A mobile phone can be far more than a swish gadget that makes phone calls. It can be a tool that acts as the hub of your working day. Want to send and receive a crucial e-mail without humping a laptop? Need to open or amend a document before a big presentation? Not a problem.

Though many phones offer sophisticated diary and multimedia features, smartphones are a breed apart. These beasts trace their origins back to palmtop computers, with a more powerful processor and an operating system that can be customised by downloading new software for, say, speedier surveyors’ reports or more efficient event management.

Most smartphones also have a large screen, which makes surfing the web less squinty, and they now tend to offer a fast 3G internet connection. However, UK-based 3G coverage remains patchy and speeds are often far lower than the claimed maximum of 384Kbps.

One feature worth having is built-in WiFi, for e-mailing larger files to or from your phone, without paying data charges, when within range of a hotspot. Another is HSDPA, an enhanced version of 3G that is already available on some networks. This service claims over-the-air speeds of up to 1.8Mbps, though in our London-based tests it didn’t exceed 1.2Mbps.

To choose a smartphone, first consider what you need it to do. If you regularly work away from the office, the ability to connect to the internet at reliable speeds is crucial. If you tap out a multitude of e-mails, text-entry is also vital. Some models feature a full Qwerty keypad — of varying quality — while others have a touchscreen with handwriting recognition, and a select few offer both. Each method has its merits, but all are simpler than a regular phone’s numberpad, even for basic text messages.

The watchword is compromise: to accommodate a Qwerty keyboard, smartphones tend to be wide and flat, making them less suited to voice calls. Holding, say, the chunky MDA Vario II to your head looks silly. However, most models, including all those on test, have Bluetooth, so you can use a wireless headset for calls. Battery life on all models was about two days (BlackBerry longer, Palm slightly shorter).

If, apart from making calls, you mainly want to listen to music or take photographs, look elsewhere. Smartphones often have a poor camera or, because they’re favoured by business users, none at all — the Nokia N73 is a notable exception. Each model under review, apart from the BlackBerry, includes a handy memory-card slot, but despite their ability to run music or video files, few are on song with music playback.

The final ingredient here is which software system to opt for. BlackBerry handsets use the company’s own quirky software, while Nokia and Sony Ericsson smartphones include a fine-tuned version of a well-respected system called Symbian. Most others now include Microsoft’s Windows Mobile 5.0 package. You may well need your smartphone to match your company’s set-up. If not, the Windows package will be the most familiar to PC owners and is marginally more compatible with MS Office documents, but it is also the least intuitive by far.

Choose well and your smartphone will soon be earning its keep. And you can always keep a dinky fashion phone in your bedside drawer for weekends.

POWER TOOL

T-Mobile MDA Vario II — free-£180 with contract from www.t-mobile.co.uk
Five stars
Speed and versatility for the demanding

You’ll appreciate this if you download or edit documents on the move. At a pocket-bulging 176g it’s no fashion phone, but there’s a 2Mp camera and the slide-out Qwerty keyboard, WiFi and fast HSDPA internet access make it a viable surrogate laptop. With the keyboard out, the 3in screen nicely reformats to landscape. Keys are large but closely packed, so it’s hunt-and-peck typing only. The Windows Mobile software makes it easy to view and edit Word or Excel files, and all in all it’s a stand-out product.

MULTIMEDIA STARLET

Nokia N73 — from free to £150 with contract, or £297 from www.theorder.co.uk
Four stars
Fun handset, great for photos, poor for data

The snazzy N73 is a pocketable 3G smartphone with a good camera. It has Nokia’s Series 60 software, a pin-sharp 2.4in screen and a 3.2Mp camera. Photos are above average thanks to autofocus and a Carl Zeiss lens, despite no optical zoom. A straightforward function that uploads shots to the photo website Flickr is handy. However, there’s no WiFi or HSDPA internet access and the keys are too closely packed, although auto keypad backlight adjustment is a boon. The music player sounds okay, and the stereo speakers are fun. Enjoyable, yet no workhorse.

E-MAIL MASTER

BlackBerry 8700 — free on £40 monthly contract, or £505 from www.macwarehouse.co.uk
Four stars
Classy e-mailer, but less suited to calls

BlackBerry is the gold standard for e-mail devices. The chunky 8700g has a right-thumb jog-wheel, Qwerty keyboard and the usual BlackBerry shortcuts. The screen is bright and the battery lasted 4-5 days. But the software is idiosyncratic and there’s no camera or 3G, although EDGE technology improves speed slightly over basic GPRS in some areas. BlackBerry’s best, but unbeatable e-mail handling can’t mask a lack of features.

PALMTOP MAESTRO

Palm Treo 750v — from free depending on contract from www.vodafone.co.uk
Four stars
Good balance between phone and palmtop

This Treo is a treat for diary obsessives. Though this well-made 3G smartphone features the Windows Mobile 5.0 software, not Palm’s own, the company has tweaked the Microsoft operating system to add, for example, a Google search bar on the homescreen and powerful call-management features. Key features are readily accessible, either through the five-way navigation button or by prodding the touchscreen. The absence of WiFi is only partially balanced by being HSDPA-ready. Despite minor flaws, such as a shortish battery life of around 36 hours and a 1.3Mp camera, it is highly likeable.

SLIMLINE SMARTIE

HTC MTeoR — typically £300 without contract from www.htc.com
Three stars
Neat 3G smartphone despite serious flaws

Though little known in Britain, HTC is a respected maker of phones rebranded by the big networks. The MTeoR is unusually compact for a smartphone and, at 120g, won’t burst a suit pocket. The trade-off is the absence of a keyboard, which makes it unsuited to proper work, despite the Windows Mobile 5.0 software. Instead, you must use a joystick, which on this phone is precise and effective, though the side jog wheel is easy to press accidentally. Despite being a 3G phone there is no front-facing camera for video calls — but who makes video calls anyway? The 1.3Mp camera and lack of WiFi are also disappointing. So, though neat, the MTeoR doesn’t truly fly.

OVERSIZED ORGANISER

Sony Ericsson P990i — typically £180 with contract, or £460 from www.expansys.com
Three stars
Beefy powerphone hampered by tiny keys

This 3G smartphone is the successor to a highly popular Sony Ericsson handset and offers powerful organiser functions as well as built-in WiFi. It retains the distinctive flip-down numeric-key front panel that reveals a handy Qwerty keypad and a full 3in touchscreen. Pictures taken with the 2Mp autofocus camera look impressive. Sony Ericsson’s version of the latest Symbian smartphone software is flexible and contains attractive menus, but it’s unwieldy to use, partly because of the undersized keys and a thin, uncomfortable stylus. The resourceful predictive-text function helps, as does decent sound quality, but at 150g the P990i is hefty, and there is better around.

Jargon buster

3G Third-generation mobiles offering faster internet speeds, of up to 384Kbps Bluetooth Short-wave radio connection. Ideal for sharing photos or linking wireless headset

EDGE System for slightly faster data transmission with some GPRS phones

GPRS Modest internet access integrated into basic GSM (2G) network. Often called 2.5G

HSDPA Software upgrade that delivers much faster data speeds, of up to 1.8Mbps Push e-mail System that automatically sends e-mails to your phone as they arrive

Research supplied by What Mobile magazine
InGear maximum rating Five stars
All prices include Vat and delivery