Its large screen is perfect for displaying maps and browsing the internet.  It comes with a pre-installed Maps app, which is just as good as Google Maps.  Its virtual keyboard is nicely designed, with key presses triggering a noise to confirm the press while the letter display changes colour to give a visual confirmation as well.  You can also configure the interface the way you want, adding new icons for commonly used applications. 

There is a 5-megapixel camera with a range of settings for you to choose from.  The camcorder function allows real HD videos to be shot at a 720p resolution.  The great display showcases photos and videos to good effect. 

One downside to this device is the inability to use micro SD cards to increase its basic memory.  As it has 8GB of memory as standard, you will need to think carefully about this phone if you require a lot of memory.  For the average user, however, it is more than adequate.  At the moment there are obviously not anywhere near as many apps for Windows 7 as the other standard smartphones, such as the iPhone and Android phones.  Undoubtedly this will change in time but it is another issue to think about.

The Samsung Omnia 7 is another great, stylish smartphone from Samsung.  Its screen is superb and makes this phone a joy to use.  If the minor issues relating to this phone do not concern you, then you can definitely get some great Samsung Omnia 7 deals.

With an eye on current trends and at the forefront of technological advances, Samsung developed their first wireless internet mobile phone in 1999, and by the year 2000 a special edition Samsung Olympic Games Phone was selected to be the official handset of the Sydney Olympic Games.  Following this success, Samsung branched out to produce colour mobile phones and handsets with integrated megapixel cameras, and by 2006 had produced another world first with a handset that included a 10 megapixel camera.

Samsung have continued to grow their mobile phone brands, and are particularly targeted at the high end of the market.  Their Galaxy and Omnia ranges have proved to be a huge worldwide hit, and Samsung remains focussed on their core of Android smartphones which continually rate amongst the world’s best.  Within the Galaxy range are the Samsung Galaxy S2, at present the world’s slimmest mobile phone, which features a cutting edge Super AMOLED capacitive touch screen, and the extremely highly rated Google Nexus S which leads the field in terms of speed, design and a wide variety of Android sat nav apps.

A refreshing piece of Palm Pre 2 kit is its clever backing plate which houses not only the usual SIM and battery but also a clever wireless device which, when used along with the Palm Touchstone charger, allows the phone to be placed flat on the charger where it immediately takes on a charge, no plugs or wires necessary and the phone is kept in place by a magnet housed inside the charger.  Once the phone is placed on the charger the integral WebOS software enables the phone to operate in Touchstone mode and this allows for useful information displays e.g. email, time, date, calendar etc.

The Palm Pre 2 takes multitasking very seriously, so if there are a few webpages open at once the phone groups then like a hand of cards and similarly with email.  The Palm Pre 2 has remained simple to operate and user friendly, resisting the complications arising in Android devices.

It is easy to use, with access to all of the main screens such as the dial screen, text messages and the web browser via the launcher menu located at the bottom of the phone. The phone comes with an in-car cradle, so when it is combined with one of the latest android sat nav apps it operates as your own sat nav. GPS signals are acquired easily and with Google Maps pre-installed this is a great feature.

Music support for the phone is great as well, with a variety of files supported such as MP3, WMA and M4A. A 3.5mm jack also means you can use your favourite headphones. 

Compared to some of the latest phones, it is not the most attractive mobile. The camera is also only three megapixels and is not equipped with a flash.  Sound quality can also be problematic occasionally, but the price means this phone remains good value for money. The battery life is reasonable, being equipped with a 1500 mAh battery. If you are in need of a sat nav device and a music player then you can’t go wrong with this phone.

HTC Sense is a graphical user interface that adds extra functionality to Android. The home screen consists of seven different screens. These include the HTC clock, date and weather is the central screen. There are also four shortcuts to the main functions, Messages, Internet, Mail and Camera. You can cycle through the screens by moving your finger either to the left or the right.  You can pinch your fingers to zoom out and see all the main home screens and then select the one you want to use next. You can effectively build your own home screen, or screens, to suit your needs at different times.

The latest feature in Sense is the ‘Friend Stream’. This combines social networking websites Facebook, Twitter and Flickr into one feed. Icons differentiate which account information is being viewed from. The Status tab sorts things to just Facebook and Twitter but apps dedicated to these are probably more suitable if you have many friends or follow lots of people. The Friend Stream app also transfers Flickr and Facebook photos to your phone. There are tabs for your own photos, your Facebook photos and one for your Flickr photos.

