Top 10 alternatives to Apple's iPhone

Like it or not, Apple knows how to get worldwide attention focused on its new devices, and the latest incarnation of the iPhone is no different.

This time, however, the coverage has been as much negative as positive, thanks to the now infamous difficulties with signal quality that some users have experienced, and Apple's admission that a software bug in every handset right back to the original iPhone has been misleading users about network signal strength.

These problems have almost overshadowed the device itself, which has nevertheless proved even more popular with buyers (if that were possible) than previous iPhone models.

It may seem a little unkind to Apple, but we thought this would be the perfect time to remind everyone that the iPhone is not the only smartphone on the market.

In a move guaranteed to annoy the fanboys, and anyone whose favourite device we have inevitably overlooked, V3.co.uk proudly presents the top 10 current alternatives to the iPhone, as nominated by our team.

10. Palm Pre
Palm may not have enjoyed the success it hoped for with its new generation of smartphone handsets, but the Pre is still worthy of inclusion for its webOS platform, which is arguably a match for Android or Apple's iOS in features and ease of use.

WebOS supports multi-tasking, allowing the user to keep lots of apps open at the same time, and the use of web technologies such as JavaScript, CSS and XML for creating applications should make it easier for developers to code for webOS.

Although about the same size as Apple's iPhone, the Pre boasts a slide-out Qwerty keypad that makes messaging a breeze, plus its multi-touch screen supports gesture-based controls.

On the downside, the Pre has no slot for Flash memory cards, but then neither does the iPhone, and that has not put off buyers.

Sadly, competition from Apple and Android-based phones proved too much and, with Palm now part of HP, a question mark hangs over the future of webOS as a smartphone platform.

9. HTC Evo 4G
The Evo gets on the list for being one of the first 4G smartphones on the market. On the downside, this takes the form of WiMax, which rules it out for the UK market as mobile networks here are likely to go down the LTE route. But for the moment, the Evo has the fastest network connection you can get.

As a device it's around 20 per cent thicker and heavier than an iPhone, but that nets you a 4.3in touchscreen, 8-megapixel camera, decent battery life and a naff but surprisingly useful kickstand.

The phone uses micro SD for storage and an HDMI port for multimedia output. It runs Android 2.2, and looks highly specified enough to handle future upgrades.

Google's open source operating system is attracting developers, and early data suggests that Android is getting more corporate development software than Apple, but a fraction of overall app sales.

The Evo can also become a wireless hotspot, an application so popular it crashed the demos at Apple's iPhone launch.

8. Samsung Wave
The first phone based on Samsung's Bada platform, the Wave is certainly a great piece of kit. Boasting a Super Amoled 3.3in screen, 1GHz processor and a 5-megapixel camera, the device could prove popular with those willing to consider an alternative to the more well-established platforms.

The device looks and feels fantastic, and comes preloaded with a bunch of handy and well-thought out widgets, making it highly usable and a lot of fun from the off.

Basic functions are clear and simple to use, while the multi-touch display looks great and is highly responsive.

Perhaps the only area where buyers may be put off is Samsung's app store. Being such a new platform, it's a little on the bare side, especially compared with that of the iPhone.

However, with that lovely screen to showcase their work, Samsung must be hoping that developers are beavering away to rectify the situation.

7. HTC HD2
HTC doesn't just make Android phones, although it might sometimes seem like it. The HD2 is one of the others, and has been the surprise hit of the past year or so, especially as it's based on Microsoft's largely derided Windows Mobile 6.5 platform.

The reasons for the HD2's popularity are its excellent 4.3in touch screen and the addition of HTC's Sense user environment, which delivers a look and feel more in keeping with the firm's Android-based devices.

The large 480 x 800 display means that the HD2's on-screen keyboard is much more usable than on many other touch-screen handsets, while it matches up to other high-end devices in specifications with its 1GHz processor, HSPA, Wi-Fi and GPS support.

On the downside, the device is quite large to accommodate the screen, but it's just 11mm thick and not overly heavy at 157g.

6. BlackBerry Bold 9700
The BlackBerry 9700 has established itself not only as a business phone, but a hit with messaging addicts thanks to its BlackBerry Messenger app.

The device features a decent Qwerty keyboard, and RIM has done away with the annoying pearl trackball in favour of a touch-sensitive pad that works a charm.

RIM has also integrated push email functionality better than most handset manufacturers, and almost all messages, including emails and Facebook messages, can be viewed in one inbox.

The 9700 was made for messaging and BlackBerry Messenger is a pleasure to use on the device. The 3.2-megapixel camera is also surprisingly good and comes with flash.

