Of late there wasn’t much to differentiate HTC’s Android smartphones. Most of them looked similar with the only difference being their different display sizes.

Surprisingly, there is something charming about the latest entrant, the Rhyme. A small accessory named ‘Charm’ included in the box is sure to become a hit with the girls. This cube-shaped white accessory is designed to notify incoming and missed call and even SMS. It plugs into the phone’s 3.5mm jack and lights up when any of these actions takes place. So when the phone is in the handbag, the Charm can hang out and alert it owner.

But it has its share of letdowns. With just one 3.5mm jack on the phone, you have to decide whether you want to listen to music or let Charm do its job.

Also, when the ‘Charm’ is connected, the loudspeaker turns off, assuming that the headphone is connected to a headphone. The Rhyme should have been clever enough to judge that, after all it’s a smartphone.

Complementing the 3.7 capacitive display is the unibody design. The front looked neat whereas the back was divided into three with plastic at the top and bottom and metal in the middle. Inside the robust casing is a 1 GHz processor with 7B8MB RAM and 1GB of storage capacity. Connectivity options included the regulars -3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, A-GPS and FM radio. Starting the handset prompts for Google Account details and once configured it automatically linked us to Google Talk, Search, Gmail and Android Market for downloading apps. The HTC Sense Ul divided the main menu into apps, frequent and downloads.

What disappointed us was that the 5MP camera does not save images on the internal memory. It even fails to capture images in case the microSD card is missing. However, the camera results were impressive in daylight. Even the battery was good, giving us a whole day on heavy usage.

While the mobile market is dominated by iPhones and the many Android-powered handsets out there, there is still a sizeable group of consumers sticking to QWERTY messenger phones. And while Nokia hasn’t seen very good luck recently, devices like the E6 serve to reinforce that the Finnish company can still make some pretty decent QWERTY-enabled devices.

Running on the latest Symbian operating system, dubbed Anna, the E6 is the successor to the hugely popular E72 business phone. Taking cues from the E72, the E6 comes in a sleek package designed with premium materials such as glass and stainless steel. Build quality is excellent, giving the E6 a solid feel in your hands. It is neither too heavy nor too light at a decent weight of 133g.

The E6 is equipped with a 2.46-inch screen, which is a tad bigger than the 2.36-inch screen on the E72. While there is nothing earth-shattering about the E6 being the first Nokia handset to come with VGA (640×480 pixel) resolution, the size of the screen means that it has a pixel density of 328ppi, which is slightly higher than the iPhone 4′s 326ppi Retina display. Therefore, you can expect to see vivid colors and sharp images on the E6. Similar to the other E-series models, you have a full four-row QWERTY keyboard that provides good tactile feedback and a comfortable typing experience.

The Symbian Anna user interface sees a facelift compared to previous iterations of Symbian, with icons redesigned to be more finger-friendly, as well as up to five home-screen panels where you can place widgets and app shortcuts. We like the addition of the notification popup when we tap on the top right hand corner of the screen, which let you access the Connectivity menu, battery information and other notifications such as missed calls. Generally, the user interface feels smoother and more fluid, though not as snappy as on the iPhone 4.

Hardware-wise, the 680 MHz processor and 256MB of RAM in the E6 aren’t exactly cutting-edge, but should be sufficient for most users although we would have preferred a faster processor and more RAM.

The built-in web browser has improved tab management where you can scroll, add or delete tabs easily, though ultimately is let down by the small screen of the E6. Pinch zooming and scrolling on the 2.46-inch screen will be tough for users with bigger fingers.

The E6 isn’t all about work, but has some multimedia features such as an 8.0-megapixel camera, 8GB of internal memory and 3.5mm audio jack. Image quality is passable as Nokia uses an Extended Depth of Field (EDoF), or Full Focus camera on the E6. The 8GB memory will come in handy for storing your music files, though if you need more space, there is a microSD slot that supports up to 32GB microSD cards.

Battery life has always been the strength of the E-series and the E6 is no different. Compared to the E72, the E6 are miles ahead, clocking an impressive eight hours and 23 minutes on our battery tests. It should be able to last more than a day of moderate usage on a single charge.

Despite the fact that Symbian Anna isn’t exactly the cream of the crop when it comes to mobile operating systems, the Nokia E6 is more than a competent QWERTY messenger phone that business users will appreciate. And at an asking price of S545, the E6 is certainly a device priced to appeal.

