7. cell phone reveiws

(1005,LG CG225,Positives: The LG CG225 offers clear call quality, a simple VGA camera, and world roaming in a compact, unassuming design. Negatives: The LG CG225s volume level for regular and speakerphone calls is somewhat low, the inner display has a low resolution, and theres no self-portrait mirror. Facts: The LG CG225 is neither terrible nor remarkable, but better midrange handsets are in Cingulars lineup. , In the last six months, LG and Cingular have gotten to know each other well. Beyond just dabbling in GSM phones as it has done in the past, LG introduced seven new Cingular handsets this year, including the LG F700; the carriers first push-to-talk phone, the LG CU320; a 3G-equipped model; and the basic LG C1500. But now in an effort to increase its lineup even further, LG has rolled out yet another Cingular phone, the LG CG225. Offering a midrange set of features in a fairly standard design, the CG225 comes with a VGA camera, a speakerphone, world roaming, and instant messaging. Call quality was clear but volume was a bit low in our tests, and we werent in love with the washed-out display. The CG225 is priced fairly, however, at $99, but you should be able to get it for free with service.Despite its black color scheme, the CG225s design is roughly similar to the LG C2000s. Both have a stubby external antenna, but the CG225 is slightly smaller at 3.4 by 1.9 by 0.9 inches and 3.3 ounces. The CG225s postage stamp-size external display is identical to the C2000s. It shows date, time, battery life, and signal strength. Phone number caller ID is supported as well, but the screen does not show picture caller ID. Though the text is monochrome, a color backlight makes the screen much more readable. The color remains active as long as the phone is open, but it turns off shortly after the flap is closed. You can always turn it back on, however, with a flip of the volume rocker on the left spine. The camera lens is above the display. Theres no flash, but unlike in the C2000, theres no self-portrait mirror and since the display doesnt act as a viewfinder, youre out of luck for those vanity shots. On the upside, the phone is solidly constructed and feels comfortable in the hand.The CG225s internal display is a bit small (1.5 inches), and though it supports 65,000 colors, the 128x128-pixel resolution gives it a dull effect. Colors are washed out and the screen is overly bright on the whole. Personalization options are limited as well. You can change the backlighting timer and the contrast but not the brightness or the font size. The navigation keys, on the other hand, are well designed. The tactile four-way toggle acts as a shortcut to the contacts list, the messaging menu, a folder for downloads, and instant messaging. Shortcuts like these are always useful but be advised that these cant be changed. Inside the toggle is an OK button, but it opens the Web browser only when in standby mode. Surrounding the toggle are two soft keys, dedicated shortcuts for the camera and photo folder, a Clear/Back button, and the Talk and End/power keys. A camera shutter is on the right spine, while a volume rocker and a covered headset jack sit on the left spine. In a poor design decision, the rubber plug covering the charging port isnt hinged to the phone; if youre not careful, youll lose it. The backlit keypad buttons are flat with the surface of the phone, but theyre large and tactile.Features on the CG225 are roughly comparable to the C2000s. The phone book holds 255 contacts, with room in each entry for three phone numbers, an e-mail address, and notes (the SIM card holds an additional 250 contacts). You can also assign callers to groups and pair them with a picture for photo caller ID. But its worth noting that the picture doesnt show up on the external display, and you can assign any of the 18 polyphonic ring tones to only a caller group and not an individual contact. The phones other features include a vibrate mode, text and multimedia messaging, an alarm clock, a calendar, voice dialing, a calculator, a unit converter, a world clock, a tip calculator, and a notepad. The CG225 comes with support for AOL, Yahoo, and ICQ instant messaging. It also has a half-duplex speakerphone, though you cant activate it until after youve made a call, and theres no speaker on the phones exterior. The CG225 camera doesnt have a flash or a self-portrait mirror. The LG CG225s VGA camera is ordinary. You get 640x480, 320x240 and 160x120 resolutions; a 4X zoom (not usable at the highest resolution); a multishot option for taking up to nine shots in a row; a self-timer that you can set to 5 or 10 seconds; brightness and white-balance adjustments; three shutter sounds, as well as a silent option; and three color effects. A handy memory meter keeps track of the available storage (up to 74 at the lowest resolution). Photo quality is what youd expect from a VGA camera: fine for displaying online but nothing youd want to print out. The CG225 does not record video. The CG225 ha standard image quality for a VGA camera. You can personalize the LG CG225 with a variety of wallpaper and sounds, but it has few integrated options. If you want more selections, you can download them with the WAP 2.0 wireless Web browser. Additional ring tones are available as well. You get two Java (J2ME) demo games: Tetris and Midnight Pool. For extended play, youll have to buy the full versions or purchase other titles. We tested the LG CG225 world phone (GSM 850/900/1800/1900; GPRS) in San Francisco using Cingulars service. Call quality was good overall; we could understand our callers plainly and had no trouble getting a signal. Callers reported decent quality as well, and we encountered no interference from other devices. Our only problem was that the volume was somewhat low. We had some trouble hearing callers in noisy environments, and they had trouble hearing us. The speakerphone is functional but not exceptional. Since theres no exterior speaker, you must rely on the internal earpiece, which isnt very powerful.The CG225 has a rated talk time of six hours and a promised standby time of 10 days. We managed to eke out an impressive seven hours of talk time in our tests. According to FCC radiation tests, the LG CG225 has a digital SAR rating of 0.85 watt per kilogram. ),
(1006,Motorola i885,Positives: The Motorola i885 has a slew of features, such as a 2-megapixel camera, a video recorder, an MP3 music player, and support for Boost Mobiles nationwide push-to-talk service. Plus, audio quality on the speakerphone is outstanding. Negatives: The Motorola i885 is a clunky cell phone with a dull design and an unattractive user interface. Facts: The Motorola i885 will appeal to those who want a full-featured phone with nationwide walkie-talkie service, but those wanting a better user experience overall would do well to look elsewhere. , Boost Mobile was one of the first few pay-as-you-go MVNOs (mobile virtual network operators) to specifically target the youth market in the past year. Aimed specifically at an urban, hip-hop audience, the carriers main claim to fame is its nationwide push-to-talk (PTT) service built on Nextels network, plus lots of multimedia support for streaming video, audio, and the wireless Web. For its part, the Motorola i885 certainly delivers on those promises and adds a bit more. The Motorola i885 is available for $349. Boost Mobiles prepaid plan will cost you 20 cents per minute weekdays, with 10 cents per minute on nights and weekends (a.k.a. Boost Time) and when calling Sprint, Nextel, and other Boost customers. Read more about Boost Mobiles services in our quick guide to prepaid plans.In stark contrast to the Razrs and the Pebls, the i885 is one of the clunkiest phones in Motorolas lineup. Overall we werent impressed with its dull gray color and blocky design. Sure its measurements arent terribly bulky (3.5 by 1.9 by 0.7 inches, 4.0 ounces), but its overall shape and size give it a decidedly bricklike feel. We admit that it feels comfortable in the hand and when held next to the ear, but it has a rather sticky hinge that makes it difficult to open and close the phone. The Motorola i885 has a dull, gray design. The Motorola i885 features a camera lens and flash at the top of the front flap, just above a 1.5-inch diagonal external screen that supports 65,000 colors. The display shows the usual battery and signal strength, time, and caller ID. It also shows the current song playing if the MP3 player is activated. At the very bottom front is the Boost Mobile logo that lights up whenever the phone is activated and a large speaker grille. On the right spine of the front flap are the music controls, which we found a little tricky to press because theyre so small. On the top of the device is a speakerphone button next to the stop button. Aside from stopping music tracks, it enables you to access your Recent Calls list when the cover is closed. Theres also an extendable antenna, though its construction is a bit flimsy. The Motorola i885 has a 2-megapixel camera with a flash. Open the phone, and youre presented with a bright, 262,000-color, 2.25-inch diagonal screen. We werent pleased with the user interface of the phone; not only was it utilitarian-looking, the menu was divided up into three whole pages, making it tedious to navigate. For example, the Shortcuts folder is on the third page by default, and we had to scroll all the way through to get to it. Although we finally did manage to change the order of the menu options, it was still tiresome. The menu, whether in icon or list views, was divided up into three whole pages. We had to scroll through to the third page to get to the Shortcuts folder, which is ironic. Aside from that, you can adjust the backlight timer of the screen as well as the font size, though you cant adjust the brightness and contrast. The Motorola i885 has dedicated music controls. The navigation controls consist of two soft keys, a five-way toggle with user-defined shortcuts, dedicated menu and camera buttons, and the Talk and End keys. The Power button is located on the lower-left corner next to the mic. The design of the controls and the keypad reflect the overall utilitarian feel of the phone, with that dull and blocky look. We found the rubberized controls easy enough to press, and we liked that the keypad provided enough texture to dial by feel. While we werent impressed by its design, the features of the phone definitely made us sit up and take notice. Not only are there a slew of multimedia options, such as a megapixel camera and a music player, theres also the Boost PTT walkie-talkie service. But first well address the basic features. The Motorola i885 comes with a 600-entry phonebook with room for 10 different numbers or e-mail addresses per contact, and the ability to assign each to a group, a picture ID, or a personalized ring tone (only one was provided with the phone, so youll have to download additional ring tones for more options). Other features include Bluetooth, text and multimedia messaging, the wireless Web, speakerphone, voice dialing, vibrate mode, a datebook, voice recording, and a notepad. Whats more, Boosts Nationwide PTT service can be used to send pictures, contact info, and event information. Theres also a handy GPS location option thatll help keep you from getting lost.The 2-megapixel camera on the Motorola i885 takes good photos for a camera phone, definitely better-looking than their 1.3-megapixel and VGA cousins. The camera settings include the choice between Normal and Fine picture quality, seven different picture sizes (the minimum is 96x65 resolution and the maximum is 1,600x1,200), a self-timer, plus 4X digital zoom and flash. Theres also a video recorder that can record clips with sound up to a resolution of 176x144. The phone comes with a 64MB MicroSD card, so you can easily store images and videos on it. The Motorola i885 produced good camera phone photos. One of the best features on the Motorola i885 is the digital audio player. Not only is the user interface well designed, you can access your favorite music easily by artist, album, or genre. Moreover, theres even a separate folder for podcasts. The clean interface reminded us eerily of the iPods. Sound quality was really fantastic, either when heard through a headset or via the stereo speakers. You upload music to the MicroSD card via the included USB SD card reader.You can personalize the i885 with a variety of wallpapers, themes, and ring tones. Though the phone itself doesnt come with a lot of options, you can download more of them via the phones Web browser. The game comes with two Java (J2ME) games (Zuma and a demo of Racing Fever 2), but you can download more. We tested the (iDEN 850) phone in San Francisco using Boost Mobiles service. Call quality was fantastic on both ends, with callers coming in loud and clear and vice versa. They could hardly tell we were on a cell phone. Speakerphone call quality was also great, with a very loud maximum volume. We paired the phone with the Nokia BH-800 Bluetooth headset successfully, and we made and answered calls without a hitch.The i885 has a rated talk time of 2.75 hours and a promised standby time of three days. In our tests, we managed to eke out 3 hours of talk time. According to FCC radiation tests, the Motorola i885 has a digital SAR rating of 1.21 watts per kilogram. ),
(1007,Sony Ericsson W300i Walkman,Positives: The Sony Ericsson W300i offers good call quality, a top-notch MP3 player, and a generous set of features. Negatives: The Sony Ericsson W300i suffers from poorly designed controls and keypad buttons and low-grade picture quality, and it had a tendency to freeze on occasion in our tests. Facts: Though it has a few design and performance glitches, the Sony Ericsson W300i is a quality, basic MP3 cell phone. , Since Sony Ericsson first introduced its Walkman cell phone line last year, music-friendly phones have had mixed success in the United States. Though theyre lauded by users and critics alike, including us, U.S. carriers, havent clamored to include the handsets in their lineups. Sure, Cingular offers the W600i, but thats the exception rather than the rule. Sony Ericsson no doubt has taken notice of this discrepancy, which may be a reason behind the Sony Ericsson W300i. While previous Walkman phones were packed with the most expensive features, the W300i aims to be a low-end Walkman phone. Though you still get Bluetooth, a VGA camera, and the full range of Walkman music compatibility, the overall effect is a step down from models like the Sony Ericsson W810i. We werent crazy about some design elements, but call quality was good, and we applaud Sony Ericsson for bringing mobile music to the masses. No carrier was set at the time of this review, so the GSM handset will run you $299.So far, Sony Ericsson has stuck to swivel and candy bar designs for its Walkman phones, so we were glad to see the company roll out a flip phone in the series. From the outside its quite attractive; our version came in black, but you can get it in white as well. It doesnt bear much of a resemblance to the companys few other flip phones; we like the clean lines, the looped antenna, and the textured covering on the bottom of the front flap. The phone is relatively compact at 3.5 by 1.8 by 1.0 inches, so its easily placed in most pockets. Its also quite light for its size at 3.3 ounces, but the trade-off is that the overall construction feels somewhat flimsy. We didnt have any problems when using the phone, but it felt almost too light in our hands.In the center of the front flap is the postage stamp-size external display. Though monochrome, its quite bright and displays the usual information, including the date, time, battery life, signal strength, and caller ID (where available). You cant change the backlighting time, but a quick flick of the volume rocker will activate the display for inspection. Above the screen is the VGA camera lens and a self-portrait mirror (but no flash), while the speaker is on the top of the rear face. The aforementioned volume control is on the left spine along with a control for activating the music player and playing and pausing music. The infrared port is on the right spine, while the connection port for the charger, the wired headset, and the USB cable is on the bottom of the handset. One design flaw of the new Walkman phone connection port is that you cant connect two cables at once.Inside the phone youll find the 1.75-inch (128x160) internal display. Sony Ericsson always does a good job with its displays, and the W300i is no exception. Bright and vivid, it displays all 262,144 colors beautifully and is perfect for viewing photos and videos, playing games, and scrolling through the user-friendly menus. You can change the brightness but not the font size or backlighting time. On the other hand, Sony Ericsson doesnt have a great track record with navigation controls and keypad buttons. Though it made positive strides with the W810i, the W300i shows a return to bad habits. The five-way toggle is big and doubles as a shortcut to four user-defined functions, but its flush with the surface of the phone and thus takes some getting used to. The flat soft keys, clear button, and back control are spaced far from the toggle, but theyre quite small given the phones size. Also, while this isnt a bad thing, keep in mind that most Sony Ericsson phones do not have dedicated Talk and End keys. The keypad buttons are worse, however. Designed like overlapping circles, they are flat with the surface of the phone and slippery, which made for a few misdials. Whats more, they don't lend themselves to quick texting. On the upside, they have a bright orange backlight. Below them are a dedicated power control and a button for activating the Walkman player, but these are much too small. The Memory Stick Micro slot is under the plastic battery cover, but thankfully, you don't have to remove the battery, to get at it.The W300i has a 1,000-contact phone book with room in each entry for five phone numbers, e-mail and Web addresses, business and home street addresses, a birthday date, and notes (the SIM card holds an additional 250 names). You can organize contacts into groups, pair them with a photo for caller ID, or assign them one of 28 (40-chord) polyphonic ring tones. Support for MP3 ring tones is present as well, but be advised that caller ID images do not appear on the external display. Other features include a vibrate mode, text and multimedia messaging, voice dialing, a calendar, a task list, a notepad, a calculator, a timer, a stopwatch, and a code memo for storing passwords and other secure information. Theres also a recorder for both voice memos and calls; length is limited by available memory. Though the W300i is considered an entry-level Walkman phone, it still comes with a fair number of business-friendly applications. Inside youll find a speakerphone, PC syncing for contacts and calendar appointments, a newsreader for accessing RSS feeds, USB cable support, and full Bluetooth for not only connecting to a headset but also for wirelessly exchanging files and electronic business cards. And like many other Sony Ericssons you can use the phone as a modem and use the Bluetooth feature as a remote control to connect with other Bluetooth devices.The W300is Walkman music player differs little from the previous handsets in the series. It supports a broad range of formats, including MP3, MP4, 3GP, AAC, and WAV files. Opening the player takes you directly to the main menu, where you can organize music by artist, track name, or playlist. Settings include album/song shuffle and loop, Sonys Mega Bass, and an equalizer. Switching between the cell phone and the music player is seamless, as music automatically stops when you receive a call. Hang up and press the dedicated music key, and your song picks up from the point you left off. Theres an airplane mode that lets you listen to your tunes in flight with the cell phone turned off, and you can minimize the player while using other functions. There are stereo speakers as well but still no stereo Bluetooth profile. Music capacity is limited by the available memory. Internal space is somewhat small--just 20MB--and keep in mind, that since its shared with other applications, your actual storage space may be less. We recommend investing in a Memory Stick Micro for extra space; our test phone came with a 512MB card. Getting music on the phone is relatively easy. In addition to using the included USB cable and Disc2Phone software, you can send tunes via e-mail, a multimedia message, Bluetooth, or infrared port. You also get an FM radio with 20 presets, though you must use it with a headset, which acts as an antenna. You can set it to automatically scan and program Radio Data System info from stations that digitally broadcast their names and call letters, and you can use the radio as an alarm