THE BEST Cellphones

A downsized version of the drool-worthy HD2, HTC’s HD mini weighs in with a 3.2″ 320×480 touchscreen, WinMo 6.5.3 w/Sense UI, 7.2 Mbps HSDPA, 600 MHz CPU, and 5 MP camera.

Compared to the Desire, HTC’s Legend is a no-go with no 3G, but its aluminum body is a head-turner; it also sports Android 2.1, a 600 MHz CPU, optical trackpad, and 3.2″ AMOLED screen.

HTC’s Desire/Bravo goes one-on-one with Google’s Nexus One (also HTC); it features a 3.7″ multitouch 480×800 AMOLED screen, 1 GHz CPU, 5 MP camera, and Android 2.1 w/Sense UI.

Motorola’s Cliq XT removes the Cliq’s slide-out QWERTY but adds an optical trackpad, 3.1″ multitouch screen, and Flash Lite; it also features 7.2 Mbps HSDPA, 5 MP camera, and Android 1.5.

Samsung’s Wave makes waves by being the first Bluetooth 3.0 handset; the phone also features a 3.3″ AMOLED display, 1 GHz CPU, 5 MP camera, 720p video, and 802.11n Wi-fi.

Available March in Europe, LG’s Mini/GD880 phone ups the style ante with a 16:9 3.2″ touchscreen and a button-free face, 5.0 MP camera, 7.2Mbps HSDPA, Wi-fi, FM radio, and A-GPS.

Choosing a Gelaskin can be a bit like eating only one thing at a buffet, but we’d gladly dine in hell with Frank Miller; they now offer skins pulled directly from the pages of 300 and Sin City.

Apple’s not the only company that can do cool product videos: Google, HTC, and Audience engineers talk about the History of the Nexus One and also reveal two new docks.

Verizon subscribers finally get a taste of Motoblur-flavored Android with Motorola’s Devour; it’s a slide-out QWERTY phone with 3.1″ capacitive touchscreen, 3G, aGPS, and Bluetooth.

Part of Sony Ericsson’s eco-friendly Greenheart line, the Aspen is the first smartphone with WinMo 6.5.3 and features a full QWERTY, 2.4″ touchscreen, WiFi, Bluetooth, and 3.2 MP camera.

Google Voice arrives on the iPhone and Palm Pre courtesy HTML5; you’ll need to access it via your browser, but outgoing calls will display on Caller ID with your Google Voice number.

Mixing assassins with Google’s Nexus One thankfully only results in a lot of shredded cardboard: Ninja’s Unboxing is a sharp warning to blister packs and shrink wrapping everywhere.

OtterBox’s Tandem Series is godsend for Palm Pre owners in search of a case: it features silicone-lined polycarbonate front and back shells that let you slide the screen smoothly.

Lenovo’s China-only Lephone includes a snap-on keyboard a-la the Ideapad U1; the phone itself features a 3.7″ touchscreen, 1 GHz Snapdragon CPU, and two cameras (one front-facing).

Available 1/25/2010 with Verizon, Palm doubles down with the Pre Plus (16 GB, no home button) and Pixi Plus (WiFi); both can also serve as 3G hotspots with up to 5 devices tethered.

Motorola’s Backflip is inside-out with both the keyboard and 3.1″ touch screen facing outwards; the 3G-capable phone runs Android 1.5 and includes WiFi, Bluetooth, and a 5 MP camera.

Google’s Nexus One is official: it’s available unlocked or via T-Mo/VZW and features a 3.7″ AMOLED touchscreen, 5 MP camera, video recording, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Android 2.1.

No, your phone is not haunted: Mac Funamizu’s Floater Phone concept features a curved bottom that lets it sit up by itself or wobble whenever it receives a call or text message.

Sony Ericsson’s Elm and Hazel are eco-friendly phones made from recycled plastics; each features a 5 MP camera, Wi-Fi, HSPA, a low-power charger, and minimal packaging.

Giant flip phones, two-line displays: Toddland revisits the 80s with this yuppie-friendly printed vinyl Buy Sell Buy Sell Wallet; it even comes with an antenna that extends and retracts.

Andrew Mitchell’s Squibble Braille Interface concept features 779 ultrasonic motors to provide tactile and high contrast feedback; it’s designed to work with cellphones via Bluetooth.

Peek at the real world with Google Goggles; it’s a basic visual search for Android phones that can store business cards as well as ID books, art, businesses, and landmarks.

New at Incase: the Perforated Snap Case offers the best of both worlds, keeping your iPhone light and cool while still providing the scratch and drop protection of a regular hardshell case.

Zii’s Trinity is a 3.5G/4G phone that’ll run Android or Plaszma with drool-worthy specs: 3.1″ OLED multi-touch screen, 1080p out, front-facing camera, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and 3D graphics.

Ideal for folks living in chilly climes, Steve Hoefer teaches you how to make any pair of gloves touch screen-friendly: all you’ll need is a needle and about 12″ of conductive thread.

Available 12/7/09 at AT&T, LG’s eXpo targets road warriors with a detachable pico projector; the slider smartphone also features a 1 GHz CPU, 3.2″ touchscreen, and 5 MP camera.