GOTY 2009: Touchscreen Smartphones

In the mobile phone industry the touchscreen phenomenon has been by far the most impressive in terms of designs, multimedia and interactive features. In this the last segment for Tech2’s Gadget of the Year for the mobile segment, here are my choices for the year’s best touchscreen Smartphones that made a lasting impression. 

Touchscreen Smartphone of the year - iPhone 3G
Airtel/Vodafone - 8GB - Rs. 31,000
16 GB - Rs 36,100
While the iPhone 3G has had its issues at the time of its launch some of those have been fixed with periodic updates. And while it may not be as versatile as other handsets that do require a lot more at half its price, the iPhone will always be at the top of most lists when it comes to ingenuity in the mobile industry. Thus, It's still reigning supreme on our list. What it lacks in certain features (for the price) and taking into the account it’s been a locked handset since day one, it more than makes up in terms of overall functionality.

Good – The clear, large scratch-resistant display makes viewing and using the handset very comfortable.
The handset’s feature-set has been upped a bit thanks to a numerous updates so a few of the features like Bluetooth, that were very limited before are a little less so now
Audio and image quality even from its 2MP camera are better than handsets with the same features
Bad – It still needs iTunes to transfer and sync data and if you’re not careful you could lose a lot of that data if syncing is not correct
It’s always a locked handset and available at a very high price with specific operators
Rating – 4/5

Runner up - Samsung Omnia HD - Rs. 27,600
The Omnia may not be the only HD handset out there but it certainly is the one that most other manufacturers need to contend with. It’s a well designed device although it is quite large, and incorporates plenty of multimedia features to keep anyone happy. From its large amount of internal memory (than can be further supplemented) to its 8MP camera that comes with its own set of unique features for camera buffs, down to its audio and video capabilities for which Samsung has included plenty of video codecs for drag and drop playback, the Omnia HD is very well endowed.

Good – It’s a very well designed handset that’s sleek and quite sexy considering the large display.
It provided good audio for multimedia
With support for popular video codecs there’s no need for conversion
The 8MP camera is stock full of features that make it as near to a digicam as possible
Bad – Although the battery life was satisfactory, for the price it could have been a little better.
It has a GPS antenna but doesn’t come with any navigation software
Rating – 4/5

Best Value - HTC Tattoo - Rs. 16,899
Right now the market  for budget touchscreen handsets is seriously booming with devices that are priced even lower than Rs. 10,000 and are offering quite a lot for the same, but most are not smartphones although they do manage to come really close. The HTC Tattoo is the cheapest Android powered handset available in India right now. It’s very versatile and capable for all kinds of users and is rich in features. What isn’t there can be downloaded. From social networking to geotagging, it’s got it all for a reasonable price. It’s also one of the very very few handsets that allow you to customize the entire outer shell with your own designs. Kind of brings back memories. It’s got everything that big brother; the HTC Hero has except for multi-touch. You won’t miss it.

Good – It’s very versatile in terms of features
Provides really good audio quality for multimedia
The 3MP camera is not bad either
It’s a small and convenient handset to carry around and well equipped for the hardcore social networker on the go with good battery life 
Bad – Sadly for those who wish to customize the panels, you’ll have to order them from the US and it’ll set you back at least $25 which isn’t too bad if you want a very  personalized and unique device.
Rating – 4/5

For more of Tech2’s Gadgets and Games of the year stay tuned, the year isn’t over yet. For more details on the pricing click on the prices.

Season’s Greetings techies.