It’s summer, so a young person’s thoughts naturally turn to … a new mobile phone, of course (what else?)! If you’re not consumed by the countdown to the launch of Apple’s 3G iPhone on July 11 there are plenty of alternative devices coming onto the market this summer – and some of these might well be more practical for business users.

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Let’s just recap on why the is making such headlines. Firstly, it’s an Apple device. That means quality and cachet to many. With the iPod dominating the digital music market, many consumers see the merging of their portable music player and mobile phone as a natural progression. iPod users also tend to be early adopters of the latest technology. The original iPhone was pretty mediocre in the phone department though, so the new 3G version is a catching up exercise for Apple. For business users the faster connection means that this really cool-looking phone can also offer serious web surfing and email, plus it comes with Outlook-like calendar and address book plus viewer software for Microsoft Office files so you can take most of your office with you when you travel. Whether it’s up to serious business use in terms of its durability and the robustness of the built-in applications only time will tell. The iPhone 3G will only be available on O2, so if you use another network you'll need to look elsewhere anyway.

Meanwhile, in business circles the still leads the way, and has gained wider appeal now that it has produced the slimmer Pearl model which looks more like a conventional phone. It has a proven track record, which for many will give it the edge over the Apple newcomer. For big corporates with big central IT departments, especially Lotus Notes users, this has become the device of choice, having been designed with such users in mind. If mobile email is what you want, even a sole practitioner or sole trader should have a look at the Blackberry. However, the style is unique and it certainly doesn’t suit everyone.

If you’re still undecided, fear not. There are plenty of alternative devices out there that might just meet your requirements better than an iPhone or Blackberry. We’re assuming that you’re looking for some sort of smartphone, one that handles email and Outlook-type applications, and maybe some entertainment features such as a music and video player. Here’s the AccountingWEB guide to what to look for and what the latest devices offer:

• The latest operating systems – it’s a choice between Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional and (on Nokia) Symbian OS 9.2 or 9.3 Series 60. The new Motorola MING2 A1600 uses embedded Linux, which makes for a versatile phone but has no PDA functionality.


• Glossy colour screens – the new O2 XDA Diamond/HTC Touch Diamond sports a typical 2.8" 480x640 pixel color transflective TFT screen, accept nothing less. At last handheld devices offer almost useable Web browsing, at least if you have good eyesight.


• Memory – many of these devices can be used as mass storage devices – the HTC Diamond has 4GB of internal memory, so you don’t need a memory stick to collect that client’s Sage data – just copy it onto your phone! Windows smartphones will also offer external memory expansion, typically with MicroSD cards. However, if you’re looking for a device to meet both business and entertainment needs you’ll need as much memory as you can throw at it – which may not be that much. MicroSD cards are seriously tiny, so don’t imagine you can carry a stack with you and swap them over at will – you may need tweezers and magnifying glass.


• Faster processors – the latest Windows Mobile 6.1 devices typically run on a 400-500 MHz chip and 128 MB of RAM. As with the desktop version, Windows works best with as much power as you can get, so a lower spec device may be quite sluggish. Symbian devices require much less raw power.


• GPS – separate devices are SO last year. Virtually all smartphones these days double as sat nav devices, although you need to check first to ensure it will run TomTom or your chosen software rather than the proprietary system supplied by the manufacturer.


• Camera – 3.1 Megapixel seems to be the most common resolution on the latest phones, which is well below the quality of even a cheap digital camera. This may not sound too bad, but if this is an important feature for you check the quality for yourself – good resolution coupled with a poor lens will still produce poor pictures. Most will also take videos and function as a videophone/webcam, but again try to check out how good they are - a cheap webcam may still give you far better results.


• Built-in applications – Windows Mobile comes with Outlook and Office applications, but make sure you like the user interface. Touch screens and virtual keyboards don’t suit everyone, and indeed don’t necessarily suit the software – in some cases blocking your view of the area you are trying to type in!


• Battery life – this remains the land time (and the designers) forgot! Unfortunately, you won’t. Some of the more powerful smartphones will only manage 24 hours between charging if you use them heavily – which, of course, you are tempted to do because you can do so many different things with them.

In summary - decide what features you want and see what's available. There are some very powerful - and great looking - devices coming onto the market this summer that offer serious mobile computing and communication features for business users. For cutting edge technology on the move, take a closer look at:

Nokia 6210 Navigator
Nokia E71
Nokia N96
O2 Diamond/HTC Touch Diamond
HP iPaq 910c
Samsung SGH-i550w
Samsung SGH-i900 Omnia
Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1
Toshiba Portégé G920