Smart phone OS showdown: iPhone vs Android vs Palm Pre

It's truly hard to pick a 'winner' here. We love the open nature of Android, but with that comes inconsistency and unreliability. On the flip-side, we love the way the iPhone and the Palm Pre look -- we adore the slick visuals and beautiful screens -- but with that comes an interface you can't fully customise, and a frustratingly inflexible user experience.

We hate that you have to use iTunes to make the iPhone work, but we adore the way the iPod functionality integrates with everything else on the handset. We really love the fact that buying music, watching video and subscribing to podcasts is just a couple of mouse clicks away. On the other hand, Android lets you do what you want, play pretty much what you want and use a variety of apps to do it, but it's not simple and it can be an annoying experience.

You get the point: all three of these phones are terrific. They use three brilliant operating systems that each have strengths and weaknesses, but are sturdy, powerful and full of potential.

We're sorry to wimp out, but we can't decide this for you. If you want the best email integration, plump for the Pre. If you want a fun, usable experience out of the box, and don't mind paying extra for apps and games, go with the iPhone, particularly if you're already invested in the iTunes ecosystem. We'll give the last word to Android, though. If you want to hack your phone around with as much freedom and choice as you want, Android is your friend -- and it's getting better all the time.