There is not much contest for the sassiest mobile of the year. In a vintage year for phones the Vodafone-branded Sharp GX10 clamshell multimedia phone takes compactness to a new dimension. It weighs only 107g yet includes an (easy to use) camera as well as most of the usual facilities. Although the GPRS option (always-on internet) is a little slow and the option giving your geographical position moody, these are minor criticisms of a Japanese phone that is telling Nokia that it isn't going to have it all its own way in future.
It is heavily geared to using Vodafone's own services like polyphonic ring tones, and Java games that are seductively easy to download from the internet (at up to £5 a throw) - but it is an impressive phone.
Cost: £199 with contract
While the Sharp GX10 was the most impressive, my personal preference is for the Nokia 7650 even though at 154g it is heavier than the GX10. This is partly because it has Bluetooth (though for data not voice) enabling the exchange of photos between phones in the immediate vicinity. But also because it feels more like a phone and has a slide-out keyboard with half-decent keypads. Its Symbian operating system, familiar to Psion users, is easy to navigate, with an electronic diary that is actually usable.
Although, ludicrously, you can't yet send photos to rival networks, it is addictive just taking snaps as a visual diary. I've stored 60 and downloaded two games (Fifa 2003 and Space Invaders) and have plenty of memory left. Downloading Pop3 email is the easiest I have come across.
Cost:£99.99 to £229.99
Gamers will also be very impressed by Orange's SPV , the second of this year's Asian invaders. The first phone with a Microsoft operating system, it boasts a dizzy array of services including GPRS, web, voice recording, calendar, contacts plus multimedia messaging, Windows media plus an (attachable) camera and impressive13 line colour screen able to run cut-down console games.
The joystick button is difficult to navigate with and there's no provision to download Java games - but it does have a memory card that supports some games.
Cost: £199 with camera
None of these phones should take the shine off the Ericsson T68i which remains a marvel of miniaturisation despite increasing competition. It supports colour, GPRS, Bluetooth, multi-media messaging and Triband (it works in the US) yet weighs only 88g without the camera which can be slotted in to take photos. There's no Java - but no phone has all you want.
Cost: varies with contract
The year's near-miss was the HP Jornada 928 , a phone/PDA that did every thing well on test - from taking big photos to great Google access. But battery life was unacceptably low - so its rival phone/PDA, O2's XDA led the way in the new world of PDA phones. (closely followed by the Treo family).
There are two awards for lemon of the year and both go to UK manufacturers. Sendo, the Birmingham-based mobile manufacturer, pulled its Sendo "smart phone" days from release after a contretemps with Microsoft, details of which are being hushed up.
The other goes to Pogo, based near the Guardian's Clerkenwell head office. It is stopping development on its lovely, funky, pillow-shaped phone/PDA which got good reviews but failed to sell well. Sadly, companies need a global presence to make an impact and there is no room for quirkiness. What a shame indeed.
Mobile application of the year goes to Shazam, the ingenious idea that enables you to dial 2580 and point your mobile at any music that is being played and then be texted back with details of the actual recording.
