There are certainly a lot of smartphone to choose from. First, you have to pick a platform (which is easer than saying OS) from the pool of options - Android, iOS, Blackberry, Symbian and now, Windows Phone 7.

Then you have to pic a manufacturer - Samsung, Motorola, RIM, Nokia, LG, Sony Ericson, Coral and others.

Then you have to pick a provider; for Jamaica we choose from Digicel, LIME and Claro.

That is a lot of choice. I can't tell you what the best choice is, but I can tell what my most recent choice has been. The Samsung Galaxy S.

I heard all the early reviews and expected to be impressed. The phone did not disappoint. We'll get to the technical specs later. First, let's look at the first impressions. In a word, my first impression was - light!

lightweight

This handset is remarkably lightweight coming in at under 5 ounces. It's not a small phone, but is easy to hold and comfortable in the hands with very little bulk. The i9000 model I tested was also super thin, so it fits in a purse or pocket with ease.

Once powered up, the next thing to impress me was the large, crisp, clear Super AMOLED screen; again my first impression in a word ... wow! The capacitive touch screen also provides haptic feedback (a small vibration when touched) for easy input while offering a 480x800 pixel resolution.

Here now is where the Android 2.1 software kicks in. I'd be willing to bet that you have a gmail account. I do too. So on start up, the phone asked me for my gmail information. Once entered, my contacts, calendar, email and critical settings were instantly loaded on to the phone ... like magic.

If you don't mind Google having access to your data, this makes transferring information from one smartphone to another almost seamless.

The Android learning curve is short, it didn't take any time for me to navigate and configure my phone right to the app store. I had downloaded and tinkered with more than 12 apps in less than 30 minutes. The Android market isn't bad, but in the interest of full disclosure the Apple App Store still has more premium apps.

battery life

Even after a whole night playing with the various features, and a whole day at work making and taking calls, the Galaxy S made it through with lots of battery life to spare.

The handset also has many of the 'standard smartphone features' we can't now do without, like a micro SD card slot supporting up to 32GB, a micro USB connector for charging and data transfer, fixed volume control buttons and a home key. The Android OS is scalable and flexible; if you are a Google lover, it will fit you like a glove.

If you are moving from the Blackberry OS or iOS, there may be a few challenges. But nothing to turn you off this stunningly beautiful unit.

If you are ready to change your know, consider the Samsung Galaxy S as a serious option.

Tech Glitch: Should I keep my data in the cloud or on a jump drive asks Cobe

Tech Fix: Why not both. Each option has benefits and disadvantages. Find free syncing software online and keep redundant copies of your files in multiple secure locations to prevent data lose.

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