Apple iPhone - $399
The iPhone is best for business owners who want an entertainment device over a straight business tool. Complete with a built-in iPod and the ability to play YouTube videos, the iPhone is easily the most media friendly of the three. In addition, it has an extremely user-friendly interface. Most users report being able to learn how to use the basics of the iPhone within a few minutes. Best of all, the iPhone is currently the best smart phone for searching the Internet. Not only do the pages load quickly, but Apple’s Safari browser makes surfing the Web on your phone as easy as surfing from your home computer. Those expecting to use the iPhone for receiving and sending business e-mails should beware, however: The touchscreen interface makes typing even semi-lengthy e-mails or messages from your phone difficult. The iPhone does not support third-party applications, which will disappoint business owners seeking to customize their smart phones for their businesses. The 2-megapixel camera takes surprisingly good photos.

BlackBerry Pearl - $399
Business owners seeking a powerful smart phone for managing their companies can’t do better than the BlackBerry Pearl. Compact and portable, the Pearl is also the easiest smart phone to use with one hand. While it includes a convenient trackwheel for quick scrolling, the Pearl has only a tactile keypad for entering text. While lacking in the “cool” factor, having buttons to press quickly results in much more accurate typing than a touchscreen provides. The Pearl’s battery life is outstanding: Ours lasted for three days without being recharged, even with average use. Like all BlackBerries, the Pearl is exceptionally adept at handling all e-mail programs and sending messages. It also handles a number of useful third party applications. One of our testers, for example, found using the new Google Maps application useful for finding oneself when lost. This handy program works even without a GPS device. For the most part, multimedia capabilities are poor, although the Pearl contains a 1.3-megapixel camera that provides above-average photos.

Verizon LG Voyager - $299
Dubbed the “iPhone killer” at its release, Verizon’s LG Voyager combines the best of the iPhone and the Pearl while coming up short in some respects. Regardless, it is still a good phone for those seeking the best of both worlds. Even better, when purchased with a new service plan, it’s the least expensive of the three. Voyager users have the option of using the outside touchscreen keyboard or flipping open the phone to use a full QWERTY keyboard. While convenient—and certainly friendlier to users who find typing on keypads difficult—this makes the phone somewhat bulky. In addition, the touchscreen doesn’t respond as well as the iPhone’s. The double keyboard option makes the Voyager the best phone for text messaging, but the e-mail application is difficult to find and use. Like the iPhone, the Voyager has a 2-megapixel camera, but also has the option of adding an 8GB storage disk and downloading Windows Media files.