Slideshow: Choosing the Right Smartphone for You

Mobile handset makers, including Research in Motion (RIMM), HTC, Palm (PALM) and Samsung, now offer sleek, feature-laden smartphones that appeal to both businesspeople and mainstream consumers alike.

"They're trying to steal the iPhone's headlines, steal its thunder," says Dan Havlik, editor of tech education site DemystifyingDigital.com. "It has made the entire category of smartphones more interesting than just a tool for businesspeople."

The growing popularity of these gadgets is evident. Consumers bought nearly 4.2 million smartphones during the third quarter of 2007 — a 163% increase year over year, according to the NPD Group, a market research company.

While many of the latest smartphones double as a camera, web browser, MP3 player and email device, there's no guarantee that they'll do all of those things particularly well, says Michael Gartenberg, research director for Jupiter Research, a market research firm. "None of these phones is going to be the perfect device for everyone," he says.

Our experts helped narrow the field, offering up some of the best options based on the features that matter most. View our slideshow to see which smartphone suits you the best:

It comes as no surprise that Research in Motion's latest smartphone, the BlackBerry Bold, tops the list for email capabilities. The company's BlackBerry Enterprise Server technology sets the gold standard for smartphone email, offering real-time email synchronization and advanced editing features for attached documents, says Rob Enderle, president of technology advisory firm Enderle Group in San Jose, Calif. "If you're a crackberry addict, it's critical," he jokes.

As an added bonus, the Bold also offers more consumer-friendly features such as a two-megapixel camera, digital media player, GPS navigation and the BlackBerry Media Sync, which automatically syncs with your computer's iTunes music collection. Faster 3G wireless technology, capable of high-speed Internet connections and world-wide roaming, will appeal to business and personal users alike. Available world-wide summer 2008.

Think of the Palm Centro as a smartphone with training wheels, says Joni Blecher, editorial director for LetsTalk.com, a wireless plan comparison site. There aren't tons of bells and whistles, but there are enough — including 3G wireless technology, instant messaging, web browsing and a 1.3 megapixel camera — to make it a great deal for the price. There's also plenty of stylistic pizzazz, including a touchscreen and colorful options like pink and red. The tradeoffs: the mediocre Palm operating system, a tiny keyboard and an overall design that appeals more to teens than business users, says Blecher. Available through AT&T, Sprint.

Wannabe iPhone killers still have a way to go when it comes to ease of use. Apple's (AAPL) iPhone boasts the tough-to-beat combo of a seamless Mac operating system and user-friendly touch interface, says Bonnie Cha, a senior editor at electronics review site CNET. "You can essentially pick up the device and know exactly what to do with it," she says. Its 3.5-inch screen makes for easy viewing of both menus and media, while third-party web applications like calculators, games and city directories let you personalize the device to fit your needs.

"If you've held off buying an iPhone for this long, wait a little longer," advises Cha. Apple has a 3G version in the works, a data connection upgrade that will offer faster Internet browsing and downloads, as well as the possibility of videoconferencing. The next-generation iPhone is expected to debut in June, coinciding with the device's one-year anniversary. Available exclusively through AT&T.

"The big question is, 'How good a phone is your smartphone?'" says Jupiter Research's Gartenberg. "For most consumers, telephony is still more important than data capabilities, unless you want to carry two devices." With BlackJack II's excellent voice quality, however, there's no need for gadget overload, says Havlik. And the BlackJack II's robust battery allows for up to seven hours of talk time, roughly two hours longer than most of the competition.

Samsung's latest BlackJack model offers GPS navigation capabilities, two-megapixel camera and a larger display than its predecessor. Its other features offer a happy medium between work and play, with G3 wireless technology, a Windows Mobile 6 operating system that lets you view and edit documents on the go, a full QWERTY keyboard and an optional subscription to XM Satellite Radio (XMSR). Available through AT&T.

Early adopters often risk a bad case of buyer's remorse, but they can likely rest easy when it comes to HTC's Touch Diamond. "That's one [iPhone competitor] that has really taken people by surprise," says Havlik.

The entire phone is touch-sensitive. Silencing your ringtone, for example, is as simple as flipping the phone facedown. A TouchFLO 3D interface adds animation and flash for an eye-catching display. The cutting-edge 3.5G device (which boosts connection speeds that are even faster than 3G) also boasts a GPS, built-in YouTube connection to create and submit videos, and two cameras — a 3.2-megapixel one for still shots, and another for videoconferencing. Available in the U.S. in late 2008.