Quite simply, touch screen technology is the innovation we now expect to see in some shape or form from every new smartphone that launches.
Swapping a button-bashing existence for a softer sensing interface we can press, swipe, pinch and zoom, means we can now do a little bit more than simply stare into that pint-sized screen of ours.
If the only QWERTY keyboard you want to see on a daily basis is the one nestled next to your office computer, here's our pick of the best touchscreen smartphones available right now in the UK.
1. HTC Desire HD
Sporting a massive 4.3-inch Super LCD touch screen display, the HD has plenty of room for slick manoeuvre around HTC's overhauled Sense UI. Incorporating the same 480X800 WVGA resolution as the original Desire does however mean it lacks the vividness and superior contrast ratios of Samsung's Super AMOLED displays.
Most importantly though, your digits should be rewarded with a fluid interface interaction and the kind of satisfying pinch-to-zoom experience we saw with its predecessor.
Read our full HTC Desire HD review
2. Apple iPhone 4
Putting Antennagate to one side, and there is plenty to laud over Apple's latest smartphone creation, particularly the 3.5-inch capacitive touch screen and new Retina Display which is a vast visual improvement on the 3GS.
Admirably serving all your multi-touch, pinch, zoom, cut and pasting needs, the 800:1 contrast ratio and 960x640p resolution makes the iPhone 4 a suitable partner for all your widescreen movie-watching and looking back at your freshly-snapped photos.
Read our full iPhone 4 review
3. Samsung Galaxy S
Setting the benchmark for immensely bright displays, the Galaxy S houses a 4-inch Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen that does not disappoint. Its 480x800 WVGA resolution is someway behind the iPhone 4 (640x960), but you can still expect vivid colours, true blacks and outstanding contrast ratio.
Samsung's impressive smartphone performer delivers the kind of responsiveness needed to support multi-touch pinch-to-zoom gestures, and make the most of the new Swype text entry technology.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy S review
4. HTC Desire
Proving an admirable iPhone adversary, the first batch of Desires originally hosted a 3.7-inch AMOLED touch screen, which now due to shortages, has been replaced by Super LCD capacitive displays.
User experience has been in no way lessened, so expect navigating round your smartphone to still be light and responsive. The 480x800 WVGA resolution display can be prone to suffer on a sunny day, but viewing images and web pages should still be a pleasurable experience.
Read our full HTC Desire
5. HTC Legend
Marrying a gorgeous aluminium unibody design with a 3.2-inch OLED (check) capacitive touchscreen, the Legend is a handset of sheer beauty. Multi-touch support and HTC's Sense interface makes for an incredibly fluid experience, while browsing pull and pinch controls are a breeze.
Like the Hero, it packs a 320x480 HVGA resolution which is perhaps not as impressive when compared to the newer members of the HTC handset family. It does deliver a supremely satisfying browsing and navigating experience for your fingers.
Read our full HTC Legend review
6. HTC HD7
The biggest Windows Phone 7 launch handset in its most literal sense, the HD7 joins the Desire HD sporting an equally hulking 4.3-inch capacitive LCD touchscreen. The similarities do not end there, with the screen-dominated smartphone boasting Desire HD-like 800x480 WVGA resolution that should do justice to images and text against the white background.
There's plenty of room to pinch-to-zoom your way through websites, and crucially is a suitably sized partner for Microsoft's sleek new tile-themed OS.
Read our full HTC HD7 review
7. Samsung Wave
Heralding a bright new era for the Korean mobile-makers, the Wave was the first handset to pack Samsung's Bada OS, and sport a 3.3-inch Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen. There's multi-touch support, and with 480x800 WVGA resolution, a screen that boasts great viewing angles and jaw-dropping contrast.
Samsung's TouchWiz overlay may be an acquired taste for some, but it does not detract from the sensitive response underneath your fingers when re-arranging the widgets round your home screens.
Read our full Samsung Wave review
8. Apple iPhone 3GS
If the bank balance doesn't quite stretch to buying an iPhone 4, its Apple smartphone brethren still delivers a pleasurable touchscreen performance albeit without all those new desirable features.
The 3.5-inch HVGA capacitive multi-touch widescreen display delivers a far more responsive screen than previous iPhone models, and should have images looking suitably sharp and clear. For those partial to a greasy treat, a fingerprint-free oleophobic coating should make your iPhone 3GS a smear-free zone.
Read our full Apple iPhone 3GS review
9. Samsung Omnia 7
In the battle of the Windows Phone 7 handsets, the Omnia 7 has one feature that set itself apart from the rest, a gorgeous 4-inch Super AMOLED capacitive touch screen. The 800x480 resolution will have colours looking bold and vivid, delivering deep contrast ratios, and showing off the Windows Phone 7 UI's slick, angular design. A tactile feel under the fingertips makes it easy to swipe around screens and get familiar with the new OS.
Read our full Samsung Omnia 7 review
10. Motorola Milestone XT720
The Moto revival goes from strength to strength with an Android smartphone that amongst its most notable features is a 3.7-inch 480x854 WVGA capacitive touch screen. It's by no means as clear as Super AMOLED displays, but it sports a higher resolution than the HTC Desire, and responds well to pinch and zoom requests. The glass screen can be a fingerprint magnet and be prepared for a reflective headache when taking photos on a sunny day, however.
Read our full Motorola Milestone XT720 review
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