Top 10 Smartphones
01 Apple iPhone 4S
Stuff says
It’s not an essential upgrade, but Apple’s iPhone 4S is noticeably fitter than the iPhone 4 – and Siri is a temptation too far
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02
Samsung Galaxy S II
Fast, powerful, with dazzling design and great battery life, the Galaxy S II is an irresistible Android handset
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03
Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S
The sleek Xperia Arc is now slick as well, though it’s the S's screen that still dazzles
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04
HTC Sensation
Right now, this is our pick of the Android Army
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05
BlackBerry Bold 9900
Powerful, slim and great to use, the Bold 9900 is outstanding, with touchscreen and QWERTY working together well
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06
HTC HD7
The pick of the first wave of WP7 handsets, the HD7 is a worthy champion of Microsoft’s new intuitive OS
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07
Google Nexus S
Though the styling tends more to flashy than chic, this is a highly desirable Android phone
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08
LG Optimus One P500
The overall best of the budgets – for the moment at least
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09
Motorola Atrix
A fine figure of a smartphone that wants only for a 2.3 update, but extras disappoint
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10
LG Optimus 3D
A big, powerful beast of a phone, with 3D that works wonders
Instant Expert
The phrase ‘data roaming charges’ has long struck fear in the hearts of smartphone owners. Just ask hapless student Miguel Yetman, who in 2009 was hit with a bill for $18,000 (£11,000) after using 452MB of data abroad. But there is good news – terrifying roaming charges will soon be no more. The EU will cap roaming fees at 80p per MB from next July, and networks are getting into the spirit with new deals for those looking to tweet on holiday. Get a monthly Orange contract on a phone such as the Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo (from £free, orange.co.uk) and you can bag a daily data allowance of 30MB for £3 per day. Vodafone is offering a similar deal of 25MB for £2, and will text to say when you’re near the limit. Leaving you to get massively sunburnt.
Terrifying roaming charges will soon be no more
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
1. Operating system Beyond Apple’s OS, there are five main ways to go: Windows Phone 7, Google Android, Symbian, BlackBerry and Palm’s WebOS. BlackBerry is best for business, Android has great apps and WP7 is ideal for smartphone newbies. All sync with your PC (and most with Mac) to give mobile email, calendar and contacts.
2. Connectivity Bluetooth is handy. Wi-Fi powers internet and email, HSDPA provides mobile broadband everywhere and A-GPS means sat-nav. Look for compasses, too.
3. Screen Standard resolution is up to 800x480 these days, but the real fun starts with touchscreen interfaces. The ideal scenario is a phone that offers screen input and a dedicated QWERTY keyboard, though this adds bulk.
4. Apps As important as the phones are the applications they can run. The iTunes App Store is streets ahead, Android Market second.
