Cell Phone Reveiws

(774,Motorola Q, d Edition,Positives: The Motorola Q boasts a sexy, ultrathin design and features a sharp display, a full QWERTY keyboard, and multimedia functionality. The d Edition also includes access to the carriers TV and music services, and it features a revamped, hipper interface. This Windows Mobile 5 smart phone has integrated Bluetooth, a speakerphone, a 1.3-megapixel camera, and solid call quality. Negatives: Video playback on the Moto Q, d Edition was a bit choppy, and it was sluggish when accessing and downloading multimedia content. Facts: The Motorola Q, d Edition brings a fresh look and content to the Windows Mobile smart phone that will appeal to the providers younger audience. Note: This product is part of the Motorola Q series. ., Make no mistake, this aint your daddys Motorola Q. d Mobile, an MVNO that targets the young-and-urban demographic, introduced its own, semirevamped version of the sleek Moto Q for all its young, future corporate-climbing subscribers. Since the hardware and core applications of the d Q are similar to the other models, we will concentrate on the different, carrier-specific content and the performance of the d Edition for this review. For more information on the design and basic features, please read our review of the Motorola Q. The Motorola Q, d Edition is available for $199. Hipper interfaceThe Motorola Q, d Edition features an updated Flash interface that makes it a little less business-like and a little more hip and edgy. By default, the sleek d home screen is set as the background image, and the carriers entertainment portal is placed prominently at the top of the screen (rather than recently used apps, which are now on the bottom of the screen) for easy access. Of course, you can customize the Q to your liking and change the layout, the display image, the color scheme, and the backlight time. If the preloaded images don't float your boat, you can purchase a wide range of graphics and wallpapers from d Live.The d version of the Q sports the newer, black casing and ships with an AC adapter, a 256MB mini SD card and an adapter, and reference material. To find more accessories, wallpapers, and ringtones for the Motorola Q, please check out our cell phone accessories page.Entertainment to go, albeit a little slowd Mobile provides a lot of content to keep users informed and entertained through its d Live TV and music offerings. d TV gives you access to channels such as Fox News, NBA TV, MTV, Comedy Central, A&E, Discovery Mobile, and much more. The carrier also produces original programming with titles including Lil Hollywood, which captures the trials and tribulations of celebrities in animated episodes, and a fashion show called Fashion Sense. For music fans, you can listen to streaming audio via d Radio or purchase songs for 99 cents. In addition, the smart phone has integrated Bluetooth with support for the A2DP profile, so you can pair the phone with stereo Bluetooth headsets.d also does a nice thing by providing you quick links to topics--Sports, Entertainment, News, and Lifestyle--where you can find relevant Web site links, multimedia content, and more. Other goodies include games, tips, upgrades, and a search function for the d Live app. Be aware that most of the d Live material comes at a cost. While we loved the variety of content, accessing it required a bit of patience. Downloading songs and TV shows took 5 minutes or longer, and we were often greeted with messages like \"Your request cannot be processed at this time\" or \"Cannot connect to the server.\" It was all a bit frustrating and certainly time consuming. Multimedia performance was mixed. Music playback was great. There was plenty of volume through the Moto Qs dual speakers, and sound was impressive for a cell phone with good bass and balance. The video experience was less reliable. Sometimes playback was smooth, with synchronized audio and video; other times the picture was quite choppy. Loud and clearWe tested the dual-band (CDMA 800/1900; EV-DO) Motorola Q, d Edition in San Francisco, and call quality was excellent. The audio quality was really clear on both ends, and sound didnt diminish when we activated the speakerphone. In fact, we were quite impressed at how loud and clear calls sounded with the speakerphone. We also had no problems pairing the Moto Q with the Logitech Mobile Traveller Bluetooth headset. The Q is rated for 4 hours of talk time and up to 8 days of standby time. In our battery tests, we got 5 hours, 40 minutes of talk time on a single charge. According to FCC radiation tests, the Moto Q has a digital SAR rating of 1.14 watts per kilogram. ),
(775,T-Mobile Sidekick 3, D-Wade Edition, Note: This product is part of the T-Mobile Sidekick series. ., Its no secret that the T-Mobile Sidekick 3 is a hit with Hollywoods young celebrities and athletes alike. Miami Heats Dwyane Wade is such a fan that he has teamed up with T-Mobile and Danger, Inc. to create a Limited Edition D-Wade Sidekick 3. The all-star guard personally had a hand in designing the special Sidekick, taking style hints from the interior of luxury cars and Miamis South Beach. The white-and-gold device is adorned with a series of threes on the front--for Wades jersey number, the number of years hes been in the NBA, and his \"mind-bending three-point plays.\" The back also has a basketball-like texture and feel. The T-Mobile Sidekick 3 D-Wade Edition is available now for $299.99 with a two-year contract. Other special edition Sidekicks include the Diane von Furstenerg and LRG models. For more information on the features and performance on these devices, please read our full review of the T-Mobile Sidekick 3. ),
(776,LG VX8700,Positives: The LG VX8700 has a stunning and attractive stainless-steel design. It also has impressive multimedia features, and the call quality was great. Negatives: The LG VX8700 has a flat keypad and lacks external music player controls, and the microSD card slot is inconveniently located behind the battery. The VX8700 does not come with a USB cable or a microSD card, so there are additional costs to reap the full benefits of the music player. Facts: The LG VX8700 is a gorgeous phone with plenty of multimedia features that are sure to please if you can get past its design flaws. Also, the need to purchase additional accessories can be a pain. , Those seeking a cheaper alternative to the LG Shine need not fear, as LG has recently introduced the just-as-shiny LG VX8700 specifically for the U.S. market. Somewhat of a successor to the LG VX8600, the LG VX8700 sports a flip phone design instead of the Shines slider design. While we appreciated its marvelous stainless-steel design, we were slightly disappointed with the lack of external music controls, the flat keypad, and the inconvenient location of the microSD card slot. That said, the VX8700 sports a healthy number of multimedia features wrapped up in an amazingly attractive package, which makes up for its design indiscretions. The LG VX8700 is available for $179.99 after a two-year contract with Verizon Wireless and a $50 discount. To find ringtones and accessories for this phone, plus advice and tips on how to use it, check out our cell phones ringtones, accessories, and help page.DesignMuch like the LG Shine, the LG VX8700 is a beautiful design-centric phone that rivals the LG Chocolate in sex appeal. It has a lovely, brushed-steel look that is undeniably seductive, and its metal casing gives it a very smooth and solid feel in the hand. At 3.82 inches by 1.95 inches by 0.54 inch, it is slightly smaller than the VX8600, and as a result, it fits easily into a pocket or purse. On the other hand, its somewhat heavier than the VX8600, at around 3.77 ounces, but that wasnt a problem for us.The LG VX8700 is a beautiful, eye-catching phone.The VX8700 external display runs vertically down the center of its front face, which makes for a nice design change over a standard rectangular screen. Supporting 65,000 colors and measuring about 1.4-inch diagonally, it displays caller ID, signal and battery strength, and the current date and time. Because the vertical display is so thin, it doesnt support photo caller ID, and youll still have to flip open the phone to see the image of the caller. You can also align the orientation of the external display to the left or to the right. When the backlight is off, it becomes a mirror and can be used for taking vanity shots with the camera lens right above. Rounding out the exterior features are the volume rocker, voice command buttons, and a headset/charger jack on its left spine and a dedicated camera button on the right. We should note that because of the VX8700s shiny metal casing, the phones exterior is prone to fingerprint smudges.Flip open the phone and youll be presented with a luscious 262,000-color 2.25-inch internal display. The graphics are rich with detail and color, and we loved the animated wallpapers that really show off the screens potential. You can adjust the backlight timer of the front and main displays as well as the keypad, the size of the dialing fonts, and the clock format on the main display. There are two menu designs to choose from, and while they are both simple and user-friendly, we preferred the Metallic theme as it offered an easier to navigate menu style. Also, we like that youre not saddled with Verizons default interface.The LG VX8700 has a Razr-like keypad.Located beneath the screen is the navigation array, which consists of two soft keys, a four-way navigation toggle that doubles as shortcuts to four user-defined functions, a middle OK key, a Clear key, a speakerphone key, and the Send and End/Power keys. Both the navigation array and the keypad are reminiscent of the Motorola Razr; controls that are flush with the surface of the phone, resembling a large touch pad. There are faint textured lines to help differentiate the keys from each other, but the buttons themselves were spaced well. That didnt prevent our fingers from slipping a few times on the keypad, however, so we wouldnt recommend dialing by feel. The LGs VX8700s microSD card slot is in an inconvenient location.Unlike the LG Shine or the LG VX8600, the VX8700 lacks external music controls. Though this doesnt seem terrible at first, we ended up missing them since we couldnt play music without opening the phone. Also, we were quite disappointed with the VX8700s location of the microSD card slot, which cant be accessed without removing the phones battery. FeaturesDespite the design focus of the VX8700, the powerful multimedia features were equally impressive. This is a welcome change from design-centric phones like the LG Chocolate that were all beauty and hardly any brains. First, lets start with the phones basics. The VX8700s phone book can hold as many as 1,000 contacts, with room in each entry for five phone numbers and two e-mail addresses. You can then save the contacts to groups and customize each entry with an assigned photo