Whether you've purchased yourself a iPhone 5S or iPhone 5C, or whether you're tied into a lengthy contract on the ageing iPhone 4S, chances are you are going to want to use your iPhone for more than just web browsing or taking pictures.

With Apple's App store currently populated with over one million apps, there are bound to be some real gems, as well as some duds across all categories. We've searched through and picked out what we feel are the best in order to connect with your friends and family, as well as a look to some alternatives.

Obviously, there are some in built options like the Messages app that is tied in so seamlessly with iMessage, Facetime or Apple's preinstalled email application. There are, however, a variety of apps available on the App store designed to complement or replace these.

WhatsApp (First year free, $0.99 per year thereafter)

Facebook spending $19 billion on WhatsApp has shot this messaging service into the stratosphere. There is no way of completely replacing the messaging app within your iPhone. Being a locked down system means that Apple has total control, so completely replacing the SMS app on the iPhone is nigh on impossible.

WhatsApp was designed to replace standard SMS apps across multiple OS', so is a very comprehensive app and comes with the same features that you would expect from any decent messaging app, with the same features being familiar to anyone that has used WhatsApp before.

Rather than using a username or password, WhatsApp works with your mobile number and uses the web rather than the mobile network, therefore meaning that there are no international messaging charges (as long as you're on Wi-Fi while abroad).

WhatsApp is very popular across multiple OS' for a reason. Its highly customisable, and very easy to use to message others on the service as it connects via your mobile number.

If you decide that WhatsApp isn't for you, why not try Samsung's ChatON? Now available across multiple OS' ChatON is a well designed, comprehensive messaging app that even features a built in translator.

Skype (Free)

Skype is possibly the most well known and popular video calling service that is available on both iOS and across both mobile and desktop OS'.

Now part of the Microsoft family, Skype provides both a comprehensive messaging and calling service that almost renders Apple's FaceTime pointless.

Being more than just a video and voice calling service, Skype fully supports IM with Skype's custom array of smileys, albeit without the accompanying fun animations that we love so much. Group messaging is supported, as is the sending of media files and video messages.

Connection to Skype can be done through a dedicated username and password or through an existing Microsoft account, something you might have created to use Windows Live or Windows 8. Since the merge with Microsoft, the Redmond based firm is pushing to connect any existing Skype accounts to your Windows account.

If neither Skype not FaceTime are the apps for you, why not try ooVoo? Also free to download, ooVoo features video chat at its heart, whilst also supporting group messaging, video statuses and a speed dial.

Facebook Messenger (Free)

Facebook Messenger has to be one of the most useful messaging apps that you can get for the iPhone, purely down to the large user base that it comes with. Connection to your Facebook account means that you can easily message your closest friends, family and colleagues.

Unlike the Android version, Facebook Messenger for iOS doesn't come with Chat Heads. What it does come with is the ability to send voice messages, photos, smileys and the new 'stickers' feature, which comes with massive smileys and cute kittys.

Pieces of the Windows Phone 8.1 puzzle continue to fall into place with reports claiming the big mobile OS update will bring fingerprint scanning technology into play.

WindowsPhoneLovers has been trawling through the latest Windows Phone 8.1 SDK and found evidence that Microsoft plans to match the iPhone 5S in the security stakes.

Within the code, the site spotted a line reading: "To allow the app to access your private key, scan an enrolled finger on the fingerprint scanner."

Whether that means an onscreen reading or, a la Apple's solution, a physical fingerprint scanner remains to be seen, but we're likely to find out for sure at Build 2014 in April when Microsoft unveils the new OS.

Make or break

The code also suggests there'll be better customisation options when it comes to start screen themes and improved messaging options for dual screen phones.

Today's report is the latest in a long line of feature leaks, for the new OS, which is increasingly becoming make or break for Microsoft.

We've already heard plenty about the Cortana personal voice assistant tech, as well as the new Action Centre, which promises to bring users more control over their notifications.

Speaking of Action Centre, here it is ... erm ... in action, courtesy of UnleashThePhones.com. With the Centre, it appears customizing app interaction and choosing what goes in the toggles and notifications are the name of the game.

