Best touchscreen phones
Round-up reviews let you compare four related products and find out which one is best for you
Round-up by: Jason Jenkins
Last updated: 03 Aug 2009
Touchscreen technology is fast becoming the must-have feature on mobile phones. Ever since Apple wowed us with its nifty iPhone -- letting you pinch its screen and brush your way through the menu -- everyone is gagging for a screen they can touch.
With so many touchscreen phones flooding the market, how do you know which one is the right one for you? Just because a phone has a touchscreen, it doesn't mean it's going to provide exactly the same experience as a similar gadget. It can be alarmingly different, so always try before you buy.
One of the main things to watch out for when buying a touchscreen phone is how responsive it is to your gentle prodding. When you tap the screen, you want it to react accordingly and if it doesn't, move on to a different phone.
A touchscreen phone's interface is also very important. Some feature tiny on-screen icons and aren't really designed for using your fingers. If you don't like the idea of having to use a stylus, don't be afraid to try something else.
A large screen means it'll be prone to fingerprint marks and potential cracks if you sit on it or drop it. Keeping your kit in good shape is important -- look into what kind of accessories you can buy, such as cases or protective screens.
Last but definitely not least, watch out for battery life. Having a large screen is a real battery drainer, so find out how long the battery lasts. If the option is available, one way of saving energy is to turn down a screen's brightness.
Have a look below for the best touchscreen mobiles we have reviewed recently.

Compare Products
![]() Apple iPhone 3GS |
![]() Samsung i8910 HD |
![]() Samsung Tocco Lite |
![]() HTC Hero |
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| Review date | 19 Jun 09 | 8 Jun 09 | 2 Jul 09 | 22 Jul 09 |
| Editors' rating |
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| Price range | £540 | £500 | £130 | £400 |
| Review summary | Apple has put the icing on the cake with the iPhone 3G S, adding many of the smaller features that we missed on the previous model. It's not a huge change from the iPhone 3G, so look carefully at the hardware before upgrading or investing in this expensive phone, but it won't disappoint users who crave a great user experience. It's the current king of gadgets Read full review |
The best Symbian touchscreen phone out there makes the operating system a pleasure to tap. Add a gorgeous AMOLED screen and high-quality video recording, along with generous memory, and the Samsung i8910 HD -- formerly the Omnia HD -- is an entertainment powerhouse. But there's no Samsung app store, and Symbian can be sluggish and confusing compared to the iPhone OS Read full review |
The Samsung Tocco Lite does a good job of scaling down touchscreen tech to fit in a pocket-sized, bargain-basement phone. A bright, responsive touchscreen ensures that basics like dialling and texting pose no problems, and the 3.2-megapixel camera is decent too. But, without 3G, the Lite doesn't so much surf as paddle the Web Read full review |
If you can stand the Hero's occasional sluggishness, it's a fantastic smart phone packed with great features. We like its distinctive looks, and the innovative user interface brings Android much closer to being as fun and good-looking as the iPhone OS, while being far more customisable. Occasional lag and Android's rough edges mean it's not quite an iPhone killer, but it's definitely fighting in the same class Read full review |
| User rating | ||||
| Form factor | Candy-bar | Candy-bar | Candy-bar | Candy-bar |
| Weight | 133 g | 145 g | 93 g | 135 g |
| Talk time (mfr) | 300 min | 390 min | 600 min | 470 min |
| Standby time (mfr) | 300 hours | 430 hours | 700 hours | 440 hours |
| 3G | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Camera resolution | 3 megapixels | 8 megapixels | 3.2 megapixels | 5 megapixels |
| Music playback | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| FM radio | No | Yes | Yes | n/a |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Infrared | n/a | No | No | n/a |
| Full specification | Full specification | Full specification | Full specification |
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