We have been doing a bit of soul searching this month at Best Rated Phones and have decided to compile a quick list of the best 8 phones out there and the best contracts to go with them. After all you don’t need to spend the earth to get these top class handsets, just so long as you shop around and compare deals. Anyhow, here is our list of the best phones and their respective contracts.
1. Nokia N97 deals – We reckon that this handset is a couple of firmware updates from being the best all round handset out there. You can pick it up for £40.00 per month on T-Mobile and for that you get 800 minutes and unlimited texts.
2. HTC Touch diamond 2 deals – A much improved handset on the original Diamond. The user Interface is great and at just under £30.00 per month for 400 minutes and 500 texts, you can’t go wrong. It’s also on O2, the largest UK network.
3. Nokia 5530 deals – The little sister of the Nokia 5800 just has to be included because it is so damn cheap. £20.00 per month gets you 600 minutes and unlimited texts on Vodafone. You also get Xpressmusic, meaning sweet music to your ears.
4. Blackberry 8520 deals – The best Blackberry yet has been working hard to improve its apps offering, the buttons are better and the screen is brighter, all for £25.00 per month on O2 with 600 minutes and 500 texts. This is an absolute bargain in our opinion.
5. Samsung Jet deals – Samsung’s first Android phone has perhaps been overshadowed by the HTC Hero, but we really like it. It’s definitely worth looking at if you are a facebook addict and let’s face it, who isn’t these days?
6. HTC Hero deals – We put it at number 6 because we felt sorry for the Samsung Jet in all honesty. It is a seriously good phone, although no touch screen left us slightly disappointed. You can expect the number of apps available to rocket this year and so expect a bump up the list in the near future. You can get the Hero on Orange for £26.00 per month with 400 minutes and 3000 texts at the time of writing.
7. Samsung pixon 12 deals – great for big users of their mobile phone, you get a massive 900 minutes and unlimited texts for £40.00 per month. Now that’s some serious minute and text action and the phone isn’t half bad either.
8. Sony W995 deals – The best that Sony Ericsson has to offer at the moment and it really should be higher on the list. The only thing is, we are so excited about the Aino and the Satio that we reckon it’s worth waiting for these to arrive. Having said that, the price is cheap. You can get it on T-Mobile for £21.20 with 700 minutes and 3000 texts, quite unbelievable.
Think we are missing out any handsets? Seen any better deals? Then let us know in the comments section.

Tags: Blackberry, blackberry-8520, HTC, HTC-hero, mobile-phone, Nokia, Nokia-N86, nokia-n97, Samsung, Samsung-pixon-12, Sony Ericsson, sony-ericsson-w995

Freud and Viagra are not two common subjects of thought when we’re writing about phones but the HTC Hero is not that common of a phone. It’s a very decent phone, don’t get us wrong (check out this HTC Hero review if you don’t believe our cynical tone). It’s got all the smartphone functionality you can shake a stick at, and all of it delivered via the stunning Google Android OS. But… well… not that we like to point out physical deformities… what the hell is that bend at the bottom all about?

HTC claim (amongst many other things, as this product overview shows) that this aberration is to allow you to talk more easily into it when using it as a phone. Right. But, erm, we’ve never had a problem using all those crazy straight phones as phones, and don’t see how this is going to change anything. So, seeing as how it’s redundant, what else can we say about the weird curve on the HTC Hero. That’s where Freud and Viagra came in, funnily enough. Because, if you stood the thing on its head (ie turned it upside down) wouldn’t it… you know… kind of look a bit like it should be straight but has drooped a bit. A bit, you know, flaccid…

No? Just us that thinks that? Ha, fine, whatever, carry on with your British- (or wherever you are) repression, carry on kidding yourself that this thing doesn’t look just like you know what it looks just like. Or you could just shake your head, mutter something about us being crazy, look at the video below and carry on with your day. But just you wait, just you wait until someone hands you one of these in the pub one day, trying to show off about their new phone. And tell us you don’t just choke on your peanuts a little.