for caller ID or 1 of 18 polyphonic ringtones. Other simple features include text and multimedia messaging, instant messaging (AIM, MSN, and Yahoo IM), speed dialing, a vibrate mode, a calendar, a calculator, an alarm clock, a world clock, a notepad, a tip calculator, and a speakerphone. The VX8700 comes with a few advanced features such as voice recording, voice command and dialing, e-mail, a wireless Web browser, stereo Bluetooth support, EV-DO support, the ability to be used as a USB mass-storage device, and built-in GPS. The latter supports Verizons location-based services including VZ Navigator and Chaperone.Of course, with EV-DO speeds under its belt, the VX8700 is able to support Verizons V Cast Music and V Cast Video with aplomb. With V Cast Music, you can download songs to your PC for 99 cents each and then upload them to the phone via a USB cable, or you can choose to purchase songs over-the-air for $1.99 each, which can be then downloaded to your phone and your PC for the same price. Unfortunately, the VX8700 does not come with a USB cable, music software, or microSD card. As with most Verizon V Cast phones, youll have to pony up an additional $30 for a Music Essentials Kit that includes the software and the USB cable. This is a quite an annoying oversight on the part of Verizon, as it incurs additional costs. That said, the music player supports both WMA and MP3 files, and it includes playlists and a handy shuffle mode. Also, the VX8700 comes with a headset adapter which you can attach to a pair of your favorite earbuds. On the video side, V Cast Video provides access to a wide range of on-demand mobile video content, from music videos to short video clips of movie trailers or TV shows. Please refer to our review of the V Cast service for more information.The LG VX8700 took great photos.One of the most outstanding features on the VX8700 is its 2-megapixel camera. You can choose from up to four different resolutions (1,600x1,200, 1,280x960, 640x480, 320x240 pixels), adjust the white balance and the brightness, set a self-timer, choose from three shutter sounds or a silent option, and select one of five color effects. Other camera settings include a night mode plus the option of saving to the internal memory or to a microSD card. Photo quality was simply stunning for a camera phone, with rich colors and vivid detail. The phone comes with a built-in image editor, which you can use to rotate, crop, or zoom in on photos. Theres also a camcorder, with settings that include the choice of two resolutions (320x240 and 178x144) and editing options that are similar to that of the still camera. Recording time varies from 30 seconds for multimedia messages to an hour or more depending on how much space you have on your microSD card. Video quality was predictably shaky and grainy, but it was still acceptable for a camera phone. One neat thing you can do with the video is set the video as wallpaper, essentially making your own animated background.You have a wide choice of personalization options with the LG VX8700. You can purchase and download additional alerts, ringtones, graphics, wallpaper, themes, and screensavers from Verizons Get It Now service. You can also download games and applications, which is a good thing since there are none included with the phone.PerformanceWe tested the dual-band dual-mode (CDMA 800/1900; EV-DO) LG VX8700 in San Francisco using Verizons service. We were quite impressed with the call quality, and callers also reported the same thing on their end. Voices sound crisp and clear with little distortion. The sound quality of the speakerphone was pretty good as well, though a bit tinny at times. As for the EV-DO service, we were satisfied with the download speeds; it took us about 20 seconds to download a song, and loading Web pages only took a couple of seconds. We did experience a lower-quality performance with the streaming video however. Clips paused for rebuffering a few times, and some of the videos appeared a little too pixelated for our liking.We paired the LG VX8700 with the Plantronics Pulsar 260 headset without a hitch. We used the stereo Bluetooth headset to listen to music as well and were very pleased with the audio quality. Songs sounded bright with just the right amount of bass. Listening to the songs via the internal speakers was less than satisfactory due to the tinny sound, but it wasnt terrible either.The LG VX8700 has a rated talk time of 3.3 hours and a rated standby time of 10 days. According to FCC radiation tests, the LG VX8700 has a digital SAR rating of 0.68 watts per kilogram. ),
(777,Motorola Slvr L7c (Verizon Wireless),Positives: The Motorola Slvr L7c for Verizon offers a sleek design, EV-DO support, and a speakerphone. Negatives: The Motorola Slvr L7c for Verizon has a low-grade VGA camera and lacks stereo Bluetooth. The phones EV-DO performance was a tad slow and call quality was shaky on our end. Facts: The Motorola Slvr L7c for Verizon undoubtedly offers style but missing features and uneven performance hold it down. Note: This product is part of the Motorola Slvr series. ., Though Verizon Wireless was the first carrier to score the Motorola Razr V3c and Krzr K1m, it was a bit slower on the uptake of the Motos CDMA Slvr, the L7c. Rival carrier Sprint was first to market with the thin candy bar phone, and Verizon now follows with its own model. Except for a color change, the Verizon Slvr L7c is indistinguishable from its counterpart, and it also comes armed with a VGA camera and EV-DO support but it lacks a stereo Bluetooth profile. Call quality wasnt the best but its a decent phone if fashion is your main concern. Verizons Svr L7c is $69 with service.DesignLike Sprints L7c and the GSM Slvr L7, the Verizon Slvr looks like a bit like a Razr thats been hammered flat. The trim profile (4.5 inches tall by 2 inches wide by 0.5 inch deep) will appeal to thin phone enthusiasts who are partial to the candy bar design, and the lightweight (3.7 ounces) ensures easy portability. The Slvr has a solid feeling in the hand but its difficult to cradle it between your head and shoulder. We werent crazy about the bland silver color scheme; we much prefer the dark grey hue on the Sprint handset.Unfortunately, Moto went for a lower-resolution display on the Slvr L7c. While the Slvr L7 model offers a full 262,000 colors on its display, the L7c taps out at 65,000 colors. Some users may not notice the difference as the display is perfectly serviceable for most uses. Yet, its the inconsistency that bothers us. We don't see why our CDMA friends have to suffer. On the other hand, the 1.9-inch display is large enough and you can change the backlighting time and the brightness. The Slvr L7c uses Verizons standardized menus, which arent an improvement over Motos clunky interface.The navigation array is almost unchanged from the Sprint phone. Theres a four-way toggle with a central OK button, two soft keys, and the Talk and End/power buttons. You can set the toggle to give one-touch-access to four user-defined functions but Verizon slightly altered the remaining controls. A Back button replaces the Clear key while a camera/camcorder shortcut replaces the dedicated speakerphone control. The flat keypad buttons are a bit cramped and, theres little separation between the individual rows so users with large digits should give the phone a test drive before buying. The keys are brightly backlit for dialing in the dark.You have to remove the Slvr L7cs battery to access the memory card slot.A volume rocker sits on the left just above the Motorola \"smart\" key. This control doubles as the speakerphone key when you press and hold. The Mini USB charger ports rests on the right spine just above a control that initiates voice commands and starts the voice memo recorder. The camera lens is on the back of the phone without a flash or self-portrait mirror while the microSD card slot is crammed rather inconveniently behind the battery. FeaturesThe Slvr L7cs phone book holds 1,000 contacts, each of which can take five phone numbers and two e-mail addresses. You can assign contacts to caller groups, pair them with a picture for photo caller ID, or assign them one of the 20 polyphonic ringtones. Other features include a vibrate mode, voice commands and dialing, text and multimedia messaging, a calendar, a voice recorder, a calculator, a world clock, an alarm clock, PC syncing, instant messaging and e-mail, speakerphone, and a notepad. Bluetooth is on board as well but unlike the Sprint handset, it does not support stereo (A2DP) and most object exchange profiles.The Slvr L7cs camera doesnt include a flash.Weve grumbled about the VGA camera on the Slvr L7c before and were going to grumble about it again. Its just disappointing that a 3G multimedia-friendly handset such as this goes so low rent when it comes to a shooter. The camera takes pictures in just three resolutions (640x480, 320x240, and 160x120), and comes with a self-timer, adjustable brightness and white balance settings, an 8x zoom, three color effects, 10 fun frames, and three shutter sounds (theres also a silent option). Unlike its Sprint cousin, the Verizon L7c doesnt offer image quality settings but it does come with a multishot mode. The camcorder shoots 13-second clips with sound, while the Sprint L7c offered double the recording time. Editing options for videos are similar to those of the still camera. Photo quality was unchanged from other Slvr models--colors looked a bit washed out, and objects were fuzzy. Videos werent remarkable either, with a lot of jerkiness. Here again youre allotted just 18MB of internal memory to store your work, but you can use a microSD card for more space.We werent impressed with the Slvr L7cs photo quality.As an EV-DO phone, the Slvr L7c supports the full range of Verizons 3G services including the V Cast video service and the V Cast music store. The music players interface is identical to those on other Verizon phones. You also have the option to purchase a variety of Verizon applications including VZ Navigator and ChaperoneParent.You can personalize Slvr L7c with a variety of alert tones, display themes, wallpaper, screensavers, and banners. You can always buy more options if youre dissatisfied with what comes on the phone. Unfortunately, the phone does not come with any games besides a demo version of Pac-Man.PerformanceWe tested the dual-band (CDMA 800/1900; EV-DO) in San Francisco using Verizon service. Call quality was somewhat disappointing on the whole. Though we had no trouble finding a signal, there was noticeable feedback on our end, and we had trouble hearing our callers if we were outside. On the upside, there was enough volume but it just didnt compare to the other Slvr models weve reviewed. On their end, callers didnt report as many problems. Voices sounded natural but they encountered a lot of wind noise.Speakerphone calls were decent but we recommend resting the phone upside down to give the rear-facing speaker maximum exposure. Call quality was a tad more muffled but thats not unusual with a mobile speakerphone. Bluetooth calls were fine overall, and we encountered no interference from other electronic devise.Music quality on the phone was about average. Though the Slvr L7c lacks stereo speakers, the volume was quite loud. Like with the Sprint phone, the output was a bit bass-heavy, especially at their volumes. Downloading music was a trickier proposition. It took about four minutes to download a 1.5MB song and the EV-DO connection was a bit shaky. We never lost reception but it remained slow throughout our test period.The Motorola Slvr L7c for Verizon has a rated battery life of four hours talk time and 18 days standby time. According to FCC radiation tests, the Slvr L7c has a digital SAR rating of 1.23 watts per kilogram. ),