HTC Sense also enables Flash support on your browser. There are other small interface enhancements that make HTC Sense a great addition to the basic Android functionality.

The Nokia E6 is aimed at the business market and features a Qwerty keyboard as well as a touchscreen. It comes with the latest version of the Symbian Anna interface. This has been redesigned with new icons and provides a better web browsing experience. The keyboard is illuminated and very easy for typing with. It comes with 8GB of memory, which can be expanded via a microSD card. The camera has 8 megapixels and takes 720p video as well. Its resolution of 640 by 480 compares favourably with the Blackberry Torch.

The Nokia X7 is a smartphone operating under Symbian Anna. It is very solidly built, which compares well to other smartphones. It has a 4-inch AMOLED screen, which can display high definition video well. The camera has 8 megapixels and has a duel-LED flash. This enables it to take good photos even in poor lighting conditions. 

The Nokia N9 is a smartphone that is powered by its latest MeeGo operating system, enabling it to compete much better than its older smartphones. It has a tough screen measuring 3.9 inches. This new phone helps make the range of current Nokia mobile phones appeal to all types of people.

Due to the screen size both maps and websites are displayed in good definition. Its own Maps application compares favourably with Google Maps. The virtual keyboard has some nice touches. When a key is pressed it is highlighted and triggers a confirmation sound. The interface can be customised with the ability to add icons for your favourite apps.

The camera has a variety of settings and can also film 720p HD Video. There is a mechanical shutter key that works effectively to operate the camera. The phone is well built and feels solid.

The phone doesn’t have a microSD card slot. It comes with 8GB of memory, which is reasonable for most people but if you like having a lot of memory on your phone this is something to be aware of. The amount of apps available for Windows phone can’t compare to other types of phone. However, with more Windows phones being produced this situation is sure to improve. 

If you like Samsung mobile phones then you will find this is another great phone. There are also some good Samsung Omnia 7 deals around.

As is the norm in today’s smartphone world, the Atrix is seamlessly integrated with the usual social media applications (Facebook, MySpace and Twitter) and the highly customisable interface of the phone means the consumer is guaranteed to get a truly unique experience.  Rarely on a mobile phone is a battery seen larger than 1500mAh, however, Motorola has installed the Atrix with the world’s most powerful battery, at a massive 1930mAh.  Many Android phones have been criticised for their poor battery life although with such a large battery, the Atrix surely will not be one of them.

On the downside, the Motorola Atrix only comes equipped with version 2.2 of Android’s operating system, although Motorola promise 2.3 will arrive late into 2011.  This, however, is a minor flaw in what can be considered one of the best smartphones on the market.

Although BlackBerry smartphones were originally marketed for the use of business people, due to their focus on email communication, their appeal is now apparent in different social strata and BlackBerry is now the fifth most popular device manufacturer, behind Nokia, Samsung, LG and Apple, with a 14.8% market share.

What is BlackBerry BBM? 

The BlackBerry Messenger system, more commonly known as BBM, is a unique selling point of the BlackBerry brand, enabling a free instant-messaging application between BlackBerry owners via a unique PIN.  As well as the instant-messaging feature, BlackBerry owners can share photos, videos and music files all through BBM.

In an age where most smartphones look identical (take the LG Optimus Black and the iPhone 4 as an example), it is refreshing to see that BlackBerry has not followed the same minimalistic route that many of its competitors have gone down.  Instead the chassis often looks busy, a feature accentuated by the often visible QWERTY keyboard on most models.

There is no doubt that BlackBerry devices are made for communication.  While some devices may lack the aesthetic simplicity of the iPhone or the processing power of LG, there is no denying that the BlackBerry brand is universally accessible and provides ease of service.

There are a number of contracted Samsung Omina 7 deals on the market, with most priced between £15 and £25. For this, customers can expect to get an average of about 400 free minutes, at least 500 free texts and, on more expensive contracts, an unlimited data allowance. A vast majority of contracts also offer the Samsung Omina 7 handset for free as a part of the deal, however some require customers to pay anywhere between £60 and £220 for the phone itself.

As there are no pay as you go Samsung Omina 7 deals on the market which provide a free handset, customers looking for this option will be have to pay between £300 and £480 for the phone, depending on the exact model.