clock. Since the W300i is meant for a fairly average cell phone user, Sony Ericsson included a VGA shooter instead of a megapixel model. You can take pictures in three resolutions (640x480, 320x240, 160x120) and choose from a variety of editing options, including four color effects, a night mode, two quality settings, a self-timer, 19 fun frames, and a brightness control. Theres also a digital zoom, which varies by the pictures size--at the lowest resolution its 4X, but its not available at the highest resolution. Other special picture effects include a burst mode for taking four shots in rapid succession and a nifty panorama option. For audio effects, you can choose from four shutter sounds, but theres no silent option. The camcorder takes MPEG-4 videos in two resolutions (176x144 and 128x96) with sound and offers a comparable set of editing options. Clip length is capped at two minutes for multimedia messages; otherwise length is limited by the available memory. The W300is camera doesnt have a flash. Though we realize the camera is a VGA, picture quality was rather disappointing. Shots were blurry and grainy and colors washed out. Likewise, video quality was unremarkable. Still, the W300i does offer a few creative applications for the amateur photographer. With Photo DJ, you can add one of six fun frames; rotate the shots orientation; and use various image effects such as brightness, contrast, tint control, and photo marking. Theres also a Video DJ, and if that doesnt satisfy, more picture-, video-, and multimedia-editing options are on the software CD, including QuickTime, Adobe Photoshop Album Starter Edition, and a multimedia message composer. Moving photos and videos off the phone is painless. You can send them in a multimedia message, transfer them via Bluetooth, or the infrared port, or use the included USB cable and software. The W300is image quality wasnt the greatest. You can personalize the W300i with a variety of themes, wallpaper, and screensavers. As always, you can purchase more options and ring tones from Sony Ericsson via the WAP 2.0 wireless Web browser. Alternatively, the phone comes with a Music DJ application for composing your own ring tones and a quirky application called Music Match that plays guitar chords and piano notes. Though it was fun, it wasnt terribly useful. Gamers can enjoy three Java (J2ME) titles, Neopets, QuadraPop, and PuzzleSlider, with additional titles available for purchase. We tested the quad-band, dual-mode (GSM 850/900/1800/1900; EDGE) Sony Ericsson W300i world phone in San Francisco using Cingulars service. Call quality was quite good with remarkable clarity and volume. We never had trouble getting a signal and rarely encountered static or interference. Callers reported the same conditions, and they could understand us under most conditions. Speakerphone quality was slightly worse--voices sounded hollow, but it was decent overall. We connected to the Plantronics Explorer 320 Bluetooth headset and encountered admirable call quality as well. The EDGE connection was sufficiently speedy for transferring small files. Using the included Disc2Phone software and USB cable, which also charges the phone, we tried loading music onto our W300i. Transfer time was relatively slow at 30 seconds for a 5MG song, so youll have to be patient for a large transfer. On the whole, however, the software is easy to install and exhibited few of the quirks we found on previous models. Whats more, the phone didnt turn off automatically when we disconnected the USB cable. Music quality was on a par with that of other Walkman phones: clear and crisp, though one transferred song had some very minor hiccups. The W300i wont replace a stand-alone MP3 player, but it does the job admirably for short stints.Our one real complaint was that the phone had a tendency to freeze during normal operation, such as when we were scrolling through a menu or when we were using the USB connection. On one occasion, we had to reboot, but more often, the phone unfroze after a couple seconds. The W300i has a rated talk time of 9 hours and a promised standby time of 16.5 days. Our talk-time test result came in a bit short at 8 hours, but thats still respectable. According to FCC radiation tests, the Sony Ericsson W300i has a digital SAR rating of 1.42 watts per kilogram. ),
(1008,I-mate K-Jam, , Similar to the T-Mobile MDA and the Cingular 8125, the I-mate K-Jam is a quad-band (GSM 850/900/1800/1900; EDGE), Windows Mobile 5 smart phone. The device rocks a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and a 1.3-megapixel camera. Unfortunately, its not supported by any U.S. carrier, although you can purchase an unlocked version online. For more information on the I-mate K-Jam, please read our review of the T-Mobile MDA. ),
(1009,Motorola V195 (T-Mobile),Positives: The Motorola V195 has well-designed controls and a decent feature set, including Bluetooth, world phone support, and a speakerphone. Negatives: The Motorola V195 audio quality had static at times in our tests. Facts: Despite varying call quality, the Motorola V195 is a solid choice as a basic cell phone. , With all the hype over Motorolas Razr, its easy to forget the company still produces handsets that arent all about style. Take T-Mobiles Motorola V195 for instance. Designed with simplicity in mind, it makes no effort to chase the thin-phone phenomenon. Yet for what it lacks in design and wow factor, it makes up for in features. Armed with a speakerphone, world phone support, and Motorolas new Screen3 technology, the V195 makes a respectable showing. And not only that, were always glad to see a phone that has Bluetooth without the bother of a digital camera. Calls could have static at times, but overall, the V195 is a good basic phone. T-Mobile charges a reasonable $129 if you pay full price, but service rebates will lower the cost to as low as $39.Make no mistake, the V195 isnt aiming to win a fashion show. Rather it bears a minimalist flip phone form factor in the tradition of models such as the Motorola V325 and V557. However, thats not to say its unattractive. We like the clean lines, rounded edges, and the lack of an external antenna. T-Mobile sells the version with the smooth silver finish, but the phone is also available with a more colorful blue face. The V195 has a simple, ordinary design. Measuring 3.6 by 1.8 by 0.9 inches, the V195 isnt the most compact flip phone out there, but at 3.6 ounces, it wont weigh you down. Whats more, it enjoys a solid construction and feels comfortable in the hand. Like many Motorolas of its class, the V195 has a rectangular external display. Its monochrome, of course, and relatively small (96x32 pixels), but it shows the time, battery life, signal strength, and caller ID. Though you cant adjust the backlight time, you can switch it on with a flick of the volume rocker on the left spine. Below the display is a dim light behind the Motorola logo that flashes for incoming calls.The phones internal display also holds no surprises. With support for 65,000 colors, its not the most vibrant cell phone display weve seen, but at 1.75 inches diagonal (128x160 pixels) its well proportioned for the phones size. The two available menu styles are generic Motorola, which can be a bit confusing to first-time Moto users. You can change the backlight time, the brightness, and the contrast, but you cant alter the font size.The navigation array is reminiscent of the Motorola E815. Here again, we enjoyed their spacious layout and tactile feel and we liked the generous number of shortcut options. Besides dedicated keys for the Web browser, the main menu, and the messaging folder, you can designate shortcut options for the four-way toggle, the two soft keys, and the smart key on the left spine. Other controls include an OK button in the toggles center and the talk and end/power buttons. The backlit keypad buttons are also designed well. Theyre big and easy to press, and the middle row is raised above the surface of the phone for dialing by feel. The 1,000-contact phone book has room in each entry for six phone numbers, a street address, an e-mail address, a birth date, and a nickname (the SIM cards add 250 more names). You can organize callers into groups, pair them with one of 50 polyphonic ring tones or alert sounds, and assign them a photo for caller ID. Keep in mind, though, that the phone has no camera and the image wont show up on the external display. Basic features include a vibrate mode; text and multimedia messaging; AOL, Yahoo, and ICQ instant messaging; a calculator; a datebook; an alarm clock; voice dialing; a wireless backup service for your contacts; and voice memo recording. On the higher end, the V195 offers a speakerphone, a mini-USB port, Motorolas user-friendly Screen3 technology Web browsing (see our V557 review for more information), and Bluetooth. The latter feature is an especially nice addition to a phone without a camera, particularly as more businesses are restricting camera phones on their premises.You can personalize the V195 with a variety of wallpapers, color styles, screensavers, greetings, and alert sounds. If youd like more options, you can download them via the WAP 2 wireless Web browser. You can also buy more ring tones from T-Mobile, use your personal MP3 files, or create your own tones on the phone. The V195 comes with demo versions of three Java (J2ME) games (Bejeweled, Midnight Pool, and Pinball). Total memory on the phone is 10MB of shared space.We tested the quad-band, dual-mode (GSM 850/900/1800/1900; GPRS) V195 world phone in San Francisco using T-Mobile service. Call quality was good overall, though we noticed some static from time to time. It was quite random, so it never got too annoying, but its worth noting nonetheless. Callers reported the same conditions on their end, but volume on both sides was quite loud. Speakerphone calls were about the same as were calls made over the Plantronics Explorer 320 Bluetooth headset. The V195 has a rated talk time of 3.4 hours and a promised standby time of 11.5 days. In our tests, we eked out a respectable 4.25 hours of talk time. According to FCC radiation tests, the Motorola V195 has a digital SAR rating of 1.6 watts per kilogram (the highest amount allowable). ),
(1010,Nextel Motorola i670,Positives: The Motorola i670 offers admirable performance and the usual assortment on Nextels signature features. Negatives: The Motorola i670 is bulky, has a poor display and no external screen. Facts: If you can get past the design flaws, the Motorola i670 is a decent Nextel phone for making calls. , Its been a few months since Nextel introduced a new cell phone, so were we eager to get our hands on its new Motorola i670. What awaited us is a typical low-end Nextel phone--one with basic but dependable features and a bulky design that makes no effort to make a style statement. Thats not a bad thing--the carrier always has stuck with what it does best. So, if youre a Nextel fan and want a simple phone for making regular and Direct Connect calls, the i670 is worth a look. Though theres no external display and the internal display is nothing fancy, the i670 will hit your wallet if you pay full price ($249). Fortunately, service rebates can lower the cost to a reasonable $49. Like most Nextel flip phones, the i670 is relatively bulky at 3.5 by 2 by 10 inches and 4.1 ounces. Granted, thats an improvement over some of the carriers previous behemoths but it still makes for a tight fit in a pocket. That said, the i670 has sleek lines and it takes its overall shape from the previous Motorola i850. Though the phone is not protected by layers of rubber coating like other phones from the carrier, it does enjoy a solid construction. The i670 is a typical Nextel-designed phone. As we said, one drawback of the i670 is that it doesnt have an external display. As a result, you have to open the phone to see a callers identity and to check the battery life. The other exterior features are reminiscent of previous phones from the carrier. The left spine holds a covered headset jack, a volume rocker, and a control for making push-to-talk (PTT) calls over Nextels Direct Connect network. On the top of the handset are a speakerphone control and a key for sending calls directly to voice mail without answering. Beside them is the stubby extendable antenna, while the covered charger port is on the bottom of the handset. Finally, the speaker is in its usual place on the bottom of the rear flap.Unfortunately the i670s internal display is a partial step back in Nextels screen evolution. While the carriers newer phones support 262,000-color displays, the i670 display shows only 65,000 colors. You can change the backlighting, time, and font size, but the screen isnt particularly vibrant or sharp. Also, we miss the more attractive and intuitive menu structure we saw on the Motorola i870. On the upside, however, the i670s navigation array is spacious and user-friendly. The rubberized covering also makes them quite tactile. A four-way toggle doubles as a shortcut to four user-defined functions. Inside the toggle center is an OK button surrounded by dedicated power and menu buttons and the Talk and End keys. There are also two soft keys that double as programmable shortcuts. The backlit keypad buttons are large and widely spaced. We enjoyed the raised texture in particular.Though the i670s feature set is relatively sparse, it still has all the Nextel business-friendly offerings youd expect. The 600-contact phone book has room in each entry for seven phone numbers, an e-mail address, an IP address and a Direct Connect number. Contacts can be further organized into a variety of groups for regular or PTT calls, and you can pair them with one of 12 monophonic or 5 polyphonic ring tones. Other features include a vibrate mode, a calendar, voice dialing, call and voice memo recording, a memo pad, text and multimedia messaging, the aforementioned speakerphone, an airplane mode, and onboard GPS. You also get Nextels Direct Connect walkie-talkie service (including Group Connect, which lets you chat with up to 20 others via PTT at once) and Direct Talk, which gives you out-of-network walkie-talkie chat with another Direct Talk handset at a range of up to 6 miles. Personalization options were limited to a choice of wallpapers and two menu styles. Youre stuck with whats on the handset already, but you can always download more options with the WAP 2.0 wireless Web browser. Alternatively, you get a fair choice of Java (J2ME) applications including two game demos (Space Invaders and Tetris); 1KTV, an on-demand pseudo-TV service; and the Trimble Outdoors and TeleNav subscription-based navigation service that takes advantage of the i6700s GPS support.We tested the Motorola i670 (iDEN 850) in San Francisco using Nextels service. Call quality was very good, offering loud and clear conversations. Listeners on the other end reported the same conditions, despite being able to tell we were using a cell phone. Speakerphone quality was good as well, though its not worth much in noisy conditions outdoors. Since the speaker is on the rear of the phone, wed advise placing the handset upside down on a table when making a speakerphone call.The i670 has a rated talk time of 2.75 hours and a promised battery life of 5.4 days. In our tests, we fell short of the rated talk time by 15 minutes but got 6 days of standby time. According to FCC radiation tests, the i670 has a digital SAR rating of 1.05 watts per kilogram. ),
(1011,Samsung SPH-A420,Positives: The Samsung SPH-A420 is easy to use and offers a speakerphone, analog roaming, and acceptable call quality. Negatives: The Samsung SPH-A420 has a dull, uninspiring design and lacks such basic features as an external display and a wireless Web browser. Facts: The Samsung SPH-A420 is a serviceable phone for making calls, but it has an unattractive design and few features. , As cell phones transition from communication devices to fashion accessories, even basic models aim to appeal to the style conscious. Even if its as a simple as a choice of colors, functional handsets, such as the Sanyo SCP-2400, are trying to stand out. Thats why its becoming more surprising to see phones like the Samsung SPH-A420 for Sprint. Not only is its design uninspired, its downright boring and reminiscent of the first flip phones from a few years ago. You wont find a lot under the hood either, as the features reflect the minimalist style. However, as a phone for making calls, the SPH-A420 gets the job done. From the outset, you can see that the SPH-A420 wont win any beauty contests. Completely straight lines and sharp corners give it an almost perfectly rectangular shape, while the silver color and black band wont catch envious looks on the street. On the upside, the phone is compact (3.4 by 1.7 by 0.8 inches) and lightweight (2.9 ounces), so it slips easily into a pocket and wont weigh you down. Also, the construction is solid, and we felt comfortable holding the phone while talking. Were surprised, however, that phone manufacturers are continuing to pump out models without external displays. We realize it may save a few dollars, but that means you must open the SPH-A420 to see your callers identity. Like its feature set, the SPH-A420s design is truly basic. Flip open the mobile, and youll find a standard Samsung internal display. Measuring 1.6 inches diagonally (128x160 pixels) and supporting 65,000 colors, its quite serviceable for a phone of this caliber. Colors are sharp and the screen bright. You can change the backlighting time and the dialing font size and color, but other screen-editing options are not available. Also, like the Samsung SPH-A640, its one of the first handsets to support Samsungs new menu designs.The SPH-A420s navigation array has a typical Samsung design. A four-way toggle surrounds a central OK button and doubles as a shortcut to four user-defined functions. The other controls included two soft keys, the talk and end/power buttons, and a back key. Theres also a dedicated speakerphone key, which is a nice touch. The keypad buttons are flat with the surface of the phone, so its somewhat hard to dial by feel. Theyre decently sized, though, and they benefit from a bright backlighting. The only exterior features are a volume rocker and a covered headset jack on the left spine and a tiny green light on the front flap that blinks for incoming calls.The SPH-A420s feature set is minimal, but keep in mind simplicity is the overall theme here. The phone book holds 300 contacts with room in each entry for four phone numbers, an e-mail address, and a memo. You can organize callers into groups or pair them with one of 10 monophonic or 35 40-chord polyphonic ring tones. You can assign a photo, but since the SPH-A640 doesnt have a camera or a Web browser and doesnt support multimedia messaging, youre out of luck if you don't like the preloaded graphics. Other features include a task list, a scheduler, an event reminder, a countdown timer, a memo pad, a world clock, a calculator, an alarm clock, and text messaging. Voice features include voice memos and dialing a speakerphone that you can activate before you make a call. Strangely, theres an airplane mode, but we cant imagine why youd want to use it.You can personalize the SPH-A640 with a variety of screensavers, greetings, and alert sounds. But theres no wireless Web browser, so youre stuck with the options already on the phone. You don't get any games either. We tested the dual-band, dual-mode Samsung SPH-A420 in San Francisco using Sprints service. Call quality was good overall, though voices on our end sounded a bit tinny. Callers reported the same conditions, but they werent bothered too much. The volume level was satisfactory as well, but we had a bit of trouble understanding our friends in very noisy environments. Speakerphone quality was about the same; calls were audible and noisy on our end, but callers usually asked that we switch to a normal call.The SPH-A420 has a rated talk time of 3.5 hours, which we met in our tests. Our standby battery test came to 11.5 days. According to FCC radiation tests, the Samsung SPH-A420 has a digital SAR rating of 1.32 watts per kilogram. ),