(778,Samsung SGH-T329,Positives: The Samsung SGH-T329 Stripe has an appealing design with user-friendly controls. It also offers a decent feature set including Bluetooth and a speakerphone. Negatives: The Samsung SGH-T329 Stripe had patchy sound quality and lacks true world phone capability. Facts: Though the Samsung SGH-T329 Stripe offers Bluetooth and an appealing design, sound quality wasnt reliable. Note: This product is part of the Samsung SGH-T329 Stripe series. ., Just a few weeks after we first saw it at CES, the new Samsung SGH-T329 Stripe is now available with T-Mobile. Styled in grey and silver with appealing curvy lines, the Stripe barely looks like its predecessor but it sports many of the same features including a VGA camera, a speakerphone, and instant messaging. And this time you also get Bluetooth. Sound quality was serviceable though patchy at times. You can get it for $49 with service.DesignAs we said above, the SGH-T329 Stripe looks quite different from T-Mobiles Samsung SGH-T309. Its a tad taller at 3.3x1.7x0.9 inches but its also a bit lighter at 3.3 ounces. Whats more, instead of the SGH-T309s black, the SGH-T329 features a cool silver color scheme with a grey stripe (of course) that is both simple and appealing at the same time. We also like the curved shape, yet we have one tiny complaint. Since the rear face is beveled, the phone wont rest fast on a surface with the flip open.The vertical external screen is a nice change from the standard square display. It shows the time, battery life, signal strength, and caller ID. You can change the contrast but not the font size or the backlight time. Also, the monochrome resolution means it doesnt support photo caller ID, and it wont work as a viewfinder for self-portraits. The Stripes camera lens sits just above the external display but theres no flash or self-portrait lens. A volume rocker sits on the left spine while a camera shutter, and the charger port/headset jack sits on the right spine. The SGH-T329s camera lens sits just above its cool vertical display. The 1.75-inch (128x160 pixels) internal display on the SGH-T329 supports 65,000 colors and is about average as Samsung phones go. Its perfectly serviceable for browsing the user-friendly menus but photos and games wont look as rich as they would on a 262,000-color display. You can change the brightness, backlighting time, the background color, and the font style, size, and color.The Stripes navigation array is standard Samsung consisting of a four-way toggle with a central OK button, two soft keys, a clear key, and the talk and end/power buttons. You can set the four-way toggle to act as a shortcut to four user-defined functions but we did miss a dedicated speakerphone key. The keypad buttons are quite large with easy-to-read text. We also like the beveled shape that makes it easy to dial by feel. They also have a bright backlighting for dialing in dim situations. FeaturesThe Samsung SGH-T329 includes all the basics you would expect on a basic camera phone. The 1,000-contact phone book has room in each entry for five phone numbers, an e-mail address, and notes (the SIM holds an additional 250 names). You can save contacts to groups or pair them with a polyphonic ringtone--just nine come with the phone. You can assign contacts a photo as well, but keep in mind they wont show on the external display. Other features include a vibrate mode, text and multimedia messaging, a speakerphone, an alarm clock, a calendar, a task list, a calculator, a world clock, a unit converter, a timer, a stopwatch, and a tip calculator. Instant-messaging support for AOL, ICQ, Windows Live, and Yahoo is on board as well, and were glad to see Samsung improved on the SGH-T309 by including Bluetooth. The SGH-T329 had unimpressive photo quality. The Stripes VGA camera takes pictures in four resolutions (640x480, 320x240, 160x120, and 128x96). Other features were less plentiful than on the SGH-T309 but you still get a decent range of options including five color effects, a 4X zoom, brightness and white balance controls, a night mode, and a self-timer. As we said previously though, a flash and a self-portrait mirror are absent. Once a picture is taken, you can send it via multimedia messaging, upload it to an online T-Mobile album, or store it the phones 21MB of memory. Photo quality is what youd expect from a VGA camera; objects were fuzzy, and colors were washed out.You can personalize the Stripe with a variety of wallpaper and alert sounds. As always, you can buy more options from T-Mobiles T-Zones Internet store with the WAP 2.0 wireless Web browser. For playtime, there are demo versions of five Java (J2ME) titles: Forgotten Warrior, Freekick, Arch Angel, Lumines Block Challenge, and Midnight Pool. Youll have to buy the full versions for extended play.PerformanceWe tested the tri-band (GSM 850/900/1900) Samsung SGH-T329 Stripe in San Francisco using T-Mobile service. Sound quality was uneven overall. The volume was a tad weak and may be too low for users with hearing impairments. Also, while voices sounded natural, the audio was patchy on a few occasions. It wasnt a total deal breaker but it was noticeable just the same. Also, while voices sounded natural, the audio was patchy on a few occasions. It wasnt a deal breaker but it was noticeable just the same. On their end, callers reported similar conditions. Speakerphone calls has a slight echoed effect and were only really effective when we were in a quite location. The tri-band support is rather disappointing as were used to seeing full quad-band world phones from T-Mobile.The Stripe has a rated battery life of six hours talk time and 11 days standby time. Our tests, however, revealed a talk time of only 4 hours, 25 minutes. According to FCC radiation tests, the SGH-T329 has a digital SAR rating of 1.38 watts per kilogram. ),
(779,Samsung SGH-T329 Stripe (black),Positives: The Samsung SGH-T329 Stripe has an appealing design with user-friendly controls. It also offers a decent feature set including Bluetooth and a speakerphone. Negatives: The Samsung SGH-T329 Stripe had patchy sound quality and lacks true world phone capability. Facts: Though the Samsung SGH-T329 Stripe offers Bluetooth and an appealing design, sound quality wasnt reliable. Note: This product is part of the Samsung SGH-T329 Stripe series. ., Just a few weeks after we first saw it at CES, the new Samsung SGH-T329 Stripe is now available with T-Mobile. Styled in grey and silver with appealing curvy lines, the Stripe barely looks like its predecessor but it sports many of the same features including a VGA camera, a speakerphone, and instant messaging. And this time you also get Bluetooth. Sound quality was serviceable though patchy at times. You can get it for $49 with service.DesignAs we said above, the SGH-T329 Stripe looks quite different from T-Mobiles Samsung SGH-T309. Its a tad taller at 3.3x1.7x0.9 inches but its also a bit lighter at 3.3 ounces. Whats more, instead of the SGH-T309s black, the SGH-T329 features a cool silver color scheme with a grey stripe (of course) that is both simple and appealing at the same time. We also like the curved shape, yet we have one tiny complaint. Since the rear face is beveled, the phone wont rest fast on a surface with the flip open.The vertical external screen is a nice change from the standard square display. It shows the time, battery life, signal strength, and caller ID. You can change the contrast but not the font size or the backlight time. Also, the monochrome resolution means it doesnt support photo caller ID, and it wont work as a viewfinder for self-portraits. The Stripes camera lens sits just above the external display but theres no flash or self-portrait lens. A volume rocker sits on the left spine while a camera shutter, and the charger port/headset jack sits on the right spine. The SGH-T329s camera lens sits just above its cool vertical display. The 1.75-inch (128x160 pixels) internal display on the SGH-T329 supports 65,000 colors and is about average as Samsung phones go. Its perfectly serviceable for browsing the user-friendly menus but photos and games wont look as rich as they would on a 262,000-color display. You can change the brightness, backlighting time, the background color, and the font style, size, and color.The Stripes navigation array is standard Samsung consisting of a four-way toggle with a central OK button, two soft keys, a clear key, and the talk and end/power buttons. You can set the four-way toggle to act as a shortcut to four user-defined functions but we did miss a dedicated speakerphone key. The keypad buttons are quite large with easy-to-read text. We also like the beveled shape that makes it easy to dial by feel. They also have a bright backlighting for dialing in dim situations. FeaturesThe Samsung SGH-T329 includes all the basics you would expect on a basic camera phone. The 1,000-contact phone book has room in each entry for five phone numbers, an e-mail address, and notes (the SIM holds an additional 250 names). You can save contacts to groups or pair them with a polyphonic ringtone--just nine come with the phone. You can assign contacts a photo as well, but keep in mind they wont show on the external display. Other features include a vibrate mode, text and multimedia messaging, a speakerphone, an alarm clock, a calendar, a task list, a calculator, a world clock, a unit converter, a timer, a stopwatch, and a tip calculator. Instant-messaging support for AOL, ICQ, Windows Live, and Yahoo is on board as well, and were glad to see Samsung improved on the SGH-T309 by including Bluetooth. The SGH-T329 had unimpressive photo quality. The Stripes VGA camera takes pictures in four resolutions (640x480, 320x240, 160x120, and 128x96). Other features were less plentiful than on the SGH-T309 but you still get a decent range of options including five color effects, a 4X zoom, brightness and white balance controls, a night mode, and a self-timer. As we said previously though, a flash and a self-portrait mirror are absent. Once a picture is taken, you can send it via multimedia messaging, upload it to an online T-Mobile album, or store it the phones 21MB of memory. Photo quality is what youd expect from a VGA camera; objects were fuzzy, and colors were washed out.You can personalize the Stripe with a variety of wallpaper and alert sounds. As always, you can buy more options from T-Mobiles T-Zones Internet store with the WAP 2.0 wireless Web browser. For playtime, there are demo versions of five Java (J2ME) titles: Forgotten Warrior, Freekick, Arch Angel, Lumines Block Challenge, and Midnight Pool. Youll have to buy the full versions for extended play.PerformanceWe tested the tri-band (GSM 850/900/1900) Samsung SGH-T329 Stripe in San Francisco using T-Mobile service. Sound quality was uneven overall. The volume was a tad weak and may be too low for users with hearing impairments. Also, while voices sounded natural, the audio was patchy on a few occasions. It wasnt a total deal breaker but it was noticeable just the same. Also, while voices sounded natural, the audio was patchy on a few occasions. It wasnt a deal breaker but it was noticeable just the same. On their end, callers reported similar conditions. Speakerphone calls has a slight echoed effect and were only really effective when we were in a quite location. The tri-band support is rather disappointing as were used to seeing full quad-band world phones from T-Mobile.The Stripe has a rated battery life of six hours talk time and 11 days standby time. Our tests, however, revealed a talk time of only 4 hours, 25 minutes. According to FCC radiation tests, the SGH-T329 has a digital SAR rating of 1.38 watts per kilogram. ),
