Top 5 handhelds in February

While it came as no surprise that the Samsung Omnia retained its top position for the month of February, what we didn't expect was that it would share that spot. Based on the information we've gathered, the BlackBerry Bold rivaled the Omnia in popularity for the shortest month in 2009.

The Bold is one of our favorite RIM products, thanks to its excellent keypad and peerless screen. It's great to see that a lot of other people share similar sentiments, too. The Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 slipped two spots to joint fourth with the HTC Touch 3G. Let's see if it can stay in the charts when we compile our list for March in a few weeks' time.

Note: Results are based on readership as well as data collected from retail outlet Mobile Square and the major mobile operators in Singapore including:

MobileOne

SingTel

StarHub

	1.	BlackBerry Bold       CNET Asia rating: 8.8 out of 10 The good: HSDPA; Wi-Fi; GPS; QWERTY keypad; bright screen. The bad: Camera could be better. The bottom line: Unlike Palm, RIM has built up an impressive product portfolio that is made even better by the addition of the Bold. Aside from offering a plethora of features, the Bold's screen is one of the best we've ever seen. Review | See full specs | Rate this
	1.	Samsung Omnia SGH-i900 (8GB)   CNET Asia rating: 8 out of 10 The good: Full range of wireless features; haptic feedback; improved text input methods; navigation software included; attractive design; excellent battery life; Opera 9.5 browser included. The bad: Some apps may not work properly; finger scrolling not consistently implemented; use of microSD slot requires battery removal; no stylus slot. The bottom line: The Omnia is a good alternative to the HTC Touch Diamond with a competitive price and a truckload of features, though Samsung does need to work on the interface to improve its consistency and usefulness. Review | See full specs | Rate this
	3.	HTC Touch HD   CNET Asia rating: 8.3 out of 10 The good: Huge 3.8-inch WVGA display; 3.5mm audio jack; improvements made to TouchFLO 3D; 5-megapixel camera; nice design. The bad: Lacks a directional pad; short battery life; no LED for camera; orientation sensor doesn't work in some applications. The bottom line: While it probably won't strike a chord with the average iPhone user, the Touch HD is a great effort from HTC, demonstrating that it can still put more into its already formidable range of high-end handsets. Review | See full specs | Rate this
	4.	HTC Touch 3G   CNET Asia rating: 8 out of 10 The good: TouchFLO interface; responsive; attractive and compact design; 192MB RAM; useful custom text input methods; HSDPA connectivity; GPS built-in. The bad: Opera Mobile browser quirky with mobile pages; no dedicated audio jack; camera is rudimentary; no accelerometer. The bottom line: One of the most responsive Windows Mobile PDA-phones we have used, the Touch 3G is a must-have for those who loved the original but wish to upgrade to a 3G device. Review | See full specs | Rate this
	4.	Sony Ericsson Xperia X1       CNET Asia rating: 8.4 out of 10 The good: 3.5mm audio jack; full set of connectivity features; GPS; good 3.2-megapixel camera; excellent WVGA display; nice design. The bad: Panel interface can be slow; camera interface and focusing slow; average battery life; optical joystick not particularly useful. The bottom line: Sony Ericsson's first attempt at a Windows Mobile phone is a good one which will satisfy productivity and entertainment needs. Review | See full specs | Rate this