Windows Mobile has evolved in leaps and bounds since its earlier, not-so-user-friendly incarnations in the past. Let’s take a look at an upcoming phone that will set the WinMo world alight, and see what competition it faces.

Toshiba TG01 – the basics

Windows Mobile haven’t been resting on their laurels, and the new fruit of their labours is the ultra-powerful Toshiba TG01. Not only does it have the biggest screen ever seen on a mobile phone, measuring in at 4.1 inches, but the Toshiba TG01 also has the most powerful processor put into a mobile phone. Dubbed Snapdragon, the 1GHz processor gives the Toshiba TG01 power, and lots of it, and since that’s what’s needed to let Windows Mobile live up to its full potential, the Toshiba TG01 is arguably the best WinMo phone that’s ever been announced.

One thing’s for sure, though, the Toshiba TG01 is definitely the most powerful.

HTC Magic – the open source challenger

What does the HTC Magic bring to the party, that will allow it to compete on a level playing field, and give it an edge. The answer can be summed up in one word: Android. It’s Google’s Android OS that gives the HTC Magic its undeniable power. Make no mistake, Android is right on the cutting edge of interfaces, by being completely open source, letting anyone and everyone code software for it. Quite literally, if someone can dream up an app for the HTC Magic, then you can get it, whether it be a version of Pacman, or a barcode reader, that can scan products barcodes, then find you the best deal, either on the internet, or using GPS to find the nearest shop to you that sells what you’re after.

It’s things like that which make the HTC Magic so compelling, and along with the tightest integration with Google’s whole suite of apps, maps and email clients, it makes the HTC Magic a true force to be reckoned with.

Sony Ericsson Idou – the Symbian challenger

However, the fight isn’t over yet, because the Sony Ericsson Idou is out to steal its crown. This features Symbian S60 Touch, although the design is still reminiscent of both the HTC Magic and the Toshiba TG01, as it lacks a keyboard. That’s not going to be an issue, though, because the interface on the Sony Ericsson Idou, a custom design by Sony Ericsson, is one of the nicest, most finger-friendly UIs in a long time. It really is hard to decide which of these three phones is the best, but there’s one factor that may swing it; there’s one hardware feature that the Sony Ericsson Idou outdoes both phones on. It’s the first phone announced for the UK to come with an immense twelve megapixel camera, and as such, it may well be, not just the camera phone of the year, but the best camera phone in the history of mobile phones. Whether it will be as a good an all-round smartphone as the Toshiba TG01, though, remains to be seen…