(780,Pantech PN-218,Positives: The Pantech PN-218 offers voice commands and a speakerphone. Also, the landscape display may be attractive to some users. Negatives: The Pantech PN-218 has a dull design, an awkward shape, and poorly designed controls. Facts: The Pantech is certainly different, but we couldnt get past the design flaws. , In late 2005 UT Starcom introduced the CDM-180, the square cell phone with the weird display. At the time, the CDM-180 didnt receive rave reviews and it soon disappeared into the Verizon graveyard. So we were very much surprised to see Pantech pick up the same design with its PN-218. Available for Alltel, the PN-218 is a near clone of the Verizon phone, which in all honesty is not a good thing. Were still unimpressed with the landscape display and the phones overall design. On the upside, you can get it for just $9 with service. To find ringtones and accessories for this phone, plus advice and tips on how to use it, check out our Cell phones ringtones, accessories, and help page.DesignLike its CDM-180 counterpart, the PN-218 lacks traditional cell proportions, so it looks almost square when viewed from the front. Its a strange shape to say the least and its still a design were not entirely comfortable with. Its not that it isnt pretty--indeed not every cell phone has to be--rather, its just that the PN-218s dull silver color scheme and overlapping square shapes make it look like a kids walkie-talkie. At 3.02 inches high by 2.15 inches wide by 0.96 inch thick and weighing 3.79 ounces, the PN-218 is marginally bigger and heavier than the CDM-180 and it has a surprisingly solid feel. It still slips easily into a pocket, yet the square shape can feel a bit awkward in the hand. But thats a judgment call on your part.The external display is a bit small (1 inch, 96x94 pixels) for the phones overall size but it supports 65,000 colors and shows all the necessary information including the date, time, battery life, signal strength and caller ID (where available). Below the display is a small speaker while a covered headset jack, a camera control, and a volume rocker sit on the left spine. Like on the CDM-180, the camera lens and flash sit at the top of the phones rear face. Well say again: this isnt the most convenient location, as it is right where we wanted to rest our finger. Also, since the lens faces slightly upward, you have to tilt the phone in a strange position in order to take a photo of something straight in front of you. Theres no self-portrait mirror but you can use the external display as a viewfinder for vanity shots.Inside the PN-218 youll discover the reason behind the handsets unique dimensions. At 1.8 inches (160x128 pixels), its about the same size as many other cell phone displays, but the landscape orientation clearly sets it apart from other handsets. Were on the fence, though, as to whether different also equals good. While its convenient for typing (and reading) long text messages, you also have to do a fair amount of scrolling when navigating a menu with a lot of options. The display does support 262,000 colors but its not terribly bright or vibrant. Only the backlighting time and the contrast are adjustable, and be warned that some users may find the dialing and message text to be too small.The keypad buttons were mostly unimpressive. The navigation toggle and central OK button are much too small and too flush with the surface of the phone to use comfortably. The toggle doubles as a shortcut to four functions but its a bit annoying that in standby mode the OK button opens the camera rather than launching the main menu. Other controls consist of two soft keys, the Talk and End/power buttons and a Clear key. Though theyre much bigger than the toggle, theyre also flat with the surface of the phone. And the same goes for the keypad buttons--though theyre a decent size they didnt lend themselves to dialing by feel. On the other hand, they have bright backlighting for dim situations.Features The PN-218 offers a somewhat small 300-contact phone book with room in each entry for five phone numbers, an e-mail address, a Web address, and notes. You can assign contacts a picture and one of 15 polyphonic ringtones, and you can save friends to caller groups. Other features include a vibrate mode, text and multimedia messaging, a voice memo, a scheduler, an alarm clock, a memo pad, a calculator, a world clock, and a stop watch. On the higher end you also get a speakerphone and voice dialing.The PN-218s camera comes with a flash.The PN-218s VGA camera includes a lot of options. You can take pictures in three resolutions (640x480, 320x240 and 160x120) and choose from three quality settings. Other options include brightness and contrast settings, five color effects, a contrast, a self timer and four shutter sounds (theres also a silent option). The flash works relatively well for brightening dim situations.You can personalize the PN-218 with a variety of wallpapers, screensavers and sounds. You can download more choices and more ringtones with the WAP 2.0 wireless Web browser. Gamers are out of luck, as the PN-218 doesnt come with any titles.Performance We tested the dualband (CDMA 800/1900) PN-218 in San Francisco. The Bay Area doesnt have native Alltel coverage, so we were using Sprints service for roaming. Check back soon for a full report on the call quality.The Pantech PN-218 has a rated battery life of 3.5 hours talk time and 8.4 days standby time. According to FCC radiation tests the PN-218 has a digital SAR rating of 1.42 watts per kilogram. ),
(781,Motorola Razr V3xx (platinum),Positives: The Motorola Razr V3xx cell phone offers decent call quality, stereo Bluetooth, and a great interior display. And thanks to the HSDPA data connection, it offers zippy Web browsing, fast downloads, and admirable streaming video quality. Negatives: The Motorola Razr V3xx isnt a quadband world phone, and its 1.3-megapixel camera is inadequate for such a high-end handset. Also, the voice dialing is unreliable, the phone lacks stereo speakers, and the data settings for third-party applications are too restrictive. Facts: Though its feature set didnt live up to expectations, the Motorola Razr V3xx cell phone improves on many of the traditional Razr pitfalls that have plagued the product line since its inception. As such, its the most satisfying Razr to date. Note: This product is part of the Motorola Razr series. ., The carrier that brought you the very first Razr cell phone is now bringing yet another one (yes, another one) to the market. The Motorola Razr V3xx for Cingular Wireless (soon to be AT&T) doesnt bring anything particularly revolutionary to the Razr family but it does include a handful of noteworthy offerings that deserve a closer look. Believe us, were as over the Razr as the next person, but with stereo Bluetooth, an Opera Web browser, and improved call quality, the Razr V3xx is a solid step above its predecessor. Whats more, the support for Cingulars 3.5G HSDPA network makes it the fastest GSM Razr yet. You can get it for a very reasonable $79 with service. DesignExcept for a color change, the Motorola Razr V3xx is no different from the original Razr V3. You get the same iconic profile that sparked the thin phone tsunami, but it still looks just as boxy when viewed straight on. At 4.05 inches long by 2.08 inches thick by 0.6 inch thick, and weighing 3.8 ounces, its slightly bigger and heavier than its predecessor, but the change is hardly noticeable in the phones ergonomics. It feels just the same when held in the hand and its slips just as easily into a pocket or bag. And of course, its just as difficult to feel the phone vibrate when its in your pocket. Like most of its siblings, the Razr V3xx is available in multiple color schemes. We reviewed the dark gray version but you can also find it in a flashy gold hue reminiscent of T-Mobiles gaudy Razr V3i Dolce & Gabbana. As the carrier is in the midst of a name change, the Razr V3xx has a Cingular logo on its rear face, while the AT&T globe shows up on the external display.Speaking of which, the external display is the same as on the Razr V3. Well say again thats its a tad small for the phones size (96 x 80 pixels) but the 64,000-color resolution is more than adequate for most uses. And in any case, its a big improvement over the V3s 4,000-color screen. The display also works as a viewfinder for the camera but its annoying that theres no dedicated button for activating the camera. Instead, you must open the phone, start the camera, and then close it again to snap vanity shots using the Motorola \"smart\" key. The camera lens sits just above the display, and once again theres no flash.A volume rocker sits on the left spine of the front flap just above the mini-USB slot and the aforementioned smart key. The latter control also locks the external buttons with you hold it down for a couple seconds. A voice recorder button sits on the right spine but it can be used only when the phone is open. The single speaker is located on the rear face of the phone just below the battery cover. While weve dinged previous Razrs because they put the microSD card slot behind the battery cover, were more willing to let it slide this time around. Though you have to remove the battery cover to change the card, you don't have to remove the battery itself as well. Were glad to see a 262,000-color internal display on the V3xx. Motorola has been