(1012,Samsung SPH-A640,Positives: The Samsung SPH-A640 offers clear call quality and a useful range of features, including a VGA camera with sharp photos, Bluetooth, and a speakerphone. Negatives: The Samsung SPH-A640 has a dull design, with a monochrome external display. Also, the speakerphone call quality is variable. Facts: Though its design is uninspired, the Samsung SPH-A640 is a functional and well-performing cell phone for midrange users. , Samsung and Sprint are fast friends, with the Korean electronics giant being a longtime cell phone supplier to the carrier. So its no surprise that late last month, Samsung introduced both the SPH-A640 and the SPH-A420. The Samsung SPH-A640 is the more advanced of the two, offering a midrange set of features that includes Bluetooth, a VGA camera, a speakerphone, and support for Sprints Ready Link push-to-talk (PTT) service. The design is relatively bland--your basic black--but if youre looking for a functional phones that makes calls, the SPH-A640 is a solid choice. The Samsung SPH-A640 is expensive if you pay full price ($199), but you should be able to get it for free with service rebates.An initial glance at the Samsung SPH-A640 doesnt reveal much about whats inside. Even the tiny camera lens located at the top of the handset is relatively unobtrusive. Covering the entire flap is a black plastic face that acts as mirror. Some might like its austerity, but we werent fans--the plastic feels cheap, and it attracts finger smudges easily. Though you might think theres no external display, a quick press of the volume rocker activates the postage-stamp-size screen in the center of the flap. Though its monochrome, it displays the date, time, battery life, signal strength, and caller ID (where available). It doesnt support photo caller ID, but it functions as a rudimentary viewfinder for self-portraits. Unfortunately, none of the display settings are customizable.Inside the phone is the 1.75-inch (128x160 pixels) TFT display. Typical of Samsung displays, its bright and vivid, with support for 65,000. However, that means its difficult to see in direct light. You can set the backlighting time, the greeting, the dialing font and size, and the brightness. You also get three menu style choices, and its one of the first Samsung to show the companys new menus. While previous Samsung menus were known for their animation and graphics-heavy interface, the new menus are designed with simplicity in mind. Theres still a bit of animation in one of the styles, but our favorite choice showed only a plain background with a simple grid of choices laying on top. In this case, less is more. Below a rather large hinge are the navigation controls, which are in typical Samsung style as well. A five-way toggle with an OK button in the center acts as a shortcut to four user-defined functions. There are also two soft keys, a dedicated Back button, and the standard Talk and End/power keys. The backlit keypad buttons are flat of the surface of the phones, but theyre big enough and spaced sufficiently far apart. On the left spine is the PTT button, a covered headset jack, and the aforementioned volume rocker, while a camera key and the voice-dialing button sit on the right spine. The Samsung SPH-A640s phone book is rather small at 300 contacts, but each entry holds five phone numbers, e-mail and Web addresses, a nickname, and a short memo. You can assign callers to groups, pair them with one of 9 monophonic or 20 polyphonic (32-chord) ring tones, or assign them a photo for caller ID. Keep in mind, however, that the image will not show up on the external display. Theres also a separate Ready Link address book that holds 200 personal contacts and 200 work contacts. Other dialing features include voice and speed dialing and three-way calling, as well as call forwarding and call waiting. And like the Samsung SPH-A580, the SPH-A640 supports Sprints new wireless backup service. The handsets other offerings should be enough to satisfy everyone but the most demanding cell phone users. Youll find a daily event reminder, a scheduler, a task list, a countdown timer, a memo pad, a world clock, a calculator a vibrate mode, text and multimedia messaging, and a speakerphone. Theres also Bluetooth for connecting to headsets, but save for an electronic business card, you cant use it for sending files wirelessly. The Samsung SPH-A640s low-profile camera doesnt come with a flash. The VGA camera takes pictures in three resolutions (640x480, 320x240, and 160x120), and you can choose from three quality settings (Fine, Normal, and Economy). Other features include a 5- or 10-second self-timer, five color tones, 10 fun frames, brightness and white-balance settings, a zoom, and four shutter sounds, though no silent option. When finished with your shots, you can save them to the phones memory, upload them to an online album, or send them in a multimedia message. Picture quality was quite admirable for a VGA camera. Though colors werent terribly bright, they were still distinct, and object outlines were sharp. Amateur directors are out of luck, however, as the SPH-A640 does not support video recording. We liked the Samsung SPH-A640s photo quality. You can personalize the SPH-A640 with a variety of screensavers and alert sounds. If you want more options or ring tones, youll have to download them via the WAP 2.0 wireless Web browser. A number of trial applications and demo versions of five Java (J2ME) games are included as well, but youll have to buy the full versions for extended play. We tested the dual-band, dual-mode (CDMA 800/1900; AMPS 800) SPH-A640 in San Francisco using Sprints service. Call quality generally was good, with sharp clarity and adequate volume. Occasionally, callers sounded robotic, but it was nothing particularly bothersome. On their end, callers could tell we were using a cell phone, but they didnt report any problems. Speakerphone calls were marginally worse if we were inside, but outside in noisy situations, it was hard to hear at all. We paired the phone with the Plantronics Explorer 320 Bluetooth headset and enjoyed acceptable call quality, but the volume was somewhat low. The Samsung SPH-A640 has a rated talk time of 3.8 hours, and we managed to eke out 4 hours of talk time in our tests. Our standby time tests resulted in 11 days of battery life. According to FCC radiation tests, the SPH-A640 has a digital SAR rating of 1.23 watts per kilogram. ),
(1013,Palm Treo 650 GSM (unlocked), , The unlocked version of the Palm Treo 650 is similar to the rest of the Treo 650 series, except you can use the smart phone on any GSM carrier by simply switching out the SIM card. For more information, please read our full review of the Palm Treo 650. ),
(1014,Sanyo SCP-2400 (Silver Sky),Positives: The Sanyo SCP-2400 supports family-friendly features, such as Sprints parental control and family locator services. It also supports Sprints Ready Link push-to-talk network, plus it features voice recording, voice dialing, analog roaming, and a speakerphone with great audio quality. Negatives: The Sanyo SCP-2400 has a rather unappealing design, and the colors on the internal display appear washed out. Facts: The Sanyo SCP-2400 is a basic handset that didnt impress us in terms of design. But because of its support for family-friendly services, it could be a great phone for both parents and kids. Note: This product is part of the Sanyo SCP-2400 series. ., Sprint is one of several cell phone carriers now offering family-friendly handset packages. Verizon has its Chaperone service for the LG Migo, which lets parents know where their kids are, and Disney Mobile will have its own version sometime soon. Sprints service comes in the form of a built-in parental control feature in selected handsets, and the Sanyo SCP-2400 is one of them. While it is a basic phone, the SCP-2400 also supports the Ready Link walkie-talkie network, which is another handy feature for families wanting to keep in touch. The phone is available now for the suggested retail price of $179.99, though its only $29.99 after rebate with a two-year agreement. It comes in five different colors: Silver Sky, Midnight Black, Dark Bronze, True Blue, and Misty Rose. Like the Sanyo SCP-3100, the SCP-2400 has the appearance of a childs toy. Its plastic exterior and large speaker grille scream kid-size walkie-talkie. At 3.3 by 1.8 by 1.0 inches and 3.5 ounces, it fits in a purse without a problem, but it fits rather tightly in a pants pocket. Opening the clamshell takes a negligible amount of effort, and it cradles comfortably next to the ear. The Sanyo SCP-2400 has a large speaker grille. Right beneath the speaker grille is the 1-inch-diagonal monochrome external screen that has an orange backlight when activated. It displays the signal and battery strength, the time, and caller ID. On the left spine is the headset jack, a voice-recording key that doubles as the Ready Link key, and the volume rocker. The SCP-2400 has an extendable antenna as well.Open up the phone, and youll find a rather disappointing 65,000-color, 1.75-inch-diagonal display. Colors appear washed out, and the screen is difficult to see in bright sunlight. You can adjust the backlight timer of the internal display, the keypad, and the external screen. The font size, the default greeting, the background, contrast, the background color for incoming calls, and the sleep-mode timer are adjustable to suit your preference.The navigational controls and keypad layout are very similar to those of the SCP-3100. There are the two soft keys, a five-way toggle that doubles as shortcuts to messaging, the phone book, the My Content folder (a list of games, ring tones, screensavers, applications, IM and e-mail, and call tones), and the My Favorites folder (a \"smart\" list of shortcuts to frequently used features). Underneath the left soft key is the Web browser button, and underneath the right soft key is the Back button. We found this arrangement a little odd, and we found ourselves accidentally hitting the Web button when we meant to make a call because it is located where the Talk key usually is. Below those are the Talk, Speakerphone, and End/power keys, followed by the keypad. The keys have a greenish backlight when activated. The primary attractions of the SCP-2400 are Sprints parental control services and support for the carriers Ready Link push-to-talk network. Aside from those, the phone has mostly basic features. Theres a 300-entry address book, and each contact can store up to seven numbers, an e-mail address, a Web site URL, an assigned group label, a personalized ring tone [you can choose from 16 polyphonic (32-chord) ring tones], and a picture caller ID. As the phone doesnt have a camera, youll have to get the picture ID in a multimedia message or download some clip art as photo substitutes. There is a separate Ready Link contact list that stores up to 200 personal contacts and 200 business contacts. Other offerings include text and picture messaging, instant messaging, e-mail, a calendar, a scheduler, a to-do list, a world clock, a calculator, a stopwatch, an alarm clock, voice dialing, voice recording, a vibrate mode, a wireless Web browser, analog roaming, and a built-in speakerphone that can be activated prior to calls. The SCP-2400 also supports an optional service called Wireless Backup, which lets you back up your entire phones information to Sprints servers, in case your phone gets lost or stolen.Accessing the parental control features couldnt be easier; its actually the first option on the top left of the main menu screen. Enter in a lock code, and you can then set limitations on incoming and outgoing calls (ranging from allowing all calls to just special preselected numbers), lock or unlock the Ready Link walkie-talkie service or the PCS Vision service (which includes text messaging, instant messaging, e-mail, Web browsing, and games), assign special phone numbers, edit the phone book, and change the lock code for the phone. Whats more, theres an optional service called Sprint Family Locator, which uses GPS technology that lets parents track where their child is at all times. Parents can track their child either from another Sprint phone or from their PC.As for personalization options, you can customize your phone with a variety of different backgrounds, animations, screensavers, ring tones, and more. The only game included is World Poker Tour, but as with all the other options, you can download more from Sprints store via the wireless WAP 2.0 browser on the phone. We tested the dual-band, trimode (CDMA 800/1900; AMPS 800) Sanyo SCP-2400 in San Francisco with the Sprint network. Call quality was great on both ends, and callers could hardly tell we were on a cell phone. Speakerphone audio quality was similarly impressive. Web performance was slow, as expected. The Sanyo SCP-2400 has a rated talk time of 3.5 hours, which we met in our tests, and a standby time of 5 days. We doubled the standby time to 10 days. According to FCC radiation tests, the Sanyo SCP-2400 has a digital SAR rating of 1.27 watts per kilogram. ),
(1015,Sanyo SCP-2400 (Dark Bronze),Positives: The Sanyo SCP-2400 supports family-friendly features, such as Sprints parental control and family locator services. It also supports Sprints Ready Link push-to-talk network, plus it features voice recording, voice dialing, analog roaming, and a speakerphone with great audio quality. Negatives: The Sanyo SCP-2400 has a rather unappealing design, and the colors on the internal display appear washed out. Facts: The Sanyo SCP-2400 is a basic handset that didnt impress us in terms of design. But because of its support for family-friendly services, it could be a great phone for both parents and kids. Note: This product is part of the Sanyo SCP-2400 series. ., Sprint is one of several cell phone carriers now offering family-friendly handset packages. Verizon has its Chaperone service for the LG Migo, which lets parents know where their kids are, and Disney Mobile will have its own version sometime soon. Sprints service comes in the form of a built-in parental control feature in selected handsets, and the Sanyo SCP-2400 is one of them. While it is a basic phone, the SCP-2400 also supports the Ready Link walkie-talkie network, which is another handy feature for families wanting to keep in touch. The phone is available now for the suggested retail price of $179.99, though its only $29.99 after rebate with a two-year agreement. It comes in five different colors: Silver Sky, Midnight Black, Dark Bronze, True Blue, and Misty Rose. Like the Sanyo SCP-3100, the SCP-2400 has the appearance of a childs toy. Its plastic exterior and large speaker grille scream kid-size walkie-talkie. At 3.3 by 1.8 by 1.0 inches and 3.5 ounces, it fits in a purse without a problem, but it fits rather tightly in a pants pocket. Opening the clamshell takes a negligible amount of effort, and it cradles comfortably next to the ear. The Sanyo SCP-2400 has a large speaker grille. Right beneath the speaker grille is the 1-inch-diagonal monochrome external screen that has an orange backlight when activated. It displays the signal and battery strength, the time, and caller ID. On the left spine is the headset jack, a voice-recording key that doubles as the Ready Link key, and the volume rocker. The SCP-2400 has an extendable antenna as well.Open up the phone, and youll find a rather disappointing 65,000-color, 1.75-inch-diagonal display. Colors appear washed out, and the screen is difficult to see in bright sunlight. You can adjust the backlight timer of the internal display, the keypad, and the external screen. The font size, the default greeting, the background, contrast, the background color for incoming calls, and the sleep-mode timer are adjustable to suit your preference.The navigational controls and keypad layout are very similar to those of the SCP-3100. There are the two soft keys, a five-way toggle that doubles as shortcuts to messaging, the phone book, the My Content folder (a list of games, ring tones, screensavers, applications, IM and e-mail, and call tones), and the My Favorites folder (a \"smart\" list of shortcuts to frequently used features). Underneath the left soft key is the Web browser button, and underneath the right soft key is the Back button. We found this arrangement a little odd, and we found ourselves accidentally hitting the Web button when we meant to make a call because it is located where the Talk key usually is. Below those are the Talk, Speakerphone, and End/power keys, followed by the keypad. The keys have a greenish backlight when activated. The primary attractions of the SCP-2400 are Sprints parental control services and support for the carriers Ready Link push-to-talk network. Aside from those, the phone has mostly basic features. Theres a 300-entry address book, and each contact can store up to seven numbers, an e-mail address, a Web site URL, an assigned group label, a personalized ring tone [you can choose from 16 polyphonic (32-chord) ring tones], and a picture caller ID. As the phone doesnt have a camera, youll have to get the picture ID in a multimedia message or download some clip art as photo substitutes. There is a separate Ready Link contact list that stores up to 200 personal contacts and 200 business contacts. Other offerings include text and picture messaging, instant messaging, e-mail, a calendar, a scheduler, a to-do list, a world clock, a calculator, a stopwatch, an alarm clock, voice dialing, voice recording, a vibrate mode, a wireless Web browser, analog roaming, and a built-in speakerphone that can be activated prior to calls. The SCP-2400 also supports an optional service called Wireless Backup, which lets you back up your entire phones information to Sprints servers, in case your phone gets lost or stolen.Accessing the parental control features couldnt be easier; its actually the first option on the top left of the main menu screen. Enter in a lock code, and you can then set limitations on incoming and outgoing calls (ranging from allowing all calls to just special preselected numbers), lock or unlock the Ready Link walkie-talkie service or the PCS Vision service (which includes text messaging, instant messaging, e-mail, Web browsing, and games), assign special phone numbers, edit the phone book, and change the lock code for the phone. Whats more, theres an optional service called Sprint Family Locator, which uses GPS technology that lets parents track where their child is at all times. Parents can track their child either from another Sprint phone or from their PC.As for personalization options, you can customize your phone with a variety of different backgrounds, animations, screensavers, ring tones, and more. The only game included is World Poker Tour, but as with all the other options, you can download more from Sprints store via the wireless WAP 2.0 browser on the phone. We tested the dual-band, trimode (CDMA 800/1900; AMPS 800) Sanyo SCP-2400 in San Francisco with the Sprint network. Call quality was great on both ends, and callers could hardly tell we were on a cell phone. Speakerphone audio quality was similarly impressive. Web performance was slow, as expected. The Sanyo SCP-2400 has a rated talk time of 3.5 hours, which we met in our tests, and a standby time of 5 days. We doubled the standby time to 10 days. According to FCC radiation tests, the Sanyo SCP-2400 has a digital SAR rating of 1.27 watts per kilogram. ),