If you are wondering why the E7 looks so familiar, you have the N8 to thank. Outwardly, the former is basically a larger version of the latter, but with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. Similarly, the phone sports a somber and minimalist design with well-defined curves and contours that will fit right in with the business-minded crowd. The E7 is remarkably slim considering that it comes with a full QWERTY keyboard, though feels distinctly heavier at 176g.

On the multimedia end of things, the E7 does pretty well, save for its disappointing 8-megapixel fixed-focus camera. Otherwise, we were generally impressed by its above average audio quality, as well as Nokia’s inclusion of a HDMI port and especially by its bright and clear 4.0-inch AMOLED screen with ClearBack technology. The latter does very well with color reproduction boasting excellent readability under bright sunlight. On the downside, we expected a screen resolution of at least 480×800 pixels on a high-end phone like the E7, instead of its low 360×640 pixel resolution.

The physical keyboard for the E7 comprises of well-spaced but compact keys that have good tactile feedback. However, we felt that the keys might be a little too flush into the chassis for comfortable typing. Those with smaller hands might find it hard to reach the middle portion of the keyboard given the width of the phone; this includes the spacebar too.

In accordance with its business-centric positioning, USB drives or memory sticks can be accessed on the E7 with an included Micro USB to USB (On-the-Go) OTG adapter. This useful feature allows users to easily transfer data when on the move.

The E7 comes with plenty to like, as well as a few quirks. For starters, we were impressed with its sturdy and eye-pleasing design. However, we felt that its ports and controls could have been better positioned, given that the power button and volume/zoom slider placement wasn’t ideal. On the other hand, our experience with the physical QWERTY keyboard has been generally positive, though only when you get used to the key placement and keyboard design. More importantly, the E7 comes packed with a couple of nifty additions for the business-centric user for both software (support for corporate email; remote wipe facility) and hardware (HDMI port and USB OTG capabilities). Battery life is average for a smartphone of its caliber, requiring at least one full charge every day.

Despite a high price tag of $989, the Nokia E7 is a reasonable purchase for those who are looking for a business-centric phone that strikes a good balance between productivity and lifestyle – if you don’t mind the dated Symbian OS. The E7 would have been a stunner if it came a year earlier, but at this juncture, the software platform featured on the E7 raises a lot of questions with regards to its longevity.

Design-wise, the Motorola Atrix spots a particularly uninspired black-themed design and isn’t likely to stand out amidst its flashier counterparts dressed in aluminum. The phone is predominantly plastic, which explains its relatively lightweight (and rather slippery) I35g body. Otherwise, the control layout on the ATRIX is fairly run-of-the-mill aside from the power/lock button, which we found to be a little awkwardly positioned. If not for the fact that it doubles up as a fingerprint scanner, we would have dismissed it as a poor choice of location – having been positioned on a sloped edge on the Atrix’s body, it makes for rather inconvenient pressing.

The Samsung Galaxy S II returns as the Korean smartphone-maker’s high-end flagship device, replacing a predecessor that’s slightly over a year old. The latter first garnered attention for its patented Super AMOLED screen, later on replaced by a Super AMOLED Plus display on the Galaxy S II. That’s not all the new high-end Android 2.3 smartphone has to offer though; this beastly droid comes with an impressive 1.2GHz dual-core processor and an 8-megapixel camera, but more on that later.

The Galaxy S ll bears close resemblance to its predecessor in terms of design, this time ditching the chrome bezel in favor of plastic, with ports and buttons shifted around. The ultra-slim smartphone sports an extremely minimalist design that calls attention to its huge 4.27-inch Super AMOLED Plus screen. There’s still quite a great deal of plastic all around, but this keeps the weight to a minimum at H6g.

The Galaxy S ll’s display is nothing short of spectacular. To start off, its size is optimal for mobile entertainment, whether watching video or playing games while on-the-go. Secondly, it boasts excellent color reproduction, contrast, and viewing angles even under direct sunlight. Thirdly, AMOLED screens are designed for better power efficiency, and with the Super AMOLED Plus display, the phone managed to last for 8 hours and 13 minutes. This is almost 80 minutes more than the Galaxy S, on our standard battery test which includes a test video with a 480×800 resolution in a constant loop.