inconsistent with its Razr displays--some models get 65,000-color screens while others get 262,000-color resolutions--and wed expect nothing less from an HSDPA phone. At 2.25 inches (320x240 pixels), its large, bright, and vibrant, and it displays everything from text to graphics well. Though it shows a few design tweaks, Motos dull menu system is the only distraction. We hope the company redesigns the interface soon, as its been looking long in the tooth for a couple years now. The navigation array just below the display is standard Razr. Like the later models in the series, the Razr V3xx has tiny raised ridges between the individual controls. Dialing by feel still takes some getting used to, but its an improvement over the completely flat controls on the Razr V3. Shortcut options abound. The navigation toggle doubles as a shortcut to four user-defined applications, and you can set the smart key as a shortcut to another chosen feature when the phone is open. In standby mode the left soft key opens a further shortcuts menu while the right soft key and the central OK button activate the main menu. While some users have complained that you cant change the settings on the soft keys, we don't really mind. Below the toggle are dedicated buttons for the Web browser and the Cingular Video application, a Clear button, and the Talk and End/power controls. On the whole its a spacious easy-to-use arrangement despite the lack of a dedicated speakerphone button. The keypad also shows no difference from other Razrs. The keys are flat with the surface of the phone but the numbers are rather large and lit by a bright backlighting. Tiny raised ridges separate the individual rows, but new Razr users should still give the phone a test drive first.FeaturesAs we said earlier, the Razr V3xx is more of an update to the Razr family rather than an entirely new phone altogether. The changes are all on the high-end features, so well get the basics out of the way first. The phone book holds 1,000 contacts with room in each entry for six phone numbers, three e-mail addresses, a Web address, three street addresses, a nickname, a birthday, and notes (the SIM card holds an additional 250 names). You can save contacts to groups and pair them with a photo and one of eight polyphonic ringtones or 14 monophonic tones. You also can use voice notes as ringtones but in all honestly, the selection of integrated sounds is disappointing for such a multimedia phone. Other essentials include a choice of vibrate modes, text and multimedia messaging, a voice recorder, a world clock, a calendar, and a calculator. Worker bees who arent quite ready for a smart phone should get some use out of the Razr V3xx. Inside youll find full Bluetooth with a stereo profile (yay!), PC syncing, USB storage support, PC modem capability, a speakerphone (minus a dedicated button), and e-mail and instant messaging for AOL, Windows, and Yahoo clients. Connecting to the instant messenger is relatively zippy, thanks to the HSDPA connection, but we still cant imagine having full conversations on an alphanumeric keypad. Voice dialing is onboard as well but we found it harder to use than many other phones. More often than not, it couldnt register the contact we were naming.As a 3.5G HSDPA phone, the Razr V3xx supports the full range of Cingular broadband multimedia applications. Cingular Video brings a satisfying range of streaming video clips from such channels as NBC, Comedy Central, ESPN, The Weather Channel, VH1, and CNN. Theres a special channel for kids as well, with programming from The Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, and The Cartoon Network. We have to admit, though, that we spent plenty of time on Muppets Mobile. Premium entertainment is offered from HBO Mobile and Music Choice for an extra charge. For a full analysis of the offerings see our Cingular Video review. MobiTV applications are integrated as well.If youre more interested in listening to tunes, the Razr V3xx also supports the Cingular Music application (the phone identifies it as \"AT&T Music,\" however). When it went live late last year, Cingular Music filled a hole in the carriers multimedia offerings by offering a central application for downloading tunes to the music player and accessing related music content. We like that Cingular uses partners rather than operating its stores, but at present you cant download music wirelessly. Theres also a Music ID application, support for streaming radio, and a community section. The music player interface is strictly utilitarian but it offers Shuffle and Repeat modes, spatial audio, and bass boost. The Opera Web browser is easy to use and offers a more pleasant interface than on other Cingular phones. And since it operates over the carriers HSDPA network, data speeds can fall in the 1.8Mbps with bursts at higher speeds possible. As well cover in the Performance section below, browsing was fast and efficient but the phones default security settings severely limit the usability of third-party applications. For instance, when using the mobile version of Google Maps, the browser asked us whether we wanted to proceed every time we requested data. Its quite frustrating, particularly since you cant change the settings. Like every other Razr, theres no flash with the camera.Though the Razr V3xxs 1.3-megaixel camera is an improvement over the Razr V3, we were hoping for a 2-megapixel shooter on such a media-centric handset. In all seriousness, as high-resolution camera phones proliferate, 1.3-megapixel models are becoming the new VGA. Were also disappointed that unlike the Razr V3x, Motos V3xx didnt include a second interior camera for future use with video calling. You can take pictures in four resolutions and choose from a variety of editing options, including three quality settings, an 8x zoom, six lighting conditions, a self timer, seven color effects, and three shutter sounds plus a silent option. The video recorder shoots clips with sound in three quality settings and a choice of similar editing options. Clips meant for multimedia messages are limited to 16 seconds; otherwise you can shoot for as long as the available memory permits. And while were on the subject, you get a healthy 60MB of shared internal memory but you can always use a microSD card slot (up to 2GB) for more space. Picture and video quality are improved over the Razr V3s, with distinct edges and colors. At times, however, the images are washed out, and since theres no flash, darker conditions arent ideal. Video quality is about average for a 1.3-megapixel camera phone.The Razr v3xx has decent photo quality.You can personalize the Razr V3xx with a variety of wallpaper, screensavers, color themes, and alert sounds. You can always get more choices from the carriers MediaNet application and the wireless Web browser. You can buy more ringtones as well, but sadly, you wont be able to use downloaded MP3 files for your calls. As for gaming, the Razr v3xx comes with demo versions of four Java (J2ME) tiles: EA Air Hockey, Midnight Pool, Platinum Sudoku, and Tetris. Youll have to buy the full versions for extended play.PerformanceWe tested the triband (GSM 850/1800/1900; HSDPA) Motorola Razr V3xx in San Francisco using Cingular service. Its disappointing that the phone is not fully quadband like the Razr V3. As such, it wont have as much coverage outside of the United States. Its a baffling change to say the least, and one that makes the phone significantly less consumer-friendly.Call quality was very decent with strong audio clarity and signal reception. Voices sounded natural and there was little static or interference. Even better, the volume level was much improved over previous Razr models. Low volume had been a recurring problem since the original V3. Callers said we sounded fine and didnt report any significant problems. Also, voice recognition systems (like when calling an airline) could understand us. Our only complaint was that voices sounded tinny from time to time. It wasnt a bother, but it was noticeable just the same. Sound quality also can diminish in noisy environments but it wasnt a deal breaker either. Speakerphone quality was loud enough, but not unexpectedly, voices sounded more muffled. On their end, callers had trouble hearing us over the speakerphone unless we spoke close to the phone. Lastly, Bluetooth calls were decent.Streaming video quality was quite sharp on the whole. There was very little pixelation, and videos suffered from almost no choppiness or color distortion. We did have to rebuffer a few times (mostly when inside interior rooms of a building), but it wasnt too bothersome. Sound quality was good as well and voices matched the speakers mouths. Music quality was serviceable but nothing special. There was a tinny quality at times, and wed prefer stereo speakers.Due to the strong HSDPA connection, we had a strong wireless Internet connection without any major hiccups. Individual Web pages loaded in an instant, while moving backward to cached pages was even faster. In all, its a satisfying experience that involves none of the usual waiting that comes with mobile Web browsing. Downloads were also painless--we were able to download a game in just 8 seconds. Just be warned that the strength of the HSDPA connection will waver outside of urban areas. The Razr V3xx has a rated battery life of three hours talk time and 12 days standby time. Three hours is quite low for a GSM phone, but 12 days is about average. We eked out a talk time of 3 hours, 30 minutes in our tests. According to FCC radiation tests, the Razr V3xx has a digital SAR rating of 1.21 watts per kilogram. ),
