Got no iPhone? Check out the other options

Congratulations. You survived the iPhone hype.

Sure, a couple of shirts wound up ruined with drool stains, and the Apple store is threatening to take out a restraining order. But otherwise, the damage is minimal, and now, with time to breathe and $600 comfortably earning interest, reasons not to buy the iPhone are starting to gain credence.

Most likely, the reasons are practical more than aesthetic, because arguably the iPhone is the most sophisticated, innovative and sleek cell phone to debut on American soil in possibly years. However, it is also a phone that lacks the ability to sync with Outlook, will not sync with the iCal To Do list, and does not offer GPS tracking, despite its Google Maps application.

The biggest obstacle for many people, however, may be the fact that it is only offered through AT&T. Switching networks, in many cases, is not a cheap or simple option, making the iPhone a nonstarter.

So for those who cannot realistically get an iPhone but have caught the bug for some sort of a new phone, the Deseret Morning News consumer team (OK, me) hit the streets to see what other carriers may offer for a variety of users.

There is one caveat: In almost all of the stores, sales staff and customers alike all agreed that there is really nothing comparable to the iPhone, although there are options to satiate the appetite for new cell phone technology that the iPhone created.

Business chic

For the hard-core business users who live on e-mail and need a virtual office, the best phone is probably their current BlackBerry or Treo, at least until the WiFi enabled BlackBerry becomes readily available. But for the business user who also likes to carry the latest technology, almost every carrier has options.

At Connected Wireless in The Gateway, manager John Morrison pointed to the HTC Pocket PC 6800. It runs Windows Mobile, provides all of the options of a PDA, and users can play music or watch videos on Windows Media Player. It also has WiFi options and is available for Sprint or Qwest users at a $299 price tag.

Another Qwest or Sprint option is the MotoQ, a slim smart phone with a keyboard, multimedia player and an Internet browser. An added attraction for this phone is the relatively low $150 price tag, which is equal to entry-level Blackberry phones.