• by Mark Walsh  @markfwal, July 6, 2009

The iPhone 3G S can add another accolade -- topping Consumer Reports' latest smartphone ratings. The new Apple device "edged out high-scoring competitors such as the Palm Pre and BlackBerry Storm thanks to a superior display, reinforced by top-notch multimedia, navigation, Web browsing, and battery life," according to the shootout.

Perhaps more surprising, those two much-hyped smartphones were also edged out by the Samsung Omnia from Verizon Wireless, which uses the Windows Mobile operating system and goes for $100 less. But the top-rated devices are tightly packed, with the No. 10 LG Incite earning an overall score of 67 compared to 73 for the iPhone 3G S. The BlackBerry Storm and T-Mobile G1 each totaled 69 points, and the Pre, 67.

The Pre, Storm and other BlackBerry models beat out the iPhone in messaging, and CR noted that the Pre, with its deck-of-cards format for handling multiple applications, "is a superior multitasker." That suggests the Pre represents as much of a competitive threat to the business-oriented BlackBerry as the iPhone.

The magazine pointed out that its new smartphone ratings reflect an increased emphasis on factors such as display, ease of navigation, and multimedia and messaging, at the expense of talk time (battery life results) and voice quality. The aim is to better mirror the growing importance of the non-voice use of smartphones. None of the phones were rated better than "good" in voice quality in CR testing.

The shift led to a drop in the rankings for certain models, including the Samsung Blackjack II and BlackBerry Pearl Flip. But manufacturers and carriers should welcome the increased focus on non-voice features in the ratings since both are endeavoring to encourage more data use by mobile customers. CR said its also looking at other ways to evaluate phones' speed and versatility as they adopt more sophisticated operating systems and third-party applications.

In that vein, how about an app store ranking when the new crop of mobile application storefronts are all up and running? To help account for Apple's big headstart, any ratings could focus de-emphasize selection and elevate attributes such as usability, app quality and cost.

And what about reports of the iPhone 3G S being too hot to handle?

Apple Support has acknowledged an overheating problem with both the 3G S and 3G phones, when they "run certain applications in hot conditions or direct sunlight for long periods of time, such as GPS tracking in a car on a sunny day or listening to music while in direct sunlight."

CR noted that the problem may be limited to specific lots of phones, but didn't turn up during its tests, "which are still ongoing." So stay on your toes, smartphone makers.