Slideshow: Seeking the Ultimate Smartphone

For Early Adopters

($180, with a two-year contract)

"It's a revolutionary phone," raves Delly Tamer, CEO of cellphone plan assessment site LetsTalk.com. Google's easy-to-use Android operating system paired with HTC's unique, angled handset design showcases the mobile versions of Google's popular online products like Gmail and Google Docs. But the G1 isn't without its flaws -- such as the lack of a dedicated headphone jack (you'll have to buy an adaptor and then connect through the USB charging port).

"The biggest potential for the phone is in three to six months," says Tamer. Google is opening its operating system up to all handset makers and carriers -- meaning even more Google phones are on the way. (Motorola (MOT) has a version in development, as does carrier Sprint (S).)