The Best Android Smartphones

July 23, 2010, By Steve McFarlane 19 comments

The Google-developed Android mobile operating system is an alternative to the Apple iPhone, Blackberry and Palm. Even though the Android operating system is relatively new to the market, the popularity of Android phones such as the Evo 4G, Droid Incredible and Motorola Droid suggests that these multitasking feature-rich smartphones are coming in line with what we want our mobile devices to be. Here's a roundup of some of the best Android smartphones on the market today.

Motorola Droid

For those who must have a physical keyboard, the Motorola Droid is definitely a phone to consider. Despite the fact that the phone has a slide out keyboard, the phone is still relatively thin; actually it is only marginally thicker than the iPhone 3G. The 5 megapixel camera and dual LED flash also allow the phone to take surprisingly good photos – considering that this is actually a phone.

While you have to save apps to the phone's internal memory (512MB ROM and 256MB RAM), a memory card will store up to a maximum of 32GB of photos, music, and other content.

Other Features: 5MP camera, LED flash, GPS, 3.5mm headphone jack
Dimensions: 4.56” x 2.36” x 0.54”
Weight: 5.96 ounces
Display: 3.7”
Starting Price: $149 with a 2 year contract from Verizon

HTC Evo 4G

Sprint has the distinction of bringing the first 4G smart phone to the US in the form of the Evo 4G. The most noticeable feature of the Evo 4G is its generous 4.3-inch display. While the extra wide screen makes it a joy to watch videos on, it does tend to make the phone uncomfortable to grasp and use for all but those with large hands. The phone also takes a battery life penalty for having such a large and vibrant display.Regardless, the phone is one of the most feature-rich smartphone devices on the market with performance to back it up, thanks to the 1Ghz Snapdragon processor that makes the user experience quite snappy. One of the biggest selling points of this phone is the 4G service that it supports. You won’t be able to get the service in every area at this time, but if you do, you'll get speeds that are on average 10x faster than current 3G speeds.

Other Features: HDMI ports, 3.5mm head jack port, Wi-Fi
Dimensions: 4.8” x 2.6” x 0.5”
Weight: 6 ounces
Display: 4.3”
Starting Price: $199 with a contract from Sprint