The Best Smartphones You Can Buy in 2010

In 2008, the trend of having a smartphone was only just beginning to kick off, but with the launch of more consumer-friendly BlackBerrys, Google's Android platform, Windows 6.5 and an improved iPhone, a more intelligent, feature-packed handset has become the norm.

Nokia has released consumer touchscreen mobile phones for the first time in its history, Android has exploded onto the scene in a big way and Acer has become a rival to HTC with the launch of its Windows and Android-based smartphones.

Here, we round up the seven best smartphones you can buy

Apple iPhone 3GS

So the iPhone is no surprise in our top smartphones of 2009.

Although it may not be as well suited to multitasking, which is one of the most important aspects of a smartphone, its interface is second to none.

The touchscreen is super-responsive and the fact that there are so many apps to download make it much more than just a phone.

The camera is a little disappointing though - it seems as though Apple doesn't see the need for any technology there.

It's also not the best device for phone functionality, as the device has been plagued with problems on the O2 network more than once over the past year.

Read our full Apple iPhone 3GS review

The Latest Apple iPhone 3GS deals & prices

HTC Desire

The HTC Desire is essentially the same handset as the Google Nexus One and it is currently the best Android smartphone on sale in the UK.

The most immediately impressive element of the phone is its stunning 3.7-inch AMOLED screen, which boasts an iPhone-trouncing 480x800 pixel resolution and dazzling brightness. (Some carp that its colour reproduction could be better but we had no issues.)

The phone and its interface is snappy to use too, thanks to the 1Ghz Snapdragon processor that pushes the bits and bytes around at breakneck speed. The Android 2.1 operating system also ensures that you get the best this up-and-coming OS has to offer.

Of course all this speed and screen brightness comes with a cost on battery life - you'll be lucky to get through a day if you're using the phone often in anger. But the same applies with all the top-end smartphones you can buy currently. Meanwhile if you want the very best that Android has to offer - and a phone that competes closely on every count with the iPhone 3GS - the HTC Desire is the smartphone to get.

Read our full HTC Desire review

The Latest HTC Desire deals & prices

BlackBerry Bold 9700

The BlackBerry Bold 9700 has to go down as our favourite phone of 2009, and not because it packs in new technology, groundbreaking features, but just because it's so seamless to use.

The keyboard is well-spaced and features angular keys to ensure they're comfortable to type on.

The updated RIM OS 5 is a huge improvement on its predecessor and it steams along, while ensuring the battery will keep going for longer than any previous BlackBerry.

The styling is sharp - shaving off a huge amount of the bulk seen on the original Bold and seamless synching (including with iTunes), plus a crystal clear screen and decent camera ticks all the boxes.

Read our full BlackBerry Bold 9700 review

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Sony Ericsson Vivaz

Sony Ericsson has been left a little on the sidelines with the recent explosion in interest in smartphones, but the Vivaz makes up for lost time.

Although it runs Symbian, it's unashamedly a multimedia phone with a stunning 8.1 megapixel onboard camera that's capable of taking videos in glorious high definition.

The display is also competitive with the best smartphones around - a 3.2-inch touchscreen with vibrant colours and ultra-detailed 360 x 640 resolution.

The case also sets it apart from the standard squarish smartphone - the Vivaz has a very distinctive curved back that moulds into your palm - Sony Ericsson even dubbed it 'human curvature'. Whatever you call it, it looks and feels great.

In fact our only mild caveat with the Vivaz is that the software still seems a little flaky at times, for instance when flipping from landscape to portrait modes. But in the past Sony Ericsson has fixed initial bugs with a software update and we fully expect it to do so again with the Vivaz.

Read our full Sony Ericsson Vivaz review

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HTC HD2

Although we're not the biggest fans of Windows Mobile devices, the HTC HD2's hardware is second to none.

Thankfully, it also uses the latest version of Microsoft's operating system - Windows 6.5, which is much more consumer friendly than previous incarnations.

The HD2 also features the HTC Sense interface, usually reserved for HTC Android devices, but it does well here to make that Windows interface a lot easier to use.

It's the screen that makes the HD2 such a high-flyer. At 480 x 800 pixels and 4.3 inches, you'll struggle to find a screen any better and it really is the most stunning, crisp, bright screen we've seen.

Read our full HTC HD2 review

The Latest HTC HD2 deals & prices

Nokia N900

Nokia's first foray into an alternative operating system has been the talk of the year, and its first handset on the Maemo OS leaves no doubt in our mind that it was a bad decision to move away from Symbian.

Although the OS still has a way to go before it's instantly usable, the first attempt was more than enough o whet our appetites.

Fully customisable homescreens, huge, responsive and crystal clear touchscreen, coupled with a Qwerty keyboard makes the N900 a simple to use handset.

Its spec list doesn't disappoint, with everything ticked, including HSDPA/HSUPA, Wi-Fi, A-GPS, a 3.5mm headphone jack and even an infrared port, plus a top-end camera, media player and video playback.

Read our full Nokia N900 review

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Motorola Milest one

Many of the devices in our top smartphones list have been released over the last quarter, and its not because the previous contenders were bad, it's just that new platforms have evolved so well over the last 12 months.

The Motorola Milestone is one example of how the Android platform has moved on.

There's not much to dislike about Moto's most recent device - the implementation of Android is spot on, its hardware is sleek - although there's still room for improvement in the sliding mechanism and keyboard layout - plus there's nothing missing on the tech specs. Even SatNav comes preloaded, although you'll have to pay to extend its free trial period.

Motorola has included the second best Android OS too - version 2.0 -which supports multitouch, plus combined inboxes to name just two new features - something missing on previous Android devices.

Read our full Motorola Milestone review

The Latest Motorola Milestone deals & prices

These aren't the only smartphones we view to be the stars of 2010, but there have been so many fantastic devices this year, it's hard to pin down just six. The HTC Hero was our favourite earlier in the year, the Palm Pre was hugely hyped, but looked better on paper than in the flesh, and the Samsung Omnia i8910 HD wouldn't have been too far behind those mentioned here.

What we have learned this year, though, is that mobile phones are evolving and becoming much more than just something to use for calling and texting. Social networking has boomed, cameras have almost overtaken compacts and applications are the future.

Roll on the rest of 2010 where we can expect to see more Android, a new iPhone, Samsung's Bada smartphone platform, and even different technologies becoming integrated into devices, such as NFC for contactless payments.