Top 5 handhelds in April

The BlackBerry Bold and Samsung Omnia have been occupying the top two spots in our monthly feature for a while now, and this edition is no exception. The Bold has taken top position with Samsung's popular smartphone following close behind.

From an interest viewpoint, however, readership of the HTC Touch Diamond2 product page has surpassed all the other smartphones'. It won our coveted CNET Asia Editors' Choice award and only started to go on sale in May. We look forward to seeing if it can knock the Bold and Omnia off the perch when we update our Top 5 bestselling handhelds chart again next month.

Note: Results are based on readership as well as data collected from retail outlets (Mobile Square and WhyMobile) 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
	2.	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
	5.	BlackBerry Curve 8900   CNET Asia rating: 8 out of 10 The good: Sharp display; Wi-Fi; GPS; QWERTY keypad. The bad: Lack of 3G. The bottom line: We didn't know what to expect from the BlackBerry Curve 8900 but were pleasantly surprised by its attractive, slim design. A full QWERTY keypad and sharp screen means emails and instant messaging are a joy to deal with, but the lack of 3G occasionally bugged us and makes the 8900 a little less desirable than it would otherwise have been. Review | See full specs | Rate this