Lab

Smartphones

Convergence is a term that's all too often used in technology circles, and not always appropriately. But there's one area for which the word perfectly captures the recent progression - it's the world of smartphones.

Over the last year or so, the distinction between PDAs and phones has disappeared, and the result has been an explosion in the numbers of smartphones and the features they offer.

We've seen mobile data rates rocket to speeds of up to 3.6Mb/sec with the advent of HSDPA (high-speed downlink packet access) and 3G; a new phone now seems behind the times if it doesn't have a built-in Wi-Fi adapter, and an increasing number of devices include GPS receivers, too. Push email, once the sole domain of BlackBerry users, is also now ubiquitous thanks to Microsoft's Direct Push technology.

Not only can you now keep in voice, email and text contact, stay on top of all your appointments, and store all your contact information conveniently on your phone, but you can also browse the internet on the move, use it as a satnav device on the road, listen to music, play video, and even use it as a camera.

Before we become blinded by impressive spec lists, though, the eventual award winners in this Labs weren't necessarily just those packed with features. Rather, they were the phones that managed to offer the best combination of large screens, usable keyboards for emailing, and intuitive navigation methods, without sacrificing too much in terms of pocketability.

Also this month, we focus on the best satellite navigation packages for smartphones, as well as taking a look at whether Apple's iPhone can stand its ground as a business device. But to see which of these 11 smartphones came up to scratch and which fell short, read on.