Top 5 iPhone 4 alternatives
Unless you've been hiding in a cave for the last 8 months you'll likely be aware of the long list of virtues associated with Apple's iPhone 4. From its game-changing display to its sleek, minimalist design, the iPhone has nearly everything. It isn't alone at the top of the smartphone tree though, and we thought we'd explore some of the other great hardware available for those who won't settle for anything less than perfection.
Google Nexus S - The Nexus S was developed by Samsung for Google, as a device to showcase its Android operating system, and what an amazing job it does! Featuring a glorious 4-inch curved Super AMOLED display, 1GHz Hummingbird chipset with PowerVR graphics acceleration, 512MB RAM, 5-megapixel camera with flash and 16GB of on-board storage and, perhaps most importantly of all, a vanilla installation of Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) – the latest and greatest version of the operating system. So as you can see, the Nexus S sits firmly at the top of the technology tree!
BlackBerry Torch 9800 - The BlackBerry Torch is a device that represents the next step in BlackBerry evolution and boasts the most up-to-date technology on offer from RIM, including the very latest iteration of its BlackBerry OS, version 6. When you buy a Torch you get a device that can amply hold its own against any other top-end smartphone on the market which, as well as all of the usual BlackBerry goodness such as enterprise standard e-mail, BlackBerry messenger, amazing battery life and a responsive hardware QWERTY, you get a pleasing 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen, 624MHz CPU, 512MB RAM and 4GB of storage, which should allow you to hold plenty of photos captured with the 5-megapixel camera (which boasts auto-focus, flash and image stabilization) and other media!
HTC Incredible S - Another Android that makes this top 5 is HTC's Incredible S, a device that serves as the successor to the hugely popular Desire HD. For the Incredible S, HTC has taken the very best materials, the very best hardware and the very best software and moulded them together to create a device, which is unsurpassed in the current market. Featuring a stunning 4-inch Super-LCD display, 8-megapixel camera with dual-LED flash, touch focus and image stabilization, 1.3-megapixel front-facing video call camera and powerful Scorpion chipset consisting of a 1GHz CPU and Adreno GPU and a whopping 768MB RAM! On top of all this hardware goodness the device also boasts the latest version of Google's Android OS, version 2.3, augmented with HTC's own Sense UI overlay, to make an already attractive and usable OS, doubly so.
HTC 7 Pro - If Android and BlackBerry don't measure up to your demands you should definitely give the HTC 7 Pro a look. The device runs on Microsoft's visually striking Windows Phone platform and features a near-perfect hardware QWERTY, the same Qualcomm Scorpion chipset as the Incredible S, also clocked at 1GHz, a 5-megapixel camera capable of 720P video capture and 448MB RAM to keep everything ticking over nice and briskly. As you're no doubt well aware, HTC's devices are amazingly robust and well constructed, and the 7 Pro is a prime example of the level of craftsmanship that you can expect when you invest in a device developed by the Taiwanese firm. So if you're after the very best hardware keyboard on the market and amazing build quality you should look no further than this amazing device.
Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc - Another company famed for its amazing workmanship is Sony Ericsson and its Android 2.3 powered Xperia Arc is a fine example of what you can achieve if you combine robust hardware with industry leading software. The device features a delightful 4.2-inch Bravia Mobile enabled display, Qualcomm Scorpion chipset (clocked to 1GHz), 8-megapixel camera with LED flash, image stabilization, face and smile detection, and Sony Ericsson's custom Timescape UI overlay, which enables you to get the very most out of the Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) OS. There's even an HDMI-out slot, so you can show off your captured 720P movies to your friends on your own big-screen TV!
So, while the iPhone is undoubtedly an amazing piece of hardware, it isn't the be-all and end-all of the smartphone market and with Google's Android OS now surpassing Apple's ubiquitous device as the smartphone OS du jour, and both Microsoft and BlackBerry stepping forward in great leaps and bounds, you'd do well to fully explore your options before you invest in a costly contract. Newer devices are coming out every day that utilise new and exciting technologies, one of which being the iPhone 5, but at the time of writing any one of the devices on this list will put a huge grin on your face and hold their own for years to come, so get involved!
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