HTC Touch Diamond 2

Thanks to its dazzling, responsive interface that almost completely hides Windows Mobile 6.1 from view (the worst parts of it, anyway), the HTC Touch Diamond 2 has sprung to the top of the pack as our favorite Windows Mobile touchscreen phone on the market. The phone isn't just superfast, it's also packed with intelligent new features, like the great calling features that aggregate useful information to make business conversations more informed. There is still room for improvement. Multimedia was a mess, a real shame on a phone with a hi-res screen like this one. Also, some apps we might expect from a U.S. carrier phone, like turn-by-turn navigation and a proper IM client, were missing on this unlocked, import version. Still, we had fun with the camera features, found Opera Mobile to be a capable, speedy browser, even over the slower network connection (here in the States, at least), and overall enjoyed our time with the HTC Touch Diamond 2. Release: April 2009. Price: $575.

Pros: Fast, responsive interface and hi-res touchscreen. Great calling features put useful info at fingertips. Solid camera and Web browsing features.

Cons: Multimedia functions were buggy, underpowered. Onscreen keyboard a bit small, though smart. Lacks some apps a U.S. carrier would include.