Tags: hero, hero -contract, hero-contracts, hero-deal, hero-o2, hero-offer, hero-offers, hero-orange, hero-virgin, hero-vodafone, HTC, HTC-deals, HTC-hero, HTC-hero-deals, HTC-mobile, HTC-mobile-phone, HTC-mobile-phones, HTC-mobiles, HTC-phones, magic3, mobile, mobile-contract, mobile-contracts, mobile-phone, mobile-phone-contract, mobile-phone-contracts, mobile-phone-deal, mobile-phone-deals, mobile-phones, mobilephone, mobilephones, mobiles, phone, phones

In the increasingly OS-oriented world, people are looking at phones in a whole new way. And we think that’s a very good thing indeed. Gone are the days when people bought phones because they were the thinnest / smallest / made of the same metal they used on that spaceship, you know, the spaceship, the NASA thing, space and all that. Yes, quite. Now people want to know what processor their phone is sporting (the Qualcomm Snapdragon, you say, why, how jolly exciting) and, more so recently, what Operating System. And one name is about to start eliciting more winks, nods and back slaps than any other: Google Android.

Chances are you at least think you know about this thing already, but you might not – unless you’ve used it – realise just how exciting this thing is. And not in a spaceship, pointlessly flashy kind of way either. Because the thing about Android (and the HTC Magic boasts the new v1.5, cutely/terrifyingly codenamed ‘Cupcake’) is that, like all Google products and services, it works so well, so simply and so intuitively, that within no time at all, you don’t even really notice it’s there. It does what it says on the tin, does it well, suggests a better version of the tin, helps you pay for the new tin on Google Checkout, then lets you upload pictures of your new tin in no time at all.

So, the HTC Magic might not be perfect. It’s lacking a 3.5mm jack, a few GB of memory and slips up in a couple of other areas too (read this HTC Magic Review for the full lowdown) but Google, people, Google on a phone! And yes, there’s many more Android-based phones on the way, and yes some of them will be better than the Magic (HTC Official page here, for those that like that kind of thing), but if you want some hardcore Google action in your pocket today (or as quickly as Fed-ex can get it to you), then bring some Magic into your life.

Tags: HTC, HTC-deals, HTC-magic, HTC-magic-deals, HTC-mobile, HTC-mobile-phone, HTC-mobile-phones, HTC-mobiles, HTC-phones, magic, magic -contract, magic-contracts, magic-deal, magic-o2, magic-offer, magic-offers, magic-orange, magic-virgin, magic-vodafone, magic3, mobile, mobile-contract, mobile-contracts, mobile-phone, mobile-phone-contract, mobile-phone-contracts, mobile-phone-deal, mobile-phone-deals, mobile-phones, mobilephone, mobilephones, mobiles, phone, phones

The Snap has a 528Mhz Qualcomm processor, runs on WinMo 6.1, has a 2.4″ TFT LCD screen, supports 3G networks, has a BlackBerry Pearl-like trackball instead of the D-Pad of previous versions, a 1500mAh Li-Ion battery that… hey, wait! You’re snoring already!

We admit it, the HTC Snap is not going to re-write any business phone rules. It’s not going to go in any phone hall off fame (although we’d love to hear your suggestions of what should go there), and even though it’s very light, feels great in the hand and – like all good partners should be – looks far better in real life than it does in the pictures. But we think this might just be a slow burner. One of those albums or books that gets released, trundles along selling a copy here, a copy there. Until slowly, very slowly at first, but then with increasing pace, more and more people have one. You see them on the train or the bus every morning. Friends pull them out unexpectedly at the pub. Your mum calls you to tell you he’s got a new phone, some dinky little thing called the Snap…

Don’t get us wrong, there’s very little outstanding about this phone. It’s not super fast or super slick. But there’s nothing – or virtually nothing, wrong with it either. And chances are you’re going to get a very good deal indeed. Watch this space.

Don’t believe us? Check out this rather noisy mobile phone conference demo for asneak peek. Or read an HTC Snap review here.

