I have an Android phone, and I've had no wish that I'd got an iPhone instead.

I can't speak for the Blackberry.

What are you looking for in a smartphone? I manage the Blackberry server and handsets for my workplace and can vouch for Blackberries as email and instant messaging devices. They're inferior for browsing though.

As I understand it, the major differences are that Blackberry can readily handle proper sensible work applications like a word processor, spreadsheet viewer etc., whereas (as mylescorcoran has already said) Androids and iPhones are better for web-browsing and for applications which make use of things like GPS functionality, motion sensing etc. (e.g. Google Sky Map, which I suspect might appeal to you).

It's also worth bearing in mind that (as far as I know) no Blackberries have touch-screen interfaces (only the below-screen keyboard), and no iPhones have solid-state keyboards (only the touchscreen), but some Android-enabled phones have both. This was the killer factor for me, and what made me get an HTC Dream 18 months ago. It's a bit out of date now, but there are similar phones that are more up to date. If you want to browse the web but also value having a proper keyboard for writing non-trivial amounts of text, this sort of phone is probably the best option - I wrote this post on mine, for example. Androids are also great if you are already using Google's email and calendar, as they are smoothly integrated into your phone interface.

Oh yes.

Android 2.2 - portable WiFi hotspot.

If you're working with an exchange server and are looking into Android phones, make sure that the one you get has an OS level of 2.2. Lower levels than this have very poor exchange integration.

Like bellingham above, I have a nexus one. My phone and I are very much in love.

As for s/w keyboards, if you learn to use something like swype, you can type as quickly as most people can on a full-sized h/w keyboard. I was thinking that very thought last night as I was flying along replying to comments...

I love my Android phone.

The Samsung Galaxy S looks very spiffy - if I was getting one today I'd go for that. As it is I have the HTC Desire, which is very nice, but the Samsung has the Swype keyboard, which kicks the arse of any other touch-screen keyboard I've ever used.

(It's possible to get Swype on other Android phones - I have it, for instance - but that requires you to sign up to their beta)

I've an iPhone but I'm seriously considering a move to Android because of all the associated Apple nonsense like iTunes.

You might want to check if your IT people will let you connect with Android as the Exchange cover still isn't fully baked.

I am happy with my little Android phone (Xperia X10 mini pro) but I only use my phone for social reasons and nothing serious.

I haven't used an iPhone, only an iPod Touch, and I find my Andriod Sony Ericsson quicker and easier to use (but that could be because I had a very old 1st gen iPod Touch). I'm also loving being free of iTunes!

The biggest coomplaint I've heard about iPhones is the battery life - on mine, while the battery will of course get run down quickly when it's in constant use, I at least have the option to replace the battery with a spare if I needed to.

The question is, what do you want to use the device for?

• If you want to compose lots of text, then you want a Blackberry because of the keyboard.
• If you want to read lots of text, you want the iPhone 4, because the screen is brighter and higher resolution.
• If battery life is the most important thing, you want something from HTC, because of the exchangeable batteries.
• If you'll be writing your own software, and especially if free software is your thing, you want Android.
• If you want to play video games, you want an iPhone.

etc etc. Let's see your requirements!

This table might be useful (from here):

After being a Nokia user for many years, I defected to Android at the start of this year, and would heartily recommend it - with the slight caveat that the Exchange integration isn't as strong as either Blackberry or Windows Mobile. Personally I don't use Exchange, so this doesn't bother me, but could be frustrating if you depend on it.

hey folks. i have both android and blackberry. i like in blackberry that it merges separate text messages into conversations, i love this, very useful but unfortunately if conversation is too long (too many messages are in it) i can not open it anymore i guess it is getting somehow overloaded. but still in general i would rather prefer android for the following reason: in my opinion it is much easier to get free apps for android than for blackberry phone and i will never pay for the app i prefer install freeware and delete it if i don't like till i will find the nice one, and trials - i hate them :) On the given link above there are a lot of free apps and i love installing and testing them, unfortunately i cannot tell same about blackberry.

ANDROID! :) I prefer it to the iPhone but have never attempted to use a Blackberry