Smart Alternatives to the iPhone 3G

For everyone out there who wants an iPhone 3G-type phone but doesn’t want an iPhone, InformationWeek has an article talking up what it calls “8 killer iPhone 3G alternatives.”

If you don’t want to get roped into a two-year contract with AT&T, need a physical keypad or have a thing against the App Store, the magazine suggests you check out one of the following:

BlackBerry Bold for its “snazzy redesign, integrated Wi-Fi, 3G network capabilities and assisted GPS.”

HTC Touch Pro because it has both a touch-screen interface and a physical keyboard, plus Wi-Fi, 3G and GPS.

LG Voyager for its physical keyboard and touch-screen. This option has some drawbacks, though – it’s not a true smartphone.

LG Dare because, although its target is the casual user, it has “features and a design that may make mobile professionals look twice.”

Nokia N 96 because, well, it’s the latest addition to Nokia’s N series.

Samsung Omnia for its 3.2-inch touch-screen, five-megapixel camera, built-in GPS and Wi-Fi and handwriting recognition.

Samsung Instinct, which InformationWeek describes as “a legitimate alternative” to the iPhone for Sprint customers.

Garmin Nuvifone, which is due out later this year, and boasts a touch-screen, Wi-Fi, e-mail capabilities and, because it’s a Garmin, killer GPS features.

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