Gadget Wars - Battle of the Touchscreens

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.

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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.

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.

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Multimedia

For those of you, and I'm sure those numbers are quite large, who are looking for a handset to cater to their multimedia needs, take a look at what these four handsets can offer, from file transfer to the quality of audio and video playback and media features that are in-built.

All of these handsets are thankfully equipped with a standard 3.5mm handsfree socket, including the HTC HD of course, so you're free to utilize your own set of earphones.

Handsets	Multimedia Features
Nokia 5800	Great sound quality, with EQ presets and customizable option. FM radio works well too.Simple copy paste option for file transfer.Supports Bluetooth with A2DPSupports 16:9 video playback and TV out (cables included)Decent 3.2MP AF camera with Dual LED flash. Plenty of settings
BlackBerry Storm	Good sound quality from the audio player, EQ presets availableNO FM radio.Copy paste file transfer.Bluetooth A2DP supportVideos look really good on the display3.2MP camera is ok with basic settings, LED flash but there's an Issue with video recording
HTC HD	Decent sound quality with EQ presets and customizable option.FM radio also had decent pick-up.Copy paste file transfer.Stereo Bluetooth supportVideo playback was bad with too much framing irrespective of file conversion The 5MP camera has no flash, but quite a few settings, images are just ok.
Apple Phone	Good sound quality, EQ presets available.No FM radio.File transfer only through iTunes.No A2DP supportVideos look really good on the display.2MP camera has no features, flash or video recording, but images are quite decent.

The 5800 XpressMusic is the perfect multimedia device for the youth segment that offers plenty of relevant features for the same and delivers quite well on these fronts. The 5800 is a very clear winner in this segment. __PAGEBREAK__

Business Features

Although this may not be priority for some, having at least some business functionality is imperative when it comes to the price you’re willing to shell out for a touchscreen mobile. And if you are looking for something that caters to all your business requirements then this segment is what you’ll want to see.

Even without Wi-Fi functionality, the BlackBerry 9500 Storm is the best business handset on the whole with plenty of applications designed for messaging, emailing and web browsing.

Like I said before though, each handset has been designed to cater to various segments and their prices will, in most cases, determine those. But if you're looking at a handset that caters to all needs from Business to Play and has enough features to fill in any gaps, then the BlackBerry Storm, even with its shortcomings is a good choice. It's a good looking handset with great touchscreen technology and a pretty good battery life to use it all with.

The Winner: BlackBerry Storm 9500