At the same time, screen brightness and volume were set at 100%, while Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections were active and streaming data via email and Twitter. If you’re not a big fan of the intensely saturated colors on the screen, the phone comes with a new screen setting called Background Effect with three separate saturation modes

- dynamic, standard and movie

- to choose from.

This smartphone is equipped chiefly with a 1,2GHz dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM, which equates to generous amounts of horsepower. Screen transitions were fast and smooth, and we experienced no crashing but speedy and fluid performance throughout, even with multiple apps running in the background. The camera also does decently, showcasing accurate colors with high levels of contrast, clarity and detail. In the audio department, the phone performs decently as well, with a good amount of bass and clear vocals. Playing videos on its 800x480p screen is a favorable and smooth experience on its pre-installed video player. You can adjust brightness levels, color tones but best yet, the player comes with subtitles support.

The Galaxy S II comes with Samsung’s custom TouchWiz interface, now in version 4.0. The latest version of the interface comes with a couple of small tweaks here and there; from sleeker widgets (including more to choose from), new gesture controls and improved camera interface. Productivity apps like Kies Air, Photo editor and Video maker are now made integral to TouchWiz 4.0. The user will also see four Hubs, with the Music, Readers and Games Hubs acting like Samsung’s own multimedia stores, as well as a Social Hub that collates all your social networking and messaging feeds into one place.

If it’s a cutting-edge Android-powered smartphone you’re looking for, the Galaxy S ll is pretty much the king of the hill at this point, with an excellent balance between performance, features and battery life. While the mostly plastic build might not sit well with some users, that’s a small price to pay in exchange for a lightweight and ultra-thin body.

For the most part, 3D capabilities on smartphones sound like a gimmick, though HTC would disagree with their new Evo 3D smartphone. With most modern smartphones today focusing on a thinner and lighter profile, the Evo 3D presents a solid heft with a I70g weight and 12.05mm profile; if you like your smartphones solid and chunky, the Evo 3D aims to please.

As expected of its top-of-the-line Android smartphones, the Evo 3D’s hardware configuration is quite impressive, with the Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8660 dual-core 1.2GHz processor, combined with an Adreno 220 GPU. More importantly, the Evo 3D comes with 1GB of RAM to handle the multi-tasking needs of hardcore smartphone users everywhere. This is exemplified by the speedy experience we got out of HTC Sense 3.0, which ran seamlessly with Google Android 2.3 Gingerbread underneath it all.

As indicated by its 3D moniker, the Evo 3D comes with a few tricks up its sleeves. 3D content is displayed without the use of special 3D glasses, thanks to the lenticular array used in its 4.3-inch display, which happens to have a resolution of 960×540 pixels. As with all glass-less 3D displays, viewing angles are limited, and it’ll take some trial and error to find each individual’s sweet spots.

On its rear lies the dual-lens 5-megapixel camera, acting as the stereoscopic cameras which enable the 3D imaging capabilities. While standard 2D images can be shot in full 5-megapixel resolution, shooting 3D necessitates a drop to 2-megapixel images. In fact, we noticed that 3D imaging can be a tricky affair, with most images lacking the optimum amount of depth required to fully showcase a 3D effect.

For gaming, the Evo 3D comes with three 3D games preloaded. Not everyone can properly view 3D without dizziness and nausea, and to mitigate the negative side effects, games like The Sims 3, Ultimate Spiderman: Total Mayhem and Need for Speed: Shift come with depth controls, letting users customize the amount of depth they prefer to either enhance the 3D effect, or to simply return to the “regular” 2D display effect.

Though the Evo 3D comes with a 1730mAh battery, battery life based on the usual routine of data downloads, cellular functions and multimedia playback including 3D imaging was relatively average at just 18 hours on a full charge. In comparison, we saw similar battery life numbers from the HTC Sensation which utilizes the same display size and screen resolution, but with a slightly lower battery capacity at 1520mAH.

Priced at $895, the HTC Evo 3D has a price advantage over its direct competitor, the LG Optimus 3D. While you get fewer games and no 2D-to-3D conversion, HTC does sweeten the pot with additional features such as 1GB of RAM, higher screen resolution and HTC Sense 3.0. In short, if you’re looking for a solidly built smartphone and aren’t too nitpicky with its 3D capabilities, the reasonably priced HTC Evo 3D fits the bill.

