In a shocking twist last week, Engadget highlights the brand new touch-screen phone from Samsung. Oh yeah - I remember hearing about that phone - the Omnia, right? Oh, no? Then it must be the Instinct…. or maybe the Delve? But I thought the Samsung touchscreen was the Glyde?

While all of these responses would be correct - those are ALL touchscreen phones from Samsung that have debuted in 2008 - the Samsung touchscreen of the week is the Eternity. Let’s see what this one has in store for us, and while we’re at it, let’s check the others out too.

The Eternity is the newest addition to AT&T’s touchscreen line-up. The biggest pro to buying the Eternity? It’s only $149.99 with contract, and the ease of online ordering. You can also purchase this one solo (without a plan) for $379.99. Take that, iPhone. Cons? No wifi and they ditched WinMo on the Eternity.

The Instinct is designed for the Sprint network. According to Phone Arena’s review of the Instinct, this is a subpar alternative to the iPhone, with an unimpressive 240×400 screen. This one isn’t all bad, though, with a 5MP camera and a “beautiful appearance”.

Behold something… er… different with this TMobile gadget. The coolest thing about this phone would have to be the range of colors it comes in. With both Espresso and Pink options, this is for the trendy, unique consumer that wants to hop on the touchscreen wagon.

The Omnia is equipped with top-of-the-line features, like a wide QVGA screen, up to 16GB of onboard storage, an accelerometer for automatic screen rotation, and an optical joystick for easy one-handed operation. Also loaded with WinMo, this is a pretty solid touchscreen phone. My biggest complaintis the external stylus that is intended to be tethered to the outside of the phone - totally voiding the sleek exterior.

The Delve is a CDMA touchscreen phone, filling an important void for Alltel and US Cellular. Preloaded with Toneroom, Facebook, Myspace, this relative of the Instinct seems to be a solid addition to Samsung’s extended touch screen family.

Verizon Wireless’s Glyde might be the most distant relative starring in this feature, but is a sleek, smooth, recently- debuted touchscreen nonetheless. With a full slide out tactile QWERTY keyboard, this phone is for those consumers who want the best of both worlds - the large screen and cool touch-ability of the iPhone with the texting and typing capabilities of a Blackberry.

As we eagerly await the release of the new iPhone and a slew of other smartphones, I’m faced with a decision - should I hop on the nearly-button-free, touchscreen bandwagon or do I want a QWERTY keyboard for easy texting and emailing?

Touchscreen Options

While Apple’s latest addition to the touch-screen movement is probably the most buzzed about, many cell phone manufacturers have touchscreen phones on the way for this summer. Blackberry’s Thunder is a much anticipated product, as it ventures away from the typical Blackberry form, but keeps some of the essentials, such as quick-touch buttons for sending and ending calls, browsing the menu, instant camera access, and other often used applications. It has, however, lost the tactile keyboard, leaving the user with only the visual one typical of  touchscreen phones. Also in this category are the LG Dare, Samsung Instinct, and HTC Diamond.

Tactile QWERTY Keyboard Options

The new HP iPAQ 910 has just been released, and packs a punch with its Windows 6.1 Mobile OS and sleek Blackberry-esque look. Another option with a full keyboard is the brand new Blackberry Bold, the first Blackberry with HSDPA networking. LG also has several QWERTY handsets for the mobile messager - the enV2 offers a full keyboard, and some great extras such as a 2MP camera, but leaves much to be desired with its subpar appearance. But for a consumer strongly concerned with ease of texting and emailing, a QWERTY keyboard could be the most important feature.

My Verdict

As far as my bottom line goes, I think my requirements are GPS, a full web browser, a high quality camera and reliable service. As a novice mobile messager, I think I can sacrifice the tactile QWERTY keyboard, but only because I don’t think I’ll be using a keyboard (in any form) much from my smartphone. So right now my frontrunner is the Bold, with its sleek touch screen and easy-access buttons, but I am confident I am not the only one facing this dilemma. As the products are released, and the race unfolds, we’ll see what a smartphone will need to take the lead.

Morgan Stanley predicts that Apple iPhone sales will hit its greatest sales mark in 2009 by doubling current sales numbers.  With AT&T releasing the iPhone for $199 with a service plan, sales are expected to soar, especially with the upcoming release of the 3G iPhone (July 11).

Because of the expected growth, Morgan Stanley raised its price target on Apple Inc. shares from $185 to $210.  In a quote taken from PC Magazine by Reuter, the Investment Bank said, “We believe the market generally expects a doubling of iPhone units with the lower price point ($199) and we believe this is realistic, if not conservative.

Any Competition for Apple? 

Since the iPhone is the “apple of many people’s eye,” other manufacturers are continually trying to create a masterpiece that will be able to compete with the best.  In just two short days, Sprint will be releasing the Samsung Instinct into the arena to have a go-around with the iPhone.  The Samsung Instinct was originally projected to go for $299, and once the news that the iPhone would be available for the reasonable price of $199, Sprint took a shot at Apple and made the Instinct available for a mere $129.  Of course, all of these prices include two-year life binding contracts, but for the most part, they are worth it.

Future Smartphone Predictions

In my opinion, I believe Apple will carry the smartphone revolution for quite some time.  The innovative and creative people behind of Apple’s amazing innovations will continue to surprise us with technology we could not dream up.  Sprint will give Apple a run for its money with the price of the Instinct being so low, but most of the time, you pay for what you get … and Apple is usually worth it.