Touchscreens have become all the rage over the last couple of years, and a lot of that has been fuelled by cool new handsets that boast slick interfaces with intuitive functions. And the best part, of course, is you have a lot more to choose from than ever before.
The group of phones listed here offer plenty of similar features, though they may implement them in different ways. They also have their own unique and distinctive features to separate them from the rest. Needless to say, you won't be shy in sliding your fingers along the screens of these phones.
BlackBerry Storm 9530
Carrier: Telus and Bell
The first touchscreen BlackBerry is a powerhouse in its own right. The Storm comes with an 8GB microSD card (expandable to 32GB) and a robust set of features. The 3.25" touchscreen is the centerpiece of a slick-looking handset that offers up CDMA and GSM global roaming for use in up to 148 countries.
Editing Microsoft Office documents rounds out a package of features that include GPS navigation, Bluetooth, Instant Messenger, multimedia with the 3.2-megapixel camera and support for live streaming of content.
Apple iPhone 3G Carrier: Rogers and Fido
The iPhone 3G is a mixture of style and function. You have a vibrant 3.5" touchscreen that recognizes two touches at the same time. You also have Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, full Web browsing, a built-in GPS maps application and all the iPod features to boot.
But it's the App Store that makes things interesting with its slew of applications - reasonably-priced or free - that cover everything from music, games, social networking and even everyday items you might rely on.
LG Dare
Carrier: Telus
The Dare's 3" touchscreen will vibrate on every touch, so you get the impression you're pressing a real button. The phone has a microSD memory card slot and comes with a 1GB card. But you can expand that up to an 8GB card to store a solid mix of songs, photos and video.
On top of that, you get full Web browsing, GPS, mobile radio, multimedia messaging, Bluetooth and more. Plus, the Dare has a built-in accelerometer so that the screen adjusts from portrait to landscape when you tilt it on its side.
Samsung Instinct
Carrier: Bell and Telus
The Instinct comes with a 2GB microSD card that is pre-loaded with over 200 songs, though you'd have to subscribe to a music service or buy them individually to unlock them. The 3.1" touchscreen vibrates with each touch, and you'll find toolbars on every side of the screen to help you navigate.
Plus, you can make calls, send text messages and launch applications by using the Speech-to-Action feature. The phone comes with GPS, Live TV, Instant Messenger, Facebook and a host of other options, except you will have to pay extra to unlock them.
HTC Touch Diamond
Carrier: Rogers and Telus
The Touch Diamond sports a 2.8" touchscreen that offers rich 3D navigation with the TouchFLO carousel at the bottom of the handset. You get one-touch access to Facebook and YouTube, which you can take advantage of even more when connected to a Wi-Fi hotspot. Bluetooth also helps connect to a PC or other Bluetooth-enabled accessories.
You do also get a voice recorder, 3.2-megapixel camera and multimedia messaging options. GPS also comes with the Rogers version, and you get Microsoft's office suite of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote.
