung Nexus Prime

With Samsung's Galaxy S2 having beaten Apple's iPhone 4 for the crown of best smartphone at this year's T3 awards, speculation has now turned to the next clash of the smartphone titans, with critics questioning whether the iPhone 4S will fare better against Samsung's Nexus Prime.

The speculation began after T3 handed the Galaxy S2 the crown of best smartphone Monday. The news marked a significant blow to Apple, which had dominated the high-end smartphone market.

Analysts cited the age of the iPhone 4 compared to that of the Galaxy S2 as a key reason for the decision.

The same critics suggest that the rumoured arrival of the Samsung Nexus Prime -- also called Galaxy Nexus -- alongside Apple's new iPhone 4S will mark a more balanced contest to gauge which manufacturer consumers prefer.

The iPhone 4S

The iPhone 4S was unveiled by Apple last week after what can only be described as the longest game of Chinese whispers ever played by the world's media.

As expected, the new iPhone marks a significant technical upgrade over its predecessor, packing a dual-core A5 chip and improved 8-megapixel camera.

The device is also powered by Apple's highly anticipated iOS 5 operating system, which promises to house more than 200 new features, including the Siri voice command service.

Described by Apple as an "intelligent assistant," Siri will let users enact certain tasks, such as finding answers to questions online and marking dates in their calendars using voice commands.

The iPhone 4S is currently available for pre-order in the UK on a number of mobile carriers' sites, including Vodafone and Orange.

The providers prices are pretty equitable, offering the iPhone 4S free on two-year contracts ranging from around £40 to £60 per month. Cheaper contracts reduce the monthly fee to around £25 per month but ask customers to shell out £380 for even the most basic model of the 4S.

Additionally, the device is available for pre-order sim-free direct from Apple for prices ranging from £499 to £699.

The Nexus Prime

Little is currently known about the Nexus Prime. Samsung, the company responsible for building the new Google phone, are yet to release any concrete information regarding the device.

Google's next Nexus smartphone was expected to be unveiled Tuesday at Samsung's Unpacked event. Unfortunately for Android fans, Samsung delayed the event out of respect for Apple's recently deceased co-founder Steve Jobs.

Despite the lack of official word, a number of tech sites have posted reports claiming to have "leaked" information regarding the Nexus Prime's tech specs.

Most recently a report from CNET UK suggested the Nexus Prime will run using Google's future Ice Cream Sandwich Android operating system. CNET's report also suggested the device would be "blazingly fast," packing a 1.5GHz Exynos dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM and house a curved 4.65-inch 1,280x720-pixel Super AMOLED Plus touchscreen.

If true, the rumoured specs would place the device in the same price and spec range as Apple's iPhone 4S.

iPhone 4S Popularity

Despite being met with an initially tepid response by Apple fans, many of whom wanted to see a new next generation iPhone 5, the 4S has managed to boast significant pre-order sales.

Apple confirmed on Monday that the iPhone 4S had broken all previous iPhone sales records boasting one-million pre-order sales in its opening 24 hours. The record had previously been held by the iPhone 4, which shifted 600,000 units in its opening 24 hours.

The rapid uptake by users has since been taken as a sign that in a level-fight for sales, Apple devices still may prove more popular than Samsung's.

Samsung is yet to release a new date for its Unpacked event.