The Sony Ericsson Xperia arc comes as one of the latest additions to an increasingly crowded Android space, but with a fairly unique preposition: A huge 4.2-inch Reality Display touchscreen with Sony’s Mobile BRAVIA Engine technology. Is the arc as good as it promises to be?

The first thing that strikes you about the arc is how thin it is, at just 8.7mm thick it is almost half the thickness of most phones available today. If you look carefully at the back of the phone, you will also notice that the arc stands out from the others because of its curved profile.

While we were fans of the simple and clean design, we felt that more work could have been done to improve the tiny power button, which took a bit of effort to press. On the other hand, the camera shutter button was a welcome addition in an age where most smartphone makers somehow decided to stop including dedicated camera buttons on their devices. This at least makes snapping pictures so much easier than having to tap on the screen.

Overall, the handling experience was positive, as the arc balances beautifully in the hand. If anything, the arc feels a little too light, and depending on how you hold it, can feel flimsy and fragile.

The arc comes powered by Android, specifically version 2.3 (a.k.a. Gingerbread). Timescape reappears on the arc and can be easily added on the home screen as a widget. Combine Timescape together with a photo/video widget, and you get easy access to social networking updates and multimedia files.

The main draw of the arc is its 4.2-inch TFT-LCD screen with Sony’s Mobile BRAVIA Engine image processing technology, which aims to enhance video playback. The result is beautiful visuals when playing videos and games on the device as well as while navigating through the smartphone’s stylish interface. The multimedia showmanship doesn’t stop there as its snappy

8.1-megapixel camera produces clear and sharp photos with accurate blacks and colors. Because of its f/2.4 lens, visible details in night shots are also easier to capture without having to flush them out with the available LED flash.

Sony Ericsson’s arc is good-looking, functional and primed for success. If the 4.2-inch awesome display doesn’t bowl you over for some reason, its impossibly slim build will. Of course, this smartphone isn’t perfect – minor flaws like impractical buttons and average battery performance take the overall score down a few notches, but the gorgeous widescreen display and capable camera are two of its biggest advantages. While it comes with a relatively standard 1GHz processor, you do get an extremely responsive device with more than enough horsepower for fluid multitasking. All in all, the Xperia arc is a highly functional phone that balances both productivity and multimedia prowess.

Pretty much reusing the previously-launched N9′s design, the Windows Phone 7.5-powered Lumia 800 features the same slim polycarbonate unibody chassis. The side profile is noticeably rounded to fit comfortably within our hands. This also makes it easier to handle the edge-to-edge 3.7-inch AMOLED ClearBlack curved display. Two minor niggles we found with the design of the Lumia 800 are the sharp corners up top (which does affect handling), as well as the plastic cover over the microUSB port, which seems as though it could break easily. The Lumia 800 utilizes three capacitive touch-enabled soft buttons for primary navigation, which is a distinct trait of Windows Phone 7 devices.

Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Arc was one stylish feature-packed phone. The Xperia Arc S is its beautiful successor. But will it manage to hold its own against the excellent devices in town? The design of the original Arc was well appreciated by the market and Sony Ericsson was prudent enough to retain the same curves and lines. The metal bezel running around the corners has controls and jack, making it stand out against a body colour like black. The 4.2-inch capacitive display in a sleek casing was comfortable to use and to slide into the pocket.

So, what’s the difference between the Arc and the Arc S? The company has pumped up the processor power from 1 GHz to 1.4 GHz. As a result, there is a notable difference in the speed of operations. The camera shutter lag has decreased and photography gains. Even switching between the apps or browsing through the images is relatively quick. Once again, the 8 MP camera manages to do a great job and videos can be captured at 720p resolution at 30fps. But, the Arc S feels slow in comparison with phones powered by dual-core processors. Battery backup, at 1500 mAh, manages to last a day on above average use.

The Evo 3D is a gorgeous phone. Like its Evo 4G sibling, it’s black with blood-red detailing. It feels solid but not bulky, with a nice, textured rubber backing and a slim shape that feels great to hold.

Naturally, two of its most important features are its 3D display and 3D image capture. The phone uses parallax barriers to show 3D images and video, with no need for clunky 3D glasses. The 4.3-inch qHD (Quarter High Definition) 960-by-540-pixel screen looks terrific in 2D—and pretty good in 3D. (The 3D images aren’t flying in your face; you seem to peer into the phone as if into a diorama.)