(1016,Sanyo SCP-2400 (Misty Rose),Positives: The Sanyo SCP-2400 supports family-friendly features, such as Sprints parental control and family locator services. It also supports Sprints Ready Link push-to-talk network, plus it features voice recording, voice dialing, analog roaming, and a speakerphone with great audio quality. Negatives: The Sanyo SCP-2400 has a rather unappealing design, and the colors on the internal display appear washed out. Facts: The Sanyo SCP-2400 is a basic handset that didnt impress us in terms of design. But because of its support for family-friendly services, it could be a great phone for both parents and kids. Note: This product is part of the Sanyo SCP-2400 series. ., Sprint is one of several cell phone carriers now offering family-friendly handset packages. Verizon has its Chaperone service for the LG Migo, which lets parents know where their kids are, and Disney Mobile will have its own version sometime soon. Sprints service comes in the form of a built-in parental control feature in selected handsets, and the Sanyo SCP-2400 is one of them. While it is a basic phone, the SCP-2400 also supports the Ready Link walkie-talkie network, which is another handy feature for families wanting to keep in touch. The phone is available now for the suggested retail price of $179.99, though its only $29.99 after rebate with a two-year agreement. It comes in five different colors: Silver Sky, Midnight Black, Dark Bronze, True Blue, and Misty Rose. Like the Sanyo SCP-3100, the SCP-2400 has the appearance of a childs toy. Its plastic exterior and large speaker grille scream kid-size walkie-talkie. At 3.3 by 1.8 by 1.0 inches and 3.5 ounces, it fits in a purse without a problem, but it fits rather tightly in a pants pocket. Opening the clamshell takes a negligible amount of effort, and it cradles comfortably next to the ear. The Sanyo SCP-2400 has a large speaker grille. Right beneath the speaker grille is the 1-inch-diagonal monochrome external screen that has an orange backlight when activated. It displays the signal and battery strength, the time, and caller ID. On the left spine is the headset jack, a voice-recording key that doubles as the Ready Link key, and the volume rocker. The SCP-2400 has an extendable antenna as well.Open up the phone, and youll find a rather disappointing 65,000-color, 1.75-inch-diagonal display. Colors appear washed out, and the screen is difficult to see in bright sunlight. You can adjust the backlight timer of the internal display, the keypad, and the external screen. The font size, the default greeting, the background, contrast, the background color for incoming calls, and the sleep-mode timer are adjustable to suit your preference.The navigational controls and keypad layout are very similar to those of the SCP-3100. There are the two soft keys, a five-way toggle that doubles as shortcuts to messaging, the phone book, the My Content folder (a list of games, ring tones, screensavers, applications, IM and e-mail, and call tones), and the My Favorites folder (a \"smart\" list of shortcuts to frequently used features). Underneath the left soft key is the Web browser button, and underneath the right soft key is the Back button. We found this arrangement a little odd, and we found ourselves accidentally hitting the Web button when we meant to make a call because it is located where the Talk key usually is. Below those are the Talk, Speakerphone, and End/power keys, followed by the keypad. The keys have a greenish backlight when activated. The primary attractions of the SCP-2400 are Sprints parental control services and support for the carriers Ready Link push-to-talk network. Aside from those, the phone has mostly basic features. Theres a 300-entry address book, and each contact can store up to seven numbers, an e-mail address, a Web site URL, an assigned group label, a personalized ring tone [you can choose from 16 polyphonic (32-chord) ring tones], and a picture caller ID. As the phone doesnt have a camera, youll have to get the picture ID in a multimedia message or download some clip art as photo substitutes. There is a separate Ready Link contact list that stores up to 200 personal contacts and 200 business contacts. Other offerings include text and picture messaging, instant messaging, e-mail, a calendar, a scheduler, a to-do list, a world clock, a calculator, a stopwatch, an alarm clock, voice dialing, voice recording, a vibrate mode, a wireless Web browser, analog roaming, and a built-in speakerphone that can be activated prior to calls. The SCP-2400 also supports an optional service called Wireless Backup, which lets you back up your entire phones information to Sprints servers, in case your phone gets lost or stolen.Accessing the parental control features couldnt be easier; its actually the first option on the top left of the main menu screen. Enter in a lock code, and you can then set limitations on incoming and outgoing calls (ranging from allowing all calls to just special preselected numbers), lock or unlock the Ready Link walkie-talkie service or the PCS Vision service (which includes text messaging, instant messaging, e-mail, Web browsing, and games), assign special phone numbers, edit the phone book, and change the lock code for the phone. Whats more, theres an optional service called Sprint Family Locator, which uses GPS technology that lets parents track where their child is at all times. Parents can track their child either from another Sprint phone or from their PC.As for personalization options, you can customize your phone with a variety of different backgrounds, animations, screensavers, ring tones, and more. The only game included is World Poker Tour, but as with all the other options, you can download more from Sprints store via the wireless WAP 2.0 browser on the phone. We tested the dual-band, trimode (CDMA 800/1900; AMPS 800) Sanyo SCP-2400 in San Francisco with the Sprint network. Call quality was great on both ends, and callers could hardly tell we were on a cell phone. Speakerphone audio quality was similarly impressive. Web performance was slow, as expected. The Sanyo SCP-2400 has a rated talk time of 3.5 hours, which we met in our tests, and a standby time of 5 days. We doubled the standby time to 10 days. According to FCC radiation tests, the Sanyo SCP-2400 has a digital SAR rating of 1.27 watts per kilogram. ),
(1017,Sanyo SCP-2400 (True Blue),Positives: The Sanyo SCP-2400 supports family-friendly features, such as Sprints parental control and family locator services. It also supports Sprints Ready Link push-to-talk network, plus it features voice recording, voice dialing, analog roaming, and a speakerphone with great audio quality. Negatives: The Sanyo SCP-2400 has a rather unappealing design, and the colors on the internal display appear washed out. Facts: The Sanyo SCP-2400 is a basic handset that didnt impress us in terms of design. But because of its support for family-friendly services, it could be a great phone for both parents and kids. Note: This product is part of the Sanyo SCP-2400 series. ., Sprint is one of several cell phone carriers now offering family-friendly handset packages. Verizon has its Chaperone service for the LG Migo, which lets parents know where their kids are, and Disney Mobile will have its own version sometime soon. Sprints service comes in the form of a built-in parental control feature in selected handsets, and the Sanyo SCP-2400 is one of them. While it is a basic phone, the SCP-2400 also supports the Ready Link walkie-talkie network, which is another handy feature for families wanting to keep in touch. The phone is available now for the suggested retail price of $179.99, though its only $29.99 after rebate with a two-year agreement. It comes in five different colors: Silver Sky, Midnight Black, Dark Bronze, True Blue, and Misty Rose. Like the Sanyo SCP-3100, the SCP-2400 has the appearance of a childs toy. Its plastic exterior and large speaker grille scream kid-size walkie-talkie. At 3.3 by 1.8 by 1.0 inches and 3.5 ounces, it fits in a purse without a problem, but it fits rather tightly in a pants pocket. Opening the clamshell takes a negligible amount of effort, and it cradles comfortably next to the ear. The Sanyo SCP-2400 has a large speaker grille. Right beneath the speaker grille is the 1-inch-diagonal monochrome external screen that has an orange backlight when activated. It displays the signal and battery strength, the time, and caller ID. On the left spine is the headset jack, a voice-recording key that doubles as the Ready Link key, and the volume rocker. The SCP-2400 has an extendable antenna as well.Open up the phone, and youll find a rather disappointing 65,000-color, 1.75-inch-diagonal display. Colors appear washed out, and the screen is difficult to see in bright sunlight. You can adjust the backlight timer of the internal display, the keypad, and the external screen. The font size, the default greeting, the background, contrast, the background color for incoming calls, and the sleep-mode timer are adjustable to suit your preference.The navigational controls and keypad layout are very similar to those of the SCP-3100. There are the two soft keys, a five-way toggle that doubles as shortcuts to messaging, the phone book, the My Content folder (a list of games, ring tones, screensavers, applications, IM and e-mail, and call tones), and the My Favorites folder (a \"smart\" list of shortcuts to frequently used features). Underneath the left soft key is the Web browser button, and underneath the right soft key is the Back button. We found this arrangement a little odd, and we found ourselves accidentally hitting the Web button when we meant to make a call because it is located where the Talk key usually is. Below those are the Talk, Speakerphone, and End/power keys, followed by the keypad. The keys have a greenish backlight when activated. The primary attractions of the SCP-2400 are Sprints parental control services and support for the carriers Ready Link push-to-talk network. Aside from those, the phone has mostly basic features. Theres a 300-entry address book, and each contact can store up to seven numbers, an e-mail address, a Web site URL, an assigned group label, a personalized ring tone [you can choose from 16 polyphonic (32-chord) ring tones], and a picture caller ID. As the phone doesnt have a camera, youll have to get the picture ID in a multimedia message or download some clip art as photo substitutes. There is a separate Ready Link contact list that stores up to 200 personal contacts and 200 business contacts. Other offerings include text and picture messaging, instant messaging, e-mail, a calendar, a scheduler, a to-do list, a world clock, a calculator, a stopwatch, an alarm clock, voice dialing, voice recording, a vibrate mode, a wireless Web browser, analog roaming, and a built-in speakerphone that can be activated prior to calls. The SCP-2400 also supports an optional service called Wireless Backup, which lets you back up your entire phones information to Sprints servers, in case your phone gets lost or stolen.Accessing the parental control features couldnt be easier; its actually the first option on the top left of the main menu screen. Enter in a lock code, and you can then set limitations on incoming and outgoing calls (ranging from allowing all calls to just special preselected numbers), lock or unlock the Ready Link walkie-talkie service or the PCS Vision service (which includes text messaging, instant messaging, e-mail, Web browsing, and games), assign special phone numbers, edit the phone book, and change the lock code for the phone. Whats more, theres an optional service called Sprint Family Locator, which uses GPS technology that lets parents track where their child is at all times. Parents can track their child either from another Sprint phone or from their PC.As for personalization options, you can customize your phone with a variety of different backgrounds, animations, screensavers, ring tones, and more. The only game included is World Poker Tour, but as with all the other options, you can download more from Sprints store via the wireless WAP 2.0 browser on the phone. We tested the dual-band, trimode (CDMA 800/1900; AMPS 800) Sanyo SCP-2400 in San Francisco with the Sprint network. Call quality was great on both ends, and callers could hardly tell we were on a cell phone. Speakerphone audio quality was similarly impressive. Web performance was slow, as expected. The Sanyo SCP-2400 has a rated talk time of 3.5 hours, which we met in our tests, and a standby time of 5 days. We doubled the standby time to 10 days. According to FCC radiation tests, the Sanyo SCP-2400 has a digital SAR rating of 1.27 watts per kilogram. ),
(1018,Sanyo SCP-2400 (Midnight Black),Positives: The Sanyo SCP-2400 supports family-friendly features, such as Sprints parental control and family locator services. It also supports Sprints Ready Link push-to-talk network, plus it features voice recording, voice dialing, analog roaming, and a speakerphone with great audio quality. Negatives: The Sanyo SCP-2400 has a rather unappealing design, and the colors on the internal display appear washed out. Facts: The Sanyo SCP-2400 is a basic handset that didnt impress us in terms of design. But because of its support for family-friendly services, it could be a great phone for both parents and kids. Note: This product is part of the Sanyo SCP-2400 series. ., Sprint is one of several cell phone carriers now offering family-friendly handset packages. Verizon has its Chaperone service for the LG Migo, which lets parents know where their kids are, and Disney Mobile will have its own version sometime soon. Sprints service comes in the form of a built-in parental control feature in selected handsets, and the Sanyo SCP-2400 is one of them. While it is a basic phone, the SCP-2400 also supports the Ready Link walkie-talkie network, which is another handy feature for families wanting to keep in touch. The phone is available now for the suggested retail price of $179.99, though its only $29.99 after rebate with a two-year agreement. It comes in five different colors: Silver Sky, Midnight Black, Dark Bronze, True Blue, and Misty Rose. Like the Sanyo SCP-3100, the SCP-2400 has the appearance of a childs toy. Its plastic exterior and large speaker grille scream kid-size walkie-talkie. At 3.3 by 1.8 by 1.0 inches and 3.5 ounces, it fits in a purse without a problem, but it fits rather tightly in a pants pocket. Opening the clamshell takes a negligible amount of effort, and it cradles comfortably next to the ear. The Sanyo SCP-2400 has a large speaker grille. Right beneath the speaker grille is the 1-inch-diagonal monochrome external screen that has an orange backlight when activated. It displays the signal and battery strength, the time, and caller ID. On the left spine is the headset jack, a voice-recording key that doubles as the Ready Link key, and the volume rocker. The SCP-2400 has an extendable antenna as well.Open up the phone, and youll find a rather disappointing 65,000-color, 1.75-inch-diagonal display. Colors appear washed out, and the screen is difficult to see in bright sunlight. You can adjust the backlight timer of the internal display, the keypad, and the external screen. The font size, the default greeting, the background, contrast, the background color for incoming calls, and the sleep-mode timer are adjustable to suit your preference.The navigational controls and keypad layout are very similar to those of the SCP-3100. There are the two soft keys, a five-way toggle that doubles as shortcuts to messaging, the phone book, the My Content folder (a list of games, ring tones, screensavers, applications, IM and e-mail, and call tones), and the My Favorites folder (a \"smart\" list of shortcuts to frequently used features). Underneath the left soft key is the Web browser button, and underneath the right soft key is the Back button. We found this arrangement a little odd, and we found ourselves accidentally hitting the Web button when we meant to make a call because it is located where the Talk key usually is. Below those are the Talk, Speakerphone, and End/power keys, followed by the keypad. The keys have a greenish backlight when activated. The primary attractions of the SCP-2400 are Sprints parental control services and support for the carriers Ready Link push-to-talk network. Aside from those, the phone has mostly basic features. Theres a 300-entry address book, and each contact can store up to seven numbers, an e-mail address, a Web site URL, an assigned group label, a personalized ring tone [you can choose from 16 polyphonic (32-chord) ring tones], and a picture caller ID. As the phone doesnt have a camera, youll have to get the picture ID in a multimedia message or download some clip art as photo substitutes. There is a separate Ready Link contact list that stores up to 200 personal contacts and 200 business contacts. Other offerings include text and picture messaging, instant messaging, e-mail, a calendar, a scheduler, a to-do list, a world clock, a calculator, a stopwatch, an alarm clock, voice dialing, voice recording, a vibrate mode, a wireless Web browser, analog roaming, and a built-in speakerphone that can be activated prior to calls. The SCP-2400 also supports an optional service called Wireless Backup, which lets you back up your entire phones information to Sprints servers, in case your phone gets lost or stolen.Accessing the parental control features couldnt be easier; its actually the first option on the top left of the main menu screen. Enter in a lock code, and you can then set limitations on incoming and outgoing calls (ranging from allowing all calls to just special preselected numbers), lock or unlock the Ready Link walkie-talkie service or the PCS Vision service (which includes text messaging, instant messaging, e-mail, Web browsing, and games), assign special phone numbers, edit the phone book, and change the lock code for the phone. Whats more, theres an optional service called Sprint Family Locator, which uses GPS technology that lets parents track where their child is at all times. Parents can track their child either from another Sprint phone or from their PC.As for personalization options, you can customize your phone with a variety of different backgrounds, animations, screensavers, ring tones, and more. The only game included is World Poker Tour, but as with all the other options, you can download more from Sprints store via the wireless WAP 2.0 browser on the phone. We tested the dual-band, trimode (CDMA 800/1900; AMPS 800) Sanyo SCP-2400 in San Francisco with the Sprint network. Call quality was great on both ends, and callers could hardly tell we were on a cell phone. Speakerphone audio quality was similarly impressive. Web performance was slow, as expected. The Sanyo SCP-2400 has a rated talk time of 3.5 hours, which we met in our tests, and a standby time of 5 days. We doubled the standby time to 10 days. According to FCC radiation tests, the Sanyo SCP-2400 has a digital SAR rating of 1.27 watts per kilogram. ),
(1019,Nokia N91,Positives: The Nokia N91 features a 4GB hard drive and an integrated music player that supports a number of file formats. The phone also offers a 2-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi. Negatives: The pricey Nokia N91 is clunky and heavy, its camera has no flash, and its sluggish in performing its tasks. Facts: The Nokia N91 offers some great features, such as an integrated hard drive and music player, but its sluggish performance and high price tag keep it behind the competition. Note: This product is part of the Nokia N series. ., When the Nokia first introduced the N91 in April 2005, it was a revolutionary cell phone and the ultimate convergence device, with an integrated 4GB hard drive, a music player, a 2-megapixel camera, and PIM capabilities. While the Nokia N91 has been available in Europe and Asia for some time, its just now hitting the United States, and unfortunately, its starting to show its age. There are a slew of great MP3 phones in the market today, such as the LG LX550 and the Sony Ericsson W810i, and theyre all considerably cheaper. Without the backing of a U.S. carrier at this time, an unlocked version of the Nokia N91 costs around $600. All things considered, wed rather spend our money on one of these alternatives. There are two things youll notice about the Nokia N91: its flashy and its big. À la the Nokia 8800, the all-silver N91 is certainly eye-catching, but at 4.4 by 2.2 by 0.9 inches and 5.8 ounces, the slider phone is on the larger and heftier side, making for a tight fit in a pants pocket. Even by the standards of music players, the Nokia N91 is still big and heavy. By comparison, the 4GB Cowon iAudio 6 measures 2.7 by 1.2 by 0.7 inches and 2.1 ounces. That said, the solidly constructed N91 is comfortable to hold in the hand. The Nokia N91 features a 2.2-inch-diagonal screen that shows off 262,000 colors, but its lower in resolution than the Nokia N80 (176x208 vs. 325x416 pixels), so text and images arent as sharp. Below the display are two customizable soft keys, the Talk and End buttons, and a five-way navigation toggle. In its closed state, the front cover also holds the music player controls: music access, play/pause, stop, next, and previous. Interestingly, there appears to be a select button in the middle of this control pad, but you cant press it, and it doesnt seem to serve a purpose. The Nokia N91 features dedicated music player buttons. To access the numerical dial pad, just slide the lower half downward; the gliding motion is smooth, and it locks into place with a satisfying click. Unfortunately, whats revealed isnt quite as satisfying. The number buttons are tiny and thin, so its easy to press the wrong one, especially for those with larger digits. In addition, the bottom row of keys is lined closely with the edge of slide-out cover, making it even more cramped. Were not huge fans of the Nokia N91s small number keys. On the left spine are a volume rocker, a speaker, and a mini USB port, while on right spine are a menu shortcut key and a button to release the back cover. And as long as were on the subject, we found the battery cover excruciatingly hard to take off. The release key is small and slippery (long nails help), and the cover doesnt come off easily. Fortunately, it gets easier after a few tries, and in any case, we suspect you wont have much reason to open the back cover after you put in your SIM card and battery. Above the battery cover is the camera lens, but theres no flash or self-portrait mirror. Also, while we realize the camera isnt the main attraction of the Nokia N91, we would have appreciated a camera activation key somewhere on the phone, instead of in the menu. Finally, the power key, the hold switch, and the 3.5mm audio jack (which accepts Walkman-style headphones) are all located on top of the phone. Nokia packages the N91 with a healthy set of accessories, including a travel charger, a music headset with remote control, a USB cable, a stereo audio cable, a desktop cradle, a CD-ROM with