Mobile phones have changed the way people communicate. In the same way, smart phones, which provide computer-like functions, have changed the way people use their mobile phones.

Smart phones differ from ordinary mobile phones in two simple ways: how they are built and what they can do. Currently, the Apple iPhone 3GS and the BlackBerry Bold are arguably two of the best smart phones available in the market. Here’s how they match-up against each other:

DESIGN

The iPhone’s revolutionary touchscreen design has set the standard for future generations of smart phones. Nokia and Samsung have developed similar designs for their smart phones. There are also more than a hundred iPhone clones out in the market, all trying to cash in on the iPhone’s status. The Apple iPhone 3GS looks virtually the same as its predecessor, the iPhone 3G. The Blackberry Bold is the best looking BlackBerry so far, but the iPhone’s design is an instant classic. Winner: Apple iPhone 3GS

OPERATING SYSTEM

It takes a bit of time to get used to both the iPhone 3GS and the BlackBerry Bold. BlackBerry has always been known for usability focused on business applications. The BlackBerry Bold has shortcut keys to get things done quickly, however, it’s still easier and faster to master the iPhone 3GS. Winner: Apple iPhone 3GS

DISPLAY

The iPhone 3GS has a 3.5-inch screen with 320 x 480 pixels resolution and 16M colors. With a small 2.6-inch screen and only 16K colors, the BlackBerry Bold lags behind in this department not just against the iPhone but with other top smart phones as well. Winner: Apple iPhone 3GS

KEYBOARD

The BlackBerry Bold’s large keyboard took up some of the space that could have been used for the display but it’s worth it because it’s a pleasure typing in the full QWERTY keyboard, which has a sure and fast response. The iPhone’s virtual keyboard is flashy but it takes time to master fast and accurate typing. Though there’s an error correction system, it’s not reliable if there are a large number of mistakes. Functionality beats flashy in this round. Winner: BlackBerry Bold

APPLICATIONS

When it comes to applications, no smart phone comes close to the iPhone because it is the easiest platform to develop applications for. With thousands of developers creating millions of applications for the Apple App Store, the sky’s the limit for the iPhone 3GS. Winner: Apple iPhone 3GS

SPEED & CONNECTIVITY

With an ARM Cortex A8 processor clocking 600 MHz and HDSPA speed up to 7.2 Mbps, it’s no wonder the ‘S’ in Apple iPhone 3GS stands for speed. However, the BlackBerry Bold is no slouch as it has a 624 MHz processor. Both smart phones are capable of communicating over Quad Band GSM network supporting frequency bands of 850/900/1800/1900, both are GPRS, EDGE and WiFi enabled, and both have Bluetooth A2DP support and USB Connectivity. While the BlackBerry Bold only has an HSDPA speed of 3.6 Mbps, there’s really no speed difference because there are currently no service providers that give 7.2 Mbps. Winner: Draw

CAMERA

The camera has been the iPhone’s "weakness" as a smart phone, but not over the BlackBerry Bold. The iPhone 3GS features a 3-megapixel camera with autofocus, a decent 640 x 480 resolution at 30fps and excellent audio. The BlackBerry Bold has a standard 2-megapixel camera with an LED flash. Winner: Apple iPhone 3GS

STORAGE

With 16GB and 32GB models, there’s no question that the iPhone 3GS trumps the BlackBerry Bold, which only has 1GB of internal memory and can only support up to 8GB of external memory. Winner: Apple iPhone 3GS

CALL QUALITY & BATTERY LIFE

Winner: Draw

THE VERDICT

The Apple iPhone 3GS is a worthy successor to its predecessors and the BlackBerry Bold is the best BlackBerry phone ever made. The iPhone 3GS is a consumer phone with something for everyone while the BlackBerry Bold maintains BlackBerry’s reputation as a business gadget. At the end of the day, it’s what the user needs that matters the most.