With Google Android 1.6 commencing roll-out for the HTC Magic yesterday and leaked information regarding Google Android 2.0, it’s a great time to be an Android follower. But which Android mobile phone is for you? We take a look at the best Google OS-supported handsets on the market. Read on…


1. HTC Hero
If ever there was a phone that showed off Google Android to its fullest it’s the awesome HTC Hero. Disguising Google’s OS with a sexy skin called Sense, the Hero is stunning. With a pronounced lip at the bottom it resembles the HTC Magic, only with more going for it. We’re talking a five-megapixel camera, a 3.5mm headphone socket (it was the fist Android handset with such a socket) and a glorious 3.2-inch TFT touchscreen. It also scores high on connectivity with 7.2Mbps HSDPA, Wi-Fi and GPS. The best Android handset so far!

2. Motorola DEXT
Hit the DEXT! No actually, don’t. Because the Motorola DEXT is a very good Android handset actually. Not since the RAZR has Motorola released something so exciting. Sporting Android it also comes with MotoBlur software that makes this jump out from the crowd. The desktop has a group of social networking widgets such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and email. Also a Universal Inbox allows you to look at all the messages you received across all platforms in one screen. Spec-wise the DEXT comes with a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard, a 3.1-inch touchscreen, 1GB storage, HSDPA, Wi-Fi and GPS. Not bad. Not bad at all.

3. Samsung Galaxy i7500
The Samsung Galaxy is, well, out of this world. Okay, let’s ground it a bit. It’s very good given that it’s Samsung’s first attempt at an Android handset. Spec-wise, the Sasmung Galaxy i7500 has 3G, Wi-Fi and GPS, as well as a five-megapixel camera. But what makes this stand out from the Android crowd isn’t a jaw-dropping skin (nothing like Sense or MotoBlur here). Oh no. The star of the show here is a 3.2-inch AMOLED display that implores you to gorge out on videos and photos. Oh and did we mention it’s gorgeous to look at? No? Well it is.

4. HTC Tattoo
It’s only just hit stores but the HTC Tattoo is an excellent entry-level Android mobile phone. Stuffing Android onto a handset this small must have been difficult enough, but ensuring that it was more Terminator than K9 – without pushing up the price – was the real trick. The Tattoo may have modest specifications (a 3.2-megapixel camera, a 2.8-inch touchscreen), but it’s one of the smallest touchscreen phones around. Plus it has HTC Sense draped over Android for even more user-friendliness. This brings Android to the masses.

5. HTC Magic
HTC has made the top five again. The Magic was the company’s second mobile phone to sport Android, and with Donut (Android 1.6) starting its roll-out for the handset, the Magic’s appeal looks set to continue. It’s a great looking handset with a 3.2-inch, supremely responsive touchscreen that’s on a par with the iPhone’s. Okay, so the camera’s only a 3.2-megapixel offering, and there’s no flash, but with 1.6 bringing improved functionality to the UI, the Magic looks set to stick around for a while.

Agree with this top five? Let us know what you think in the comments section below…