Battery life and the satellite navigation features are the biggest letdowns on the 9700, which requires charging on an almost daily basis, while Blackberry Maps can be extremely slow.

Despite these drawbacks, the 9700 remains a popular choice as a business phone, thanks to its renowned push email.

5. Motorola Milestone
The Milestone was the first business-oriented Android handset from Motorola, and remains the top grossing Android device, bringing Motorola's handset division back from the brink of irrelevance.

While the Nexus One received all the press at launch, the Milestone managed to beat Apple's first iPhone to a million sales, and it's easy to see why.

Motorola opted for an avant-garde design coupled to a slide-out keyboard. Underneath, the hardware specification was far superior to Apple's handset, and in Android it sported an operating system which was a true competitor.

The popularity of the Milestone has partially been due to its best in class hardware and software, but also to the inclusion of a physical keyboard. The device was a boon to those who used their mobile phones to compose swathes of text.

The Milestone has since received updates to its Android operating system, meaning it has kept pace with its contemporaries. Coupled to hardware which provides ample functionality, the Milestone remains the Android workhorse.

4. Samsung Galaxy S
As one of the larger phones on the market, the Samsung Galaxy S unsurprisingly comes packed with a host of features, including a lovely 4in WVGA (480 x 800) Super Amoled screen supporting 16 million colours.

A beefy 1GHz processor supports multi-tasking, and allows the Galaxy S to handle even the most demanding multimedia applications with ease.

Viewing pictures and browsing the internet is a pleasure on the Super Amoled screen, and the phone has one of the best text input methods on the market courtesy of Swype.

The Galaxy S also comes preloaded with an augmented reality app called Layer, which overlays location-based information on whatever you are looking at with the handset's camera. With full access to the Android Market and the Samsung App Store, users can pick from well over 80,000 apps.

The device is available with 8GB or 16GB internal memory, with support for an additional 32GB. Minor gripes include no camera flash and an inconsistent battery.

3. Nokia N900
Nokia's N900 is aimed at buyers who want more than just a smartphone, and feels more like a pocket-sized computer with its multi-tasking Linux-based operating system.

Although it can be used like a candybar phone when making voice calls, the N900 is designed to be used tablet-fashion and boasts a slide-out Qwerty keypad for messaging and email.

Unlike many mobile handsets, the N900 already supports Flash and JavaScript inside its browser, and has built-in support to make calls using VoIP rather than the cellular network.

The N900 can also do pretty much everything other smartphones are capable of, including GPS for navigation, recording video and taking still images, and can connect to a TV or monitor to play back H.264 or Mpeg-4 video.

It probably isn't the device for everyone but, with its power, flexibility and open platform, the N900 has lots of appeal for the more tech-savvy user.

2. Google Nexus One
Google's Nexus One brought the Android operating system to mainstream consciousness. The device's specification not only surpassed its contemporaries at launch, but for once the public saw a viable competitor to Apple's iPhone.

The handset is a great package. You get cutting edge hardware coupled to an operating system that is far better than Windows Mobile and far more customisable than the iPhone.

The Nexus One was the first Android smartphone to have Android 2.1 and an Amoled screen. While the hardware specification has since been surpassed, its software remains ahead of the pack. Free of mobile operator constraints, the Nexus One has often been the first device to receive updates to the Android operating system.

Google's insistence on selling the Nexus One directly to customers resulted in mediocre sales. Until Vodafone offered the device, the only way to get hold of one in the UK was by having it shipped from the US, incurring import duties.

The Nexus One will always be the smartphone which showed the world what Android was capable of. It spurred investment in Android from other handset manufacturers and application developers, and above all showed the world there was an alternative to the iPhone.

1. HTC Desire
HTC makes a wide variety of handsets, so it's no surprise for the company to have more than one entry in our list.

The Desire is often compared to the Nexus One, which HTC also manufactures, but features a number of extras that the Google-branded handset does not. For starters, there's HTC's Sense user environment, which adds a glossier front-end to many of the firm's devices, and makes life just that little bit easier for the user.

It also features a much more practical optical joystick below the screen, rather than the mini trackball favoured by the Nexus.

In most other respects, the Desire is very similar to the Nexus, with an impressive 3.7in 800 x 480 multi-touch display, 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, 3G/HSPA network capability, GPS, and version 2.1 of the Android platform.

With its 1GHz processor, the Desire is also a very responsive device to use, and at 135g it feels lighter than you would expect for a handset of this size. Overall, this has to be one of the best high-end smartphones on the market right now.