RIM to temporarily shut off BBM?

Update: TechRadar has been informed by a reputable source close to the matter that BBM will not be turned off in the capital.

It seems the problem may have started with a hoax message being sent out to BBM users, and will not be shut down in London tonight.

Earlier RIM sent a statement to TechRadar, the firm says it wants to help in any way it can:

"We feel for those impacted by this weekend's riots in London. We have engaged with the authorities to assist in any way we can," says Patrick Spence, managing director, global sales and regional marketing.

Full co-operation

"As in all markets around the world where BlackBerry is available, we cooperate with local telecommunications operators, law enforcement and regulatory officials.

"Similar to other technology providers in the UK we comply with The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act and co-operate fully with the Home Office and UK police forces."

It was suggested BBM would be shut off to help stop the spread of organised violence across the capital, but now it seems the service will stay operational despite the violence.

If there's one question we get asked the most these days - whether by family, friends, or people we've just met - it's what mobile phone shall I buy? So to make things easy for us all we've gathered together a list of our top ten mobile phones. They're not in order because they span all different types including the latest Android phones and smartphones but if you're looking for the quickest way to find out which mobile phones are the pick of the bunch including the best mobile phones from 2011, here's the place to come.

Over a year on, the Apple iPhone 4 is looking a bit long in the tooth. On the hardware front, it's stuck with a single-core processor that is noticeably slower than the dual-core units used on many Android competitors, it's screen is looking a bit small, and it's camera now trails some of the 8 megapixel, 1080p models out there. Its software also lacks some key features like Flash video support and good handling of notifications and multitasking. And it's still well overpriced. However, it still has a heck of a lot going for it. It's screen is still unsurpassed for quality, it's interface still can't be beaten for slickness, it's built like a brick outhouse and it still has by far and away the best stocked app store. Most of all, though, it just works. We certainly wouldn't outright recommend you go and pick one up now but if you can't decide what else to go for you can't really go wrong with the biggest name in town

Combining HTC's eye for design, a superfast 1.2GHz dual-core processor, a large, curved, high resolution screen, and a great implementation of Android, the HTC Sensation is instantly up there with the best. It is let down by slightly below par battery life, mediocre video support, and not the best quality screen but if you like your smartphone to look the part this should definitely high on your list. 

Like the HTC Desire S this may only have a single-core processor but it's still plenty speedy enough for general use and it sports a super slim and stylish chassis. What's more it's packed with features including a whoping 4.2in screen and a proper button for the camera! It's a tad more expensive than other mid-range models but it's well worth the extra.

Samsung Galaxy S II i9100

This phone has it all: the fastest dual-core processor, the most vibrant screen, a super slim and lightweight design, and oodles of features. It does have a couple of downsides, though. It's thinness gives it a slightly cheap and weak feel while its large height and width make it a little big for some hands. Neither does Samsung have the best implementation of Android and of course Android does still have a few quirks of its own. All told though, there's good reason why this is the biggest selling phone of the moment. 

If you're really looking for a bargain, this is the phone for you. Available for under £100 SIM free, it's the only truly budget smartphone to offer a 3.5in screen with a high-end phone matching 480 x 800 pixel resolution. It's not the best quality screen, nor is the build quality all that great, it only has a 600MHz processor, and its other features are somewhat lacking but if all you want is a large-screened way to check your emails and browse the web - and of course write the odd message and make a call - there are few other options at this price. 

Our budget phone of last year, the Nokia C3 is still a cracking buy. Available for around £70, it's in the sort of price band that's normally dominated by plasticky horrible dumb handsets but, thanks to a metal clad back, this phone looks and feels smart. With a surprisingly good quality screen, and decent full qwerty keyboard, it's a heavy texter's perfect partner.

Rugged, waterproof and still a very capable smartphone, the Motorola Defy is a great everyman's phone. It's not the fastest, with its 800MHz CPU, but still moves at a decent pace and being an Android smartphone it's packed with software features. To top it all off, it's available for well under £250 SIM free.

Compact, curvaceous and bargainacious. The Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo is another mid-range, single-core processor packing Android smartphone available for under £300. It may not have the looks of the Desire S but it does have a much better 8 megapixel camera with a proper button for the camera.