Internet on the move

3:24pm Wednesday 7th May 2008

Need to know the latest news bulletins but no laptop handy? Just whip out one of these super-fast WiFi mobiles

COULD the internet be the final frontier for mobile phones? They've already snapped at the heels of digital cameras and made MP3 players sweat - could they have laptops in their sights?

The latest generation of handsets are packed with technological goodness and offer access to the internet at speeds that net nerds could once only dream about.

Forget about 3G - super-fast HDSPA (3.5G) is the new kid on the block, downloading data at impressive speeds.

There's WiFi on handsets, helping you connect to one of the many hotspots across the country that aren't just tied to coffee shops.

Apple iPhone
from £269 see www.apple.com/uk

Even beyond the hype, after six months of using one, this previous non-Apple fan wonders how he ever survived without hourly share updates.

The oversized touchscreen works a treat, it's the perfect size for watching downloaded videos and while only WiFi-friendly at the moment, there are rumours of added connectivity on the models arriving in June.

Toshiba Portege G810
£369.95 www.expansys.com

With blue back-lit buttons and a superb 2.8-inch touchscreen display, this is a very chic-looking handset from a rather surprising source.

Downloading is a doddle thanks to super-fast 3.5G connectivity and this piece of pocket-candy also boasts a three megapixel camera and sat-nav.

Sony Ericsson P1i
free on contract www.sonyericsson.com

Selecting a handset with a wide range of office tools and great connectivity hasn't been easy, but the P1i is a smartphone offering both in a decent-looking package.

The twin cameras offer the added functionality of video calling and it also has a business card scanner. Some may be put off by the keyboard, but you could switch and use the touchscreen version.

Pocketsurfer2
£179 www.firebox.com

It might only use GPRS, but this powerful device eats data over the airwaves and downloads pages onto its five-inch screen at speeds which make other devices weep.

You can't do any of the SMS or talking business on this unit but - and this is a big one - buy the Pocketsurfer and you get 20 hours free usage per month for a whole year or £5.99 a month buys you unlimited usage.

Nokia N81
£289 www.nokia.co.uk

The Finns recently relaunched their NGage system and now you can download console-quality gaming straight to one of many N-series handsets.

A whopping 8GB internal memory offers plenty of space for storing your music and stereo speakers add to the experience. Overall this is the handset to make commuting almost bearable.

Vario III
free on contract www.t-mobile.co.uk

The full-sized keyboard will be immediately appealing to many - it's easy to use and quite forgiving to those who don't have slender digits.

It's packed with a decent camera, super-fast HDSPA and WiFi, plus it has GPS, making it a ready-to-use sat-nav unit to boot.

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