i Phone has probably ensured a place in history books as being the most glorified phone of all times. Its dizzying popularity is inexplicable considering that it works only with AT&T’s telephone network in the US, if the battery dies out it needs to be sent back to the US for a change, it does not have a memory card slot for expansion, and at US $599, has only one camera. Still, everyone wants it. The Apple iPhone is still a far cry from being available in India, slated as it is for launch next year, but there isn’t much you will be able to do than use it as an iPod. However, some phones have recently been launched in India which come close to being an iPhone. They are not as interactive, but will work and behave like the iPhone—and, more importantly, work in India. There are two good options. The first is the HTC Touch with TouchFlo technology. Brought in India by Airtel (no, this is not locked, you can buy the phone and use it with any other GSM connection), its design is similar to iPhone. With a main button at the bottom and with every other function carried out through the touchscreen, the Touch offers 3D interface that provides the iPhone experience. At just 13.9 mm thick and smaller than a business card holder, this phone makes for a great buy. Alternatively, a good phone is LG’s PRADA. Not sold by LG in India, but being imported by dealers, this phone offers a screen larger than the HTC but is a bit smaller than the iPhone. Like the HTC, it has a memory card slot and a skinnable interface that makes it look like the iPhone. Both the phones perform similarly and provide the feeling of owning an iPhone. What is missing is the Qwerty keyboard and Mac style widgets, but the LG Prada and HTC Touch can do more than the iPhone can. And till the real thing comes to India, the two alternatives should surely keep you going.