Tags: HTC, HTC-mobile, HTC-mobile-phone, HTC-mobile-phones, HTC-mobiles, HTC-phones, HTC-pro-deals, HTC-snap, HTC-snap-deals, mobile, mobile-contract, mobile-contracts, mobile-phone, mobile-phone-contract, mobile-phone-contracts, mobile-phone-deal, mobile-phone-deals, mobile-phones, mobilephone, mobilephones, mobiles, phone, phones, snap, snap-contract, snap-contracts, snap-deals, snap-o2, snap-offer, snap-offers, snap-orange, snap-virgin, snap-vodafone, snap3

The HTC Touch Cruise 09 is a phone which you can carry in order to keep track of all the memorable aspects of your journey. The HTC Footprints application enables you to record every any adventure in vivid and precise detail. It will also help you to track down those memories down to an exact coordinate. The HTC Touch Cruise 09 is powered by Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional. There are also a number of other attractive features in this phone and they consist of:

- 2.8 inch LCD touch sensitive screen
- 4 way navigation wheel with an Enter button
- Internet GPS antenna
- Bluetooth enabled
- 3.2 megapixel color camera with fixed focus

The HTC Touch Cruise 09 is a light-weight phone. The dimensions of this phone are 102mm x 53.3mm x 14.5mm. This touchscreen phone is also a light weight phone as it weighs in at approximately 103g with the battery included. Once you take a look at this video you will realize how well this phone will suit you.

The Touch Cruise 09 is a phone that is also Wifi enabled and therefore you can access the web regardless of where you are. This is an excellent feature for the traveling businessman as you will need to be in touch with your colleagues and be able to send and receive messages in a short amount of time.

The user will have a total talk time of up to 400 minutes and you will also have approximately two weeks of standby time with the HTC Touch Cruise 09. You will no doubt agree that this is a feature that will help you immensely when you need to keep in touch with people.

This particular touchscreen HTC phone also has a proprietary in-car holder that will help you in hands-free navigation. This in-car holder is an easy way for the driver to acquire a turn-by-turn direction as well.

The HTC Touch Cruise 09 is the phone of the future. You are now able to perform a number of tasks on this piece of equipment which will inevitable make your life much simpler. Make sure that the HTC Touch Cruise 09 is the newest addition to your life.

If you are looking for network specific deals, follow the links below:
HTC Touch Cruise 09 on Orange
HTC Touch Cruise 09 on O2
HTC Touch Cruise 09 on T-Mobile
HTC Touch Cruise 09 on Vodafone
HTC Touch Cruise 09 on 3 Mobile
HTC Touch Cruise 09 on Virgin

Tags: HTC, HTC-Cruise09-deals, HTC-mobile, HTC-mobile-phone, HTC-mobile-phones, HTC-mobiles, HTC-phones, HTC-Touch-Cruise09, HTC-Touch-Cruise09-deals, mobile, mobile-contract, mobile-contracts, mobile-phone, mobile-phone-contract, mobile-phone-contracts, mobile-phone-deal, mobile-phone-deals, mobile-phones, mobilephone, mobilephones, mobiles, phone, phones, touch-Cruise09, Touch-Cruise09-contract, Touch-Cruise09-contracts, Touch-Cruise09-deals, touch-Cruise09-o2, touch-Cruise09-offer, touch-Cruise09-offers, touch-Cruise09-orange, touch-Cruise09-virgin., touch-Cruise09-vodafone, touch-Cruise093

Designed for personal use, HTC released the new HTC Touch Diamond 2Smartphone. The phone is compact, stylish and has a 3.2-inch high resolution wide screen VGA display which really stretched to the limits of the viewing area. This screen revealed every minute detail whether in videos, photos, websites or just any random image. For a product overview visit HTC’s official website.
The Touch Diamond 2incorporates HTC’s latest TouchFlo 3D interface. The touch focus areas are larger allowing easy access to messages, emails, videos, music and photos. The touch focus areas are also more finger-touch friendly which is a huge advantage when compared to the previous models which came with resistive touch screens. The touch sensitive zoom bar allows even faster zooming of Web pages, photos, emails, documents or text messages.
The HTC Touch Diamond 2 has a 523 MHz Qualcomm MSM7200 A processor and the Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional. Memory wise it has a 512MB ROM and a 288 MB RAM with an expansion slot for a microSD memory card. It has a long battery life offering between 300 and 340 minutes talk time. The standby time ranges from 360 to 500 hours. Its video call time is about an average of 150 minutes, all this depending on how long the phone is used for and on the mobile network used (whether GSM or WCDMA).
All the usual connectivity options expected in a Smartphone are available such as a Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR, A2DP for wireless stereo headsets and Wi-Fi. It also supports Quad-band making roaming even more efficient. If you are also looking for a laptop you should check out the “mobile broadband with free laptop” offer at Moby 1.
Additional media features such as a 5 megapixel autofocus colour camera and a CMOS VGA second camera, FM and a G-sensor only add to the versatility of the phone.

