With MWC 2013 on the way, we've got a pretty clear picture of how the mobile landscape is shaping up, and with many of you months away from your contract upgrade, here's a selection of new phones to whet your appetite:

Sony Xperia Z

Sony has stepped up its game with the Xperia Z. We were pretty unimpressed with the screen quality when we first saw the handset sitting nonchalantly on the table, but that aside, the rest of the device impressed us hugely.

From the premium design, the weight and industrial casing and the larger edge-to-edge screen to the high-end Exmor RS sensor and Bravia Engine 2, there's so much that Sony will be able to tout on its marketing literature.

It'll be here soon, so check out our hands on preview while we cook up our full run down.

ZTE Grand S

Taking a look at the specs the ZTE Grand S looks to be a blockbuster of a phone and one which could easily trump the big boys of the mobile market, with a full HD 5-inch display, 1.7GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 13MP camera, 4Gconnectivity and Android Jelly Bean

The reality however is not so great, with a sluggish interface and disappointing screen quality seriously wounding the Grand S..

Perhaps ZTE will be able to iron out the kinks before the handset hit shelves, but we're not holding our breath. The Grand S will need a pretty special price tag if it's going to succeed.

Huawei Ascend Mate

The line between smartphone and tablet continues to blur and the Huawei Ascend Mate does nothing to help the situation.

Huawei wants you to ditch your tablet in favour of the Ascend Mate, which in its eyes can double as both a slate and a phone.

We're not completely sold on that philosophy and tend to sway towards the theory that a 6.1-inch phone is pretty mad – verging on unnecessary.

Sony Xperia J

Sony is pitching the Xperia J as a smartphone which offers "a stand-out screen size for consumers looking to combine great style with affordability".

The Xperia J is certainly a good looking handset, but we can't help but feel it's going to be outclassed by the Orange San Diego in the price bracket we expect Sony to put it in.

The Sony Xperia J release date is currently unconfirmed, but we've been told it will arrive during the final quarter of 2

Asus Padfone 2

Is it a phone? Is it tablet? Is it a netbook? No, it's all three, and its got a stylus! The original Asus Padfone passed us by here in the UK, but we're told the Padfone 2 will make it to our fair shores early next year.

Asus is covering every base imaginable with the Padfone in the hope to gain a big win in three markets at the same time. Will it pay off? Who knows, but it's certainly an interesting concept.