Register Hardware

Original URL: http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/11/09/iphone_rival_handsets/

iPhone 'killers' stand up and be counted

By James Sherwood
Published Friday 9th November 2007 14:41 GMT

Today may be iPhone Day (http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/11/09/queues_start_for_iphone/) across the UK, but Apple’s must-have handset isn’t the only cutting-edge touchscreen beauty available in Blighty.

Whilst many love the iPhone for its ease of use and style, some have criticised it for the network provider lockdown, lack of 3G connectivity and high cost. So, what other handsets could you consider instead as you brave the crush at your local Apple, Carphone Warehouse or O2 store at the 6pm launch tonight?

Samsung’s F700 (http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/09/14/sams_f700_uk/), aka the Croix, has already been hailed an iPhone killer and it hits shops this month, offering a 3.2in display and slide-out Qwerty micro-keyboard. However, Samsung told us in September that the handset would only be available on Vodafone’s network.

Samsing Ultra Smart F700
Samsung's F700
iPhone Beater Score
iPhone Beater Score 4/5

The 3G phone uses HSDPA to deliver download speeds of up to 3.6Mb/s, although it bizarrely doesn’t have Wi-Fi connectivity.

Alternatively, LG’s KU990 Viewty 3.6Mb/s HSDPA 3G handset, with tri-band GSM for voice, is already available and provides users with a 5.1-megapixel camera with a flash, autofocus and image-stabilisation technology - a much higher spec than the iPhone’s basic two-megapixel snapper.

LG_Viewty_1
LG's Viewty
iPhone Beater Score
iPhone Beater Score 3/5

Its 3in touchscreen is ready to display a variety of image and video formats, like the iPhone, but here your movies and pics can be stored on a Micro SD card, although one’s not included in the box.

LG recently unveiled the KS20 handset (http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/11/06/lg_ks20/) too. It looks strikingly similar to the KU990, and while it only has a 2.8in touchscreen for viewing web pages, it makes up for it by incorporating 802.11b/g Wi-Fi in addition to its 3.6Mb/s HSDPA 3G connectivity. It’s also a tri-band GSM/GPRS phone.

LG_KS20
LG's LG-KS20
iPhone Beater Score
iPhone Beater Score 4/5

While the KS20’s two-megapixel camera is less impressive than the KU990’s five-megapixels, some might consider the KS20 a web handset first and camera phone second, and the KU990 the exact opposite.

LG's third iPhone rival is the Prada - reviewed here (http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/03/26/review_lg_prada_ke850/). Despite having been around since early this year, it still fights its corner in the looks department - not only the hardware but the cool, smooth monochrome UI developed specifically for the handset. The tri-band GSM/GPRS/Edge handset has Bluetooth 2.0 built-in.

LG Prada
LG's Prada
iPhone Beater Score
iPhone Beater Score 2/5

The handset boasts a 3in display and a two-megapixel camera, which stores images and video on Micro SD card.

HTC, the company behind several other rebranded handsets – such as Ted Baker’s Needle (http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/11/07/ted_baker_needle/) - has two potential rival iPhone offerings on the shelves. Dubbed the Touch (http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/06/11/review_htc_touch_smart_phone/) and Touch Dual (http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/10/01/hd_launches_touch_dual/), both are technically equipped enough to sit next to the iPhone, but neither really match it aesthetically.

HTC Touch
HTC Touch
iPhone Beater Score
iPhone Beater Score 3/5

The tri-band GSM/GRPS/Edge Touch - which is the model for the Needle - has a 2.8in touchscreen, a two-megapixel camera, a Micro SD memory card slot. It runs Windows Mobile 6, but has HTC's own touch-controlled user interface sitting on top.

HTC has included 802.11b/g Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.0.

HTC Touch Dual
HTC Touch Dual
iPhone Beater Score
iPhone Beater Score 3.5/5

The company’s HTC Touch Dual is much the same, although it sports a slide-out Qwerty keyboard and offers HSDPA 3G connectivity on top on the Touch’s features. But there's no Wi-Fi.

So which of these numbers has the capacity to beat the iPhone? They all do, but we reckon Samsung and its F700 has the most chance of doing so.

Of course, if any of these phones don’t fit your requirements and you’re looking for something slightly, well, simpler. Then you could consider the Nokia 1011 (http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/11/09/ft_nokia_1011/)...