Help choosing a good smartphone

snooky

Hope someone here can give some advice.

I'm looking for a device that has to be able to do the following:

• make phone calls
• texting
• have a proper PIM (see below) with proper search

In addition I'd also like to be able to:

• use the internet at an acceptable speed (I think this probably means it'll need to be 3G, can anyone confirm?) - but not for graphics intensive stuff like online movies etc
• listen to music - MP3s
• watch movies or programmes I've downloaded
• use an SD or microSD card or similar to expand the capacity
• not bothered about GPS or IM, they're nice-to-haves

The iPhone is almost exactly what I want and is a beautiful beast but it doesn't have a proper PIM (Personal Information Manager). What do I mean by that? Well for years I had a Palm Pilot device of one sort or another, and got very used to a very flexible calendar which had a sophisticated reminder system and - probably most importantly - a search tool which looked for a piece of text through all your calendar entries, contacts, notes, To-Dos etc. I found this invaluable because I have an appalling memory

So I'm looking for a phone which can do something similar. iPhone just doesn't have global search. If there were 3rd-party apps you could buy from the App Store that would solve my problem but I know that Apple have not opened up the calendar for 3rd-party developers so no-one apart from Apple can develop a program which can access the calendar info, let alone update it.

Another thought was the Android G1 but this has the drawbacks that no-one has written a PIM application for Android (yet) and, from reviews and a couple of people I know who own them, the battery life is awful.

I really like the look of the Palm Pre but I don't think this is likely to hit the UK until late 2009 and will be v expensive.

I have no idea - and haven't really been able to find out - if Symbian S60 devices (like Nokia etc) have PIM applications available for them and support good video playback etc.

I looked at the Blackberry Storm, looks great and possibly the closest thing to what I actually need, out of the box, but a bit costly for me at the moment.

So it looks like I may need to go for a Windows Mobile. I know there are at least 2 good PIM applications for that and I know all the other things I want are available on certain phones. The one that looks most like what I need is Samsung Omnia but that's more expensive than the iPhone or the G1, so I'm a bit torn. Plus Windows Mobile has a pretty dire reputation for usability & performance.

But I'm very open-minded, I don't really care what the operating system or manufacturer is as long as it does what I need. My phone usage is fairly low, certainly under 200 mins + 200 texts per month (which is the SIM-only deal I'm on right now) and I don't really want to pay the earth to get the extra stuff I need.

So if you've managed to get this far in my long-winded post, I'd really appreciate any suggestions for phones/contracts etc that could give me what I'm after, plus your views on phones I've mentioned, whether I really need 3G, etc etc. The whole marketplace is so confusing I need all the help I can get!!

Thanks for all suggestions.

packetlos

The HTC touch HD is probaly what you are after, i have had it for a few weeks and still love it.

treb1971

For a PIM I used to use a Nokia N70 - it did everything I wanted. You might want to try the 5800 or N97?

ETA: oops! N97 not released yet...

Needofhelp_2

HTC Touch Pro / Vario 4 ?

Mrembo

Nokia 5800

rash.m2k

How about the Paim Pre WebOS phone?

It'll be out soon and the OS looks absolutely brilliant, shame the handset looks rubbish.

Celini

Anything with a Windows Mobile OS and Outlook application; HTCs are brillant! (sold as O2 XdaII for example)

Mandark

The win mob HTCs are worth a look including the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1, which is probably the best of the current crop.

Or you go with the Nokia N series (N82, N85, N95, N96) or the business orientated E series (E71, E90). Also you can buy advanced 3rd party apps for Symbian devices from places like Handango UK if Nokia's own apps aren't what you want.

Or go the Blackberry route with the Bold or Curve 8900 - the kings of business which have it all but don't match the Nokias or the iPhone in the entertainment stakes.

The Samsung Omnia is considered to be a disappointing phone by many. But the i8510 which is a Symbian smartphone and the best camera phone out there is an award winner.

As you say, the iPhone is not a fully functional smartphone (I have one) despite Apple's marketing. Issues with email, no bluetooth transfer, limited document handling, O2 network !!!..the list of problems goes on.:)

Now tariffs. These are top end phones and unless you're prepared to pay at least £35-40 a month then the handsets will be expensive - sometimes very. But you'll get far more minutes/ texts than you usually need.

sinaplenty

I'd suggest the HTC touch HD also, and phones4u are offering it free on £30 contracts at the moment (cheaper than the iphone, G1 or Blackberry). Might be £35 before you get internet included though.

Jon_01

I'd go with the HTC touch HD too and maybe a copy of Pocket Informant for the pim, I've been using it on win mobile phones for years...

Mandark

Note of warning - touchscreen phones may not be the way to go for all serious business/smart phone users. They're not for everyone!