Shhhhh… did you hear that? That is the sound of a shaking giant. No.. Apple isn’t going to tumble any time soon. But it is nice to see them take a knee every now and then. “Read More” for the 5 phones that may just have the capacity to land a staggering blow.

In case you have forgotten or did not know, here are the quick specs on the latest iPhone 3Gs.

• Carrier: AT&T
• Operating System: Apple Mobile OS Rev. 3.0
• Processing: 600MHz CPU, 256mb RAM
• Display: 3.5″ TFTLCD @ 480×320 w/ 163 ppi
• Camera: 3MP with auto-focus and VGA camcorder
• Battery: About 5 hours of talk time
• Storage: Either 16 or 32GB
• Media: Everything, It just plays everything… except flash.
• Dimensions: H: 4.5″ W: 2.4″ D: 0.48″, Weighs 4.8 oz.

Advantages: With everything from multi-touch recognition to arguably the best mobile browser in existence, now coupled with a faster 3G network, extra storage (though non expandable) and a slightly better battery life (though still irreplaceable), the iPhone 3Gs is an extremely capable device with more than enough power and versatility to handle being your all in one communication and entertainment system. Though as with anything there is always room for improvement, and don’t think that the competition hasn’t been paying attention.

The Challengers

#5 The Palm Pre Plus

• Carrier: Verizon
• Operating System: Palm Web OS
• Processing: 600MHz CPU, 256MB RAM
• Display: 3.1″ 320×480 HVGA
• Camera: 3MP w/LED flash, camcorder
• Battery: About 5.5 hours talk time
• Storage: 16gb
• Media: MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, AMR, QCELP, WAV, MP4, H.263, H.264
• Dimensions: H: 3.9″ W: 2.3″ D: 0.67″ Weighs 4.89 oz.

Advantages: Palm has been lurking in the shadows for some time now and has been putting a lot of effort into revising this flagship model for their WebOS platform. With multi-touch, video capture, and a blackberry styled – though sliding – QWERTY, this phone is coming out swinging. The two main advantages over the iPhone are better battery life and a bigger potential for networking (this puppy can hotspot you up to 5 other devices to the iPhone’s 3). So if you like the Iphone but would like a sliding QWERTY in a very small package, this one is worth looking into.

#4: The Motorola Droid

• Carrier: Verizon
• Operating System: Android 2.0
• Processing: 550MHz CPU, 256MB RAM
• Display: 3.7″ 854×480 WVGA
• Camera: 5.0MP w/flash, auto-focus, camcorder
• Battery: About 6 hours talk time
• Storage: 16GB expandable
• Media: AMR-NB/WB, MP3, WAV, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, WMA, AMR-NB/WB, MP4, H.263, H.264
• Dimensions: H: 4.6″ W: 2.4″ D: 0.5″ Weighs 5.9 OZ.

Advantages: Motorola has been in the game as long as anyone, and they have brought a nice new addition to the touchscreen smartphone arena. With a very nice screen size and near laptop feel when slid open, the DROID steps into its roles easily and near flawlessly. The biggest advantages as I see them are the combination of personalization and expandability possible with this phone. With a clever reimagining of the slide-out form, and a competitive package powered by Google’s Android OS, this phone will be stealing a few possible iPhoners… and Motorola fan-boys will definitely not be disappointed.

#3: The HTC Hero

• Carrier: Sprint
• Operating System: Android 2.0
• Processing: 600MHz CPU, 288MB RAM
• Display: 3.2″ 480×320 HVGA
• Camera: 5.0MP, auto-focus, camcorder
• Battery: About 5 hours talk time
• Storage: 2GB expandable to 32GB
• Media: MP3, AAC, AAC+, WMA, WAV, MP4, H.263, H.264
• Dimensions: H: 4.5″ W: 2.2″ D: 0.54″ Weighs 4.5 OZ.

Advantages: HTC has brought in, hands down, one amazing piece of smartphone. Infinitely customizable, linkable, and attachable, there really isn’t much you can find that the Hero can’t do. With a very iPhone-ish – but better in my opinion – design; the HTC is sleek, light, and responsive. The main advantages here are geared toward the social networking junkies. With FaceBook updates direct to your contacts (you can even set your friends’ Facebook profile pics to be their contact photo on your phone), An on-screen QWERTY and predictive text that rivals the much heralded iPhone on-screen QWERTY, and a full page to dedicate to your favorite websites. There is just no better way to say it, this is one sexy phone.

#2: The Samsung Moment

• Carrier: Sprint
• Operating System: Android 2.0
• Processing: 800MHz CPU, 256MB RAM
• Display: 3.2″ AMOLED 480×320
• Camera: 3.2MP w/flash, auto-focus, camcorder
• Battery: about 5.5 hours of talk time
• Storage: 2GB expandable to 32GB
• Media: MP3, MP4
• Dimensions: H: 4.6″ W: 2.34″ D: 0.63″ Weighs 5.67 oz.

Advantages: Samsung has a very far reach in the electronics manufacturing realm. With some companies that has resulted in some areas falling behind. If Samsung has a weakness.. it is not their line of cellphones, and the Moment is proof positive. Although not quite as intuitive as the Hero, or as small as the Pre Plus, the Moment seems to have picked it’s battles, and come out on top for the most part. Fast, solid, and open to anything you can throw at it from work, to play and beyond. The biggest advantages with this phone are its keyboard and overall processing capability. I’m sure we have all seen plenty of bad keyboard designs, and Samsung must have too. With a full dedicated number row, 4 directional buttons, and an alternate function list that is better than some laptops, Samsung has struck a very appropriate balance between work and play.

#1: The Google Nexus One

• Carrier: T-Mobile or Unlocked
• Operating System: Android 2.1
• Processing: 1GHz CPU, 512MB RAM
• Display: 3.7″ WVGA AMOLED
• Camera: 5.0MP w/flash, auto-focus, camcorder
• Battery: around 7 hours of talk time.
• Storage: 4GB expandable to 32GB
• Media: AAC, AMR, MP3, WAV, AAC +, Ogg Vorbis,H.264, MPEG-4, H.263 video and AMR audio
• Dimensions: H: 4.7″ W: 2.4″ D: 0.5″ Weighs 4.6 oz.

Advantages: HTC scores big with its second phone on this list. Since the deployment of the Android platform, phone junkies have been foaming at the mouth for an unrestricted vessel for the OS to really stretch out in. The Nexus One seems to have that capability. Harnessing many popular features already in use on the HERO and a few other phones, the Nexus One is a step up and out with a faster processor, more space, and some subtle improvements on physical design. The biggest advantages to this phone are that it seems barely even out of the box developmentally. Only a month out into the market and most of the major bugs have been resolved. Along with the ever widening Android Market, the overall capability of this phone may not be seen for some time.

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None of these entries are going to knock the iPhone off of the shelves anytime soon.. but at least now when that Macboy flashes his iPhone around you can ignore him.. or change your battery and SD card in front of him.