This will continue to be obvious even after Apple (AAPL) announces “iPhone 2.0″ at this week’s conference for Macintosh and iPhone software developers. This new device, of course, is the updated version of the path-breaking model that was launched a year ago amid a blizzard of hype.

I continue to be an iSkeptic of sorts. I don’t own an iPhone, and even if all the rumored new features appear they probably won’t be enough to overcome Apple’s still-unfortunate choice of AT&T (T) as its telecom carrier partner.

True, no other device does exactly what the iPhone does. Conversely, the iPhone doesn’t come close to matching the most valuable features of the devices I do use, namely Research in Motion’s (RIMM) BlackBerry Curve and Nokia (NOK) N95. Let’s look at each to see why.

My primary device is the BlackBerry, for two major reasons. First, using T-Mobile’s clever UMA technology, which does a voice hand-off from cell to WiFi–something that works on several T-Mobile handsets, but not the BlackBerry Curve on other networks–I can use the phone (and save cell minutes and money) using voice over IP. This is especially helpful at home where the cell signal is weak, but also helpful given that it works with just about any WiFi network. AT&T hasn’t built UMA into its own network, and Apple’s first iPhone did not permit VoIP in any case.

Just as important, the BlackBerry’s physical keyboard–small keys that are nonetheless accurate and have a nice tactile response–makes it a mostly excellent email tool.

Mostly, but not completely–because BlackBerry’s email capabilities are designed around Microsoft Exchange. I do use Exchange for one email account, but IMAP on several others. And the BlackBerry has no IMAP client software that even understands how to flag a message as having been replied to, much less an understanding of folders.

I would pay good money for a solid IMAP client for the BlackBerry, but no one seems to care enough to create one. I suspect there’s a serious market for the first company that does this.

If the iPhone had a tolerable keyboard–and I find the virtual, screen-bound keypad nearly useless–it would be a vastly better email device than the BlackBerry, especially because it absolutely gets IMAP and is about to work with Exchange servers.

The iPhone’s camera is roughly equivalent to the one on the Curve: inadequate at best, with relatively low resolution and no video mode. Nokia’s N95, by contrast , is a great camera, with a 5 megapixel still resolution and 30-frame-per-second VGA video recording and playback.

I can “tether” the N95 to my laptop and use it as a modem; no such common-sense usage with the iPhone. The N95 also has WiFi (and handles VoIP) and 3G, invaluable for international travel; strong rumors say the iPhone will remedy the 3G situation in the new version.In fact, the N95 has almost too many high-end features, a key reason it has especially poor battery life. GPS is another N95 advantage; again, there are strong indications that the iPhone will also have it–and the large screen on the Apple device makes maps a joy to use and view.

I do love the iPhone as a media playback device, however. That’s why I bought an iPod Touch, which is roughly the same size and has become my portable media system of choice, especially on airplanes. And when it comes to Web browsing, it’s absolutely no contest: The iPhone blows away the Blackberry and N95.

Apple raised the bar in a serious way when it comes to software. While Nokia’s operating system has been much more open than the iPhone’s (or BlackBerry’s)–something Apple has halfway remedied with its semi-open new development model–Nokia has a long way to go to get even close to Apple in basic usability. The BlackBerry is quite easy to use, but still far behind Apple in many respects.

Will I buy an iPhone when the new models hit the stores? I still don’t know. Apple’s insistence that legitimate software will only be available through its online store is part of the company’s typical arrogance. And its continued lock-in with AT&T is close to a deal-killer no matter how good the device may be.

Of course, you can “jailbreak” even the current iPhones. And it’s looking as though the new ones will be even more malleable, at least theoretically.

No matter what Apple introduces, the compromises will continue, however. But the time is almost in sight when we’ll have just about everything we want–not just what we absolutely need–in our handhelds. Not real soon now, but sooner than we might expect.

