LG Dare When Apple announced earlier this summer the release of its second- generation iPhone, it was love at first sight, take 2, for Apple fans. The slick iPhone 3G is heavier on the cool techy stuff and lighter on the pocketbook.
Unlike its predecessor, which took the world by storm last year despite the hefty price tag, the 3G has GPS-assisted features, supports Microsoft Exchange Server and third-party applications, has theoretical double speeds for data download , and it’s as hip a phone as has ever been made. And with exclusive carrier AT&T back on the subsidizing idea, the phone is only $199 or $299 for new customers or existing ones eligible for an upgrade, with a two-year agreement.
Still, those who can live without an iPod-slash-phone or without AT&T may be able to settle for acceptable alternatives, especially if they have to have features the iPhone hasn’t embraced yet — such as video recording, voice dialing or sending photos over SMS messaging.
Samsung Instinct Sprint’s Samsung Instinct has been described as one of the best iPhone clones and one of the best multimedia phones on the market. It is also the phone that attracts the most attention from those researching iPhone alternatives, according to some Internet stats. The Instinct looks and feels like an iPhone, or pretty close. The bestselling phone has a large touch screen, a built-in video recorder, GPS, and Outlook integration.
The phone is $129 for new Sprint customers, but, the Instinct is not a smart phone like the iPhone , offers less memory and can’t sync anything but music with the computer.
LG Voyager LG Dare, offered by Verizon, is reportedly a fun phone to use, with features like using photos instead of names for contacts, a cool touch screen, a sketch pad you can doodle on then text-message your work of art, and an embedded camcorder. The Dare has been picked as the top Verizon phone by CNet and costs about the same as an iPhone unless you catch a rebate promotion.
Like the Instinct, the Dare is not a smartphone, however, so it has all the entailed limitations like no syncing . Plus, it doesn’t integrate with Outlook and some reviewers said the media player leaves to be desired.
G1 from T-Mobile The LG Voyager, also from Verizon, has the same cool iPhone-like touch screen, but then flips to reveal a QWERTY keyboard, which anyone who texts a lot is sure to appreciate. The Voyager includes the same perks like the iPhone: GPS and media player, but like the other clones, has no WiFi, no Outlook integration and so on.
The G1 was released at the end of October by T-Mobile. The G1 . So far reviews are mixed though some techies went as far as saying the HTC Dream T-Mobile G1 may leave the iPhone in the dust. The open-source software and generous customization makes up for the G1’s lack of edge in the touch-tone department and overall design. And it has WiFi, YouTube feeds, and a built-in MP3 store from Amazon.com.
Blackberry Storm Computerworld described the G1 as one of the best-designed phones ever but CNet said the phone’s full potential is still out there, and for now it’s best for gadget geeks and early adaptors vs. the business or consumer crowd. The phone also requires a Google account, but you can get that right through the device. Priced at $179 with a two-year contract, the G1 left some bloggers wondering: Is the new hottie the future iPhone killer?
Those using smaller carriers like Alltel or Rogers are mostly out of luck with iPhone wannabes, save for the HTC Touch Diamond that is also available through some of the biggies like Sprint and Verizon. The Diamond has a 3D touch interface, and while some reviewers loved it, others say you have to use the stylus or forget it . Unlike the iPhone, it has voice-recognition dialing, but the real beauty is that it’s not carrier-exclusive, which could be good news for those who are still shopping around for the best plan.
The one major player being left out of this is Blackberry. Its Curve smartphone, which was released earlier this year, has been embraced by serious business users and features voice dialing, video recording, MP3 storage and playback, a 2.1 megapixel camera, along with full Outlook integration, with a trackball controlling all navigation of the Curve’s features.
The new Blackberry Storm is on deck for release just in time for the holiday season. It will feature Blackberry’s first ever touch screen interface. Preliminary press releases and photos show it looking and working very much like an iPhone — only with Blackberry’s full business-oriented functionality as well as all the onboard toys.
