Smartphone Buyer's Guide: Spring 2009

Whether you're waiting until the last minute to pick out your Mother's Day gift, trying to find an early Father's Day present, or searching for the right phone for your kid's graduation, you can relax. The Brighthand team has you covered with a special Moms, Dads, and Grads Buyer's Guide featuring a variety of phones to fit any budget.

Since most people don't have unlimited funds to spend on a gift we've broken our picks down by price. Within each price range we've provided a few suggestions so you can find a great gift regardless of your budget.

If you don't see the perfect gift in our list, be sure to seek out buying advice in our discussion forums, and our forum members, moderators, and staff will graciously offer their insight in helping you pick the best option for you and your family.

Under $100 | $100-$300 | Over $300 | More Guides...

Under $100
	Apple iPhone 3G 8 GB (Refurb) The iPhone 3G is the hottest consumer-oriented phone available today, and if you don't know what to get the high school graduate in your life, you probably won't go wrong with this one. It normally sells for $200, but you can save half that if you get it refurbished – which means it's been lightly used. For $50 more you can get a version with twice the on-board storage.
	Palm Centro The Centro is a good, basic smartphone. It's small and easy to carry around, and its keyboard makes texting a breeze. This model is available from a variety of wireless phone companies for as little as $30.
	T-Mobile Dash The Dash may be the most Dad-friendly phone in this category. It runs a Microsoft operating system and has plenty of features for business users. It's available for just $50.
$100-$300
	Samsung Impression This phone offers a hard-to-beat combination of a beautiful touchscreen, comfortable keyboard, and a friendly user interface. It's not business-friendly, but it's a great option for someone who likes to text.
	BlackBerry Bold The Bold brings together everything that's good about a BlackBerry. It's chock full of business-friendly features but doesn't forget about personal use. The looks are great and the functionality is too.
	BlackBerry Storm If a person on your list is torn between a regular BlackBerry and an iPhone, the Storm is the way to go. It's the first BlackBerry that gives up a keyboard in favor of a large touchscreen. A warning: this is a love it or hate it device, so if you're getting it as a gift you might want to let the recipient try it out first.
	Palm Pre The Palm Pre isn't out yet, but it is supposed to be released by mid-year and it's shaping up to be worth the wait. If the person on your shopping list likes having the latest gadgets, this is the one to go for. The Pre is going to run the new webOS and offer a mix of features for consumers and business users alike, including a built-in keyboard.
Over $300
	HTC Touch Pro The Touch Pro seems to be the result of an attempt to fit as many features into as small a device as possible. It offers nearly everything imaginable in a phone – VGA screen, sliding keyboard, 3G, Wi-Fi, GPS, video out, and on and on – in a surprisingly small package. This Windows phone is available from several different carriers starting at $300.
	HTC Touch HD This Windows phone has one very outstanding feature: a large WVGA display. That's more than twice the resolution of many of its competitors. And at 3.8-inches, it's big enough to handle almost any job, including easily showing movies. On top of that is a laundry list of other features. This device is right for professionals and pro-sumers, as long as your wallet is fat enough.

Looking for more?

Has Dad been dropping hints that he'd really like an iPhone this year rather than another "#1 Dad" mug? Is your grad ready for a new notebook? Let the editors of TechnologyGuide.com help you pick the right camera, smartphone, printer, desktop, or notebook, with our Moms, Dads and Grads Buyer's Guide. To see our top tech picks in all categories – not just smartphones – visit our main buyer's guide page on TechnologyGuide.com.