10 Best iPhone Alternatives
By Damon Brown
December 2nd, 2008
High-priced plans, dropped calls and bumpy 3G connections? Now that the glimmer has faded, the iPhone is starting to fall short of its miracle status. Good thing for us there are plenty of other mobile handsets eager to step up and feed our desire for smartphone bliss.
LG Prada 2, Price: TBD
Update to the popular high-end smartphone. Touchscreen up front, slide out keyboard below. 5 megapixel camera, full HTML browser and Wi-Fi. Price TBD. Available by year’s end. www.pradaphonebylg.com
Samsung Instinct, $279
A solid 3G iPhone alternative on Sprint. Full touchscreen, 2.0 megapixel camera, traditional HTML browser and GPS. Read our Samsung Instinct review. www.samsunginstinct.com
Blackberry Storm, $249 w/2-yr contract
Research In Motion’s formal assault on Apple’s little cellie that could. Full touchscreen and HTML browser, 3.2 megapixel camera, 3G speed and widely supported music. Available November 21. Read our Blackberry Storm review. www.blackberry.com
T-Mobile G1, $399
The first phone using Google’s popular open-source Android platform. Sidekick-style design with 3.2-inch touchscreen, 3.5G speed and full HTML capabilities. Available now. Read our T-Mobile G1 review. www.t-mobileg1.com
Sony Ericsson Xperia X1, 400 pounds
A Windows-friendly smartphone. Three-inch VGA touchscreen, metal frame, Microsoft Office and plenty of multimedia options. Available now (Europe), America TBD. www.sonyericsson.com/x1/
HTC Touch Diamond, $549
Slick design with thumbpad. Autofocus camera and camcorder, 2.8-inch touchscreen and 4 GB internal memory. Uses Windows Mobile Media. Available now. www.sprint.com
LG Glimmer AX830, $419
Compact and slim. Full touchscreen, 7-day standby time, 2.0 megapixel camera, 4.5 oz weight. Available now. www.lge.com
Nokia N96, $776
A lightweight touchscreen alternative. Pull-out keypad, 2.8-inch QVGA screen, camera and camcorder up to 30 fps, supports all major music formats. Available now. www.nokia.com
Blackberry Bold, $299 w/2-yr contract
Blackberry meets iPhone. Full keyboard, Roxie Media Manager, camera and GPS, as well as Microsoft Word and PowerPoint editing. w/ 2-year contract. Available now. Read our Blackberry Bold review. www.blackberry.com
LG Viewty KU990, $299
For serious photographers. High-definition lens, 5.0 megapixel camera, 120 fps video recording, 3-inch touchscreen, compatible with DiVX and YouTube technology. Available now (Europe), America TBD. www.lge.com