3G handsets to choose from

There were close to 20 million 3G-enabled handsets in use last year. With the handset replacement market expected to reach 70 per cent this year (according to BCG research), device manufacturers are expected to introduce affordable 3G handsets.

Nokia

At present, Nokia has around 15 3G-capable handsets and more will be launched this year. Nokia offers 50 MB of free data and 30 minutes of free video calling per month (for two months) on purchase of a BSNL 3G connection with a Nokia 3G handset.

Nokia 2730 Classic: This is as cheap as it can get when you buy a 3G handset from the house of Nokia. The 2730 classic, priced at Rs 4,499, bears no signs of being an inexpensive device. A QVGA screen, 2-megapixel camera, FM radio, Opera browser and a 1-GB microSD card in the box make it a compelling buy.

Nokia E75: A 2.4-inch screen, using 16 million colours on a LCD display, may not be the biggest screen we have seen to date, yet it is perfectly fine to use. Priced at Rs 16,500, the onboard QWERTY slide-out keyboard is great if you write a lot of text messages and emails.

This Nokia phone has a Symbian 9.3 operating system, with S60 software. Other features include a 3.2-megapixel camera with auto focus, LED flash, digital zoom and video recorder.

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Samsung

Samsung, which sold approximately 40 million full-touchscreen devices globally, has seen a thumping success with its Corby series in India. But that's not the end of the story.

Get ready for 3G-ready devices priced appropriately for its mid-range consumers.

Samsung Monte: Comfortably priced at Rs 12,390, Monte is a stylish smartphone. Users can double tap to zoom images or flaunt its flawless accelerometer. Social networking support is built in, with applications for Facebook and MySpace plus support for Bebo and Twitter, which we guess is kind of inevitable these days.

Samsung C5130 is a slider that delights you with its price tag of Rs 6,200, in addition to its social networking features. Links to the most popular social networking services like Facebook, YouTube, Orkut and Picasa are right on the phone's home screen.

Besides, a full HTML browser, Bluetooth, MP3 player, FM radio, 1.3-megapixel camera, battery support of about 10 hours and an option to expand memory up to 8GB complete the phone's feature set.

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Microsoft

Microsoft Windows mobile (WinMo) devices hope to prove their worth with high-speed data that comes with 3G. With just about five WinMo devices (across vendors) capable of 3G services, the options are somewhat limited.

Garmin Asus M10: One of the first mobile devices that came loaded with Windows Mobile 6.5 version, the Garmin Asus M10 offers maps for about 62 major Indian cities. Garmin turn-by-turn navigation, lane assistance, and a Ciao feature keep you informed of the roads your friends are travelling on.

For Rs 18,000, users get a 3.5-inch WVGA display, alongside a finger-friendly user interface. The Billboard feature shows off the most important information for one to access it in a snap, with a simple glance. Apart from that, an intuitive 3D Task Manager also enables users to switch between running applications easily.

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HTC Touch HD2: If there's a device that can pull us away from the iPhone 3G, it has to be the HTC Touch HD2. From the start, the HD2 is a very easy phone to like. It's quite a slab, but that's a side effect of it having such a large display -- and it's worth its price tag of Rs 32,500.

Quite possibly, Touch HD2 is Windows Mobile's most worthy device. Web browsing benefits will be clear to users on the Opera Mobile bundled, which renders a full-website-width screen, further aided by the 1-GHz Snapdragon processor within.

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Other affordable options

Nokia C5 is set to debut sometime this year and will be priced at around Rs 16,000. Aimed at the social networking users, the C5 lures with a new feature in its phone book, where users can see friends' status updates directly from Facebook and even update Facebook status or share location with Ovi Maps 3.0.

The C5 also boasts a bright 2.2-inch display and a 3.2-megapixel camera. It comes with a walk-and-drive navigation software, courtesy Ovi Maps.

Sony-Ericsson Naite, both weighs and costs light. At 84 grams and a price tag of Rs 6,550, the Naite is billed as an eco-friendly phone from recycled plastic. It sports a 2-megapixel digital camera, which offers 2.5x digital zoom, a secondary camera for video calling, Bluetooth, an internal memory of 100 MB, expandable with microSD, and FM radio.

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LG Lollipop promises to be a head-turner, thanks to its clam shell form factor and an external hidden OLED display. The main display of LG GD580 Lollipop is 2.8-inch and with a resolution of 240 400 pixels. This means users can enjoy their videos and photos better.

Priced affordably at Rs 7,990, Lollipop also has a secondary video call camera (front facing), which allows to do video calling on 3G networks.

BlackBerry Bold 9000 is one of the most versatile business phones sports a perky form factor that makes it look professional and chic. The Bold has a 320x480 pixel display, which is at least twice the resolution of the earlier RIM models, like the Curve.

Having 3G and Wi-Fi included in the same smartphone is one great feature to have, and so is a 1,500-mAh battery back-up, which ensures hours of work life.

Other 3G-ready models include BlackBerry Bold 9700, which costs Rs 29,900, the Storm2 that costs Rs 31,990 and the BlackBerry Tour 9630, which retails for Rs 27,990.