Five Challengers to the iPhone
Message maniac: The BlackBerry Curve 8300 ($200 with contract) proves once again that Research In Motion makes the best phones for E-mail and messaging. The full, hardware QWERTY keyboard can't be beat by iPhone's touch-screen for typing, and it works well with corporate E-mail systems. Unlike some BlackBerrys, the Curve 8300 isn't so large as to feel uncomfortable as a phone itself. But also unlike some of its corporate siblings, it is about more than messaging and voice, with a great media player for music, video, and photos, as well as a 2-megapixel camera, like the iPhone. Also like the Apple phone, the Curve works only on AT&T's slower data network, limiting its usefulness as a Web browser, and at 2 inches across, its screen is the smallest of this bunch. It's available now from AT&T.
Dedicated worker: The HTC Touch ($600) does the best job yet of putting a pretty face on Windows Mobile. Windows makes for a versatile and powerful device, particularly for serious business, but it can be a pain to use. The phone uses some of the same touch-screen abilities that the iPhone is making famous, and some are even nicer, such as sliding a finger across the screen to call up different menus. Big software buttons make it easy to find photos or play music, plus you get all the Windows productivity, like good support for Microsoft Office documents, calendars, and company E-mail. But once you get past the initial menus for the corporate stuff, the Touch loses its pretty face, and it's back to tiny Windows icons and a stylus. No U.S. wireless company is yet selling the HTC Touch, though it can be found through companies that specialize in overseas products, or for less on eBay, for use with either AT&T or T-Mobile.
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