Multimedia Touchscreen Handsets Under 20K

For the video and multimedia generation of today, a large screen is a pre-requisite and with large displays, ’touchscreen’ is exactly what you’ll need for navigation. So, for you mobile maniacs interested in multimedia handsets designed with that specification in mind, here are few choices under a Rs. 20,000 budget.
Nokia 5800 XpressMusic– Rs. 19, 990

Nokia’s answer to the iPhone craze was to create one of their own from their loyal fan base and the 5800 XpressMusic was the answer. Stirring up hype before the official launch and making an appearance in the Dark Knight movie made it all the more appealing. The handset features a 3.2-inch touch screen display, microSD card support and a standard 3.5mm earphone socket. It’s also equipped with an accelerometer for auto-screen rotation, handwriting recognition and a 3.2 megapixel camera. For connectivity the 5800 is also stocked with Stereo Bluetooth, USB (micro) 2.0, GPRS/EDGE, 3G (HSDPA) support, Wi-Fi, GPOS with A-GPS and TV out.

The F480 TouchWiz handset is a slim sleek device that’s equipped with a 5 megapixel AF camera LED flash and a range of camera features that include – Face detection and anti-shake. The handset is equipped with a 2.8-inch touchscreen display and uses Samsung proprietary UI that won’t really require the use of a stylus. It offers full multimedia capabilities that include audio and video playback, voice recording and an integrated FM radio. It’s ready for 3G when it gets here and in the meantime supports GPRS and EDGE. Other connectivity features include Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP and USB 2.0. MicroSD cards can be used for external memory.
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HTC Touch Viva – Rs. 16, 490

HTC only recently launched the Touch VIVA Windows Mobile (6.1 Professional) handset in the country. The Touch series of handsets have always employed a rather fancy, quick-access desktop called the TouchFLO. The VIVA, being part of that list, also uses the same UI - only a 2D version. It’s equipped with Wi-Fi, GPRS/EDGE, USB and external memory via microSD cards. It has Pocket Office for all MS document viewing and editing and a 2 megapixel camera with video recording. Handwriting recognition is also part of the handset’s input method and the company offers an Opera browser as well as the regular IE mobile edition browser for internet viewing.

LG’s oddly named handset the KP500 ‘Cookie’ is a well balanced handset for plenty of multimedia at your fingertips. With editors galore for videos and images alike, the KP500 is set and is great for its price tag. It features a 3-inch touch screen with a stylus that you won’t necessarily need. It supports handwriting recognition as well as a few other input options. Document readers are also present for viewing ms document files and media features include an FM radio and voice recorder aside from the multimedia player for audio and video. It has no 3G support of Wi-Fi but it does have GPRS/EDGE, Bluetooth with A2DP and USB 2.0 connectivity options as well as support for external memory via microSD cards. The KP500 also comes with a 3 megapixel (not autofocus) camera and has a built-in accelerometer for rotating the screen.

Unfortunately, considering the current financial situation, a lower budget with this technology is a long way off… but not inevitable. If you have any more suggestions for people looking for handsets with similar features in this price bracket, please feel free to leave your comments.