Apple iPhone
The iPhone is claimed by Apple themselves to be the best iPod ever. Although Apple didn't reinvent the wheel with the iPhone, they did add some features that make the iPhone stand out in the crowd. Like the presence of 8 GB or 16 GB built-in memory (which was rare back when the iPhone was announced), full-screen album art, Coverflow feature to browse through your albums with the flick of your finger, integration with the iTunes store so you can download your music, videos and podcasts directly on your phone and compatibility with all the iPod docks out there.
Add to that excellent sound quality and 24 hours of audio playback time and you have a fantastic device in your hand. What's not so hot however, are the poor quality loudspeaker and the absence of A2DP. But if you are ready to overlook that then the iPhone is probably the best music phone that you can buy.

Samsung INNOV8

The Samsung INNOV8 is not exactly a music phone per se but its audio performance is strong enough to merit it a place in this list. It comes with the option of an 8 GB or 16 GB built-in memory with a microSD card slot for further expanding it up to another 16 GB. This means you can have a massive 32 GB of memory for your music. It includes a 3.5 mm headphone jack for connecting your own headphones. Most importantly the sound quality is excellent. However, at Rs. 37,000 the INNOV8 is an expensive phone. But if you have the cash this phone is one of the best phone's that you can get for music playback.

Sony Ericsson W980i

The Sony Ericsson W980i soon after its launch won the EISA award for Best European Music Phone and not without a reason. The W980i takes the already impressive sound quality of the Walkman phones and takes it up a notch making it a great device for audiophiles. The phone also comes with a pair of high quality in-ear headphones, so you don't have to bother with any other pair of headphones. There are dedicated music keys located on the exterior of the clamshell that can be used for controlling your music. There are also some funky orange LEDs that blink to the beat of your music. The phone has an enormous 8 GB of built-in memory to carry your entire music library with you. Priced at Rs. 20,000 the W980i is for the audiophiles and promises excellent audio performance right out of the box.

Nokia 5800 XpressMusic

Nokia's flagship music phone is also its best yet. For starters it boasts of the best sound quality from Nokia so far and is right up there with the industry best. It has a large touchscreen that shows your album art and the music controls. There is a 3.5mm headphone jack and stereo speakers that are nice and loud. Then there is the usual long list of supported formats along with Bluetooth stereo headphone and FM radio. More importantly the phone comes with an 8 GB memory card bundled with it and can be expanded up to 16 GB in case you need even more storage. Priced at Rs. 19,000 the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic is a great buy.

Motorola ZN5
Although not a music phone in the strictest sense, the ZN5 has most of the things that make a good music phone. First and foremost it has excellent sound quality, an essential for any music phone. It also comes with a standard 3.5mm headphone jack. The music player supports a long list of formats and comes with a 2 GB card as standard (which can be further expanded up to 8 GB), while Bluetooth A2DP and FM radio complete the list. The only thing that you might want are a pair of dedicated music keys, but barring that the Motorola ZN5 is a good music phone that won't disappoint. Priced at Rs. 15,000 it is highly recommended.

Sony Ericsson W595t was Sony Ericsson that first brought in the music phone concept back in 2005 and made other manufacturers sit up and take notice. Now, even though every manufacturer has their own list of music phones, Sony Ericsson is still at the top with 26 music phones so far.
One of their recent phones, W595, is also a great little device. Its forte is the dual headphone jack with which you can connect two pairs of headphones at the time to the phone. It also comes with stereo loudspeakers built-in. While testing I found that the W595 offered good sound quality, especially through the loudspeakers. It also supports a wide range of formats such as MP3, AAC, eAAC+, WMA and WAV. Then there is also the support for Bluetooth stereo headset and FM radio. Overall at Rs. 14,000 the W595 is a great choice.

Samsung BEAT 450

The phone supports a wide range of formats, which can be further expanded by third party applications that the BEAT 450 supports, thanks to the Symbian S60 platform on which it runs. The phone also supports Bluetooth stereo headsets and has a built-in FM radio. Priced at Rs. 11,000 the Samsung BEAT 450 is a really good music phone.

Nokia 5320 XpressMusic
Nokia 5320 earns its place in this list as it offers solid features and performance at an affordable price. For starters it supports a long list of formats natively, which includes MP3, AAC, eAAC+, WMA and WAV. Also, since it is a Symbian S60 handset, you can install third party software that can play additional formats such as OGG, FLAC, etc. It has a 3.5mm headphone jack and dedicated music keys on the handset, so you can control the playback of your music even if you are not in the music player application.
Sound quality offered by the 5320 is excellent with good clarity and bass. The phone comes with a 1 GB card bundled and you can expand it further up to 8 GB by microSDHC cards. As for the battery life the phone is capable of a stunning 24 hours of continuous playback. At Rs. 10,050 I believe the 5320 XpressMusic is an excellent music phone.

Motorola EM30

The younger sibling of the ROKR E8, the EM30 has basically everything in it that the E8 has, except for the 2 GB built-in memory and the Omega wheel. The phone supports MP3, WAV, AAC, WMA, Enhanced AAC+, MIDI, AMR NB, Real Audio, AAC+ formats. The EM30 inherits the excellent sound quality of the E8 and also has a 3.5mm headphone jack for connecting your own headphones, along with Bluetooth A2DP profile for connecting your wireless stereo headset. The EM30 also has an FM radio and a music recognition service.
It comes with a 1 GB card in the bundle and can be expanded up to 8 GB. The battery is rated to last up to 13 hours of continuous music playback, which is great. Priced at Rs. 7800, the EM30 is a solid music phone that won't burn a hole in your wallet.