(782,Kajeet, , In the wake of child-oriented cell phones like the Firefly and the LG Migo getting pulled back or discontinued, a carrier that specifically targets families with tweens has emerged. Called Kajeet, it is an MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) tailored especially for families, much like Disney Mobile. Similar to Disney Mobile, Kajeet also provides fully capable phones to its customers, trusting that the parents will provide service limitations while the child will learn how to use a real cell phone. Unlike Disney Mobile, however, Kajeet is a pay-as-you-go carrier, and it prides itself on its no-contract, no-fee service. Although it is a year old, Kajeet only started making headlines early this year, thanks to its recent deal with Nickelodeon to provide Nickelodeon-themed mobile content like ringtones and wallpapers. Since Kajeet doesnt manufacture its own devices, we can only give you a brief overview of the service. Kajeet is primarily made up of two things: the Kajeet Navigator, which is a Web portal software application found on all its phones, and the Kajeet Configurator, a Web-based application that you can access from your PCs browser. The Configurator is key to Kajeets brilliance: its where parents can add a phone for another kid, set up approved and blocked phone numbers, decide who pays for which calls and what features, manage when phones can and cant be used, view calls made to and by their kids, check the balance in their Kajeet \"wallets\" (more on that later), and view the complete details of the calling plan. A Kajeet \"wallet\" is essentially where you put the money you use to pay for the service--parents can even allocate set amounts to their kids \"wallets\" as a sort of allowance so that they can learn money management. Because Kajeet is a pay-as-you-go service, the wallet is also a handy tool to know how much balance you have left in your account.As hinted, Kajeet utilizes the Sprint backbone to deliver its service. And it so happens that it is also compatible with a variety of previously Sprint-only handsets that can be purchased directly from Kajeet, including the LG LX150, the Nokia 6165i, the LG 225, and the Sanyo Katana. The cell phones software remains exactly the same as the Sprint version, save for one primary difference: the Kajeet Navigator application. Essentially a sleek and colorful Web portal, the Kajeet Navigator provides access to a slew of music ringtones, wallpapers, and games. You can also access applications like Google Maps, Mobile AIM (AOL Instant Messenger), a scientific calculator, and more. Each Kajeet phone should already come preloaded with a few of these things for free (our Katana came with four free ringtones and four free demo games), but you always have the option to download more for a fee. As we mentioned earlier, you can also purchase Nickelodeon-themed mobile content from such shows as The Rugrats, Fairly Oddparents, or Spongebob Squarepants. For example, you can purchase the Spongebob Squarepants theme song for $2.50 each.Pricing is as follows: you pay 35 cents a day to have unlimited use of Kajeet Configurator, free browsing of the Kajeet Navigator, personalized voice mail, Google Maps for Mobile, and customer service. Other services can rack up additional fees: its 5 cents per text message, 10 cents per minute of talk, 25 cents per picture message, and $6.99 a month for unlimited mobile instant messaging.Overall, we really like that Kajeet is trusting children with real full-fledged cell phones that will transition them easily into adulthood. The service also allows parents to really control their childs cell phone usage via the Kajeet Configurator. Though it doesnt have the GPS location-based service that Disney Mobile has, its still a pretty decent service that lets parents teach their kids responsible cell phone usage. Add that to its low pay-as-you-go pricing, and we think the Kajeet service is great for families. ),
(783,T-Mobile Sidekick iD,Positives: The T-Mobile Sidekick iD carries an affordable price tag and features interchangeable bumpers for customization. The handheld also comes preloaded with popular instant messaging clients, its own e-mail account, and an HTML Web browser. Negatives: The Sidekick iD strips out too many features, most notably a camera. Surfing the Net on the device is slow without the EDGE speeds. Facts: The T-Mobile Sidekick iD offers all the great messaging capabilities of the Sidekick 3 at half the price, but the rest of the handhelds feature set is very limited; too bare-bones, in our opinion. That said, young, cash-strapped kids will find the iD to be a good option. Note: This product is part of the T-Mobile Sidekick series. ., The T-Mobile Sidekick 3 has garnered its fair share of fans, and we can understand why. The handheld not only makes all messaging--instant, text, e-mail or otherwise--an absolute breeze, but also the various celebrity and athlete endorsements definitely give it some street cred with young hipsters. And now T-Mobile and Danger are hoping to expand the Sidekicks customer base even more by introducing the budget-friendly T-Mobile Sidekick iD. Priced at $99 (with a two-year contract and after rebates), the iD is certainly affordable, but you sacrifice a number of features for the price. Unlike the Sidekick 3, you don't get a camera, Bluetooth, or MP3 playback. You also lose EDGE support and expandable media. We understand that certain cuts had to be made to save costs, but we think they went a little overboard. Inevitably, these lapses may limit the devices appeal to the truly cash-strapped and tweeners looking for their first taste of the popular messaging device; but if you can swing it, the Sidekick 3 is definitely the better buy.That said, the Sidekick iD still handles messaging like a champ, and the ability to customize the phone with differently colored bumpers is a bonus (to learn how to further customize your iD, check out our Cell phone accessories page). The T-Mobile Sidekick iD will be available in stores and online starting April 25. DesignThe T-Mobile Sidekick iD looks like a cross between the Sidekick 3 and the Sidekick II. It sports the pearly white/gray coloring of the Sidekick II, but features the new navigation controls found on the Sidekick 3. At 5.1 inches long by 2.4 inches wide by 0.8 inch thick it retains the same shape as its predecessors, but at 6.2 ounces, the iD is slightly lighter than the Sidekick 3. The Sidekick iD also manages to add some flair of its own with its interchangeable bumpers. Available in black, yellow, blue, purple, or a glow-in-the-dark scheme, the bumpers (more designs are planned) add some spice to the drab grey color scheme that you get in the box. Just be aware that these accessories cost $19.95 each, which is pricey. Our review unit came with the bright-as-sunshine yellow bumpers, and swapping out the bumpers was a bit labor-intensive. Theres a total of four pieces that you need to take on and off, and theres a fair amount of pulling and snapping to get them on correctly.You can customize your T-Mobile Sidekick iD with interchangeable bumpers. Theyre available in a variety of colors, but cost $19.95 each.The Sidekick iDs screen is slightly smaller than the one found on the Sidekick 3, and displays 65,000 colors at a low 240x160 pixel resolution. Flanking the screen are the controls. To the left, you have the menu and jump buttons and a directional keypad that doubles as the phones speakers, and on the right, there is a cancel button, Talk and End keys, an OK button, and the trackball navigator. In addition, youll find a volume rocker, a power button, and a 2.5mm headset jack along the bottom edge of the phone, while along the top edge are two function buttons that perform different tasks depending on which application you are using. Finally, there is a power connector and a loop for the wrist strap on the right side. The Sidekick iD keeps the trackball navigator that was first featured on the Sidekick 3.To expose the full QWERTY keyboard, just nudge the upper right or lower left corner of the screen, and the display quickly rotates180 degrees and snaps into place. The iDs keyboard is spacious, with tactile and brightly backlit buttons for easy messaging. The one downside, and its a major one in our opinion, is that dialing a number that isnt in your phone book requires you to swivel the screen to get to the keyboard/dial pad, then close it again to use it as a phone. Also, the PDA-like design makes the Sidekick iD a little awkward to hold during phone calls due to its wider, blocky body, but you get used to it after a while. We found the iDs keyboard to be spacious and tactile, for easy messaging.The T-Mobile Sidekick iD comes packaged with a travel charger, a carrying case, a wrist strap, a wired headset, and reference material.FeaturesIn order to make the T-Mobile Sidekick iD more budget-friendly, some features had to be sacrificed, but we think T-Mobile and Danger took it a bit too far. The iD strips out the 1.3-megapixel camera, music player, integrated Bluetooth, expandable media slot, and EDGE support. Axing Bluetooth? Sure, were in full agreement. The lack of EDGE speeds is questionable, as is the removal of MP3 playback and the expansion slot, but chances are good that most users will have a dedicated MP3 player for their music anyway. No, our biggest gripe is the lack of a camera. Many basic cell phones these days include at least a VGA camera, so we find the omission inexcusable, especially since the Sidekick iD is such a youth-oriented and multimedia-centric device. There is a photo viewer installed on the iD, but obviously without a camera, youll have to get photos onto the handheld another way (via e-mail, multimedia message, and so on).Despite the Sidekick iDs shortcomings, we cant deny that its a solid messaging device. The iD comes preinstalled with AIM, Yahoo, and Windows Live instant messaging clients, and you can have up to 10 simultaneous conversations if youre a social butterfly. To switch between conversations just press the menu and D buttons. And if you happen to lose network connection in the midst of a session, the Sidekick will save the chat until a connection is restored. The Sidekick iD also supports text and multimedia messaging.The Sidekick iD comes with its own T-Mobile e-mail account with real-time message delivery. Setup is extremely easy, as the device walks you through the whole process when you first turn it on (its really just a matter of choosing a username and password). The iD also can be configured to access up to three POP3 and IMAP accounts, but e-mail delivery comes in about 15-minute intervals. If you have a Web-based e-mail account like Hotmail, you will need to use the iDs HTML Web browser to check your messages.As a phone, the Sidekick iD offers a 2,000-contact address book with room in each entry for multiple numbers, an e-mail address, an IM account, a Web URL, a street address, and notes. You can assign contacts to groups, and for caller ID, you can pair an entry with a photo and one of 22 ringtones. You also get speed dial, call forwarding, three-way calling, a call log, a vibrate mode, a speakerphone, and support for T-Mobiles myFaves service. MyFaves gives you unlimited calling to five contacts, regardless of carrier. Plans for myFaves start at $39.99 a month.Other features on the Sidekick iD include a calendar, a notepad, a task list, one preloaded game, and a download catalog where you can get more ringtones, games, and applications.PerformanceWe tested the triband (GSM 850/1800/1900; GPRS) T-Mobile Sidekick iD world phone in San Francisco, and call quality was OK. On our end, voices sounded mostly clear both on regular calls and on speakerphone, though there was a slight crackling noise in the background. Our callers said audio was bad on their end, and asked us to repeat ourselves several times. They also reported a weird echo when we put them on speakerphone.Web browsing was slow. Without the EDGE speeds, simple sites like Google took about a minute to come up while graphics-intensive sites like EBAY.com took 2 minutes or more to fully load. On the upside, sending and receiving e-mail via the Tmail account was instantaneous, and we also had no problems setting up the Sidekick iD to access our SBC Global account. The Sidekick iD is rated for 5.3 hours of talk time and up to six days of standby time. In our battery tests, we were able to get 8 hours of talk time on a single charge. According to FCC radiation tests, the iD has a digital SAR rating of 0.63 watts per kilogram. ),