the Nokia PC Suite and other apps, and reference material. The Nokia N series is all about multimedia, and while the N80 and the N90 showcase their photography skills, the N91s talent lies with music. The phone features a 4GB hard drive for storing your favorite tunes; Nokia says it can hold up to 3,000 songs. The N91 supports a number of formats, including MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, Real, WAV, WMA, and MPEG files. Whats more, Nokia will release a free software update later in July that will allow the playback of Windows Media DRM-protected files. To get music on to the phone, just use the included USB cable to connect the handset to your PC. The N91 should show up as an external drive on your computer, and you can simply drag and drop tunes; we had no problems transferring our music onto the phone via this method. While Nokia has partnerships with online music services in other countries, there is no such relationship here in the United States at the moment, so you cant download music on the fly. Once youve transferred your music to the phone, the Nokia N91 organizes them by artist, album, genre, and composer. You can create playlists right on the N91, and there are shuffle and repeat functions. To enhance the sound, theres an equalizer with seven options (default, acoustic, bass booster, hip-hop, pop, R&B, and rock) and an audio settings menu where you can tweak the balance, stereo widening, and loudness. You can also set any song to be your ring tone, and the N91 automatically pauses tracks when theres an incoming call and picks up where it left off once youre done with your phone call. Like a lot of Nokia phones, the N91 has an FM radio, but you must use the included headset to access it since the tuner is built into the accessory. If youd rather be entertained with video, thats no problem. The N91 comes with RealPlayer onboard and plays back RealVideo, 3GPP, H.263, and MPEG-4 formats. The N91 also has a 2-megapixel camera for shooting your own videos and still photos. You have the option of taking pictures in three qualities (High, Normal, and Basic), but you get only two resolution choices (1,600x1,200 and 640x480). As we mentioned earlier, there is no flash, but there is a night mode. Theres also a self-timer, a sequence mode for multiple shots, a 20X digital zoom, and settings for white balance and color tone. For videos, you have the choice of shooting in one of three resolutions (128x96, 176x144, and 352x288) and two possible lengths (maximum and short). Photo quality was average. Lines and edges were a little blurry, and colors didnt exactly pop, but they werent bad for a camera phone. On the other hand, we had an enjoyable experience watching videos on the N91. Image quality was excellent, and we didnt see a lot of the pixelation often experienced with camera phones. The Nokia N91s 2-megapixel camera took decent pictures. As a phone, the Nokia N91 features all the basics and more. You get a speakerphone, speed dial, voice dialing and commands, text and multimedia messaging, and a vibrate mode. The address book is limited by only the amount of available memory, and the SIM card holds an additional 250 contacts. Each entry has room for multiple numbers, an e-mail address, home and work addresses, a company name, a job title, and more. For caller ID purposes, you can pair a contact with a photo, a group ID, or one of 39 ring tones. Running S60 software on the Symbian OS, the Nokia N91s PIM functionality goes beyond the Contacts list. The phone can access IMAP4, POP3, and SMTP e-mail accounts, but there is no push e-mail solution for the N91. You also get a calendar, notes, a file manager, a voice recorder, a calculator, a currency converter, and a Web browser. For wireless options, the Nokia N91 offers integrated Bluetooth 1.2 and Wi-Fi (802.11b/g). We tested the triband (GSM 900/1800/1900; EDGE) Nokia N91 in San Francisco using Cingular service, and call quality was mediocre. For the most part, we could carry on conversations with adequate volume. However, audio quality wasnt the clearest; there were a couple of occasions where voices were quite garbled, and our callers reported much of the same. Speakerphone quality was better, as we had no problem hearing our friends. Music playback through the Nokia N91s speakers was OK. It was a bit unbalanced since the speakers are located on only the left side; using the included headset improved the experience greatly. We asked digital audio editor James Kim to have a listen, and he said songs sounded a bit hollow, but for a MP3 phone, it wasnt bad. Our biggest complaint is that we found the phone sluggish in performing its tasks. There was a noticeable lag when switching between apps as well as activating the camera or the music player. The Nokia N91 is rated for 3 hours of talk time and up to 8 days of standby time. In our tests, we got 5.5 hours of talk time. If youre using it solely as a music player, the device can last up to 10 hours. According to FCC radiation tests, the N91 has a digital SAR rating of 0.74 watt per kilogram. ),
(1020,Sanyo 6600 Katana (Blue Sapphire),Positives: The Sanyo 6600 Katana has a slim silhouette and offers a VGA camera, Bluetooth, a speakerphone, text messaging, voice dialing, a voice recorder, and a wireless Web browser. It has a large external screen. Negatives: The Sanyo 6600 Katanas feature set is rather underwhelming and doesnt have 3G support like many of its slim counterparts. It also suffers from flat keys that are slippery and difficult to dial by feel. Facts: The Sanyo 6600 Katana pales in comparison to the Motorola Razr and the Samsung MM-A900 in terms of design and features. But on its own, its a pretty good midtier phone. Note: This product is part of the Sanyo 6600 Katana series. ., When the Samsung MM-A900 arrived from Sprint late last year, we called it Samsungs answer to the Motorola Razr, thanks to its slim shape and similar, flip-phone design. Fast-forward several months, and Sprint has yet another Razr competitor on its hands: the Sanyo 6600 Katana. Having named it after a type of samurai sword, Sanyo clearly has high ambitions with this slim and slender handset, perhaps aiming to draw people away from the widely popular Razr. But without features such as a megapixel camera, a music player, or 3G support, the Sanyo 6600 Katana pales in comparison to both the Samsung MM-A900 and Verizons Razr V3m. On the upside, its retail price of $279.99 is markedly cheaper than that of the Samsung and Motorola phones, and you can get it for $79.99 after a two-year service contract with Sprint. It also comes in Mystic Black, Sapphire Blue, Cherry Blossom Pink, and Polar White. The white phone is sold exclusively at RadioShack.The major draw of the Sanyo 6600 Katana is, obviously, its design. It has a superslim form factor that measures 3.9 by 2.0 by 0.6 inches, much like the MM-A900, and it weighs a very light 3.4 ounces, much like the Razr. Its thin profile means it slips into a pocket easily, and we found the phone comfortable to hold in hand and next to the ear. The Sanyo 6600 Katana has a VGA camera. At first glance, its easy to confuse the Katana with the Razr. The camera is located at the top of the front flap with the external display just underneath, which is very similar to the Razr--although the Katana has a slightly beveled front, while the Razrs front flap is flat. We liked the Katanas large, 1-inch-diagonal, 65,000-color external display; it demonstrates the usual signal strength, as well as battery life and time; plus, it shows photo caller ID and acts as a camera viewfinder for self-portraits. On the left spine is the volume rocker, while the right spine is home to a dedicated camera button.Flip open the phone and youll find a large 65,000-color, 2.2-inch-diagonal screen, which is rather disappointing when compared to the 262,000-color support of the Samsung MM-A900. Whats more, the screen was difficult to see in bright sunlight. You can change the displays backlight time and font size, but you cant adjust the brightness or contrast. The menu design has a brushed-metal look, which we found boring, but it was easy to use. Below the display are the navigational controls and keypad, which are arranged in a blocky, gridlike layout. The navigation keys consist of two soft keys and a five-way toggle that also act as shortcuts to text messaging, voice recording, the My Content folder, and the Web browser. These shortcuts are not user-customizable. Below the left soft-key is the dedicated camera button and below the right soft key is the Back button. Above the keypad are the Talk and End/power keys, with the speakerphone key in between. As with the MM-A900 and the Razr, the keys are flush to the surface, making them difficult to dial by feel. Perhaps worse than either of the two, the keys on the Katana are terribly slippery, which made navigating the menu even trickier. The keys glow bright blue when activated, and you can adjust the backlight timer on the keys.Behind the Katanas slim silhouette is a disappointing feature set. It doesnt have nearly the multimedia clout that the Razr and the Samsung MM-A900 have in terms of a megapixel camera, media-player functionality, and 3G support. Yet the Katana has several basic features that should satisfy most users. The 500-entry address book holds up to seven numbers per entry, an e-mail address, a Web site URL, a home address, and a memo. Plus, you can assign a contact to a group, a photo ID, and one of 16 polyphonic (72-chord) ring tones. Theres also text messaging, instant messaging, e-mail, picture mail, voice recording, Bluetooth, a calendar, an alarm clock, a countdown timer, a stopwatch, a world clock, a calculator, a vibrate mode, a speakerphone, and a wireless Web browser. We liked that you could activate the speakerphone before you make calls. The Sanyo Katana produced disappointing picture quality. The Katana offers a VGA camera, which produced predictably disappointing picture quality with washed-out colors (not to mention way too much orange) and blurry object edges. You can take pictures with three different resolutions (640x480, 320x240, or 160x120 pixels), three quality settings (Fine, Normal, Economy), and the choice of either two shutter sounds or silence. Other camera settings include five picture modes (Normal, Beach/Snow, Scenery, Night/Dark, and Soft Focus), a self-timer of up to 10 seconds, multiple shot, stitch shot, 10 picture frames, eight color tones, brightness, and white balance.You can customize the Sanyo Katana with a variety of screensavers and animation graphics, though there doesnt seem to be an option to change the wallpaper. Plus, you have the option of downloading more screensavers, graphics, and ring tones from Sprint via the wireless WAP 2.0 browser. On the gaming front, the phone comes with Midnight Pool, World Poker Tour, and demos of Ms. Pac-Man and Tetris. You also have the option of downloading more games from Sprint. We tested the dual-band, trimode (CDMA 800/A900; AMPS 800) Sanyo Katana in San Francisco using Sprints service. Signal strength and call quality were great, as both parties could hear each other loud and clear. Speakerphone quality was similarly good, and we were impressed with how loud the calls were. We successfully managed to pair the Sanyo Katana with the Jabra BT160. Browser speed was predictably poky, taking a few seconds to load each page.The Sanyo Katana has a rated talk time of 3.5 hours and a rated standby time of seven days. In our tests, we eked out an impressive 4 hours of talk time, but battery life fell short at just four days. According to FCC radiation tests, the Sanyo Katana has a digital SAR rating of 0.678 watt per kilogram. ),
(1021,Sanyo 6600 Katana (Mystic black),Positives: The Sanyo 6600 Katana has a slim silhouette and offers a VGA camera, Bluetooth, a speakerphone, text messaging, voice dialing, a voice recorder, and a wireless Web browser. It has a large external screen. Negatives: The Sanyo 6600 Katanas feature set is rather underwhelming and doesnt have 3G support like many of its slim counterparts. It also suffers from flat keys that are slippery and difficult to dial by feel. Facts: The Sanyo 6600 Katana pales in comparison to the Motorola Razr and the Samsung MM-A900 in terms of design and features. But on its own, its a pretty good midtier phone. Note: This product is part of the Sanyo 6600 Katana series. ., When the Samsung MM-A900 arrived from Sprint late last year, we called it Samsungs answer to the Motorola Razr, thanks to its slim shape and similar, flip-phone design. Fast-forward several months, and Sprint has yet another Razr competitor on its hands: the Sanyo 6600 Katana. Having named it after a type of samurai sword, Sanyo clearly has high ambitions with this slim and slender handset, perhaps aiming to draw people away from the widely popular Razr. But without features such as a megapixel camera, a music player, or 3G support, the Sanyo 6600 Katana pales in comparison to both the Samsung MM-A900 and Verizons Razr V3m. On the upside, its retail price of $279.99 is markedly cheaper than that of the Samsung and Motorola phones, and you can get it for $79.99 after a two-year service contract with Sprint. It also comes in Mystic Black, Sapphire Blue, Cherry Blossom Pink, and Polar White. The white phone is sold exclusively at RadioShack.The major draw of the Sanyo 6600 Katana is, obviously, its design. It has a superslim form factor that measures 3.9 by 2.0 by 0.6 inches, much like the MM-A900, and it weighs a very light 3.4 ounces, much like the Razr. Its thin profile means it slips into a pocket easily, and we found the phone comfortable to hold in hand and next to the ear. The Sanyo 6600 Katana has a VGA camera. At first glance, its easy to confuse the Katana with the Razr. The camera is located at the top of the front flap with the external display just underneath, which is very similar to the Razr--although the Katana has a slightly beveled front, while the Razrs front flap is flat. We liked the Katanas large, 1-inch-diagonal, 65,000-color external display; it demonstrates the usual signal strength, as well as battery life and time; plus, it shows photo caller ID and acts as a camera viewfinder for self-portraits. On the left spine is the volume rocker, while the right spine is home to a dedicated camera button.Flip open the phone and youll find a large 65,000-color, 2.2-inch-diagonal screen, which is rather disappointing when compared to the 262,000-color support of the Samsung MM-A900. Whats more, the screen was difficult to see in bright sunlight. You can change the displays backlight time and font size, but you cant adjust the brightness or contrast. The menu design has a brushed-metal look, which we found boring, but it was easy to use. Below the display are the navigational controls and keypad, which are arranged in a blocky, gridlike layout. The navigation keys consist of two soft keys and a five-way toggle that also act as shortcuts to text messaging, voice recording, the My Content folder, and the Web browser. These shortcuts are not user-customizable. Below the left soft-key is the dedicated camera button and below the right soft key is the Back button. Above the keypad are the Talk and End/power keys, with the speakerphone key in between. As with the MM-A900 and the Razr, the keys are flush to the surface, making them difficult to dial by feel. Perhaps worse than either of the two, the keys on the Katana are terribly slippery, which made navigating the menu even trickier. The keys glow bright blue when activated, and you can adjust the backlight timer on the keys.Behind the Katanas slim silhouette is a disappointing feature set. It doesnt have nearly the multimedia clout that the Razr and the Samsung MM-A900 have in terms of a megapixel camera, media-player functionality, and 3G support. Yet the Katana has several basic features that should satisfy most users. The 500-entry address book holds up to seven numbers per entry, an e-mail address, a Web site URL, a home address, and a memo. Plus, you can assign a contact to a group, a photo ID, and one of 16 polyphonic (72-chord) ring tones. Theres also text messaging, instant messaging, e-mail, picture mail, voice recording, Bluetooth, a calendar, an alarm clock, a countdown timer, a stopwatch, a world clock, a calculator, a vibrate mode, a speakerphone, and a wireless Web browser. We liked that you could activate the speakerphone before you make calls. The Sanyo Katana produced disappointing picture quality. The Katana offers a VGA camera, which produced predictably disappointing picture quality with washed-out colors (not to mention way too much orange) and blurry object edges. You can take pictures with three different resolutions (640x480, 320x240, or 160x120 pixels), three quality settings (Fine, Normal, Economy), and the choice of either two shutter sounds or silence. Other camera settings include five picture modes (Normal, Beach/Snow, Scenery, Night/Dark, and Soft Focus), a self-timer of up to 10 seconds, multiple shot, stitch shot, 10 picture frames, eight color tones, brightness, and white balance.You can customize the Sanyo Katana with a variety of screensavers and animation graphics, though there doesnt seem to be an option to change the wallpaper. Plus, you have the option of downloading more screensavers, graphics, and ring tones from Sprint via the wireless WAP 2.0 browser. On the gaming front, the phone comes with Midnight Pool, World Poker Tour, and demos of Ms. Pac-Man and Tetris. You also have the option of downloading more games from Sprint. We tested the dual-band, trimode (CDMA 800/A900; AMPS 800) Sanyo Katana in San Francisco using Sprints service. Signal strength and call quality were great, as both parties could hear each other loud and clear. Speakerphone quality was similarly good, and we were impressed with how loud the calls were. We successfully managed to pair the Sanyo Katana with the Jabra BT160. Browser speed was predictably poky, taking a few seconds to load each page.The Sanyo Katana has a rated talk time of 3.5 hours and a rated standby time of seven days. In our tests, we eked out an impressive 4 hours of talk time, but battery life fell short at just four days. According to FCC radiation tests, the Sanyo Katana has a digital SAR rating of 0.678 watt per kilogram. ),