You must maintain an absolute dead-on viewing angle to properly appreciate the third dimension. If you’re viewing at a slight angle, the image will be a blurry mess. And don’t even think about trying to watch 3D movies outdoors: They completely fade in bright sunlight.

In our head-to-head lab tests of 3D image quality, the Evo beat out the LG Thrill 4G/Optimus 3D, the only other 3D phone so far available in the United States. Our testers praised the Evo 3D for it’s “good layering and foreground pop” as well as for its colors and clarity.

Though the iPhone 4S might not be the most exciting iPhone to appear, an improved camera, a faster processor, and the addition of the Siri personal assistant make it a powerful smartphone. If you are upgrading from a 3G or a 3GS, you FU see a huge difference. But if you have an iPhone 4, you may want to wait for the next upgrade. The phone’s iOS still has a few irksome shortcomings, and I wasn’t thrilled by the call quality; otherwise, the iPhone 4S impresses.

The iPhone 4S is largely identical in design to the iPhone 4, and it exudes elegance. Fingerprints on its glass were less of an issue than on the iPhone 4. The phone’s “Retina display”—so named because it surpasses the number of pixels that the human retina can process—greatly improves the sharpness, clarity, and visible detail of images, The display fades in bright sunlight, however In general I was disappointed by this phone’s lack of innovation, Android has Long had features like tabbed browsing. Still iOS 5 works well, runs smoothly, and is a strong version upgrade overall you can finally update your iPhone over the cloud, with no need to connect it to your PC. Also, the notifications feature is more capable, Mail adds formatting and a built-in dictionary. The iMessage app lets you send messages to any iOS device, regardless of whether it has SMS support.

Apple says that the iPhone 4S camera has 60 percent more pixels than the iPhone 4 camera (8 megapixels versus 5 megapixels); that doesn’t translate directly into improved image quality, but it does mean that you’ll be able to print out images at a bigger size without losing resolution.

HTC has a reputation for unusual monikers – previous handsets include the WildFire, Incredible and ChaCha. However, the Titan is actually a suitable name for this gargantuan smartphone, leaving little to the imagination.

The firm, rounded body is 12mm thick, which gives it more bulk than some laptops we’ve seen, and the 160g weight is right at the top end for modern smartphones.

If you enjoy surfing the web or watching movies on your phone, you’ll probably tolerate the bulky size for the crisp and colorful 4.7-inch screen.

It isn’t quite as mesmerizing as the Samsung Galaxy S2’s Super-AMOLED display, but images look realistic and the extra space is perfect for browsing.

Unfortunately, there’s no built-in Flash support in the Internet Explorer browser, so you’ll have to download apps from the Windows Phone Marketplace if you want to enjoy videos from YouTube and similar sites. This is one area where the Windows Phone 7 operating system suffers in comparison to Google Android and Apple iOS – the selection of apps is limited. We couldn’t even find a BBC iPlayer app.

Still, Windows Phone 7 offers a tight and intuitive user experience, while not exactly improving on Android or iOS. The main screen is one long column of tiles that act as shortcuts to applications.

These aren’t just boringly static, though: they are ‘live’ and update in real time. For instance, your Email tile informs you when new messages come in, while the Pictures tile acts as a slideshow of your snaps.

The Motorola Fire has a 2.8-inch capacitive display on which you can navigate with your fingers, as well as a physical QWERTY keypad on which you can type. It may have a regular 600 MHz processor and 256 MB RAM, but it scores over some of the other Androids since it sports the latest version of the operating system, Android v2.3. Capable of handling emails, web browsing, applications and multimedia with ease, it comes with a 3.15 MP camera and ability to record 480P videos at 24 frames per second. Predictive text input, document viewer, digital compass, etc., are other usual options. This phone packs in a 1420 mAh battery.

After the success of the Optimus One, LG has come up with two new Androids phones, of which the Optimus Net is the better one. Even though the high-end Optimus devices ran on the old Android v2.2, the Net proudly runs on Gingerbread. Moving ahead from a 600 MHz processor, this one has an 800 MHz processor and 512 MB RAM. These make this phone significantly better than the ones available in the market in this price bracket. Also, the device looks stylish with its curved edges, this designing extending to below the display near the physical keys as well. Multimedia features include a 3.15 MP camera, FM radio, YouTube, and Google Talk.

And, just like on the Samsung, you get a sidebar of icons that take you to the essential features, which makes the display crowded. The slow processor becomes evident when you try to Tire these apps up: there’s a noticeable delay before they get started.

