HTC Touch Diamond - Rs 26,500: This is one of the more expensive phones in this segment but that’s only because it has more than just snazzy functionality. The Diamond runs on Windows Mobile 6.1 but the interface is unlike anything I’ve seen before – and believe me, it’s something the iPhone should be cringing about. It’s a lively interface with plenty of features, and the best part is you won’t really need to use the stylus that often.
The Touch Diamond comes with a 3.2MP auto-focus camera, 4GB of internal memory, a large 2.8 inch display with a 480 x 640 pixel resolution. It supports Wi-Fi, 3G with HSDPA speeds, EDGE, GPRS, Bluetooth with A2DP, and an internal GPS module with A-GPS support. It also comes with an integrated FM radio with RDS. Apart from being chock-full of features, it looks good.
Samsung U900 Soul - Rs 20,585: The Soul, as it’s more popularly known, is a slider that incorporates a touch-sensitive navigation system. Its OLED touch-sensitive pad uses icons to depict various options that can be used with the various features selected. The Soul is very slim, and its 2.2-inch display features a 240 x 320 pixel resolution. The handset is 3G-enabled with HSDPA and supports EDGE/GPRS. Other connectivity options include Bluetooth with A2DP and USB v2.0.
The 5MP camera it comes with has an auto-focus lens. It incorporates image stabilization technology and comes with a flash. If you’re a stickler for personalization you can make your own themes with the preloaded Samsung theme creator. It also has a media player and FM radio with RDS, and supports external memory with microSD cards. It's the sleek, slim and metallic design, however, that gets it into our list.
Motorola RAZR V8 - Rs 12,500 (2GB), Rs 24,500 (Gold Edition): I doubt I’ll see too many people arguing why I’ve included the RAZR V8 in this list. To say it’s "cutting edge" (pun intended) may be a bit of an exaggeration, but that doesn’t mean it’s without some commendable features. For instance, it has a 2-inch, 240 x 320 pixel display on the front panel with Haptic keys located just beneath for the music player. Its main display boasts the same resolution, and is 2.2 inches in size.
The RAZR V8 supports Bluetooth with A2DP, EDGE/GPRS, and uses microUSB for PC connectivity. This handset, like the 7900 Crystal Prism, doesn’t support external memory. It's available in different models that come with 512MB and 2GB of internal memory. As with the Soul, it’s the sleek design that makes it a perfect candidate for this list.
LG KF510 - Rs 11,750: The KF510 is a flashy handset. While it may not have the full color Interact pad of the KF600 or the OLED-styled pad of the Samsung U900 Soul, it does have a touch-sensitive nav-pad with Haptics. The navigation system is called "Interactive Touch Lighting" and it also uses Auto Luminance Control (ALC), which self-adjusts to the brightness of the LED screen.
This slim slider is just 10.3mm thin and has a 2.2 inch TFT display with a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels and 256K colors. Other features include a 3 megapixel auto-focus camera with flash and image stabilizer, Bluetooth with an A2DP profile, a media player for audio and video, and an FM radio. It offers external memory via microSD cards and supports EDGE and GPRS. Its flashing-lights navigation, jazzy colors and slim form definitely qualify it for this list.
Nokia 7900 Prism - Rs 9,000: The 7900 Crystal Prism is more of an haute couture-styled mobile like its predecessor, the 7500. I can’t say it’s the prettiest phone on the list, because it’s not really, but then I’m not much into fashion. I have to admit the handset does look edgy, though I don’t see too many of the male persuasion using one.
The 7900 was created by designer Frédérique Daubal and comes in a striking purple with the diamond (prism) shaped pattern on the keypad. It has a 2MP CMOS camera, a 2-inch OLED display with a pixel resolution of 240 x 320 and 16 million colors. The 7900 supports 3G data connectivity (but not HSDPA), GPRS/EDGE, and Bluetooth v2.0. It has no slot for any kind of memory card, but it offers 1GB of internal memory. Neither does it score when it comes to features, but its looks alone should find it a place in any list of fashion phones.
If you have any more suggestions regarding handsets that could be included in this list, do feel free to leave a quick reply.