Comparing the iPhone Alternatives

Does the iPhone frenzy have you yearning for a new phone? Before you take that expensive leap, take a look at these five new and buzzworthy phones, and check out our chart comparing their specs with the iPhone's. Maybe the iPhone really is your dream handset, or maybe you want GPS, or a full keyboard, or a faster data connection. Or maybe you just don't want to plunk down a whopping $500. Here are a few intriguing options.

The HTC Touch has a large touch screen like the iPhone, but uses Windows Mobile instead of Mac OS X. Helio's Ocean has both a keyboard and a phone keypad, and also adds in some GPS services, but doesn't have Wi-Fi capabilities. For its part, Nokia's N95 mini-computer has full GPS, a capable 5-megapixel camera, and a host of other features, but it will cost you plenty. The BlackBerry Curve, a business favorite, adds a camera and multimedia playback to its popular e-mail handling. Last, and least in price, the Samsung Upstage is a relative bargain with video recording and full GPS.

Of course, there are other interesting phones beyond what we could fit in our comparison. The LG Prada, for example, is making waves with its iPhone-like minimalist design, and the capable Treo 750 is a new model in the line of the original smart phones.