At least the screen is responsive to finger swipes, and Orange makes up for a lack of multi-touch with its Gestures app. This lets you launch apps by drawing shapes on the screen: a circle brings up the web browser, a heart fires up the camera and so on. You can assign your own shapes, and it’s easy and fun to use, it’s a pity the keyboard doesn’t work so well: it feels cheap and is difficult to type accurately on.

But, screen aside, that’s the only major flaw everything works well, even if it takes a while to do so, and in the flesh you could be forgiven for thinking this is a more expensive mobile. If you’re keen to try Android out but you can’t stand losing your QWERTY, the Barcia’s worth a try.

“Is it a phone? It’s definitely a new phone from BlackBerry. But where is the keypad?” were the first few words that a friend blurted when we unpacked the BlackBerry Visor Mount Bluetooth Speakerphone – VM-605.

The first look reminded us of the movie Alien vs Predator due to its flawless gloss finish. But how would something the size of a handset look when mounted on a car’s sun visor? Not bad we say.

The front panel acts as call control and the speaker grill is placed below the control clubbed with a line of LED indicators above the call button. It can be used for phone calls and for playing music as it supports A2DR the voice clarity over the speakerphone was excellent at both the ends. It has an FM transmitter, music playback and GPS navigation directions over the car’s audio system.

The VM 605 delivered over 10 hours of talk time on a single charge. It actually turns itself off after a long period of inactivity, unlike other car kits that only go to sleep. It worked well with most phones we tested it on, including a Nokia NB and N900. But the best part was pairing it with the latest Bold 9900.

THE HTC SENSATION 4G ($200 with a two-year contract from T-Mobile) pretty much has it all: a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, the latest version of Android (Gingerbread), and 4G speeds on T-Mobile’s HSPA+ network. When I first played with the Sensation 4G, I was blown away by its beautiful hardware, gorgeous display, and slick user interface. But I did run into troubling issues with its antenna. In some cases, how I held the phone seemed to affect its data-streaming speeds.

Despite having a 4.3-inch display, the phone doesn’t feel oversize. Measuring 4.96 by 2.57 by 0.44 inches, the Sensation 4G is quite thin, as well. And since the display is slightly concave, it won’t get scratched if you place the phone face down.

The screen yielded spectacular images; Colors were bright yet not oversaturated, details looked sharp, and animations in the user interface—and native video—played back smoothly. In bright sunlight, however, the display completely fades the usual touch-sensitive buttons Home, Menu, Back, and Search—is below the display. The headphone jack and the power/lock button sit at the top. A long volume rocker occupies the left spine, with a Micro-USB port below it. The phone has no HDMI or MHL port for connecting it to your HDTV.

The Sensation has both a back-facing 8-megapixel camera and a front-facing camera for video chat, overall, snapshots turned out well, but video quality was disappointing. Call quality over T-Mobile’s network was fairly good. A few people reported that my voice sounded somewhat muffled. Thanks to its processor, the Sensation 4G handled every app I threw at it perfectly, we haven’t formally tested the phone’s battery life, but my review unit went through a full day of heavy use.

Facing criticism for its outdated operating system in comparison to the Apple iOS, Google’s Android and Microsoft’s Windows Phone, Nokia finally joined hands with Microsoft, but before completely ditching its favored OS, it isn’t unmindful of Symbian’s loyal users. So one more blow. The new Symbian update, named Anna, brings much-awaited changes. New better-looking circular icons, improved web browser and an onscreen QWERTY keypad in portrait mode along with a few tweaks in downloading apps from Ovi Store are the long overdue enhancements. And to reap the benefits of the upgrade, the X7 is Nokia’s first full touch smartphone.

Dressed to stand out from the crowd, the X7 looks different with its angular design. Grills on the corners add to the design element [the bottom grills actually hide the speakers]. The non-removable back cover has resulted in the need for SIM and memory card slots on the side. But the new design—presses the dot to tilt the other end and then pull out the trays—won’t leave everyone comfortable. The volume control and camera key are on the right panel with a 4-inch capacitive display dominating the front. Start the phone and you are prompted for the Nokia account details that automatically logs into all the Nokia services. Similar to Symbian 3, the homescreen here is divided into three customizable windows. The main menu looks unchanged as is the multitasking—long pressing tine homekey to relaunch or close the running apps.

