Group Test: Apple iPhone 3GS smartphone contenders

It's an all out smartphone war



he iPhone 3GS isn’t the biggest or grandest of updates, but for us, it does enough to maintain Apple’s number one spot. We assume Apple has taken an “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it” approach.

Gone, however, are the days when Apple’s mobile was a class apart from its rivals. All of the smartphones here give it a run for its money, beating the iPhone in some key areas, notably the camera, and running it close in others, including the touchscreen – until recently, the iPhone’s was, well, untouchable.

So we have the Palm Pre, with its elegantly integrated mail, calendar system and super-slick webOS. Then there are two contenders from HTC – the Android-powered Magic and the more traditional Windows Mobile experience of the Touch Pro 2 – both excellent in their own ways.

Nokia’s N Series continues to grow with the new- N97, which adds a pull-out keypad to the range. Finally, the Samsung i8910 HD takes the fight to Apple on the media front, with a superb AMOLED widescreen and eight-meg camera. This time last year, Samsung’s “iPhone beaters” were laughable – the excellence of the i8910 shows how far Apple’s competition has come...

HTC Magic | £400 unlocked
Buy one here: Vodafone

Love: Large, responsive touchscreen. Android OS better than ever. A compact, robust and beautiful phone
Hate: Poor camera. No 3.5mm socket

Nokia N97 | £500 unlocked
Buy one here: Vodafone

Love: Huge amount of storage built in. Easy to use QWERTY keyboard with slick hinged action. Compact given its power
Hate: Poor battery life. Underpowered processor. Dull looks

HTC Pro 2 | £500 unlocked
Buy one here: Orange

Love: Easy-to-use keyboard. Ultra high-res screen. Clever shortcuts. Slick interface
Hate: Heaviest and thickest. Lacks media options. Poor processor

Palm Pre | £TBC
Buy one here: O2

Love: Super slick OS paired with a clever interface and responsive touchscreen. Lightweight, compact design
Hate: Poor camera. No 3.5mm socket

Samsung I8910 HD | £500 unlocked
Buy one here: Orange

Love: Brilliant and vivid screen. Accurate controls. Superb multimedia
Hate: Could do with more than 8GB of internal storage. No YouTube or Google