In fact, this category is getting so crowded that it’s hard to follow all of the contenders. T-Mobile and Sprint, for example, have just announced very similar smart phones running Microsoft’s latest Windows Mobile software. Both feature horizontal keyboards that slide out from beneath the screen. The T-Mobile Wing costs $299 after various rebates, while the Sprint Mogul, which runs on a faster network, costs $399.

But I’ve been testing two other new smart phones that I find especially interesting. One is the latest attempt by BlackBerry maker Research In Motion to appeal to consumers. The other is a high-resolution camera phone by Nokia, which costs more than even the iPhone.

The new BlackBerry Curve 8300, sold by AT&T, is sort of a cross between the maker’s low-end consumer-oriented Pearl and its larger, more traditional models like the 8800 series. It costs $199 after rebate, with a two-year contract.

Unlike the Pearl, which manages its slender size by sporting only a squished keyboard where two letters must share each key, the Curve has a full, if slightly compressed, keyboard. I found it no problem to use accurately. It does, however, use the Pearl-like trackball instead of the famous BlackBerry side-mounted wheel.

To accommodate the keyboard and a wider screen, the Curve is wider and a bit thicker than the Pearl, and has more of the traditional BlackBerry look. And it’s over 20% heavier. But it’s narrower, shorter and lighter than the 8800, though a bit thicker.

The silver-colored Curve doesn’t boast any technological breakthroughs. It’s mostly an attempt to bring the BlackBerry’s email capabilities to a model that doesn’t compromise the keyboard the way the Pearl did. It has all the traditional BlackBerry features, plus a two-megapixel camera, a slot for a memory card, and the ability to play music and videos.

In my tests, I had no trouble at all sending and receiving email on the Curve, taking or displaying pictures, or playing music. I was able to move over some songs and pictures from my own computer, and they displayed and played as promised. Voice quality was fine, and phone talk time is about four hours — reasonable but not outstanding.

In a welcome move, the Curve has a standard headphone jack, capable of playing music in stereo and handling phone calls. It also includes Bluetooth for wireless headsets and use in cars, but it doesn’t have Wi-Fi wireless networking. It also runs on AT&T’s relatively slow EDGE network instead of the carrier’s faster data network. And the Web browser is mediocre.

The Nokia N95 lacks a full keyboard, physical or virtual and its email is primitive, but that’s not its main purpose. This device is the best combination of a camera and a phone I’ve ever tested, and includes a long list of other media features.

The camera boasts five megapixel resolution, highly unusual for a phone, and it takes marvelous photos. When I transferred my shots to my computer, they were large, sharp and vivid, just as if they’d come from a standard camera. The camera has Carl Zeiss optics, autofocus, multiple flash settings and various scene settings. It also has a burst mode capable of taking six shots in rapid sequence.

But getting such a good camera in a phone will set you back a whopping $749. And you can’t buy it through any phone carrier, only from Nokia’s Web site (nseries.com) or from various electronics stores. You have to buy a phone plan separately.

Nokia’s N95, left, and BlackBerry’s Curve 8300

Like the Curve, the N95 has good voice quality, but runs on the slow EDGE network, though a future version could support faster networks. Unlike the BlackBerry, the current N95 also can use Wi-Fi networks. Battery life is only fair: 3.5 hours of talk time. While Nokia touts the phone’s Web browser, I found it to be unimpressive. But the phone includes GPS mapping, with optional navigation. It also accepts memory cards for storage.

Physically, the N95 is small, but chunky; on one side, it looks like a plum-colored camera. If you slide its screen in one direction, the keypad is revealed. Sliding it the opposite way reveals standard controls for playing music and video clips. I was able to move pictures and songs from my computer, but the songs failed to display album covers when played.

For $749, you could buy the Curve and a very nice digital camera. But the N95 is for photo enthusiasts who want an all-in-one device. The Curve is a more mainstream smart phone that aims for a balance of features at a low price.

• Email me at mossberg@wsj.com. Find all my columns and videos online free at the new All Things Digital Web site, http://walt.allthingsd.com.