Six new touchscreen phones take on the iPhone next week

Eighteen months after the iPhone was launched, the world’s major mobile phone manufacturers have finally released a set of phones that will give it some serious competition. Apple completely changed the game with the iPhone, focusing not on features that nobody used, but on a world-class user interface that was literally second to none.

Ever since then, seemingly every mobile phone that’s been released has featured a touchscreen, but the user interface itself has been largely unchanged, with just a few tweaks and polishes here and there; certainly nothing that come close to Apple’s glorious invention.

Until now.

With the start of MWC 2009 just days away, the big guns of the mobile phone world are preparing to unleash their brand new phones onto the market, and nearly all of them have something very special waiting in the wings – full touchscreen phones with enhanced user interfaces that match or even surpass the iPhone’s, plus a feature spec that takes your breath away.

Is 2009 the year that the iPhone is finally overtaken? Read on to find out.

Nokia’s challenger – the Nokia N97

Nokia started the challenge with the announcement of the Nokia N97. The N97 is a touchscreen phone with a brand new interface based on touch-based extensions of the S60 OS, and a huge screen that’s 3.5″ in size. Designed for browsing the Web, the N97 comes packed with features that Nokia are renowned for: 5 megapixel camera, HSDPA, WiFi, GPS, and up to 48GB of onboard storage.

There’s even a full QWERTY keyboard for those who prefer to type using real keys rather than virtual keys.

As for the interface, it’s an extension of the Nokia 5800 Xpress Music phone, but with the benefit of huge screen real estate and some extra features courtesy of the N97’s ability to playback and record DVD-quality video. Where it really scores highly is with Web browsing. The combination of full touchscreen and a huge display makes for a desktop-like browsing experience that makes the Web truly mobile.

As you can see from the videos, it’s a huge leap forward for Nokia compared to its interfaces of old.

Still not quite as good as the iPhone, but with better features and a cheaper price (550 Euros), it’ll be serious competition.

Samsung’s Challenger – the Samsung Ultra Touch S8300 and…?

Samsung are keeping their cards close to the chest. We do know they’ll be showing off the new Samsung Ultra Touch S8300, which is a touchscreen phone with a brand new user interface. Better still, it also comes with HSDPA, GPS, DVD quality playback and recording, and a huge 8 megapixel camera. In other words, in terms of features, the S8300 blows the iPhone out of the water.

Samsung are also keen to stress the new user interface, which we’ve not had a chance to see yet. It doesn’t have to beat the iPhone’s interface, though – it just needs to be good enough, as with its superb array of features coupled with a nifty new interface, the S8300 could be the star of the show.

That is, assuming it’s not upstaged by another Samsung top-end phone. Rumour has it that Samsung will be showing off a brand new 12 megapixel phone at MWC. We’ve no more news on the leviathan just yet, but it’s rumoured to come with the same interface as the S8300. In other words, a full touchscreen phone with sophisticated user interface and world class features on top.

That’s some serious competition in anyone’s books.

LG’s Challenger – the LG Arena KM-900

Not to be outdone, LG will be showing their new LG Arena KM-900 phone.

Again, a full touchscreen phone, the LG Arena is a direct competitor to the S8300, coming as it does with an 8 megapixel camera, GPS, HSDPA, WiFi and DVD-quality video playback.

Again, there are no videos showing us the LG Arena in action, but we do know it comes with a “revolutionary” 3D user interface.

Indeed, LG are making a great deal out of this interface, implying that they’re pitching it firmly at the iPhone.

Teasingly, LG have said that it will “…announce more specifics about ARENA and its features along with some surprises during a press conference at the Mobile World Congress.”

We’ve no idea what those surprise are, but we’ll find out in just a day or two’s time!

Palm’s Challenger – the Palm Pre

Perhaps the biggest surprise of recent months was the announcement of the new Palm Pre, a fantastic new touchscreen phone from an old smartphone stalwart who everyone had forgotten about. The Palm Pre does away with Palm’s old PalmOS operating system and features a new WebOS, which, as it’s name implies, is a fully Web-oriented operating system.

Not only is the Palm Pre fully integrated into the mobile Web, with easy access to Web browsing and a host of social network sites and Web-based video and image sites, it also features possibly the best looking user interface to date – yes, even better than the iPhone’s.

It may not have the features of the LGs or the Samsungs, but in every other way, the Palm Pre looks like it’s an even sexier iPhone than the iPhone!

Android phones galore

As if all that wasn’t enough, there should be a plethora of Android phones on display, too. T-Mobile are rumoured to be showing off a new T-Mobile G2 Android phone, while Archos may be revealing more of its new Android Internet tablet, which comes complete with a huge 5″ touchscreen.

Windows Mobile challengers

Finally, we have the Windows Mobile challengers. HTC, of course, will have a few new phones out, but none of these will challenge the iPhone, as although HTC have created their own user interface on top of the appalling Windows Mobile, it’s still no match for the iPhone.

Sony Ericsson have the XPERIA X1, but again it’s no match, and is more like a souped-up Nokia E90 than a genuine iPhone challenger. However, they are making an announcement prior to MWC on Sunday 15th Feb at 18:30 CET, during which they might announce something new, but until then, we aren’t expecting anything special.

This leaves Toshiba, of all companies, who with their new Toshiba TG01 (see video, above) might finally have found the secret of a Windows Mobile phone that can genuinely take on the iPhone. Not only has it got all the funky features of the Samsung and LG, it’s also got a brand new user interface that looks genuinely good, and, more impressively still, the fastest processor of any mobile, running at over 1GHz.

Couple this with a huge 4.1″ touchscreen and some impressive video playback and recording, and the TG01 is a serious competitor.

App Stores turn the heat up even more

Of course, Apple has its App Store to fall back on to prop up support for the iPhone. With thousands of new apps available to install on the iPhone, it ensures its functionality (and therefore its usefulness and ultimately shelf life) only increases over time. This is a powerful weapon for Apple in its fight against the major mobile phone companies.

However, here too, Apple is under threat. Google already has its Android marketplace, which offers similar features to the iPhone’s App Store, while both Samsung and Nokia have independently announced their own Symbian S60 stores.

Should Apple be worried?

With this little lot all set to explode onto the global market this year, Apple finally have some serious competition. Some of these phones won’t beat the iPhone feature for feature, and their overall user experience might not quite be up to scratch either; but the combination of good-enough usability, better features and lower price will surely be enough to provide some potent competition in the touchscreen phone market.

In addition, some of these phones will actually provide an even better experience than the iPhone, which, with its 2 megapixel camera and lack of video, is starting to show its age. In particular, the new G2 and the Palm Pre could really be better than the iPhone in all respects, while the Samsung S8300 and LG Arena could be real dark horses that could also prove to be big hits.

In short, yes, Apple really should be worried. The major mobile manufacturers have upped their game, and their new touchscreen phones are nearly all on a par with, or even better than, the iPhone.