Configuring an email account was quick and browsing was simple. An icon at the right bottom gave access to a plenty of features like bookmarks, windows, history, feeds, send link, settings, etc. It comes with two HD games, Asphalt 5 and Galaxy on Fire. The gaming experience was good and more games can be downloaded from Ovi Store.

The sound output of the music player was loud and clear. The experience of watching videos and movies over the display was excellent. For imaging, the phone has an B MP camera but with a fixed focus. It also has a dual LED flash and features such as face detection but it isn’t anything out of the world. With the new OS, images transferred over Bluetooth landed automatically in the gallery, instead of the message box.

It supports expandable memory up to 32GBandan 8GB card comes with phone. It also supports USB-on-the-Go feature but the connector isn’t a part of the pack.

Awesome yet baffling, breathtaking yet frustrating, the HTC EVO 3D is a super-cool, super-powerful phone that requires some patience. As the first glasses-free 3D phone in the United States, the EVO 3D was a conversation starter everywhere I went with it. But Internet connection problems, bits of missing hardware and software, and a very narrow 3D-viewing angle make this a phone for adventurous early adopters rather than the masses.

The EVO 3D uses parallax-barrier 3D technology; you must hold the phone in a very specific spot to see the 3D, and only one person can watch at a time. The 3D swings between breathtaking and stomach-churning. When it works, it’s like living in a crazy, science-fiction world. Move your hand just a little bit, and you have double vision. Watch for too long, and you have a headache.

When it comes to basic phone functions, the EVO 3D fails. I struggled with reception and Internet connectivity issues all through my test period. Calls sounded muddy and garbled, with some syllables swallowed by the phone.

The HTC EVO 3D has a super-fast processor, but awful reception and 3G connectivity. The 3D blows your mind, until it gives you a headache. It connects to TVs using an adapter nobody can find. It’s a bunch of brilliant but half-baked ideas. The EVO 3D experience has enough missing parts that it’s a buyer-beware, early-adopter phone. Mainstream users looking for a Sprint smartphone should stick with the proven Samsung Epic 4G instead.

The Samsung Epic 4G ($150 with a two-year contract from Sprint) stands out from its Galaxy S siblings for several, reasons. Unlike any of the others, it has a physical, keyboard and a front-facing camera—and it runs on Sprint’s 4G network. Among the many QWERTY keyboard phones that we have reviewed, the Epic is one of the best. The keys are properly spaced and have a pleasant luckiness to them. If you don’t want to use the physical keyboard, the touchscreen offers even more options: the Touch Wiz keyboard, the Swype keyboard, or the native Android keyboard. The display is quite responsive, and it’s big enough to type on comfortably.

Like the other Galaxy S phones, the Epic 4G sports a 4-inch Super AMOLED display. Samsung’s Super AMOLED technology puts touch sensors on the display itself—instead of on a separate Layer, as in Samsung’s older AMOLED displays— making it the thinnest display technology on the market. The Super AMOLED screen looks fantastic; you really have to see it in person. Colors burst from the screen, and animations look lively and smooth. The display also works remarkably well in bright outdoor Light, though the phone’s glossy chassis sometimes projects a killer glare.

The Epic 4G, which has finally been updated to Android 2.2 (“Froyo”) from 2.1 (“Eclair”), carries Samsung’s own Touch Wiz 3.0 user interface. Overall, this version of Touch Wiz is a Lot better than the previous iteration, which we saw on phones such as the Samsung Behold II for T-Mobile (a handset that was disappointingly slow and difficult to navigate).

Although this version of the overlay is an improvement on its predecessors, we continued to encounter some familiar issues with TouchWiz 3.0. Despite the 1GHz Hummingbird processor, the phone Lagged sLightLy when we used it to flip through menus or to scroll down contact Lists or Web pages.

One of the big benefits of the Epic 4G is evident in its name: It’s only the second phone that connects to Sprint’s 4G network. In our speed tests, Sprint’s 4G WiMax service was indeed fast, but it didn’t provide reliable service. This suggests that Sprint and its WiMax partner Clear wire don’t have a sufficient density of WiMax base stations on the ground.

We’ve tested all of the Galaxy phones, and the Epic 4G is definitely the best—as well as being one of the top Android phones available. Its nicely designed physical keyboard, 4G goodness, and front-facing camera make it hard to beat.