With the rise of the Internet, the opportunity to exchange data in large quantities has become widely available. Many programs and Web pages are more than eager to use this option. The current mobile phone is likely to have an internet connection at its disposal. This woke up several phone manufacturers, among which Sony Ericsson, which has resulted in a music portal that even allows the owner of a mobile phone to choose from a wide array of music and download it immediately. We have tested the Sony Ericsson W9965 including its PlayNow Plus service.

• Read our full Sony Ericsson Walkman review.

With the arrival of the new version of Windows Mobile, Windows Mobile 6.5, HTC was the first to introduce smartphones using this new OS. Besides the previously introduced HTC Diamond 2 and the HTC Touch Pro 2, which both included a free update to get Windows Mobile 6.5 via the HTC website, HTC has now launched the HTC Touch 2 and the HTC HD 2 onto the market with the new version of Windows Mobile already preinstalled. HTC has renamed the new smartphones that feature this software to; Windows Phones.

• Read more about the Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system.

The Finnish phone manufacturer Nokia uses special types of operating systems for the different categories of their mobile phones. Besides the standard S40 software, the smartphones run on Symbian; a well-known operating system which also goes by the name of S60. Symbian was developed by a joint venture between Nokia and several other phone manufacturers. At the beginning of 2008, Nokia bought out the other participants and became the sole shareholder, which implies Nokia wants to get more out of the Symbian system. The Nokia N86 makes also use of Symbian S60.

• Read our full Nokia N86 review.

Digital reading being the new way of reading is pretty much a fact by now. We simply can't get around it, since there are thousands of digital copies being sold on Bol.com, while at the same time we witness an increasing amount of E-readers. Sony and Bol.com have set their heart on digital reading, and are hoping for an actual reading evolution. Digital books have been available for quite a while now on various websites, and also Bol.com offers digital books in the ePub format that is perfect to read on the Sony E-readers. The latest model is the Sony Reader Pocket Edition.

• Read our full Sony eReader review.

The Samsung i8910, also known as Samsung Omnia HD, is the world's first mobile phone enabling video capture and play-back in High Definition. Video capture is becoming increasingly popular, not only in a digital camera or traditional camcorder, but also, more and more often High Definition video is enabled by a mobile phone. The Samsung GT-i8910 may be the first, however, the latest news regarding the availability of a new OMAP 4 (in 2010 available) platform will make it possible to integrate 1080p High Definition video standard in a cell phone.

• Take a look at our Samsung Omnia HD photo gallery.

The Sony Ericsson W995 is a true multimedia phone, excellent when it comes to audio, in particular when the SE W995 is used combined with the PlayNow service of Sony Ericsson. However, the W995 is not a so-called Walkman phone, it has other powerful features such as the 8 Megapixel autofocus digital camera with several functionalities; for example, face detection, macro, exposure metering etc.

• Take a look at our Sony Ericsson W995 picture gallery.

The Nokia N86 smartphone has been available for a while now. The Nokia N86 features an 8 Megapixel sensor and a digital zoom function. The fact that there are only very few camera phones that feature an optical zoom, can be called remarkable. This undoubtedly has to do with the design of a new (internal) zoom lens and all the related hindrances that occur when integrating it into the phone whilst at the same time ensuring it doesn’t become too bulky.

• Take a look at our Nokia N86 picture gallery.

Times may be hard for global economy, Samsung clearly doesn't care. Where many companies have gone into what I would almost call; 'sleep mode', Samsung seems to carry on at the same speed as they are used to. Samsung is the first manufacturer after HTC, to launch a mobile phone on the market, based on the Google Android operating system. With only a slight delay compared to HTC, Samsung is still the early bird. The bright AMOLED touchscreen monitor and the LED flash are unique features compared to previous Android mobile phones.

• Read our full Samsung i7500 review.

Besides the fact that HTC is the current market leader when it comes to Windows Mobile smartphones, HTC is also the first phone manufacturer to realize the full potential of the Google Android operating system. Not only was HTC the first brand to introduce the Android cell phone, it also caught an early lead over competitors with the applicability of the Android operating system. In addition to the T-Mobile G1 and the HTC Magic, the HTC Hero is the first simlock-free Android cell phone by HTC.

• Read our full HTC Hero review.

With the arrival of a newer version of Windows Mobile, devices equipped with this software have now been renamed genuine Windows Phones. These so-called Windows Phones can be recognized by a Windows button below the screen. This hardware key will be included on all new Windows Phones. The HTC Touch Pro 2 already features this key. The main improvements are found in the design, in improved operation no longer requiring a stylus, thanks to an interface that has been specifically designed for use by fingers, and the support of flash in the web browser. .

• Read our full HTC smartphone review.