Which WiFi Smartphone is for me?
If you follow me on Twitter you probably know that I'm thinking about getting a new mobile phone.
My current contract is running out in June. Cell phones are heavily subsidized by the carriers in Germany. This means you get the phones cheap but are stuck to them for 2 years.
I do not talk much on my phone - but I want to use it as a mobile internet device. I will read and write a lot of emails on it and I will occasionally access the web. Having a usable data entry method is a must for me, WiFi is too.
Here are the candidates I identified so far:
| HTC P4350 | Nokia E61i | Apple iPhone | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |
|
| OS | Windows Mobile 2006 | Symbian | OSX based |
| Keyboard | Slideout + On-Screen | Thumbboard | On-Screen |
| Screen | 2.8“ 240×320 touch | 2.8” 320x240px | 3.5“ 480x320px multitouch |
| Disk Space | microSD | microSD | 8GB fixed |
| Camera | 2MP with video | 2MP with video | 2MP no video |
| Weight | 168g | 150g | 135g |
| Dimensions | 109x59x17mm | 117x70x13.9mm | 115x61x11.6mm |
| 3G | no | yes | no |
| Price 1) | 280€ | 220€ | 400€ |
| Monthly Fee 2) | 35€ (eplus) | 35€ (eplus) | 50€ (t-mobile) |
| Total Price 3) | 1120€ | 1060€ | 1600€ |
The HTC P4350 is closest to my “dream hardware” except for the missing 3G. The slide-out keyboard is big compared to other phones and the stylus based input adds some more flexibility. Unfortunately it does run Windows Mobile. I'm not sure I could cope with the cruft that is.
The OS of the Nokia E61i is much more to my liking. I currently have a Nokia phone and really like the Symbian platform. The keys on the thumb board are a bit small but I might get used to it. No touchscreen though. What bothers me most is the bulkiness of the design.
The iPhone needs no introduction. Unfortunately it is only available from the worst provider in Germany – ex-monopolist T-Mobile. Their data plan is quite expensive as is the phone itself. Apple is known to design very usable interfaces on the other hand. Multiple iPhone owners did confirm this is true for the iPhone as well. The iPhone is also probably one of the most hacked for4) gadgets of the near future.
I still have no idea what to choose. I wish I could test drive each of them for some weeks. Anyone wants to sponsor some review models? 
What would you choose? Did I miss any obvious option?5)