DEEP-POCKETED POSER
Motorola Moto Razr V3 — free to £360 at www.mobiles.co.uk
Great looks and functions

Geeks may marvel at the Razr V3 for its technical triumphs, but it’s the wafer-thin styling that will turn heads. It looks like something out of Tron — the only downside is that it can be fiddly. Opening the unit with one hand — a must-master posing flourish — is difficult and the side buttons are easy to mis-key. However, the glow-in-the-dark keyboard is finger-friendly and navigating the software is easy. A large, bright screen displays pictures clearly and the acoustics are second to none: ringtones are attention-grabbingly loud and the speakerphone is clear. The battery has serious staying power, you can connect to your computer and a high-quality antenna ensures good signal reception. The only disadvantage can be the price.

EARLY ADOPTER
Sony Ericsson P910 — free with contract at www.tmobile.co.uk, or £500 at www.shop.bt.com
Feature-packed for the future

Smartphones combine the power of a handheld computer with the convenience of a mobile, and the P910 is about as smart as they come. Packed into this chunky unit is Quickoffice, which enables you to create and edit Word and Excel files as well as read Adobe documents — ideal for people who simply must stay in touch. There is plenty of computing power to run programs smoothly, and the screen displays more than 250,000 colours, so pictures and video look rich. Smartphones have struggled with data input, but the P910 solves the problem with a flip-down Qwerty keyboard below the number pad.

BACK TO BASICS
Sendo M570 — typically £100, or £90 without contract from www.buymobilephones.net
Simple to use but low on features

This sleek clamshell is just the job for anybody looking for a stylish phone that does what it says on the tin. It doesn’t have a camera and the features won’t set the world on fire, but it is easy enough for your granny to use and small enough to slip into a clutch bag. Simply unfold — to an accompanying whoosh — and dial. Polyphonic ringtones bring it up to date and there is GPRS for data transfer. The colour screen is bright enough to make the games fun to play, and at a low price with no contract, this is the ideal present for a first-time phone owner.

NO-NONSENSE PROFESSIONALS
Nokia 6230 — free with contract, or £225 from www.foneplanet.com
Solid and functional quality

Nokia has stepped away from phones designed for children and the 6230 marks a return to the powerful products that made the company’s name. This solid number has a bright colour screen, excellent connectivity for data transmission and space for 1,000 contacts. An e-mail reader completes the robust communications package. Linking to your computer is easy, and the battery is resilient enough to let you trade stocks and shares all day. A radio and MP3 and games players help busy executives unwind between meetings. Aside from the fiddly central navigation button, this is one of the phones of the year.

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