iPhone 4 vs Dell Streak vs HTC Desire vs Samsung Galaxy S vs iPhone 3GS

The iPhone 4 has arrived with all the fanfare of Gollem launching a new model of Precious, but does the Apple attack look likely to thrash the other smart phone big boys once more?

We've taken five of the hottest new and upcoming smart phones (and one wild card) and thrown them in the ring for a clash of the titans. Screens will shatter and hearts will be broken as we sort the phones from the fools.

We've put the iPhone 4 is up against the Dell Streak, the HTC Desire and the Samsung Galaxy S -- and just for kicks, the old iPhone 3GS too. If we haven't matched up your favourite heavyweights, let us know in the comments, and let battle commence. Fight!

Dell Streak

The Dell Streak is part of a huge-phone trend that includes the HTC HD2. The focus is on surfing the Web, rather than making calls, and with the Android OS on board, the Streak is well up to the task.

Big and beautiful

The Streak flaunts a 127mm (5-inch) screen, which backs up its claims to be a tablet computer rather than a phone. But you can still make phone calls on it, and even slip it in your pockets if you wear baggy jeans. Add that to a sleek, good-looking case and you've got a great smart phone for people who'd rather chat on Facebook than talk on the phone.

Lagging behind

The Streak runs the older, 1.6 version of Google's Android operating system, until an update to version 2.2 comes later this year. When it does, the Streak will go from good to great, because right now it's missing some key features, such as native support for Outlook email.

Read our full Dell Streak review here.

HTC Desire

The HTC Desire has been around for a while compared to the other box-fresh contenders, but time hasn't dulled this smart phone's charms -- and best of all, a few months on the market tends to bring prices down, making the Desire the most affordable of these phones.

Android with benefits

The Desire runs Android 2.1, covered with HTC's own special user-interface sauce, which we think adds handy features and makes the robot better looking. It sounds like a perfect world, but the customised version of Android could mean you have to wait longer for updates, as HTC Hero users have discovered -- they're still stuck with Android 1.5, and are starting to miss out on new apps that don't support older versions.

Blinded by the light

The Desire's AMOLED screen is stunningly bright and vivid indoors, but outside on a sunny day, it's so reflective you can hardly see it. Luckily, we don't get too many sunny days here in Blighty, but if you fancy making a call from the beach, get ready for some touchscreen trial and error.

Read our full HTC Desire review here.

Apple iPhone 4

The iPhone 4 doesn't launch until 24 June, but that doesn't stop us craving its curves. The networks are lining up to offer Apple's latest creation, but despite the competition, this is likely to be the priciest phone in the punnet.

Refresh and renew

Unlike the iPhone 3GS, the iPhone 4 is a new design compared to its predecessor. An epically high-resolution screen should be just the thing for reading e-books from Apple's new store and watching video filmed in 720p with the new 5-megapixel camera. A glass front and back looks slick and should be more scratch-resistant than plastic -- but the moment before your dropped phone hits the concrete will feel like an eternity of pain.

Blast from the past

We're excited about the limited multi-tasking and other new features of the iOS 4 operating system, which will be on the iPhone 4 as well as the iPhone 3GS, iPad and third-gen iPod touch. But video calling didn't tempt us when it came out five years ago, and we're even more indifferent when we can only do it between iPhone 4s.

Read our full Apple iPhone 4 preview here.

Samsung Galaxy S

The Samsung Galaxy S is slated to be released by the end of the month, but that won't stop us from speculating about this crave-worthy phone. A huge 102mm (4-inch) touchscreen means the Galaxy S is another option for those of us with clown pockets or roomy handbags.

Super duper AMOLED

The Samsung Galaxy S is yet another phone in our battle that's running Google's Android OS, but it's the only one with a Super AMOLED screen. It's far less reflective than the AMOLED type, so unlike the HTC Desire, we should be able to see the Galaxy S when we're strolling in the sunshine.

Android anticipation

Samsung has been slowly warming up to the Android OS with two other Galaxy phones -- the Galaxy Portal and the Galaxy i7500. Both were solid efforts, but we're still waiting for Samsung to blow us away with something special, and with a 1GHz processor, a 5-megapixel camera and HD video, the Galaxy S has real blowage potential.

Read more about the Samsung Galaxy S here.

Apple iPhone 3GS

The iPhone 3GS may be old news with the launch of the iPhone 4, but it's still a great smart phone -- especially now the price is certain to drop.

Still getting better

The iPhone 3GS will receive the iOS 4 software upgrade, which means many of the features of the iPhone 4 will go to 3GS users too. Basic multi-tasking, wallpaper and room for more organised apps are all in the cards for the update. That's on top of a phone that's so powerful and fun to use, it's been sitting on top of our mobile phone reviews table since the day it came out.

The cool factor

The iPhone still won't be cheap, and buying an older version of a top of the line gadget just feels wrong. If you want to blow your bonus on the latest thing, you can go the whole hog with the iPhone 4 -- otherwise, an HTC Desire will save you a good deal of money on your contract and pricy iPhone apps. On the other hand, if you can get over your gadget envy for the iPhone 4, the iPhone 3GS remains a phone that's well worth having.

Read our full Apple iPhone 3GS review here.