Here's what you need to know about each of the top contenders.

Our tests rank the iPhone 3G, BlackBerry Storm, T-Mobile G1, AT&T Fuze, Palm Treo Pro, and HP iPaq 910c in a near-tie, with scores ranging from 8.3 to 8.6 on our 10-point scale. So clearly they're all worth considering, but they do have real differences that will determine which one is right for you.

: The iPhone reinvented the smartphone as a Web-savvy, touch-based device that also could run lots of cool apps and handle the basics such as e-mail, calendars, and contacts. Plus, it offered the same groundbreaking music and video player as Apple's wildly popular iPod line. The 3G model pushed these advantages even further, and it's no wonder the iPhone is the most-used mobile device to surf the Web in the U.S. The are the dependence on iTunes, UI limitations such as lack of copy and paste, and weak security. .

: The BlackBerry long ago set the standard for secure business messaging, and the Storm carries on that tradition with an innovative touchscreen added to the mix. It also adopts the Web friendliness of the iPhone, though its Web browser does not render pages as well as the iPhone does. RIM says the Storm will support third-party apps later in 2009. Oh, and it does music and videos, too. But it doesn't do Wi-Fi, so when you can't get a cellular signal, you're out of touch even if there's a wireless LAN where you are. .

: The first mobile device based on the Google Android platform has a lot of promise, though it's definitely a smartphone for geeks (there's even a command prompt). The Web browser is simply stunning, and the e-mail clients are great, but they're limited to Google's Gmail and POP/IMAP. The hardware, though, is middling, and the third-party apps are largely unimpressive. .