(1022,Sanyo 6600 Katana (Cherry blossom pink),Positives: The Sanyo 6600 Katana has a slim silhouette and offers a VGA camera, Bluetooth, a speakerphone, text messaging, voice dialing, a voice recorder, and a wireless Web browser. It has a large external screen. Negatives: The Sanyo 6600 Katanas feature set is rather underwhelming and doesnt have 3G support like many of its slim counterparts. It also suffers from flat keys that are slippery and difficult to dial by feel. Facts: The Sanyo 6600 Katana pales in comparison to the Motorola Razr and the Samsung MM-A900 in terms of design and features. But on its own, its a pretty good midtier phone. Note: This product is part of the Sanyo 6600 Katana series. ., When the Samsung MM-A900 arrived from Sprint late last year, we called it Samsungs answer to the Motorola Razr, thanks to its slim shape and similar, flip-phone design. Fast-forward several months, and Sprint has yet another Razr competitor on its hands: the Sanyo 6600 Katana. Having named it after a type of samurai sword, Sanyo clearly has high ambitions with this slim and slender handset, perhaps aiming to draw people away from the widely popular Razr. But without features such as a megapixel camera, a music player, or 3G support, the Sanyo 6600 Katana pales in comparison to both the Samsung MM-A900 and Verizons Razr V3m. On the upside, its retail price of $279.99 is markedly cheaper than that of the Samsung and Motorola phones, and you can get it for $79.99 after a two-year service contract with Sprint. It also comes in Mystic Black, Sapphire Blue, Cherry Blossom Pink, and Polar White. The white phone is sold exclusively at RadioShack.The major draw of the Sanyo 6600 Katana is, obviously, its design. It has a superslim form factor that measures 3.9 by 2.0 by 0.6 inches, much like the MM-A900, and it weighs a very light 3.4 ounces, much like the Razr. Its thin profile means it slips into a pocket easily, and we found the phone comfortable to hold in hand and next to the ear. The Sanyo 6600 Katana has a VGA camera. At first glance, its easy to confuse the Katana with the Razr. The camera is located at the top of the front flap with the external display just underneath, which is very similar to the Razr--although the Katana has a slightly beveled front, while the Razrs front flap is flat. We liked the Katanas large, 1-inch-diagonal, 65,000-color external display; it demonstrates the usual signal strength, as well as battery life and time; plus, it shows photo caller ID and acts as a camera viewfinder for self-portraits. On the left spine is the volume rocker, while the right spine is home to a dedicated camera button.Flip open the phone and youll find a large 65,000-color, 2.2-inch-diagonal screen, which is rather disappointing when compared to the 262,000-color support of the Samsung MM-A900. Whats more, the screen was difficult to see in bright sunlight. You can change the displays backlight time and font size, but you cant adjust the brightness or contrast. The menu design has a brushed-metal look, which we found boring, but it was easy to use. Below the display are the navigational controls and keypad, which are arranged in a blocky, gridlike layout. The navigation keys consist of two soft keys and a five-way toggle that also act as shortcuts to text messaging, voice recording, the My Content folder, and the Web browser. These shortcuts are not user-customizable. Below the left soft-key is the dedicated camera button and below the right soft key is the Back button. Above the keypad are the Talk and End/power keys, with the speakerphone key in between. As with the MM-A900 and the Razr, the keys are flush to the surface, making them difficult to dial by feel. Perhaps worse than either of the two, the keys on the Katana are terribly slippery, which made navigating the menu even trickier. The keys glow bright blue when activated, and you can adjust the backlight timer on the keys.Behind the Katanas slim silhouette is a disappointing feature set. It doesnt have nearly the multimedia clout that the Razr and the Samsung MM-A900 have in terms of a megapixel camera, media-player functionality, and 3G support. Yet the Katana has several basic features that should satisfy most users. The 500-entry address book holds up to seven numbers per entry, an e-mail address, a Web site URL, a home address, and a memo. Plus, you can assign a contact to a group, a photo ID, and one of 16 polyphonic (72-chord) ring tones. Theres also text messaging, instant messaging, e-mail, picture mail, voice recording, Bluetooth, a calendar, an alarm clock, a countdown timer, a stopwatch, a world clock, a calculator, a vibrate mode, a speakerphone, and a wireless Web browser. We liked that you could activate the speakerphone before you make calls. The Sanyo Katana produced disappointing picture quality. The Katana offers a VGA camera, which produced predictably disappointing picture quality with washed-out colors (not to mention way too much orange) and blurry object edges. You can take pictures with three different resolutions (640x480, 320x240, or 160x120 pixels), three quality settings (Fine, Normal, Economy), and the choice of either two shutter sounds or silence. Other camera settings include five picture modes (Normal, Beach/Snow, Scenery, Night/Dark, and Soft Focus), a self-timer of up to 10 seconds, multiple shot, stitch shot, 10 picture frames, eight color tones, brightness, and white balance.You can customize the Sanyo Katana with a variety of screensavers and animation graphics, though there doesnt seem to be an option to change the wallpaper. Plus, you have the option of downloading more screensavers, graphics, and ring tones from Sprint via the wireless WAP 2.0 browser. On the gaming front, the phone comes with Midnight Pool, World Poker Tour, and demos of Ms. Pac-Man and Tetris. You also have the option of downloading more games from Sprint. We tested the dual-band, trimode (CDMA 800/A900; AMPS 800) Sanyo Katana in San Francisco using Sprints service. Signal strength and call quality were great, as both parties could hear each other loud and clear. Speakerphone quality was similarly good, and we were impressed with how loud the calls were. We successfully managed to pair the Sanyo Katana with the Jabra BT160. Browser speed was predictably poky, taking a few seconds to load each page.The Sanyo Katana has a rated talk time of 3.5 hours and a rated standby time of seven days. In our tests, we eked out an impressive 4 hours of talk time, but battery life fell short at just four days. According to FCC radiation tests, the Sanyo Katana has a digital SAR rating of 0.678 watt per kilogram. ),
(1023,Sanyo 6600 Katana (Polar white),Positives: The Sanyo 6600 Katana has a slim silhouette and offers a VGA camera, Bluetooth, a speakerphone, text messaging, voice dialing, a voice recorder, and a wireless Web browser. It has a large external screen. Negatives: The Sanyo 6600 Katanas feature set is rather underwhelming and doesnt have 3G support like many of its slim counterparts. It also suffers from flat keys that are slippery and difficult to dial by feel. Facts: The Sanyo 6600 Katana pales in comparison to the Motorola Razr and the Samsung MM-A900 in terms of design and features. But on its own, its a pretty good midtier phone. Note: This product is part of the Sanyo 6600 Katana series. ., When the Samsung MM-A900 arrived from Sprint late last year, we called it Samsungs answer to the Motorola Razr, thanks to its slim shape and similar, flip-phone design. Fast-forward several months, and Sprint has yet another Razr competitor on its hands: the Sanyo 6600 Katana. Having named it after a type of samurai sword, Sanyo clearly has high ambitions with this slim and slender handset, perhaps aiming to draw people away from the widely popular Razr. But without features such as a megapixel camera, a music player, or 3G support, the Sanyo 6600 Katana pales in comparison to both the Samsung MM-A900 and Verizons Razr V3m. On the upside, its retail price of $279.99 is markedly cheaper than that of the Samsung and Motorola phones, and you can get it for $79.99 after a two-year service contract with Sprint. It also comes in Mystic Black, Sapphire Blue, Cherry Blossom Pink, and Polar White. The white phone is sold exclusively at RadioShack.The major draw of the Sanyo 6600 Katana is, obviously, its design. It has a superslim form factor that measures 3.9 by 2.0 by 0.6 inches, much like the MM-A900, and it weighs a very light 3.4 ounces, much like the Razr. Its thin profile means it slips into a pocket easily, and we found the phone comfortable to hold in hand and next to the ear. The Sanyo 6600 Katana has a VGA camera. At first glance, its easy to confuse the Katana with the Razr. The camera is located at the top of the front flap with the external display just underneath, which is very similar to the Razr--although the Katana has a slightly beveled front, while the Razrs front flap is flat. We liked the Katanas large, 1-inch-diagonal, 65,000-color external display; it demonstrates the usual signal strength, as well as battery life and time; plus, it shows photo caller ID and acts as a camera viewfinder for self-portraits. On the left spine is the volume rocker, while the right spine is home to a dedicated camera button.Flip open the phone and youll find a large 65,000-color, 2.2-inch-diagonal screen, which is rather disappointing when compared to the 262,000-color support of the Samsung MM-A900. Whats more, the screen was difficult to see in bright sunlight. You can change the displays backlight time and font size, but you cant adjust the brightness or contrast. The menu design has a brushed-metal look, which we found boring, but it was easy to use. Below the display are the navigational controls and keypad, which are arranged in a blocky, gridlike layout. The navigation keys consist of two soft keys and a five-way toggle that also act as shortcuts to text messaging, voice recording, the My Content folder, and the Web browser. These shortcuts are not user-customizable. Below the left soft-key is the dedicated camera button and below the right soft key is the Back button. Above the keypad are the Talk and End/power keys, with the speakerphone key in between. As with the MM-A900 and the Razr, the keys are flush to the surface, making them difficult to dial by feel. Perhaps worse than either of the two, the keys on the Katana are terribly slippery, which made navigating the menu even trickier. The keys glow bright blue when activated, and you can adjust the backlight timer on the keys.Behind the Katanas slim silhouette is a disappointing feature set. It doesnt have nearly the multimedia clout that the Razr and the Samsung MM-A900 have in terms of a megapixel camera, media-player functionality, and 3G support. Yet the Katana has several basic features that should satisfy most users. The 500-entry address book holds up to seven numbers per entry, an e-mail address, a Web site URL, a home address, and a memo. Plus, you can assign a contact to a group, a photo ID, and one of 16 polyphonic (72-chord) ring tones. Theres also text messaging, instant messaging, e-mail, picture mail, voice recording, Bluetooth, a calendar, an alarm clock, a countdown timer, a stopwatch, a world clock, a calculator, a vibrate mode, a speakerphone, and a wireless Web browser. We liked that you could activate the speakerphone before you make calls. The Sanyo Katana produced disappointing picture quality. The Katana offers a VGA camera, which produced predictably disappointing picture quality with washed-out colors (not to mention way too much orange) and blurry object edges. You can take pictures with three different resolutions (640x480, 320x240, or 160x120 pixels), three quality settings (Fine, Normal, Economy), and the choice of either two shutter sounds or silence. Other camera settings include five picture modes (Normal, Beach/Snow, Scenery, Night/Dark, and Soft Focus), a self-timer of up to 10 seconds, multiple shot, stitch shot, 10 picture frames, eight color tones, brightness, and white balance.You can customize the Sanyo Katana with a variety of screensavers and animation graphics, though there doesnt seem to be an option to change the wallpaper. Plus, you have the option of downloading more screensavers, graphics, and ring tones from Sprint via the wireless WAP 2.0 browser. On the gaming front, the phone comes with Midnight Pool, World Poker Tour, and demos of Ms. Pac-Man and Tetris. You also have the option of downloading more games from Sprint. We tested the dual-band, trimode (CDMA 800/A900; AMPS 800) Sanyo Katana in San Francisco using Sprints service. Signal strength and call quality were great, as both parties could hear each other loud and clear. Speakerphone quality was similarly good, and we were impressed with how loud the calls were. We successfully managed to pair the Sanyo Katana with the Jabra BT160. Browser speed was predictably poky, taking a few seconds to load each page.The Sanyo Katana has a rated talk time of 3.5 hours and a rated standby time of seven days. In our tests, we eked out an impressive 4 hours of talk time, but battery life fell short at just four days. According to FCC radiation tests, the Sanyo Katana has a digital SAR rating of 0.678 watt per kilogram. ),
(1024,LG VX8300,Positives: The LG VX8300 has an attractive design, solid audio and video quality, and a full range of high-end features. Negatives: The LG VX8300s Bluetooth feature does not support file transfers. Facts: The LG V8300 is a well-designed and high-performing EV-DO phone for Verizon Wireless. , The LG VX8300, the companys third EV-DO cell phone for Verizon Wireless, aims to improve on some of the drawbacks that saddled the previous VX8100. And for the most part, it succeeds. Packaged in a similar design and offering a comparable range of high-end features as its predecessor, the LG VX8300 provides improved functionality and slightly better performance. As is typical with Verizon, features such as Bluetooth are limited in scope, though we were glad to see support for e-mail this time around. And if Verizon lives up to its promise to provide a stereo Bluetooth profile and modem capability through Verizons 3G network, the VX8300 will be an even better choice. The LG VX8300 is fairly priced at $149 with one-year contract or $99 with a two-year contract. When we initially saw the LG VX8000, the companys first 3G phone, we loved the high-speed connectivity but werent so hot on the boxy design. Fortunately, the LG VX8100 had a sleeker, rounder form factor, and were glad to see that the LG VX8300 offers the same, though with a few differences. At 3.58 by 1.93 by 0.92 inches and 3.88 ounces, the VX8300 is slightly smaller and lighter than its predecessor, and instead of blue, it comes in gray. Though its a nice effort overall, were partial to the more eye-catching blue. The LG VX8300 has useful external music controls. LG also made tweaks to other outside features. The 1.2-inch external display is a hair smaller than the VX8100s, though it has the same resolution (65,000 colors). Besides showing the date, time, battery life, signal strength, battery life, and photo caller ID, it acts as a viewfinder for self-portraits. Below the display are the external music controls, which are slightly redesigned as well, while above it are the camera lens and the smaller and relocated camera flash. Like the VX8100, however, the LG VX8300 has a bulky external antenna and nifty side-mounted stereo speakers. Inside the phone is the bright and vivid internal display. Supporting 262,000 colors and measuring 2.25 inches diagonally, its unchanged from the VX8100. With eye-popping colors and graphics, its more than adequate for viewing photos, watching videos, and playing games. The menus look good, but were not fans of the standardized Verizon selections, no matter how pretty they look. You can change the backlighting time on both displays. Below the display are the user-friendly navigations controls. Though they bear a slightly different design from the VX8300, theyre still tactile and adequately sized. A five-way toggle doubles as a shortcut to four user-defined functions, and we like that the OK button opens the main menu when in standby mode. Surrounding the toggle are two soft keys, the Talk and End/power controls, and a Clear key. In a departure from the VX8100, the Clear key no longer doubles as a speakerphone key, which as been moved to its own control just below. Though we always like a designated speakerphone key, its worth noting the VX8300 has no shortcut on the main keypad. Thats not an issue for us, but you may think differently. The keypad buttons are large, tactile, and well spaced. The numerals on the keys are big as well, and the backlight is bright. Dialing by feel is also easy, as the keys are raised just above the surface of the phone. As with the VX8100, the right spine has a dedicated camera key and a Micro SD card slot, while the left spine has a volume rocker and a voice-command control. The LG VX8300 has a 500-contact phone book with room in each entry for five phone numbers and two e-mail addresses. You can organize callers into groups, pair them with an image for picture caller ID, and assign them on of 11 polyphonic (32-chord) ring tones and four message tones. Other goodies include a vibrate mode; multimedia and text messaging; a duplex speakerphone; MSN and Yahoo instant messaging; call recording; a notepad; an alarm clock; a tip calculator; a world clock; a calendar with a scheduler; and voice memos, commands, and dialing. A duplex speakerphone is included, and though you get Bluetooth 1.1, it wont support object exchange profiles. Though weve grown to accept that from Verizon, we still don't like it. On the other hand, we are excited by the prospect of Verizon adding a stereo Bluetooth for listening to music and the ability to use the phone as a modem over Verizons EV-DO network with a Bluetooth or USB connection. Hopefully, the carrier will follow through with both. Two additions over the VX8100 are long-awaited support for POP3 e-mail and the introduction of Verizons flash-based UI. The VX8300 is the first phone to feature Adobe Flash Lite, and we like the animated screensavers it brings to the phone. The LG VX8300s camera comes with a small flash. The LG VX8300 supports both Verizons V Cast and the V Cast Music. You can access the music player when the phone is closed using the handy and well-designed external music controls, and we like that album art shows up on the external display. The interface and menu structure for the music and video players are similar to those of other Verizon EV-DO handsets, and the content offerings are about the same as well. We wish, however, that the player supported native MP3 file playback rather than just WMAs. If you don't want to pay for music downloading from Verizon, you can load your own music files on the phone with a Micro SD card and Verizons Music Essentials Kit ($19.99).The 1.3-megapixel camera is virtually unchanged over the VX8100s. You get a variety of editing functions, five resolutions (1,280x960, 800x600, 640x480, 320x240, and 160x120); a self-timer; a night mode; three shutter sounds, plus a silent option; and adjustments for brightness, white balance, and color effects. The only real change is with the VX8300s 4X zoom, compared to the VX8100s 8X. Rather than saving each shot automatically, the VX8300 conveniently lets you erase, save, or send your pic after you shoot it. The camcorders editing options have been pared down, but it nonetheless captures 3G2 videos with sound at 176x144 resolution. Total video length is up to an hour depending on the available memory, and you can save as many shots as will fit on the phone. The VX8300 comes with 28MB of integrated memory, while the Micro SD slot accommodates cards of any size. Image quality was slightly improved over the VX8100, with bright, sharp colors and distinct object outlines. The LG VX8300 has superior photo quality. You can personalize the LG VX8300 with a variety of wallpaper, display themes, and clock styles. Since this is a Verizon phone, there arent many choices included, but you can buy more via the WAP 2.0 wireless Web browser. There are no included games, so avid gamers will have to buy their own titles. We tested the LG VX8300 in San Francisco using Verizons service. Call quality was quite clear, with exceptionally loud audio. We experienced little static or disruption, and callers reported few problems on their end. They could tell we were using a cell phone, but the VX8300 performed well even in noisier conditions. The speakerphone also came through admirably, and we had little trouble with conversations. Automated answering services had more trouble with understanding us, however, when we used the speakerphone. We also connected the phone to the Plantronics Explorer 320 Bluetooth headset and had no issues.Streaming video quality was on a par with that of Verizons other V Cast phones. There was little buffering, and clips loaded quickly. Web browsing was also speedy--music files downloaded in less than a minute--and we had no problem finding adequate EV-DO coverage in San Francisco. Music quality was among the best weve heard on a Verizon phone, thanks to the quality stereo speakers. Music also sounded good over a wired headset, but be advised the LG VX8300 uses a 2.5mm jack. The LG VX8300 has a rated talk time of 4 hours and a rated standby time of up to 16 days. We managed to get only 3 hours, 25minutes of talk time in our tests and 13 days of standby time. According to FCC radiation tests, the VX8300 has a digital SAR rating of 1.21 watts per kilogram. ),
