Consumer gives Android the nod over iPhone. Me ...

In its July issue, Consumer rates 20 smartphones.

It asks the question, "Is the iPhone still on top?"

The answer: no. Me, I'm not so sure.

The iPhone scores 77%.

But Samsung's Galaxy S, one of a raft of Google Android-based phones in the survey, is a nose ahead on 78, topping Consumer's chart.

The only negative listed for the Galaxy S is "Camera doesn't have a flash". 

So presumably Consumer would be even more impressed with the Galaxy S's successor, the SII, which adds an LED flash (and a few other frills, including HSPA+ for faster downloads and a faster processor, and bumps digital camera resolution from 5mP to 8mP).

The Galaxy SII also supersizes the S's already large 4-inch display to 4.27-inches - meaning the SII is 1cm taller than an iPhone, and 0.5cm wider (though impressively, the SII is slightly slimmer than the iPhone, and noticeably lighter - 115g to the Apple handset's 137g).

For me, that's one of the issues with the Galaxy SII. The iPhone might have a display that's "only" 3.5-inches, but that's as large as I find practical for using a touchscreen one-handed. With the SII's screen, my thumb* can't reach the edges of the screen. (On the plus side, the larger screen is great for video.)

Then there's the apps issue. The Android Market getting better all the time. But, right now, it's is far more thinly populated than the iTunes AppStore (and, being a law-abiding citizen, I also miss my iTunes music collection when I'm away from my iPhone. Right now, in case you're wondering, I'm using an iPhone with my Vodafone Micro-SIM, a Motorola Milestone with my Telecom XT SIM and an iPad 2 with my 2degrees Micro-SIM).

Samsung compounds the apps issue by not funneling all online apps and content through Android Market, it diverts Galaxy SII users to one of four Samsung online "hubs" for slected apps, content and online media. I can appreciate that phone makers are desperate for a point-of-difference at a time when Google is commoditising smartphone software. Still, it's a bit of a messy strategy.

So, for me, if I could choose only one device, it would still be the iPhone (although my loyalty will be strained if the next iPhone does not support HSPA+). 

Still the Galaxy SII is a very well designed, and well-engineered phone, and I've got no quibble with its (occasionally temperamental) predecessor scoring highly with our friends at Consumer.

Even at 20 smartphones, Consumer's roundup is by no means exhaustive, however, missing models from Motorola, Huawei and Sony Ericsson (an extended version of the article is available online, covering 32 models and with extra info - some of it, horrors, behind a paywall).

If you're in the Android camp and your smartphone search is well-funded, check out Sony Ericsson's $999 Xperia Arc as an Galaxy SII alternative. 

If your budget's more limited, check out the $499 Huawei Ideos X5 on 2degrees. It's quite possibly for budget rather than strategic reasons, but the X5 is unadorned Android, unencumbered by any extra software frills.

* I have a large nose

BACK TO THE FUTURE

This Chinese website sells a retro cellphone. It's more early X-Files boxy than original 80s shoephone, but it's still pretty tasty kit for old school gadget lovers. And it doesn't just look boss, it's a working GSM mobile.

At NBR, we were too scared to order one (running the site through Google Translate delivered text that seemed to be about selling babies). 

But AUT University web developer Freddy Corrotea was game. And as you can see from the photo above, his retro phone - looking a lot like an early Motorola but officially (according to Google Translate) an example of the "Big Brother" brand - arrived safe and sound.

The price: 275 yuan, or about $51.