Alternatives to the iPhone

By Becky Sharpe

Everyone is talking about the must-have iPhone right now. There are plenty of other handsome handsets around to play with.

Some commitment-phobes prefer to review their deals at least once a year and so may be attracted to a shorter contract. Another major difference that many other smartphones have is that they run Microsoft's Windows Mobile operating system, which may benefit some business users.

You can still enjoy the thrill of a nice big touchscreen with HTC Touch, the first smartphone on the market to include an extra layer of software that's designed to interact more fully with the finger. This tricksy new interface is called Touchflo and is already attracting new followers, although the Touch's lack of 3G will rule it out for some.

The LG Prada is a thing of beauty that you will never get tired of stepping out with. Prada's

involvement extends beyond exterior aesthetics to the key elements of the user experience such as the advanced touch interface, ring tones, pre-loaded content, mobile phone accessories and of course a slinky leather case. Purr. Glowing icons on the face of the phone disappear when not in use to reveal a pure, un-adulterated black exterior. If this handset could have satin sheets, it would. The phone is ultra thin (just 12 mm), but is not just a pretty face as it hosts an array of additional multimedia functions. However, it could be that the touchscreen display is a bit of a turn-off for some. There are plenty of podgy-fingered people who prefer the reassuring feel of buttons.

If you like your phones a little more curvy then dive into the Helio Ocean, nicknamed 'The Oz' (no, we don't get it either). You can enjoy its distinctive dual sliding mechanism to the full - when in the vertical position, it reveals a cheeky numeric keypad; when in the horizontal position, it reveals a luscious 35-key QWERTY keyboard. Perfect for the man or woman who is trying to find themselves, or others, it is loaded with a version of Google Maps that uses the device's GPS to locate the user on a map and the Buddy Beacon application that lets friends share their current location with each other via Mapquest.

Not a dreamboat like some of the others but extremely functional, light and uncluttered, the Samsung i600 is perfect for email fans. It comes with support for Microsoft push email and a QWERTY keyboard. A 1.3megapixel camera at the rear enables you to take impromptu photos, while the 0.3megapixel camera on the front is for video conferencing. Unfortunately its screen is on the small side so it's hard to make the best of its great broadband features.

Love Skype? Then you'll love the Nokia n800 with Skype. Less of a phone and more of an internet tablet (apparently) this allows you to yap for free from wherever you are in the world. It also sports a built-in webcam to facilitate online video conferencing and a full QWERTY keyboard, making it ideal for communication buffs. Your perfect mobile partner is out there.