Smart phones

Many are speedy and have big displays

Smart phones are getting smarter every day. They're not only great for texting, e-mail, and social networking on Facebook and Twitter but they can also play MP3 music, shoot photos and video, and offer GPS navigation. Some models have enhanced gaming capabilities as well.

Many phones in our Select Ratings (available to subscribers), led by models that use the Android operating system, sport sharp displays larger than 4 inches and 5-plus-megapixel cameras that record high-definition video. So-called 4G networks enable more models to provide faster streaming and better Web browsing, and front-facing cameras allow video chats.

Two recent developments: 3D capability (see First look: 3D on your smart phone) and wireless technology that lets you pay by phone at checkout (see Pay with your cell phone). The Samsung Nexus S 4G is one of the first models with pay-by-phone capability. Despite such gains, most phones still have middling voice quality.

When you're buying a phone, consider its OS, which dictates its features, capabilities, and "personality." Also check how many apps are available. The top OSs are Google's Android and Apple's iOS—which have loads of apps—and RIM's BlackBerry. The Windows Phone OS is less widely used.

Android excels at search and mapping and includes GPS-based navigation, usually a free app. It supports multi-touch displays as big as 4.5 inches and excels at presenting one view of contacts, appointments, and more. Android phones often have Flash, necessary to watch many Web videos, and some models have multiple-axis motion sensing for enhanced gaming.

Apple's iOS, on iPhones, is unrivaled for multimedia. Its interface is among the best for music, videos, games, and more. The iPhone 4 packs one of the sharpest multi-touch displays we've seen and allows networked gaming. But it isn't one of our recommended models because of signal-loss problems. (See Verizon iPhone rates highly, but we can't recommend it.)

BlackBerry's OS, used on the Torch 9800, pairs the platform's traditional cast-iron messaging and easy e-mail setup and account management with a friendlier, more dynamic interface. That provides better in-phone and Web-based searches and better multimedia and social networking.

Windows Phone, used on the HTC HD7, has customizable Live Tiles that show real-time updates. Those include news, appointments, and feeds from the Web and social networks, and Xbox LIVE, which supports networked gaming.