Looking for a new cell phone? Before you hit the stores, it’s helpful to know what the latest options are—other than the ubiquitous iPhone, of course. This way, you won’t end up wishing that you’d waited a few weeks for that next-generation model the salesperson conveniently forgot to mention.

HTC Desire HD One of the most compelling features of the new Desire HD is the updated Sense interface, and that’s on top of the Android 2.2 (Froyo) OS. Keep in mind with Froyo you may have to download pesky patches, although it’s all worth it when you test the phone, a sublime balance of fast interface and gorgeously sleek design. The phone comes with about 1GB of free space for installing apps and is bundled with an 8GB microSD card. It also sports an 8-megapixel camera capable of capturing 720p HD video. Speed wise the Desire has a 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8255 processor, making this a top pick for those who want the the latest and greatest Android smartphone. Around RMB 3,300.

Nokia N8 (Best Camera) The N8 is one of the best camera-phones to date, not to mention one of the most attractive ones, with five eye-catching color options. With a 3.5-inch, AMOLED capacitive touch screen it begs to be used. However, upon testing it is not as accurate when texting as its HTC rivals but very close. With 640 x 360-pixel resolution and (supported) 16.7 million colors, the display is a clear, colorful experience. It holds a whopping 12-megapixel camera and Xenon flash. As far as speed, it’s equipped with a 680MHz ARM11 processor. For those not in the know, this is very fast. Alas, even with this power processor it gets clogged up especially when the camera’s on. Another point to consider this phone is the Symbian OS. It won’t be as advanced or app friendly as its Android cousins but will be clean and functional. Wireless options are well represented on the Nokia N8, with Bluetooth 3.0, Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n), GPS, and five-band 3G support. Around RMB 3,500.

HTC Desire Z (Best Bargain) The Desire Z utilizes a 3.7-inch WVGA (480 x 800-pixel) Super LCD panel, which is standard with HTC. It’s fast, the function is seamless and the screen is sharp. Connectivity-wise, this Android comes with all the options you would want in a smartphone, including HSDPA, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and A-GPS for satellite navigation (in case you or your phone get lost). The main selling point however is the QWERTY key board. Jaded touchscreen fans rejoice! Email is that much faster when typing and paired with the quick Android Froyo OS. It’s a fantastic partnership. The Desire Z only holds a 5-megapixel camera, though it is capable of shooting 720p high-definition video clips. It’s equipped with the new 800MHz Qualcomm MSM7230 processor and a 1,300 mAh battery. With the Desire Z you may not get the camera, but you do get a keyboard and Angry Birds. Around RMB 2,800..

LG Optimus Black With a shiny 4-inch NOVA display, and at only 9.2mm thick, the Optimus Black creates a unique user experience. Aesthetically it is very pleasing, with clean curved corners and a slim body. Heads up though, it doesn’t feel as safe and solid as its Nokia/HTC rivals. The 1500 mAh battery provides enough power for your daily needs, even at maximum brightness settings. It also boasts some enticing firsts: direct, high-quality wifi data transfer between phones, and a 2MP front-facing camera and 5MP at the back. All in all, with Android Froyo and skinny looks it’s definitely for the tech and fashion forward. Price TBA.

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Dell Venue Pro (Best for Business) The Dell smartphone is targeted at tech-savvy business users who value a physical keyboard, Office apps and integration with Microsoft services. The Windows 7 OS is fast and very sync friendly. The 4.1-inch 800 x 480-pixel AMOLED panel slides up to reveal a full QWERTY keypad. This means it’s a little lengthy but well worth it. It doesn’t feel clunky at all; It feels solid and professional. The Venue Pro’s specifications are in line with the rest of the WP7 pack, with a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 16GB of onboard memory and a 5-megapixel camera. It’s a very good bundle for the business of a peaceful handset-windows marriage. Around RMB 8,000.

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Motorola Atrix (Best for Music Junkies) The draws of the Atrix are its 1GHz Nvidia dual-core (Tegra 2) chipset and a very large 4-inch 960 x 540-pixel Gorilla Glass touchscreen. It looks similar to the HTC Desire but behind that pretty screen there’s a massive 16GB of onboard memory, 1GB RAM and a 1,930mAh battery. That means a lot of music, files and photos. The camera is a moderate 5- megapixel, capable of 720p video capture and is accompanied by an LED flash. Motorola rates the 1,930mAh battery at 9 hours of 3G talk time and about 10 days on standby mode. Long lasting and with an awfully clear screen. Around RMB 7,500.

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Google Nexus S This is the handset for Android purists. The Nexus S is the first handset with Gingerbread pre-installed (Android 2.3), and it offers a few improvements like a second camera, an NFC chip, and a three-axis gyroscope. The Nexus S display supports the usual 16.7 million colors and 800 x 480 pixels. The five megapixel camera also offers pretty good resolution, functional, despite easy blurring. The Nexus S has 512MB of RAM and 16GB of internal memory, and is powered by the same 1Ghz Hummingbird processor as the Galaxy S devices. A very big shout out has to go to the look of the handset though… it’s breathtakingly well designed, ergonomically friendly and way cooler than your run of the mill iPhone. Around RMB 4,000.