A smartphone is at the top of many Brits’ Christmas shopping list but which is the best one to buy?

If you use pay as you go SIM cards you might have a lot more spare money to spend on a decent smartphone.

This explains the current popularity of companies such as giffgaff which offer sim cards which come with unlimited internet access – great for those who don’t have to worry about hitting a data limit when surfing the internet.

So why not snap up one of the smartphones suggested below to take full advantage of this great alternative to having a mobile contract?

1. The Apple iPhone 4

There was a time when young kids were happy with a toffee apple in their Christmas stocking. But now it seems that you need a new Apple gadget to ensure a happy Yuletide.

And there are few Apple products more in demand than the Apple iPhone 4.

Smartphones, by definition, surf the internet, manage emails, download apps and play video content without conking out just when you’re watching the Queen’s Speech on BBC iPlayer.

The iPhone 4 seems to tick all these boxes and then some. With FaceTime you can make a video call to your loved ones on Christmas Day. Giving you a great chance to personally thank your maiden aunt for that lovely knitted sweater she sent you.

Reading the latest books is also simple with the handset as it supports iBooks.

In a further attempt to make this iPhone superior to its predecessors it has a multi-tasking feature which helps you switch between apps with the tap of a thumb.

Throw in the capacity to shoot and edit videos and it all adds up to a great Christmas package of features to be found on the phone.

The giffgaff community is obviously familiar with the charms of the iPhone 4 as they have drawn up a template so that you can pick up some scissors and turn your sim into a ‘micro-sim’ compatible for use with the new Apple gadget.

Micro-sims mean that there is more room on your handset for the technical stuff that make iPhones such prized possessions!

2. HTC Desire HD

This object of desire is more bulky than many of its competitors but that’s probably what makes it so powerful and full of innovations.

Its larger-than-normal 4.3 inch touchscreen display gives you more room to search the internet to find the best January sales options and watch videos in high definition (hence the name, of course).

Like its rival the iPhone 4 it has app multitasking so you can make full use of the apps you have downloaded through the Android operating system.

HTC seem to appreciate that you won’t want to lose the phone once Santa has dropped it down the chimney. If you do misplace it you can log on to HTCsense.com to locate its whereabouts.

The phone’s Taiwanese manufacturer seems to be cornering the market in smartphones – the HTC Hero and HTC Desire Z should also do big business over Christmas.

3. The Motorola Milestone

The Milestone can act as a 3G mobile hotspot for up to five wi-fi devices. So theoretically, on Christmas morning, you could arrange your new iPod, iPad and laptop in a circle around the Milestone and fill your boots.

Motorola’s latest offering should very much appeal to business-minded people and those who like an email just as much as a 40-character Tweet.

Its slide-out QWERTY keyboard ensures that the Milestone doesn’t become a millstone around your neck in terms of bulkiness.

Social networkers will also be pleased that Facebook and Twitter feeds can be displayed on a single screen so there will be no need to flick from app to app to see what all your friends are up to on Christmas day.

It certainly is a Facebook-friendly device. All those photos of you kissing under the mistletoe can be directly uploaded on to Facebook and the Milestone will let you view them with crystal-clear definition.

Author Bio: Giffgaff – the mobile network run by you. We do things differently to the big mobile networks. We’re run by our members. We offer unlimited texts, unlimited internet and unlimited calls to other giffgaff users on a pay as you go basis. Visit giffgaff.com for a free SIM card

Category: Computers and Technology
Keywords: smartphones, SIM cards, pay as you go