(1025,Nokia N80,Positives: The Nokia N80 is a multimedia-rich phone with a 3-megapixel camera, a second VGA camera, and an integrated music player. It also has a sharp screen, PIM functionality, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi. Negatives: With no carrier backing, the Nokia N80 is expensive. Performance is also a bit sluggish when switching between apps. Facts: If you can afford it, the Nokia N80 delivers a powerful multimedia phone packed with advanced imaging features, PIM functionality, and good call quality. Note: This product is part of the Nokia N series. ., Lets be honest. While we get some neat cell phones here in the United States, the really cool stuff is usually available in Europe and Asia. Such is the case with the Nokia N series. This line of high-end mobiles is jam-packed with advanced multimedia features, and finally we were able to get our hands on the Nokia N80. A quick scan of the N80s features list shows a focus on imagery, as the phone boasts a sharp 3-megapixel camera, a second VGA camera, and image-editing apps. Though its probably one of the most robust camera phones weve seen to date, its not all about pictures. The quad-band N80 is a Symbian smart phone that lets you check e-mail (though not with push technology) and view Office documents--and yes, its a decent phone. The Nokia N80 will appeal to gadget hounds and early adopters, but even then, youll have to fork over some serious cash for the device. With no backing from a U.S. carrier, an unlocked version of the Nokia N80 will run you around $700. Its rumored Cingular will offer this phone, but thats unconfirmed as of this writing. The Nokia N80 is a little cell phone, short and stout. In its closed state, the slider phone measures 3.7 by 1.9 by 1.0 inches and weighs 4.7 ounces. Though the form factor is compact, its on the thicker side, so itll make for a tight fit in a pants pocket. Despite the bulk, its comfortable--though a little slippery--to hold in the hand, and its all-black case is attractive; the phone is available in stainless steel as well. The Nokia N80 has a beautiful 2.2-inch screen that boasts 262,144 hues at 325x416-pixel resolution. Colors pop, and text and images are extrasharp; its certainly one of the best cell phone displays weve seen to date. Below it youll find two soft keys, the Talk and End buttons, a four-way navigation toggle with a center select function, an edit key, a menu shortcut, a multimedia key, and a Clear button. For the most part, the controls are easy to use, but the toggle and the select button are a bit small, so you have to press them carefully. The navigation toggle and bottom row of shortcut keys may give users with larger digits some problems. To slide open the cover, just push the face upward. The sliding mechanism is smooth and locks into place with a solid click. Once the phone is open, youll have access to the numerical dial pad. The keys are large and adequately backlit, but the top row of numbers are closely lined with the bottom of the open face, which may cause some problems for users with larger hands. On the left spine, theres a Mini SD card slot, while the speaker and camera activation key are on the right. The placement of the latter is especially nice since it mimics the feel of a real digital camera when held horizontally. Consequently, though, its a little awkward if you want to take a vertical picture. The camera lens is located on the back along with a flash and a switch that lets you change from normal to close-up (macro) mode. Theres no self-portrait mirror, but it isnt necessary since theres a second camera lens on the front of the phone; its positioned above the screen in the upper-right corner. The Nokia N80 has a second VGA camera on front for self-portraits. Nokia packages the N80 with most of the basic accessories, including an AC adapter, a stereo headset, a USB cable, a wrist strap, a screen shammy, and a 128MB Mini SD card. The main draw of the Nokia N80 is its multimedia prowess--more specifically, its imaging features. The mobile sports a 3-megapixel camera with video-recording capabilities and 20X digital zoom. The breadth of customization and editing options available on this phone is astounding. You can choose from eight shooting modes, ranging from portrait to sports to night portrait, and five resolutions: 2,048x1,536, 1,600x1,200, 1,280x960, 800x600, and 640x480. You can tweak the brightness, contrast, white balance, color tone, and exposure value. Theres also a self-timer and flash. The secondary camera is of only VGA quality, but then again, how often do you find a cell phone with two cameras? The shooting options are significantly reduced, with a mere two modes to choose from: automatic or night. The N80 boasts a 3-megapixel camera and is one of the most robust camera phones weve seen to date. The N80s camera captures video with sound in MP4 or 3GP formats with up to 5X zoom. You get a choice of automatic and night shooting modes, as well as High, Normal, and Low quality settings. Most of the aforementioned customization features are also available in video mode. Once youre done with your shots, you can touch them up with the preloaded image and video editors. For photos, you can add clip art or text and reduce red-eye, while you can cut audio, trim clips for multimedia messages, and more for videos. Also, the photo-sharing options on the N80 are much more robust than those of other cell phones. In addition to being able to e-mail or save your images, you can use Nokias Xpress Solutions to print photos, upload them to the Web, or transfer them to other devices. The N80s 3-megapixel camera took exceptional pictures. If youd rather be entertained, theres an integrated music player that supports MP3, AAC, WMA, M4A, and eAAC+ files. To get tracks onto your handset, you can simply drag and drop files from your PC to the N80 via the included USB cable. The N80 will show up as a storage device on your computer. The mobile has an equalizer and can loop songs or play them at random. Theres also an FM radio, but you must use included stereo headset to take advantage of this feature since the tuner is built into the headset. RealPlayer is also onboard, with 3GPP and MPEG-4 video streaming support. With all the N80s multimedia capabilities, were glad the phone has an expansion slot. Now, lets not forget that the Nokia N80 is still a phone. The address book is limited only by the available memory (40MB), and the SIM card holds an additional 250 contacts. Theres room in each entry for multiple phone numbers; work, home, and e-mail addresses; a birthday; and more vitals. For caller ID purposes, you can assign each contact a photo, one of 37 ring tones, or a group ID. The quad-band world phone also has a speakerphone, speed dial, voice-command support, a vibrate mode (called Pager Profile on this phone), and text and multimedia messaging. Other than cellular wireless, the Nokia N80 has integrated Bluetooth 1.2, Wi-Fi (802.11g), and an infrared port. The handset also supports Universal Plug and Play (UPnP), which means it can connect to TVs and home stereos over an 802.11g Wi-Fi network. The only catch is that UPnP devices are limited at this time. We like that the N80 automatically looks for available access points and you can be connected with just a couple of clicks (see Performance for more). The N80s Web browser is worth a mention too. Based on the Symbians S60 software platform, the browser tries to prove a \"true Web experience,\" according to Nokia, and includes some neat features. For example, it will present you with a thumbnail of the full Web page so that you can easily navigate to a certain point on the site, rather than having to scroll all over the place--very nice. Though the N80s main focus is on multimedia, it also comes with advanced PIM functionality and runs Symbian OS 9. The smart phone can access POP3 and IMAP e-mail accounts with attachment support, but there is no push e-mail solution available at this time. You can use the N80 to open and view (but not edit) Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files. Nokias PC Suite, which is available for download on the companys Web site, allows for easy synchronization and data transfer between your PC and phone. Other tools include a calendar, a calculator, a voice recorder, notes, a currency converter, and an alarm clock.You can customize the N80 with a number of preloaded themes or download more from the Web. The phone supports Java-based applications and ships with three games: Snakes, Card Deck, and Go To. We tested the quad-band (GSM 850/900/1800/1900; EDGE) Nokia N80 in San Francisco using Cingulars service. Overall, call quality was good. We noticed a slight echo, and our callers reported the same, but this didnt impede our conversation. Speakerphone quality was excellent. Our friends said there was no drop in sound quality, and volume was more than adequate. We also had no problem pairing the phone with the Logitech Mobile Traveller Bluetooth headset. Surfing the Web on the N80 was a pleasurable experience. Pages loaded fairly quickly, but we noticed a bit of lag time when switching between applications. Music playback was also pretty good. Audio was crisp and loud, but since the speaker is located on only the right side, sound was one-dimensional. Using the included stereo headset improved the situation, though. The Nokia N80 is rated for 3 hours of talk time and up to 8 days of standby time; in our tests, the phone managed 5 hours of talk time. According to FCC radiation tests, the N80 has a digital SAR rating of 0.86 watt per kilogram. ),
(1026,Motorola Razr V3m (Verizon Wireless),Positives: The Motorola Razr V3m adds an integrated music player, VZ Navigator (Verizons GPS navigation service), and a Micro SD card slot. Like the V3c, it has a 1.3-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, a speakerphone, EV-DO support, and access to Verizons 3G service. Negatives: The Motorola Razr V3m suffers from poor speakerphone quality, a low-resolution display, and no analog roaming. You also have to remove the battery to access the Micro SD card, which is a bit of a pain. Facts: The Motorola Razr V3m is the same as the Razr V3c in many ways, except for the addition of the music player, the Micro SD card slot, and support for VZ Navigator. Note: This product is part of the Motorola Razr series. ., The Motorola Razr V3m is the successor to the Razr V3c, both of which are exclusive to Verizon Wireless. The most notable improvement is the addition of an integrated music player, a Micro SD card slot, and support for VZ Navigator, Verizons GPS navigation service. Otherwise, the Razr V3m looks and feels exactly the same, and it has many of the same features as its sibling. The Razr V3m retails for much cheaper than the V3c--about $119.99 for a two-year contract and $169.99 for a one-year contract--but unless you want an integrated music player on your phone, you shouldnt feel compelled to upgrade. The Motorola Razr V3m looks exactly like the previous Razr V3c. As we mentioned, the Motorola Razr V3m is identical in look and feel to the V3c. It boasts the same sleek profile (3.9 by 2.1 by 0.6 inches) and shares the same gray coloring, external display, controls, flip mechanism, and so forth. The Razr V3m also has the dedicated camera and video recorder key next to the navigation controls. While theres nothing wrong with keeping the design elements, we were a little disappointed that Motorola didnt increase the screens 65,000-color output or add a camera flash. Another complaint we had was with the Verizon menu system (also found on the V3c), still a little confusing to us. For example, the music player and camera functions are hidden in the Get It Now submenu rather than having dedicated icons in the menu. The Motorola Razr V3m has a 1.3-megapixel camera. Now, we hate to sound like a broken record, but the Motorola Razr V3m is very similar to the V3c, even in terms of features. It has a 1,000-contact phone book, caller groups, picture caller ID, and ring-tone caller ID; 25 polyphonic (72-chord) tones are included with the phone. Other features include text and multimedia messaging, a calendar, Bluetooth, voice dialing and commands, a voice recorder, a vibrate mode, an alarm clock, a calculator, a note pad, and a world clock. The 1.3-megapixel camera on the V3m also mirrors that of the V3c, with many of the same settings and options. The only new item we noticed with the V3m was the addition of a self-timer function. Like the Razr V3c, the Razr V3m took pretty decent shots but nothing great. You can read about all the other camera options in our review of the Razr V3c. The Motorola Razr V3m took good but not great shots. The primary attraction of the Motorola Razr V3m is the addition of the MP3 player. To access the music player, navigate to the aforementioned Get It Now submenu, select \"Get tunes & tones,\" then My Music. It supports both MP3 and AAC formats, and you can upload music to the phone or download tunes via Verizons V Cast Music store. We liked that you can create a personalized playlist of songs. With this multimedia functionality, were also glad to see the addition of a Micro SD card slot, giving the V3m more storage options for photos, videos, and music files. Unfortunately, you have to remove the battery in order to access it, which we found annoying.Also new is the addition of Verizons GPS service called VZ Navigator. For a modest fee of $9.99 a month or $2.99 per day, you get a decent GPS service and fewer reasons for getting lost. Along with EV-DO, the V3m also supports V Cast, Verizons high-speed content service. V Cast offers a wide variety of content such as video games, TV show clips, movie previews, and application downloads, while V Cast Music is Verizons online music store that offers speedy downloads of the latest music hits. However, the V Cast service costs $15 per month, and V Cast Music store charges $1.99 per song download.As with the previous Razrs, you can personalize the V3m with a variety of wallpaper, screensavers, and ring tones, along with the option to download more. As for games, Tetris and Pac-Man are included, and you can download more if you want. We tested the dual-band (CDMA 800/1900; EV-DO) Motorola Razr V3m in San Francisco using Verizon Wireless. Call quality was great, and callers had no problem hearing us and vice versa. Speakerphone quality was acceptable. As for the audio quality of the music when heard through the speakers, it was decent but a little one-dimensional, tinny, and nothing too impressive. The Razr V3m supports stereo headsets, but since the V3m doesnt have a regular headset jack, youll have to purchase Motorolas stereo headset ($29.99) separately. V Cast reception was pretty good, and we liked how fast songs and stream video clips downloaded to the phone. The Motorola Razr V3m has a rated talk time of 3 hours and a standby time of 13 days; we managed to eke out a talk time of 3 hours, 58 minutes in our tests. For standby time, we managed 10 days. According to FCC radiation tests, the Razr V3m has a digital SAR rating of 1.14 watts per kilogram. ),
(1027,Helio Kickflip,Positives: The Helio Kickflip is a very attractive phone with a nice swivel design. It features a beautiful display, a 2-megapixel camera with flash and a 4X digital zoom, a music and video player, a user-friendly interface, EV-DO support, and great audio quality. It also comes with tight MySpace integration, plus an optional newsfeed aggregator. Negatives: The Helio Kickflip lacks Bluetooth and instant-messaging options--especially disappointing in light of the high price tag. Helios download store doesnt offer music at this time, and the Helio on Top aggregator doesnt allow the manual addition of feeds. We also experienced subpar call quality with the Kickflip. Facts: The attractive Helio Kickflip offers high-end features, such as a 2-megapixel camera and EV-DO support, and is the better phone of the carriers two offerings. Unfortunately, its plagued by the lack of Bluetooth and instant-messaging options; plus, the call quality is subpar. , Editors Note: As of August 2006, Helio has released an update to the Kickflip that adds an instant-messaging feature to the phone. It was not available at the time of this review.Along with the Hero, the Kickflip is one of two models released by brand-new cell phone carrier Helio, which launched in May 2006. A joint effort by EarthLink and Korea-based SK Telecom, Helio is a mobile virtual network operator that rides on Sprints high-speed EV-DO network, while offering its own line of phones and services. It appears to be targeting the younger crowd with its hip marketing campaign focused on Web and multimedia features, as well as the phones unique and stylish user interface. Helio also ups its youth appeal with a feature exclusive to its phones: integrated access to the mobile version of MySpace, the popular social networking site. Manufactured by Korean company VK Mobile, the Kickflip shares many similarities with the Hero in terms of features but certainly not in design. Its definitely the slimmer and sexier of the two and is probably the one to get if youre considering a Helio phone. The Kickflip costs $250, which we find rather expensive, especially when you factor in Helios monthly fees and its target demographic. The Helio Kickflip has a cute, curvy design. The cute and curvy Helio Kickflip is one of the more fashionable phones weve seen to date. Perhaps taking some style points from the iPod, the Kickflip has a very minimalist body; its pearly white with silver accents around the sides, and its front face is graced by only its large display when closed. While the Kickflip wont compete with the Razr in terms of thinness, its a pocketable phone, measuring 3.88 by 1.96 by 0.98 inches and weighing 4.47 ounces. Its rounded corners and overall curves resulted in a cozy feel in the hand, though when open, it feels a little awkward held up to the ear. The Kickflip lives up to its name; the phones swiveling action results in a very satisfying \"kick\" when it swings open and close, either to the right or to the left. The Helio Kickflip has dedicated music player buttons. As we mentioned, the display on this phone is quite large, measuring about 2.2 inches diagonally. Showing off 262,000 colors and a 240x320 resolution, the QVGA screen is marvelously sharp and saturated with color. Unfortunately, it didnt fare so well in sunlight, where we were hard-pressed to see anything without shielding the screen. On the left spine of the phone are the volume buttons, a TV-out port, and a USB port, while the bottom has a Micro SD card slot and a headset jack. The right spine is home to a dedicated camera button, as well as music player controls such as rewind, play/pause, and fast-forward. The latter gives the Kickflip an advantage over the Hero, which doesnt have dedicated player buttons. On the back of the phone, youll find the camera lens with a flash. Sitting on top of the lens is the macro mode toggle, which you can turn on to take better close-up shots--a great feature not normally found on camera phones. Theres also a self-portrait mirror on the back, but its accessible only when the phone is open. The Helio Kickflips camera has a macro mode toggle, a flash, and a self-portrait mirror. When open, the phone reveals the keypad and the navigational controls. The navigational controls consist of two soft keys, a four-way navigation toggle, and a middle OK key marked with the Helio logo. The toggle acts as a shortcut to the browser, applications, video and music, text messaging, and the Helio on Top service. Below these controls are the Send and power/End keys, followed by a voice-recorder button and a Back button. The numeric keypad is arranged in a grid, and all buttons yielded easily to pressure and were textured enough to navigate and dial by feel. The user interface is exactly the same as the Heros, and you can read more about it in our review. The Kickflips feature set is also very similar to that of the Hero. You get a 2-megapixel camera with flash, the wireless browser, a music player, a voice recorder, a speakerphone, vibrate mode, EV-DO support, and a video player and recorder. The address book can hold as many as 1,200 contacts (compared to the Heros 500), each of which can accommodate five numbers, two e-mail addresses, a birthday, an anniversary date, a memo, and photo caller ID. You can also organize your contacts into groups and assign them with one of 21 polyphonic ring tones. There are the usual text- and multimedia-messaging features, but sadly, the phone doesnt support instant messaging--a huge oversight for a phone designed for the younger crowd. Rounding out the features are e-mail, a calendar, an alarm, a calculator, world time, and a notepad. Like the Hero, the Kickflip doesnt have Bluetooth, which we found similarly disappointing. If you wish to learn more about the MySpace Mobile integration, the Helio on Top news aggregator, and the music and video player, please read our review of the Helio Hero for details on these features. The Helio Kickflips 2-megapixel camera produced decent snapshots. The Kickflips 2-megapixel camera comes with a slew of settings. There are six available resolutions (1,600x1,200, 1,280x960, 800x600, 640x480, 320x240, and 240x320), four quality settings (Normal, Small, Superfine, Fine), up to 5X zoom, and a series or multishot setting for up to nine consecutive snaps. You can spruce up your shots with 10 different photo \"stickers,\" 10 brightness settings, six light settings, six capture modes, 14 photo effects, and the ability to rotate the photos. You can also choose between two shutter sounds, though you cant disable it. The camera produced decent snapshots, but we couldnt say the same about the disappointingly low 176x144 resolution on the video recorder. Like the Hero, the Kickflip has a long list of personalization options. You can change the wallpaper, the screensaver, the ring tones, the graphics, the menu styles, and so forth. You also have the choice of downloading additional ring tones and games from the Helio store. There are two games included with the phone--Hello CAT and a demo of MidnightPool3D--and you can always download more.We tested the dual-band (CDMA 800/1900; EV-DO) Kickflip in San Francisco using Helios service. We found the call quality to be subpar, especially in our office building, where there was a lot of electronic equipment that caused quite a bit of interference. Callers could hardly hear us at times, and though we could hear them, there was a lot of static during calls. When making calls from a more isolated location, the quality was a little better, but callers still had problems hearing us. The Kickflips speakerphone quality was similarly dismal, and music playback sounded tinny. The Kickflip comes with a wired headset that doubles as a set of earbuds for the phones music player functions. Downloading files was fast enough, though we experienced the occasional lag.The Helio Kickflip has a rated talk time of around 3 hours and a rated standby time of up to eight days; our tests showed a talk time of 3 hours, 10 minutes and a standby time of eight days. According to FCC radiation tests, the Helio Kickflip has a digital SAR rating of 0.427 watt per kilogram. ),
