Updated 24 May, 2012, 11:34 am IST

Gadget Wars - Battle of the Touchscreens

06 Feb, 2009, 5:00 pm IST | by Shayne Rana

This comparison should make it a lot simpler to choose the right touchscreen handset.

Four of the big guns in the touchscreen game, four different Operating Systems but only one can be worth your time. We’ve pitted four of the most hyped totally touchscreen handsets against each other in various categories to get YOU, the ones who wanted to know, a winner.

Although in the very recent video comparison we’ve stated that these handsets do cater to different crowds depending on requirement etc., (and to a large extent we are still of that opinion), we still wanted to see for ourselves, as well as provide our avid readers with an answer to the question- which one would you pick given a choice?

So as promised, here’s a more comprehensive look at the four handsets and what they have to offer. And this time... we have a winner! Read on.

Design
For a portable device as important as a mobile handset, design is everything. It's not essentially about just the design and styling although that is something every one of us would consider when purchasing a phone. The handset has also got to be easy to tote around and since we're talking about touchscreen, it should also have a large, clear display to work with.

Handsets	Dimensions and Weight	Screen Size and Resolution
Nokia 5800	111x51.7x15.5 mm 109g	3.2-inches 360 x 640
BlackBerry Storm	112.5x62.2x14 mm 155g	3.25-inches 360 x 480
HTC HD	115x62.8x12 mm 146g	3.8-inches 480 x 800
Apple iPhone	115.5x62.1x12.3 mm 133g	3.5-inches 320 x 480

From the specs listed above and testing, the most sensible choice, when it comes to strictly design is the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic for its light weight compact design makes for easy and comfortable portability.

Aside from the handset being easy to carry around while still providing users with a large display and also managing to be well designed and slim enough to be 'discreetly' carried around in your pocket (if you know what I mean), the UI should also be easy to navigate and it should have enough storage space for all requirements.

Handsets	User Interface	Storage
Nokia 5800	Colorful large icons, accelerometer transitions are jerky, multiple data entry methods including handwriting recognition. The double tap for selection is a bit annoying sometimes and the stylus is required in a few instances.	81MB internal 8GB microSD provided
BlackBerry Storm	A little cluttered but screen tap technology is very intuitive and responsive. Multiple keypads offered with auto full QWERTY only in landscape mode.	1GB internal 1GB microSD provided
HTC HD	TouchFLO 3D is well designed and provides easy access to most settings. Stylus is still required for using certain functions. Accelerometer not available for most menus, an full QWERTY only available when accessing the browser.	512MB internal No microSD provided
Apple iPhone	Clear, vibrant interface, very intuitive, accelerometer is smooth and fluid. Only QWERTY keypad is available with no landscape function except in browser.	8GB or 16GB internal, no expansion

The iPhone is definitely on top when it comes to interface as it really has the most user friendly OS dedicated entirely to finger touch technology. It also has the most amount of storage to offer as is, without having to splurge on external memory although all the other handsets do support it.

So taking both the above aspects into account, the iPhone is well designed although a little weighty but it has a superb display and UI to match. If you're looking for just looks with plenty of storage and a snappy looking User interface then the iPhone is something to very seriously consider.

Tags: iPhone 3G , Apple , Windows Mobile 6.1 , Series 60 , BlackBerry , Storm , Gadget Wars