• Did you know Windows Phone may be MIA at MWC?

The question over what camera will be gracing Nokia's Android handset, the Nokia X (aka Nokia Normandy), may have just been answered with a leaked photograph.

Whilst the shot is wholly uninspiring - just a phone, monitor and can of Pepsi - it's the EXIF data that is proving to be a bit more revealing.

If this really is the Nokia X (the data shows that the camera is the Nokia A110) then we're looking at a 5MP sensor having shot a photo with a 1920 x 2560 resolution.

The codename Nokia A110 has appeared before, being spotted by Nokia Power User on AnTuTu as a handset running Android 4.4.1 KitKat with a 5MP camera so everything appears to tie together nicely.

Flash or no flash?

Interestingly though, the EXIF data shows (and image suggests) that the flash was fired. That might sound insignficant, but until now all of evleaks' leaked renders (like the one above) have omitted a flash.

Recent leaked photos courtesy of Vizileaks did show a handset looking almost identical to those renders although if you look closely you can certainly see a little round flash sat next to the camera.

Reports of a Nokia RM-980 Android 4.1.2 handset have also appeared showing a phone with a 3MP (2048 x 1536) sensor. This is supposedly a dual-SIM variant of the Nokia X so perhaps we'll see multiple variants with different sensors.

We'll have to wait until MWC to find out, but that's only a few days away now.

• Until then why not look at what we think the Nokia X should be?

There's less than a week to go until MWC 2014 and news about what we can expect from one of the hottest handsets of the year, the Samsung Galaxy S5, is streaming out as leaks spring up everywhere.

According to sources in Korea, talking to ZDNet, the Galaxy S5 will be the first fully-fledged Samsung flagship to feature the ability rather than relying on an 'Active' variant as seen with the Galaxy S4.

The unnamed source (make of that what you will) claims that "for the previously released Galaxy S4, water-proof and dust-proof capabilities were adapted to the handset's variants. But for the Galaxy S5, the standard model will have them immediately".

We might be tempted to write this off but we've already heard news that Samsung may be moving to make all its flagships waterproof starting with the Note 4. It's certainly no major stretch to imagine that Samsung could have the tech in place for the S5 and would give buyers much greater confidence their prized possession isn't going to fall apart at the first sign of drizzle.

Wet finger bandits?

Because of this supposed waterproofing the source suggesting that users will be able to wash the Galaxy S5 under the tap as it can survive short periods whilst submerged. This would certainly put the Galaxy S5 on par with the Sony Xperia Z1, as well as the highly anticipated Xperia Z2.

The reports also 'confirm' our suspicions that the Galaxy S5 will feature a fingerprint scanner built into the home button, requiring a side swipe rather than the finger press that is needed on the iPhone 5S.

This feature is reported to be supplied by US fingerprint solution firm Validity, as well as using an ultraviolet coating rather than the sapphire used by Apple.

We'll be here to bring you all you need to know about the Galaxy S5 from MWC so stay tuned.

• We'd hate to leave you hanging there, so why not check out what we know already about the Galaxy S5?

The mist is beginning to lift in smartphone world, and we're starting to see an ever-clearing picture of which devices will and won't be on show at next week's MWC 2014 in Barcelona.

With seemingly nailed-on launches from Nokia, Samsung and LG, it's now ZTE's turn to show its hand ahead of the biggest mobile event on the calendar.

The Chinese manufacturer plans to showcase an 'ultra-slim' 6-inch Grand Memo II LTE handset, a successor to the original device launched at the event in 2013.

Details are thin on the ground, but the company did say a new version of the MiFavor UI it users to paint over Android will sit within the device.

Fox on deck

Also on deck for an MWC launch is the company's latest handset running the open source Firefox OS from Mozilla. ZTE launched the Firefox-running Open last year.

The Open C will make its bow running v1.3 of the software and is likely to be another budget effort from the company, aimed at emerging markets.

We're likely to get the full skinny on both devices when MWC kicks off on February 24. Team TechRadar is raring to go and will be on the floor to have a nose at ZTE's offerings.

• The Galaxy S5 is highly likely to be on show at MWC. Here's what we want to see...