Group Test: Apple iPhone 3GS smartphone contenders

Posted by T3 Magazine on Thu 2 Jul 2009

It's an all out smartphone war

Nokia N97

The iPhone 3GS isn’t the biggest or grandest of updates, but for us, it does enough to maintain Apple’s number one spot. We assume Apple has taken an “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it” approach.

Gone, however, are the days when Apple’s mobile was a class apart from its rivals. All of the smartphones here give it a run for its money, beating the iPhone in some key areas, notably the camera, and running it close in others, including the touchscreen – until recently, the iPhone’s was, well, untouchable.

So we have the Palm Pre, with its elegantly integrated mail, calendar system and super-slick webOS. Then there are two contenders from HTC – the Android-powered Magic and the more traditional Windows Mobile experience of the Touch Pro 2 – both excellent in their own ways.

Nokia’s N Series continues to grow with the new- N97, which adds a pull-out keypad to the range. Finally, the Samsung i8910 HD takes the fight to Apple on the media front, with a superb AMOLED widescreen and eight-meg camera. This time last year, Samsung’s “iPhone beaters” were laughable – the excellence of the i8910 shows how far Apple’s competition has come...

HTC Magic | £400 unlocked
Buy one here: Vodafone

Love: Large, responsive touchscreen. Android OS better than ever. A compact, robust and beautiful phone
Hate: Poor camera. No 3.5mm socket
Find out more: Review | Video | HTC

Nokia N97 | £500 unlocked
Buy one here: Vodafone

Love: Huge amount of storage built in. Easy to use QWERTY keyboard with slick hinged action. Compact given its power
Hate: Poor battery life. Underpowered processor. Dull looks
Find out more: Review | Video | Nokia

HTC Pro 2 | £500 unlocked
Buy one here: Orange

Love: Easy-to-use keyboard. Ultra high-res screen. Clever shortcuts. Slick interface
Hate: Heaviest and thickest. Lacks media options. Poor processor
Find out more: Review | Video | HTC

Palm Pre | £TBC
Buy one here: O2

Love: Super slick OS paired with a clever interface and responsive touchscreen. Lightweight, compact design
Hate: Poor camera. No 3.5mm socket
Find out more: Review | Video | Palm

Samsung I8910 HD | £500 unlocked
Buy one here: Orange

Love: Brilliant and vivid screen. Accurate controls. Superb multimedia
Hate: Could do with more than 8GB of internal storage. No YouTube or Google
Find out more: Review | Video | Samsung

Share this:

User Comments

By Kudos

30|08|2009 12:33

http://Apple-Freebiejeebies.co.uk

How do I get a Free Apple iPhone 3GS? Easy. I got my Free iPhone 3GS from the Freebiejeebies network and so can you! It's so easy to get your free iPhone through these easy to follow steps because these companies bank on you thinking they are scams, but once you know how to earn one free gift, you can earn them all.

This method has been proven to work by the BBC and CNN. If you follow the Three Simple Steps of signing up, completing a single offer and referring a few friends, I guarantee you will receive your free gift!

http://Apple-Freebiejeebies.co.uk

Report this

By ULTIMATE1

4|08|2009 22:54

I can not believe that this rubbish as been published on this site.
There is NO such thing as a totaly free iPhone.
DO NOT fall for this total garbage.
Common sence people.

Report this

By biglug

25|07|2009 02:48

i have, over the had many phones, but i absolutley love the SAMSUNG i8910. No other phone comes close to it's multimedia capabilities. Certainly puts Apple, Sony and Nokia to shame. Many of the N97 and 5800 apps, themes and games can be played on it. A phone for grown ups and tech boys too. Should be in many of 2009's best of categories. 5 stars Samsung

Report this

READ ALL 11 COMMENTS