(784,Nokia 2610,Positives: The Nokia 2610 is a simple, user-friendly cell phone with a functional feature set. Negatives: The Nokia 2610 lacks side-mounted volume buttons. Also, there was static on some calls. Facts: The Nokia 2610 could stand some minor improvements, but on the whole, its a decent choice for a basic cell phone. , Its been so long since weve reviewed a simple, candy bar phone from Nokia that we almost forgot what they look like. Of course, thats a bit strange considering Nokia built its reputation on basic phones, but lately weve been preoccupied with the companys fancy, design-centric handsets such as the N95 and the 7390. Yet Cingular has pulled an oldie-but-goody out of its hat with the Nokia 2610. Exceedingly simple in form and function, the 2610 is a solid option for anyone who just wants to make a call. Call quality wasnt perfect, but it is acceptable. Its also cheap, at $19 with service.DesignThe Nokia 2610 is couldnt have a more basic form factor. At 4.09x1.69x0.71 inches, it has a compact candy bar shape that slips easily into a pocket or bag. Its also relatively light at 3.21 ounces, and it has a comfortable feel in the hand. The exterior black-and-gray color scheme is attractively subdued, while the silver keys provide a nice contrast. Like most basic phones, the 2610s outside casing feels a bit cheap but some of exterior areas have a slight rubberized texture. The Nokia 2610 has a standard candy bar design. The 2610s 1.5-inch (128x128 pixels) display isnt particularly striking, but its perfectly fine for this caliber of phone. With support for 65,536 colors, it is serviceable for browsing through its simple menus, but graphics and games look a bit dim. You can change the contrast and the font size but not the backlighting time. The display isnt very visible in direct light, and it tends to attract fingerprints and smudges. Below the display is the large and well designed navigation array. The five-way toggle is tactile and easy to use, and we like that its raised above the surface of the phone. Whats more, the OK button in the middle of the toggle is big enough for larger fingers. There are also two soft keys and the dedicated Talk and End controls. Its disappointing theres no dedicated Back or Clear button, but the toggle can be set as a shortcut to four user-defined functions. We didnt like that theres no volume rocker on the phones spine; instead you have to use the navigation toggle. That can be a bit distracting when youre on a call. The raised keypad buttons give a tactile \"push\" sensation when pressed, which makes it easy to dial by feel. Though the keys are large, the numbers on buttons keys can be too small for some users. On the other hand, theyre lit by bright backlighting, so we had no problems dialing in dim situations. Features The Nokia 2610s feature set is as simple as its design. You wont find a lot of fancy extras here, but thats perfectly fine for many users. The 300-contact phone book has room in each entry for five phone numbers, an e-mail address, a Web address, a company name and job title, a formal name, a nickname, a street address, a birthdate, and notes. Social butterflies wont be satisfied with just 300 contacts, but the SIM card holds an additional 250 names. You can pair contacts with a photo for caller ID purposes, but only callers groups can be assigned one of the 10 polyphonic ringtones. Other features include a vibrate mode, text and multimedia messaging, an alarm clock, a stopwatch, a timer, a calculator, a notepad, a to-do list, and a calendar. More advanced offerings include a voice recorder, a speakerphone, a unit converter, and an expense manager (a simple budgeting tool). You can personalize with a variety of screen savers and color themes, as well as tones. You can get more options and more ringtones with the WAP 2.0 wireless Web browser. Gamers get a decent selection of Java (J2ME) titles including Tetris, Glamour Pinball, Pac-Man and Platinum Sudoku. Theres also an application called Coin Flipper that will do a mock coin toss for the perpetually undecided. Performance We tested the dual-band (GSM 850/1900) 2610 in San Francisco using Cingular service. Call quality was decent for the most part. Voices sounded natural, and there was quite enough volume. Callers reported similar conditions, though they could tell we were using a cell phone. At times we experienced a fair amount of static, but it didnt happen so frequently that it became overwhelming. Speakerphone calls were mostly satisfactory, though callers could hear us only when we were speaking next to the phone. Normally were not a big fan of dual-mode GSM phones, as they are useless for getting service outside the United States. The Nokia 2610 has a promised battery life of four hours talk time and 12.5 days standby time. Thats a bit less then were used to from a basic GSM phone, but we did manage to get around 8 hours of talk time in our tests. According to FCC radiation tests, the 2610 has a digital SAR rating of 0.56 watt per kilogram. ),
(785,Helio Music,Positives: The Helio Music store allows for affordable over-the-air song downloads, plus the option of having a copy of the song download to your PC. You have the ability to \"Gift\" and \"Beg\" for selected songs, you can explore new music via recommended tunes, and get notification of new songs via an Artist Alert service. Negatives: The Helio Music store does not offer a PC store at this time, and you can only download songs over the air. Also, you cant use the purchased songs as ringtones, which actually cost more than the full-length songs. The Helio Music store is only compatible with only two handsets so far. Facts: The Helio Music store is great if youre an existing Helio customer who needs to get a music fix while on the go. However, we suggest waiting a little while longer for Helio to really ramp up its service with a full-fledged PC store. , When Helio launched its \"don't call it a phone\" campaign, it was trying to send a message that its devices were much more than just cell phones. With the ability to stream videos, navigate your route via GPS, play games, and surf the Web, it does seem like Helio is positing its handhelds as convergence multimedia devices for the young and trendy. With the introduction of the Helio Music store, it appears to be closing in on that trend. Following the lead of Verizons V Cast Music and the Sprint Music Store. Helio Music is understandably small potatoes with a much smaller demographic. Still, we think its worth a more in-depth look to see what the little guys are doing in the music download space.Similar to its bigwig competitors, Helio Music is offering songs for PC download for 99 cents, which you can then sideload to your phone via a USB cable. You can also choose to download a song over-the-air for $1.99 and have a copy of it ready to download to your home PC. The pricing is incredibly competitive, and is on par with the pricing on Verizons V Cast Music store. It is, however, not nearly as affordable as Sprints recent initiative to offer 99 cents per song across the board. Also, Helio Music is currently only available on two phones--the Helio Drift and the Helio Heat. That said, Helio has mentioned that all future Helio phones will have built-in support for Helio Music. Accessing the Helio Music store via the cell phone couldnt be simpler. You can either dial MUSIC (68742) and hit the Jump option on the phones menu screen, or you can scroll to the Video and Music menu and select \"Download music.\" Youll then be brought to the front page of the Helio Music store, which is divided into four sections: Featured Music, Top Music, New Releases, and Genre. Theres also a Search function right at the top of the page, which you can use to quickly and easily search for a desired tune. Once a song is selected, you can preview it, purchase it directly over the air, \"Gift\" it by giving the song to a friend in your network, or \"Beg\" for it from a friend who has some cash to spare. Underneath these options is a list of recommended songs that are somehow related to the song you just selected, which we think is a great way for you to explore more music. Also, you can sign up for Artist Alerts, which will notify you whenever a new song from that artist is available on the Helio Music store. There is one serious downside though; you cant use a track purchased from the Music Store as a ringtone--instead, ringtones actually cost around $2.50-- thats almost $1.50 more than a Helio Music store download. As Helio has yet to launch its PC store at this time, we are unable to review the performance of the PC store and evaluate how easy it is to download music that way. We do note that you can still use your existing MP3 collection and sideload it to the cell phone via Helios Media Mover application with a simple drag-and-drop interface.We tested the Helio Music interface with the Helio Heat and experienced no problems with music transfer. The songs took an average of about 10 seconds each to download, which we found suitably impressive. However, because the Heat only comes with 136MB of internal memory and no microSD card slot, we would suggest using the Drift or an upcoming Helio device for more storage. As we mentioned in the Helio Heat review, the music sounded loud and clear when heard through a pair of earbuds, but not nearly as good as it does from a dedicated MP3 player. ),
