They have been around for a while now, but for most so-called 'smaller' brands in the smartphone business, life has all been about slugging it out in the affordable 'value for money' segment of the smartphone business. They may command impressive market shares in terms of volume but when it comes to 'aspirational gadget' territory, they tend to lag behind more established players like Nokia, Apple, Samsung and Sony.

However, that could change in the coming months as some of these brands are moving out of their comfort zone and taking on the biggies with devices that look and perform impressively, and compete on performance and design as much as price. Here are six devices in particular that we think could give offerings from bigger and better known players a run for their money.