Multimedia phones have become a rage these days. People aren't thrilled with the idea of carrying multiple devices but prefer one device that can do the job of all these separate devices.

Nokia 5130 XpressMusic

Thelatest version of the bestselling Nokia 5310 XpressMusic, The Nokia 5130 incorporates nearly all facets of its older version, save the slim design. It has a QVGA display, which is a rarity in this segment.

A 3.5mm headphone jack and dedicated music key makes it crystal clear that when it comes to playing music this phone means business. The great audio quality just confirms it.

This is basically the best music phone that you can buy for as little as Rs. 5,000 and one that will finally rid you of having to carry around your iPod.

Sony Ericsson C510

Part of the Cyber-shot range of camera phones from Sony Ericsson, the C510 comes armed with a 3.2 Megapixel camera with autofocus. Assisting the camera is an LED flash and an active lens cover to protect it from dust and scratches.

The camera software is also up to scratch with features such as Face detection. The camera quality is definitely up to the standard we expect from Cyber-shot phones and the best that you can get at that price range.

What's more, the C510 is not just a good camera phone but is also fairly proficient at other multimedia activities such as playing back music and videos. Overall, a very good buy for about Rs. 10,000.

Sony Ericsson W595

The Sony Ericsson Walkman has one unique feature. It comes with a dual headphone jack that allows you to plug it into two headphones at a time. Plus it comes with a powerful set of stereo speakers, which means this phone has been designed for sharing your music with others.

The audio quality through the headphones is up to the mark but what it has really enjoyeble was the powerful loudspeaker sound.

The phone also has a large 2.2" QVGA display for viewing your images and videos and has a 3.2 Megapixel camera for clicking pictures. There is also a built-in accelerometer for playing motion controlled games. The Sony Ericsson W595 is a very good all-round multimedia phone for Rs. 12,000.

Nokia N79

The Nokia N79 was a brilliant multimedia phone to begin with, but after the recent price drop, it makes it excellent value as well.

The 5 Megapixel camera with autofocus and flash is also capable of recording videos in VGA resolution at 30 FPS. Music playback with 3.5mm headphone jack and good audio quality, N-Gage support for high quality games all make it a great buy for multimedia phone buyers, especially at the current price of Rs. 15,000.

Samsung Jet

Samsung Jet has a blistering fast 800 MHz processor, a brilliant 3.1", 480 x 800 pixel OLED display, a 3.5mm headphone jack, DivX/XviD playback and excellent audio quality.

You couldn't possible ask for anymore in a multimedia phone. The phone is also priced well at Rs. 21,000, which is great considering the features and performance on offer.

BlackBerry Curve 8900

you might be wondering what a business phone is doing in a list of top multimedia phones. But don't let the BlackBerry moniker fool you. This is not just any business phone aimed at the suits but a complete all-round handset with enough multimedia prowess to put the Nokias and Sony Ericssons to great challenge.

The phone has a brilliant 2.4" 480 x 360 resolution display that can make anything from a boring email to an exciting video of your vacation look great. The phone also comes armed with a 3.5mm headphone jack, so you are no longer restricted to the supplied earphones.

The phone has support for DivX/XviD formats; just drag and drop your DVD rips on this phone and it will play back wonderfully. Overall a great phone for both business and pleasure.

Nokia N86 8MP

The N86's, Nseries range of ‘multimedia computers’ as beacons of mobile innovation, it’s hard to believe that Nokia has only just rolled out its first 8MP camera phone, the N86.

However, what is more impressive is that its performance manages to stay true to the promises that the spec sheet makes. Easily one of the best all-round phones that you can get today, the multimedia performance of this phone is also nothing short of being impressive.

Whether it is the 8 Megapixel camera, the superb display quality, the excellent music playback, the 3.5mm headphone jack, dedicated music keys and wide audio format support, 8 GB built-in memory or the N-Gage gaming support.

Add to it the fact that it is a smartphone, which means you can install video players for playing more formats than what the phone supports. There is a little stand at the back to prop up the phone on a table, so you can enjoy your videos at a nice angle. All this for about Rs. 24,000.

Sony Ericsson W995

An 8 Megapixel camera in a Walkman phone! Sony Ericsson has made it happen in the new W995. The phone also has a 3.5mm headphone jack, a first on any Walkman phone, along with stereo speakers and dedicated music keys.

Sony Ericsson is even kind enough to give you a set of snap-on portable speakers and an 8 GB memory card for all your music. Along with this the phone has a large 2.6" display and a kickstand at the back for watching all your videos. The audio quality is great, the display is brilliant and overall the Sony Ericsson W995 is a superb all-round multimedia device for Rs. 24,000.

Nokia N97

The Nokia N97 comes armed with a bevy of multimedia features. For starters it has a huge 3.5", 360 x 640 resolution touchscreen display. Then it has a 5 Megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, auto-focus and flash.

There is even a 3.5mm headphone jack with TCV-Out facility. And on top of all of that it has a massive 32 GB of built-in memory and if that was not enough it has memory card slot for additional 16 GB of storage. The N97 offers awesome multimedia performance that is worthy of the premium price tag (Rs. 31,000) that the phone commands.

Apple iPhone 3G

Top multimedia phones can hardly be complete without the mention of the Apple iPhone.  The iPhone 3G may not have a really high resolution camera or a powerful set of loudspeakers. However, it does have a brilliant, large touchscreen display, which makes your photos, videos or album art come to life. The phone has the best audio quality and the music player interface, especially the Cover Flow is a joy to use.

The integrated iTunes store lets you download content such as podcasts, etc. directly to your device. The YouTube applications lets you watch your favourite videos online by streaming them on to your iPhone. These things make up for what the iPhone might lack in other areas making it one of the best multimedia phones that you can buy today. The Apple iPhone 3G is priced at Rs. 31,000.