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When I asked my phone savvy friends what touchscreen Smartphone to get, the advice given is Apple's iPhone 4. When I tell them I want something less expensive, they direct me to the bada-powered Samsung Wave 8500 and the Android-powered HTC Wildfire. Given that I belong to the dwindling number of Windows Mobile holdouts, I have no preference for iOS, bada or Android with reference to familiarity. Between the bada and Android, I prefer Android.
When I asked my phone savvy friends what touchscreen Smartphone to get, the advice given is Apple's iPhone 4. When I tell them I want something less expensive, they direct me to the bada-powered Samsung Wave 8500 and the Android-powered HTC Wildfire. Given that I belong to the dwindling number of Windows Mobile holdouts, I have no preference for iOS, bada or Android with reference to familiarity. Between the bada and Android, I prefer Android.
1. HTC Wildfire
Taking a look at the HTC Wildfire, I am happy with the look and feel of the product. I like that it has a nice compact design with excellent hardware specifications. The suggested retail price of Php17,000 is about how much I am willing to pay for a mobile phone, but it now sells at Php15,000 with an HTC warranty.
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UTeQhQcvdNU/TO9oONB93yI/AAAAAAAAF18/3wr-DtUSeIs/s200/htc+wildfire+white.jpg)
The Wildfire runs on Android 2.1 (Eclair) with the HTC Sense UI. It is powered by a 528 MHz Qualcomm processor and has 384 MB of RAM. Internal storage is 512MB. Internal storage can be increased via a MicroSD slot. It has all the standard connectivity I would need: GPRS, EDGE, HSDPA, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, a microUSB port and as well as a built in GPS transceiver with A-GPS support. It seems to have a decent camera-- a 5 MP autofocus camera with a LED flash.
2. Samsung Galaxy Spica i5700
![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UTeQhQcvdNU/TO9ogitjdFI/AAAAAAAAF2A/QKreGR9Hacg/s200/samsung_i5700.jpg)
I like the higher resolution screen, and the one I saw was priced at Php13,700, which a fair amount less expensive than the HTC Wildfire.
3. Sony Ericsson Xperia X8.
The Sony Ericsson Xperia X8 runs on a Qualcomm 600MHz processor with 168MB of RAM and 128MB of internal storage. The screen is a 3.0 inch TFT capacitive touchscreen display with 320 x 480 pixel resolution. It has a 3.15MP camera, but it is only a fixed focus camera. Connectivity options are as expected: GPRS, EDGE, HSDPA, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g and Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP as well as a built-in GPS transceiver with A-GPS support.
For a newly released phone, the biggest disappointment is that it runs on Android 1.6 (Donut), with no word on updates. The phone does not support multi-touch but has a decent web browser. For this alone I would have dumped this from consideration, except for one factor. It has a really attractive suggested retail price of only Php11,600.
4. Samsung Galaxy 5 i5503
I am a big fan of Samsung phones, having owned two, but this one I am not too fond of. The i5503 has adequate specifications running on Android 2.1 (Cupcake) backed by a 600 MHz processor and 170MB of internal storage, which can be expanded through a MicroSD slot. It has all the standard connectivity I would need: GPRS, EDGE, HSDPA, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, a microUSB port and as well as a built-in GPS transceiver with A-GPS support. As a minus, it has a relatively small 2.8 inch TFT capacitive touchscreen display with 240 x 320 pixel resolution. It does support multi-touch.
The smaller screen really would seem to be too small for a touchscreen phone. My other dislikes are more subjective. The chrome finish around the case and the textured caseback, all gives it a really budget look. With a retail price of Php10,980 it is the cheapest of the options here though.
5. LG Optimus One P500
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UTeQhQcvdNU/TO-Eq0PzyZI/AAAAAAAAF2Q/zraiuYnAUPk/s200/LG-Optimus-One.jpg)
The look and feel of the LG Optimus One P500, is hard to explain. It won't offend anyone and won't impress.
Conclusion
The Sony Ericsson and Samsung Galaxy 5 are the cheapest options, but they do give up a lot against the LG Optimus One P500. The LG Optimus One P500 has the best features set and is priced mid pack. My other favorite is the HTC Wildfire. I really like the HTC Sense interface and is well built, with its biggest weakness being its 240 x 320 pixel resolution screen. This could be a deal breaker for many. Overall, I like the Wildfire, but LG Optimus One P500 with the higher resolution screen and lower price seems like the best deal.
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