(1028,Pantech C300,Positives: The Pantech C300 camera phone offers a good range of features and decent performance for its small size. Negatives: The Pantech C300 may be too small for some users, and the speakerphone quality was unremarkable. Facts: The Pantech C300s minuscule size will be a turnoff for many, but it manages to offer a fair amount of features and decent performance. , When we first heard that the Pantech C300 promised to be the worlds smallest flip phone, we werent terribly excited. Since it seems like every phone these days is hoping to claim the title of the worlds thinnest handset, weve grown accustomed to seeing increasingly tiny models. But when we finally got the C300 out of the box, we hardly could believe what we were seeing. This phone isnt just small, its downright miniature. In fact, its so small, its almost a bit ridiculous, and you might mistake it for a childs toy or a prop from the movie Zoolander. Measuring 2.7 by 1.7 by 0.7 inches and weighing a petite 2.5 ounces, it will fit in any pocket, even with its stubby external antenna. Adult hands will find it much too Lilliputian for comfortable use--its impossible to hold between your head and shoulder--but teens and Hello Kitty aficionados should take to it straight away. Its sold only for Cingulars Go Phone prepaid service, and its a bit pricey at $119.As we said before, the C300 is the most diminutive phone weve seen. That quality in itself makes it somewhat cute, though the handsets overall design is uninspired. The silver, textured finish is nice, but the form factor is flat and boxy. Understandably, the construction is a bit flimsy and the hinge somewhat loose; this is not a phone that will withstand a lot of knocks and bumps. On the upside, the external display is bigger than we expected (1 inch diagonal), and it supports a brilliant 260,000 colors. Though you cant alter the backlight time or any other preferences, it shows everything you need, including the date, time, battery life, signal strength, and even photo caller ID. Below the display are a small flash and the camera lens.Inside the phone is the 1.5-inch-diagonal (128x128 pixels) internal screen. It supports 65,000 colors as well, so its adequate for scrolling through the simple menus and viewing photos. Its a bit small for playing games, but the C300 is hardly an entertainment phone by anyones measure. The only preferences you can change here are the backlighting time and the contrast. Below the display are the navigation controls, which for the most part are spacious and tactile for the phones size. The four-way toggle doubles as shortcut to the phone book, the downloads and applications folder, the messaging menu, and the instant-messaging application, while the two soft keys give one-touch access to the menu and the camera. Inside the toggle is an OK button, which in standby mode acts as a Web browser shortcut. The talk and end/power keys are ample as well, but the dedicated Back/Clear control is way too small. Like the navigation controls, the keypad buttons are completely flat with the surface of the phone. Theyre bigger than you might expect, however, and theyre spaced far enough apart. Dialing was not a problem, and though texting was tedious, that was more due to the size of the phone rather than the buttons. The keypad buttons also have bright backlighting so that you can dial in the dark. The only controls on the outside of the phone are a volume rocker on the right spine below a covered headset jack.The Pantech C300s feature set is pretty basic, but it has a few surprises nonetheless. The phone book holds an impressive 800 contacts with room for three phone numbers, two e-mail addresses, and notes (the SIM card holds an additional 250 contacts) for each. You can assign contacts to groups or pair them with one of eight polyphonic ring tones. One monophonic tone and one MP3 tone also come with the phone. Other offerings include a vibrate mode, text and multimedia messaging, an alarm clock, a calendar, a memo pad, instant messaging (Yahoo, ICG, and AOL), a one-minute voice recorder, a world clock, a calculator, a unit converter, and a stopwatch. Theres even a speakerphone, but you cant turn it on until after you make a call.The VGA camera is beyond basic, but its serviceable enough, and we commend Pantech for cramming a camera into such a tiny mobile. You can take pictures in two resolutions (640x480 and 128x128), and you can snap self-portraits using the external display as a viewfinder. Other options are limited as well. You get a flash, a brightness control, a multishot option, a self-timer, and three shutter sounds (plus a silent option). You also get a 4X zoom, but its usable at only the lowest resolution. One note: Picture quality was pretty good for a VGA camera--colors were mostly sharp and objects distinct. The C300 has a shared memory of 13.4MB. The C300 has acceptable photo quality for a VGA camera phone. You can personalize the C300 with a variety of wallpaper and alert and function sounds. Theres just one game (AquaPangPang), but the Java (J2ME) support means you can always buy more. You also can purchase more applications, wallpaper, and ring tones with the WAP 2.0 wireless Web browser. And if youre ever lost in the dark, you can use the flash as a tiny light.We tested the Pantech C300 in San Francisco using Cingulars service. Call quality was decent, though voices sounded hollow and the volume wasnt very loud. Callers reported the same; they had no trouble understanding us but knew we were on a cell phone. Also, they had trouble hearing us when we were in noisy environments. The speakerphone wasnt so nice; it did the trick, but we avoided using it because of its poor quality.The Pantech C300 has a rated talk time of 3 hours and a promised standby time of 10 days. In our tests, we managed to eke out an impressive 5 hours, 30 minutes of talk time. Standby time fell somewhat short, however, at 8 days. According to FCC radiation tests, the C300 has a digital SAR rating of 1.42 watts per kilogram. ),
(1029,Nokia 2128i, , Quick Take: The Nokia 2128i is a basic candy bar phone for Verizon Wireless. Features include text and enhanced messaging, voice commands and dialing, a speakerphone, a voice recorder, polyphonic ring tones, a wireless Web browser, and an assortment of organizer applications. A built-in flashlight is an unusual offering normally seen only in camera phones. The Nokia 2128i also has a 65,536-color display, and it supports changeable faceplates. As a dual-band (CDMA 800/900) handset, it does not offer analog rooming. With service, it runs as cheap as $29.99. ),
(1030,Nokia 6680, , Quick Take: The Nokia 6680 promises a powerful set of features in a somewhat mundane design vaguely reminiscent of the Nokia 6682. Most notably, the Symbian smart phone offers two digital cameras, which, along with the 3G UMTS support, can be used for videoconferencing. Youll also find Bluetooth, a document reader, an MMC slot, and a digital music player. The triband (GSM 900/1800/1900) phone is not offered by a U.S. carrier, but an unlocked model will work stateside. ),
(1031,T-Mobile Sidekick 3,Positives: The T-Mobile Sidekick 3 features a number of improvements, including a sleeker design, a 1.3-megapixel camera, an integrated music player, Bluetooth, and EDGE support. It also has a Mini SD card slot, a speakerphone, and world phone support. Negatives: The T-Mobile Sidekick 3 suffers from a low-resolution screen, and speakerphone quality was subpar. Its also a bit bulky and heavy, and camera options are limited. Facts: The T-Mobile Sidekick 3 brings some notable additions, such as Bluetooth and an MP3 player, and continues to be a solid messaging device for the younger crowd; we just wish it had a better screen. Note: This product is part of the T-Mobile Sidekick series. ., Paris Hilton, Snoop Dogg, Lindsay Lohan, Tony Hawk--theyre all fans of the T-Mobile Sidekick II. Although its not particularly sexy, the mobile devices powerful messaging features have earned it wide popularity with the younger crowd, and now, the new T-Mobile Sidekick 3 adds a number of notable improvements and additions that should keep it on the \"gotta have it\" list of celebrities and urban hipsters alike. First, theres a slimmer and sleeker design, and you finally get integrated Bluetooth for hands-free calling, as well as EDGE support for faster Web browsing. It has a better camera and a built-in MP3 player, and while theyre certainly not good enough to replace the real things, the added multimedia functionality is nice. Of course, the Sidekick 3 is still a messaging machine, and whether youre sending e-mails or text or instant messages, the Sidekick does it all well; its not a bad phone either. That said, we really wish it had a higher-resolution screen.Although the T-Mobile Sidekick 3 is a smart phone, its not quite suited for the busy corporate user, and the Sidekicks manufacturer doesnt hide that fact. Its designed for users who want to keep on top of their social lifestyle rather than their workload, and for teens and twenty-somethings, the Sidekick is a solid and fun device. The Sidekick 3 will be available exclusively online to T-Mobile customers first, starting June 28, then in retail stores nationwide on July 10; for those of you who live in New York or Los Angeles, you can get the Sidekick 3 at select T-Mobile stores on June 28. Price points are set at $299.99 with a two-year contract, $349.99 with a one-year contract, and $399.99 with a pay-as-you-go plan. T-Mobile also said it has no plans at this time to offer a trade-in program or discounts for Sidekick II owners. The Sidekick has never been the sleekest handheld on the block, but with each iteration, it has shrunk in size. At 5.1 by 2.3 by 0.8 inches, the T-Mobile Sidekick 3 is no different, measuring a hair thinner in width and depth than the Sidekick II. On the flip side, its marginally heavier than its predecessor at (6.7 vs. 6.5 ounces), but thats not surprising, considering all the new features packed into the handset. Also, the Sidekick 3 now sports a more sophisticated black and silver color scheme, as opposed to the Sidekick IIs off-white casing.The T-Mobile Sidekick 3 is comfortable to hold in the hands as a messaging device, but with its blockier, PDA-like form factor, using it as a phone (the earpiece is located on the left side of the device) takes some acclimation. Then again, its no different than any of the Pocket PC phones out there, such as the Cingular 8125 or the Sprint PPC-6700. Plus, its equipped with a speakerphone and Bluetooth, so you have the option of hands-free calls. Our one big complaint about the phone: If you want to dial a number thats not in your address book, you have to open the screen first so that you can access the keyboard/dial pad, then close it again to use it as a phone--a really cumbersome setup. Replacing the scrollwheel found on the Sidekick II is a new trackball that allows you to scroll in all directions. The navigation controls on the front of the T-Mobile Sidekick 3 remain largely unchanged from those of its predecessor, though theyre more streamlined. Plus, you will find one new feature: the trackball. Replacing the scrollwheel found on the Sidekick II, the trackball gives you the freedom to scroll left and right and not just up and down. You can also press the trackball to select a highlighted item or open a pop-up menu. In addition, the globular control illuminates different colors for various functions and alerts, making for a neat effect. Is it gimmicky? Sure it is, but its cool nonetheless. We polled a couple of avid Sidekick users around the office, and their reactions to the trackball were the same: weird at first, but you eventually warm up to it. You can also navigate the various menus using the more traditional directional keypad located to the left of the screen.As we mentioned earlier, previous Sidekick users will be familiar with the rest of the Sidekick 3s controls; the only major difference is that their layout is more compressed, so the individual buttons are closer together. Despite this, however, theyre large enough for avoiding any misdials. In addition to the aforementioned directional keypad, there is a Menu key and a Jump button on the left side, while the Cancel button, Send and End keys, and Done button are on the right. Its hard to see the icons of each control against the black casing, and only the Send/End buttons are backlit. However, the controls are easy to master, so you shouldnt have too many problems after the first couple of times using the phone.In the center of it all is the 2.75-inch TFT screen (note that its not a touch screen), but much to our disappointment, Sharp didnt make any improvements to this aspect of the Sidekick. Although the T-Mobile Sidekick 3 displays 65,000 hues, it retains a lowly 240x160-pixel resolution, giving the screen a dull and washed-out effect. Colors don't pop, and images and text arent as sharp as weve seen on other devices. To flip up the screen and access the full QWERTY keyboard, just nudge the upper-right corner or the lower-left corner of the screen, and the display quickly rotates a full 180 degrees and snaps into place with a satisfying click--but watch your fingers. The Sidekick 3s QWERTY keyboard is spacious and easy to use. The T-Mobile Sidekick 3s QWERTY keyboard is one of the best weve seen on a phone. The spacing between buttons is ample, and though Sharp switched from the rubberlike keys found on the Sidekick II to firmer buttons, they were still tactile, and we had absolutely no problems firing off e-mails and instant messages. Whats more, theyre adequately backlit for typing in darker environments, and theres a dedicated number row.Along the bottom edge of the device, there is a volume rocker, a power button, and a 2.5mm headset jack. We have to warn you, though: The volume rocker and the power key are a lot smaller than on the Sidekick II, and theyre set flush with the phones surface. As a result, we had to press the buttons firmly. To activate the Sidekicks camera, just press the right multifunction key on the top of the unit. The camera lens is located on the back next to a flash and a self-portrait mirror. Finally, Sharp added a Mini SD card expansion slot to go with its new multimedia features, and though you have to remove the back battery cover to access it, we still appreciate its inclusion. As a bonus, a 64MB Mini SD card is included in the box. T-Mobile also packages the device with a wired headset, a USB cable, an AC adapter, a protective case, and a wrist strap. After we reviewed the T-Mobile Sidekick II, a few key items remained on our wish list of desired features, and were happy to report that the T-Mobile Sidekick 3 addresses them--and then some. First, the device now has integrated Bluetooth 1.2, so you can pair the unit with other peripherals, such as a Bluetooth headset or a hands-free car kit, or you can wirelessly send a vCard to another Bluetooth device. In addition, it supports T-Mobiles growing EDGE network, which means you can enjoy quicker (but still not 3G) speeds of around 100Kbps to 130Kbps. The Sidekicks Web browser already does a good job of compressing and optimizing Web pages for viewing on the Sidekick, but with the added EDGE support, download times are even faster (see Performance for more).Another area where EDGE helps enhance performance is e-mail. The T-Mobile Sidekick 3 comes with its own e-mail account, which you can use after registering, but just as before, you can access up to three additional POP3/IMAP4 accounts. Plus, youll never miss a beat, because youre automatically notified when you get new mail, thanks to its always-on push e-mail solution. If you receive attachments with your e-mail, thats no problem either. The Sidekick 3 can open and display Word documents, PDFs, and JPEGs; however, you cannot edit said files. And though this isnt really a businesscentric device, you can have your corporate e-mail forwarded to the Sidekick with a little help from your IT department. Fill up a Mini SD card with your favorite tunes and use the Sidekick 3s new music player to keep yourself entertained on the go. If you need immediate communication with friends and family, the Sidekick comes preloaded with three of the major instant-messaging clients: AOL, Yahoo, and MSN. You can hold up to 10 simultaneous conversations, and you can switch between conversations quickly by pressing the Menu and D buttons. And if you happen to lose your network connection in the midst of a session, the Sidekick will save the chat until a connection is restored. The Sidekick 3 also supports text and multimedia messaging.As a phone, the T-Mobile Sidekick 3 offers all the standard features, including speed dial, call forwarding, three-way calling, a call log, a vibrate mode, and a speakerphone. The Sidekicks address book holds up to 2,000 contacts, with room in each entry for five numbers, an e-mail address, an IM account, a Web URL, a street address, and notes. For caller-ID purposes, you can pair an entry with a photo, a group ID, or one of 22 ring tones.The T-Mobile Sidekick 3 now comes equipped with a 1.3-megapixel camera (vs. the Sidekick IIs VGA camera), but oddly, it cant record video. You can take snapshots in three sizes--1,280x1,024, 640x480, or 320x240--and adjust the quality from low to high. Other than that, your editing options are limited, and you can activate the flash, change the exposure setting, and turn sharpness on or off--thats about it. You can take up to 131 pictures at the largest size, and theres a convenient photo counter at the top of the screen so that you can keep track. You can store up to 1.75MB of photos on the Sidekicks internal memory (there is a total 64MB of SDRAM and 64MB of flash memory), or you can save them to your memory card. If youd like to share them with family and friends, you can send them via e-mail or play them in a slide show on your device. The Sidekick 3s camera has been upgraded to 1.3 megapixels, but it still doesnt shoot video. Also new to the T-Mobile Sidekick 3 is a built-in music player. Its pretty rudimentary and supports only MP3 and WAV files, but we still appreciate its inclusion. Using the included USB cable, you simply drag and drop tracks from your PC to the Sidekick, which should show up as an external drive on your PC. Once the files are on your device, you can search for songs by artist, album, genre, or composer, as well as organize tracks into playlists.Other features include a calendar, a to-do list, and notes. You get the same old Rock and Rocket game thats been on previous versions of the Sidekick, and once again, customization options are pretty sparse. You can choose from four backgrounds, but thats about it. There is a download catalog, however, where you can get more ring tones, games, and applications. We tested the triband (GSM 900/1800/1900; EDGE) T-Mobile Sidekick 3 world phone in San Francisco using T-Mobiles network, and overall, call quality was good. Volume was more than adequate, and conversations sounded loud and clear. Our callers reported the same, but unfortunately, they werent singing the same praises when we activated the speakerphone. They said our voice was garbled and that our female voice sounded mannish--yikes. On a brighter note, we had no problems pairing the Sidekick 3 with the Logitech Mobile Traveller Bluetooth headset.Surfing the Web on the Sidekick was a great experience. Load times for even graphics-intensive sites were fast, although there was a bit of scrolling involved. Listening to MP3s on the Sidekicks speakers left much to be desired. The sound was weak and tinny, and any outside noise drowned out the volume, even at its highest level. However, quality improved when we plugged in the included earbuds. The Sidekicks 1.3-megapixel camera didnt produce the sharpest pictures. Instead, lines were a bit blurry and colors were faded--definitely not printworthy but OK for the fun snapshot. The Sidekicks 1.3-megapixel camera turned out subpar pictures. The T-Mobile Sidekick 3 is rated for 4.5 hours of talk time and up to three days of standby time. In our tests, we managed to beat the rated talk time by half an hour. According to FCC radiation tests, the Sidekick 3 has a digital SAR rating of 0.50 watt per kilogram. ),