For network specific deals, follow the links below:
HTC Touch Diamond 2 on Orange
HTC Touch Diamond 2 on O2
HTC Touch Diamond 2 on T-Mobile
HTC Touch Diamond 2 on Vodafone
HTC Touch Diamond 2 on 3 Mobile
HTC Touch Diamond 2 on Virgin

Tags: HTC, HTC-diamond-2-deals, HTC-mobile, HTC-mobile-phone, HTC-mobile-phones, HTC-mobiles, HTC-phones, HTC-Touch-diamond-2, HTC-Touch-diamond-2-deals, mobile, mobile-contract, mobile-contracts, mobile-phone, mobile-phone-contract, mobile-phone-contracts, mobile-phone-deal, mobile-phone-deals, mobile-phones, mobilephone, mobilephones, mobiles, phone, phones, touch-diamond-2, Touch-diamond-2-contract, Touch-diamond-2-contracts, Touch-diamond-2-deals, touch-diamond-2-o2, touch-diamond-2-offer, touch-diamond-2-offers, touch-diamond-2-orange, touch-diamond-2-virgin., touch-diamond-2-vodafone, touch-diamond-23

The HTC Touch Pro 2 is a phone that is sure to make your life much easier and your business life more successful. HTC Touch Pro 2 is the predecessor of the HTC Touch Pro and has some additional, advanced features that users will find to be quite helpful. The HTC Touch Pro 2 has a number of amazing elements such as:

- 3.6 inch widescreen VGA display
- A touch sensitive zoom bar
- Ambient light sensors
- Improved battery life
- 2 speakers
- 2 microphones

The HTC Touch Pro 2 phone also has other built-in, fresh characteristics such as the slide-out QWERTY keyboard that spans over 5 rows. This enables the user to type messages faster than they would with a normal key pad. And it is no secret that you will much more sophisticate with this piece of technology by your side.

Sending and receiving e-mails have never been easier. The official overview of the HTC Touch Pro 2 says that the phone is Wifi enabled and therefore it is ideal for the business personality who is always on the road. You will be able to keep in touch with your peers and colleagues when necessary.

The HTC Touch Pro 2 phone also has a 3.2 megapixel color camera and allows the user to take pictures that will last them a lifetime. The camera also has autofocus and will give you a much clear and precise picture every time.

This particular HTC Touch phone has 150 minutes in video call time, 419 minutes in talk time and 348 hours of standby time.

The HTC Touch Pro 2 is an amazing phone that all phone lovers should possess. It is an investment in your future that you will never regret.

For network specific deals, follow the links below:
HTC Touch Pro 2 on Orange
HTC Touch Pro 2 on O2
HTC Touch Pro 2 on T-Mobile
HTC Touch Pro 2 on Vodafone
HTC Touch Pro 2 on 3 Mobile
HTC Touch Pro 2 on Virgin

Tags: HTC, HTC-mobile, HTC-mobile-phone, HTC-mobile-phones, HTC-mobiles, HTC-phones, HTC-pro-deals, HTC-Touch-pro-2, HTC-Touch-pro-2-deals, mobile, mobile-contract, mobile-contracts, mobile-phone, mobile-phone-contract, mobile-phone-contracts, mobile-phone-deal, mobile-phone-deals, mobile-phones, mobilephone, mobilephones, mobiles, phone, phones, Touch-pro-2, Touch-pro-2-contract, Touch-pro-2-contracts, Touch-pro-2-deals, Touch-pro-2-o2, Touch-pro-2-offer, Touch-pro-2-offers, Touch-pro-2-orange, Touch-pro-2-virgin., Touch-pro-2-vodafone, Touch-pro-23