Introduction
Apple's iPhone is said to the best ever made smartphone. But will it be so after
atleast one more year? As the smartphone market is witnessing a spectacular growth,
Apple rivals are fast catching up to match or even outsmart the iPhone. Here are a
few potential competitors for the iPhone...
Apple iPhone 3GS
Meet the fastest, most powerful iPhone yet. The first thing you'll notice about
iPhone 3GS is how quickly you can launch applications. Web pages render in a fraction
of the time, and you can view email attachments faster. Improved performance and
updated 3D graphics deliver an incredible gaming experience, too. In fact, everything
you do on iPhone 3GS is up to 2x faster and more responsive than iPhone 3G.
There's a reason why Apple called this the iPhone 3GS for Speed and not the 3GC
for "compass" or 3GV for "video recording." Speed is the central upgrade here, and
probably is the single biggest reason you would upgrade to a 3GS from a 3G.
Google Nexus One
Apple is targeting the Nexus One in a patent lawsuit against HTC. The Nexus
One is a smartphone from Google that uses the Android open source mobile operating
system. The device is manufactured by Taiwan's HTC Corporation, and became available
on January 5, 2010.Features of the phone include the ability to transcribe voice to
text,noise canceling dual microphones,and GPS guided turn-by-turn voice directions to drivers.
The device is sold unlocked (not restricted to use on a single network provider).
Black Berry Storm 2
The RIM BlackBerry Storm 2 brings some welcome additions, such as Wi-Fi, updated
software, and a etter touch interface, but it's going to face some serious competition
from upcoming touch-screen smartphones.
BlackBerry's primary advantage over all Android smartphones is its Desktop Manager
desktop client, which lets you easily sync PIM information and load photos, video and
music. The manager even enables you to load unprotected music files from iTunes. As
for the Storm 2's screen ratio, it's an almost analog TV-like 4:3 rather than the
widescreen 16:9 (and wider) models found on competing Motorola Droid phones.
HTC HD2
The HTC HD2 is HTC's best phone, bar none. The handset has a glorious 4.3-inches
screen with multi touch support and a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels. Windows Mobile
6.5 could have been the downfall of this device, but you don't get to see any of it,
thanks to the HTC Sense interface. HTC Sense is upgraded with complete social networking.
The 1Ghz Snapdragon processor and 488MB RAM makes sure that everything runs buttery
smooth. Special mention must go to the awesome weather animations. Under the screen, you'll find five
buttons that look small, but are surprisingly easy to press.
Using HTC Sense
Using HTC Sense to browse through your multimedia, you realise just how much work has
gone into development. Turn the phone sideways while looking at your music and you'll see
the display seamlessly switch to an iPhone Cover Flow-like album art display. Turn it
sideways while looking at your photos, and they will instantly rotate with smooth animation;
no delays, no jaggies, no flickers.
A nice feature is the built in Wi-Fi router (you can share your device's Internet
connection with nearby laptops using Wi-Fi); in other words - dead-simple tethering.
The camera takes good images and the call quality is stellar. Battery life is about
a day (roughly 5 hours of continuous talktime) but it could get used up much faster
using GPS and Wi-Fi.
Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1
Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1, in terms of pure hardware and cellular connectivity, does
rather outshine the iPhone. Sony Ericsson have packed an ARM-based Qualcomm chipset
running at 520MHz into their handset; now while Apple chose a CPU capable of 667MHz,
so far it's throttled back to around 500MHz to save power. If they're roughly equal
on raw grunt, it's high-speed data access where the XPERIA X1 shines: both have WiFI,
but the Sony Ericsson's HSDPA/HSUPA easily outguns the iPhone's EDGE connection.
GPS on the X1 is another point in Sony Ericsson's favour, as is the hardware keyboard.
Samsung Wave
The new Samsung Wave smartphone was first seen during the 2010 Mobile World Congress in
Barcelona.The Wave has a 1Ghz processor, a five mega pixel camera, a 3.3 inch touchscreen capable of
displaying 720p HD video and introduces an anti-smudge screen to reduce greasy fingerprints. Samsung
is throwing its weight behind the Wave and will support its launch with a £6 million advertising
campaign.
The Wave features a hi-tech organic LED screen (AMOLED) which is thinner,
less reflective and more energy efficient than traditional LED displays, which require
back-lighting. It is also the first handset to run Samsung's new open source operating system
(OS) Bada and features an iTunes-style apps store for downloading games, mapping,
eBooks and lifestyle applications.
Samsung Galaxy S
Samsung has never produced a revolutionary smart phone for the U.S., the way Apple, Research In
Motion or even HTC has. Samsung's newest handset, the Galaxy S, may finally be that device.
The Galaxy S, which was unveiled at the recent CTIA Wireless trade show, is an amalgam of
best-in-class smart phone features, including a four-inch touch-screen, a particularly vivid and
energy-efficient display, a speedy one-gigahertz processor and the latest version of Google's
(GOOG - news - people) Android operating system. It will be available in Samsung's major markets
(Europe, North America,Latin America, Australia, and Asia) in coming weeks.
Samsung Galaxy S (Cont...)
The Galaxy S is the flagship device for what Samsung is calling "Smart Life"--essentially, the
potential for smart phones to improve users' daily lives by making them "simple, organized and
integrated."
To make the Galaxy S competitive with the likes of the iPhone, Samsung developed some unique software.
A service called Social Hub pulls messages, calendar events and social networking updates directly to the device.
There is also an e-reader feature that lets users flip through colorful electronic versions of
magazines and books, an application that melds augmented reality with local maps and something
called "All Share" that wirelessly connects the phone to other entertainment gadgets,
like set-top boxes.