(786,Motorola Krzr K1 (T-Mobile),Positives: The Motorola Krzr K1 for T-Mobile offers good call quality and comes with a stylish design and a decent array of features. Negatives: The Motorola Krzr K1 for T-Mobile has low internal memory, and the exterior face attracts smudges and fingerprints. Facts: The Motorola Krzr K1 for T-Mobile is an ideal choice for the midrange cell phone user who wants a stylish handset. Note: This product is part of the Motorola Krzr K1 series. ., Motorolas Krzr cell phone began making the carrier rounds last year. After landing at almost every major wireless provider (including Alltel and US Cellular) in one form or another, the GSM version of the phone--the Krzr K1--completes its journey by arriving at T-Mobile. Though vastly similar to Cingulars Krzr K1, the T-Mobile handset features a silver color scheme thats somewhat less desirable than the cool blue hue on the Cingular phone. The T-Mobile Krzr is $149 with service. To find ringtones and accessories for this phone, plus advice and tips on how to use it, check out our Cell phones ringtones, accessories, and help page.PerformanceThe T-Mobile Krzr sports the same svelte design as the Cingular Krzr and the CDMA Krzr K1m. As an evolution of the popular Razr line, the Krzr resembles its predecessor in some ways, but we think its much more attractive. At 4.05 inches long by 1.73 inches wide by 0.67 inch thick, its narrower shape makes it much more stylish, and though its the tinniest bit thicker in profile it still captures the thin phone trend that shows no signs of dissipating. Its also more comfortable to hold in the hand, and its slightly heavier weight (3.6 ounces) gives it a more solid feel. The K1s memory card holder is located behind the battery.T-Mobiles Krzr also features the sheet of hardened glass and the chrome plating on the bottom end, but the silver color scheme was disappointing. Sure, it can double as a mirror, but it reflects too much light and it attracts fingerprints by the ton. We constantly had to clean it and even when we did so, we had to rub it a few times to get out the streaks. Its also disappointing that the K1 lacks the external music controls of the CDMA K1m. Yes, we realize T-Mobile doesnt have a music service, but the phone does have a rudimentary music player. And in any case, it would just be nice to have these controls for possible future use. The 65,536-color (96x80 pixels) external display, the exterior controls, and the somewhat poor location of the MicroSD slot behind the battery cover all are unchanged from the other Krzr K1. Yet due to the reflection from the silver face, the external display was a tad harder to see than on the Cingular K1. The placement of the camera lens is the same as well, and here again it lacks a flash. The internal display supports 262,000 colors and measures 1.9 inches (176x220 pixels). The menu interface is standard Moto; it still looks dated and rather dull. The navigation controls and keypad buttons are also unchanged from the Cingular Krzr K1 except that they reflect the silver color on the phones exterior. Theres a four-way toggle with an OK button in the center, two soft keys, a dedicated Web browser button, a Clear key, and Talk and End/power buttons. The controls are flat against the surface of the phone but tactile ridges give them some definition. Also, we like that the toggle and OK button are set apart with slightly different colors. The keypad buttons are also separated by tactile ridges, and though the numbers on the keys are a tad small, theyre lit by bright backlighting. FeaturesThe K1s phone book holds 1,000 contacts, with room in each entry for five phone numbers, three e-mail addresses, a Web address, three street addresses, and a birthday (the SIM card holds an additional 250 names). You can organize contacts into groups or pair them with a photo or one of 30 (24-chord) polyphonic ringtones for caller ID. Other basic offerings include a vibrate mode, a voice recorder, text and multimedia messaging, an alarm clock, a calendar, a calculator, and instant messaging. On the higher end, theres a speakerphone, voice dialing and commands, USB connectivity, e-mail, full Bluetooth, and PC syncing. The T-Mobile Krzr comes with only 12MB of internal memory but the Micro SD card slot gives you more room. A 128MB card should come in the box.The K1 has a 2-megapixel camera, which is an improvement over the 1.3-megapixel shooter on the CDMA K1m. You can take pictures in just four sizes (2-megapixel, 1.3-megapixel, 640x80, and 320x240) and you get a selection of three quality settings. The camcorder shoots clips in two resolutions (176x144 and 128x96) with sound; editing options are similar to the still camera. Photo quality was decent but not quite what we expected from a megapixel camera. Images were bit blurry, and colors werent always sharp.The Krzr had average photo quality.Unlike the Sprint and Verizon phones, T-Mobiles Krzr K1 doesnt support 3G networks, but thats hardly an issue since T-Mobile doesnt offer a 3G network anyway. As previously mentioned, the K1 offers a generic Motorola music player. Its not exactly optimized for music--the interface is minimalist and the features are limited--but it plays MP3, AAC, and AAC+ just the same. You must load music on the phone via Bluetooth or a USB cable or use the MicroSD card.You can personalize the T-Mobile Krzr K1 with a variety of wallpapers, screensavers, menu styles, and color skins. If you want more options or more ringtones you can always download them via the WAP 2.0 wireless Web browser. Gamers get two Java (J2ME) titles: World Poker and Gameloft Hits. PerformanceWe tested the (GSM 850/900/1800/1900; GPRS; EV-DO) Motorola Krzr K1 world phone in San Francisco using T-Mobiles service. Sound quality was comparable with Cingulars Krzr K1 but there was a slight increase in static at times. On their end, callers said we sounded fine but they had they had about the same amount of trouble hearing us as they did on the Cingular phone. Speakerphone calls sounded a bit hollow but had enough volume, and Bluetooth headset calls were satisfactory.The Motorola Krzr K1 has a promised battery life of three hours talk time and eight days standby time. Curiously, both rated times are lower than the Cingular Krzr K1. According to FCC radiation tests the Krzr K1 has a digital SAR rating of 1.07 watts per kilogram. ),
(787,Nokia N95,Positives: The Nokia N95 cell phone boasts a 5-megapixel camera that produces good-quality photos and videos. It comes with advanced multimedia capabilities and has a 3.5mm headphone jack. The Symbian smart phone also features integrated GPS, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth, and an innovative two-way slider design. Negatives: The N95 lacks support for U.S. 3G networks; standby battery life is poor; and performance is somewhat sluggish. The hardware feels a bit cheap, and the sliding mechanism could be more secure. Its also very expensive. Facts: With a 5-megapixel camera, advanced multimedia capabilities, and GPS, theres no doubt that the Nokia N95 is one of the most feature-packed smart phones to date, but poor battery life and sluggish performance makes it hard to justify the high price tag. Note: This product is part of the Nokia N series. ., Ever since the Nokia N95 first debuted back in September 2006, its been one of the most anticipated and highly coveted smart phones. In fact, Nokia didnt even have plans to bring the N95 to the United States, but after the high number of requests from U.S. customers, the company finally decided to ship the hot smart phone across the pond. Whats all the hubbub about, you ask? Well, lets see: it boasts a 5-megapixel camera that can also record VGA-quality video, a robust media player with a 3.5mm headphone jack, a dual-slider design, and integrated GPS, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. Not to mention, its a Symbian smart phone as well. Unfortunately, when youve got an overhyped phone like this, theres bound to be some disappointments. First, the N95 does not work on the United States 3G network (namely, Cingular/AT&Ts HSDPA network) for high-speed Web browsing and data transfer, which is a major disappointment. Also, all of the phones features take a toll on the devices battery and processor, as standby battery life was pretty sad and performance was somewhat sluggish. But do the pros outweigh the cons? Is it worth paying the $750 for the phone? Well, were not 100 percent sold. We so desperately wanted to like this phone, but for that money, we want a device that can keep up with our demands and not require us to go running to the outlet to constantly recharge. Plus, wed also like the see the inclusion of 3G.Still, we know there are the gadget lovers and tech enthusiasts out there that will plunk down the Benjamins for this high-end phone, and we cant deny that youll get your fill of features. The Nokia N95 is available now unlocked (for use with Cingular and T-Mobile SIM cards) through Nokias flagship stores, select wireless retailers, and online.DesignConsidering all the features that are packed into the Nokia N95, youd think it would be a pretty hefty phone, but not so, my friends. The N95 measures a compact 3.8 inches long by 2.1 inches wide by 0.8 inch thick and weighs only 4.2 ounces. It feels comfortable to hold, and the soft-touch finish on the back of the device makes it easier to grip. That said, we couldnt help but think that the phone felt, well, kind of cheap. In particular, the front cover felt plasticky and rickety (more on this below). From an aesthetic standpoint, the N95 certainly falls more into the short and stocky category rather than svelte and sexy, but we think its still a good-looking phone with its plum-and-silver color scheme. Despite all the features that are packed into the device, the Nokia N95 is a compact and an attractive phone.Of course, another attraction of the N95 is its innovative two-way slider design. Not only can you slide the front cover up to reveal the alphanumeric keypad, you can also slide it down to expose the media player controls. The dual functionality is nice, but we had a couple of concerns. First, the cover, which houses the screen and navigation buttons, felt loose and rattled around a bit. It just didnt feel like it was securely locked into place, thus leading to our next complaint. When putting the phone into a pants pocket or even when thrown into a bag, it was too easy to slide open the phone. There is a keypad lock, but we would prefer that the N95 just had a stronger mechanism for locking the position of the front flap.Moving onto the display, the Nokia N95 features a gorgeous 2.6-inch QVGA TFT screen with a 16 million-color output and 320x240 pixel resolution. Be aware, however, that it isnt a touch screen. Images and text looked great, with deep color saturation and sharp definition. You can change the theme of the home screen, backlighting time, and font size. Theres also an ambient light detector to adjust the backlighting depending on your environment, which helped keep the display readable in various lighting conditions. However, we noticed the N95s screen had a nasty habit of holding fingerprints and smudges, so keep some kind of wipe cloth close by. We should also note that when you slide open the phone to access the media player controls, the screen automatically switches to Landscape mode but once you close the phone, it doesnt automatically switch back. You have to open the dial pad to get back to portrait mode, which is annoying.While the alphanumeric keypad is spacious, the navigation controls above it are slightly cramped and slick.Beneath the display are the N95s navigation controls, which consist of two soft keys, the Talk and End buttons, shortcuts to the main menu and the multimedia menu, a Clear key, an Edit key that lets you choose the text input type, and a four-way toggle with a center select button. For the most part, the controls are easy to use, though theyre a bit slick and the toggle and outer ring of buttons (see image above) could have been bigger. Still, its an improvement over the Nokia E65s miniscule keys. The N95s numeric keypad features large, tactile buttons with bright backlighting, and theyre raised above the phones surface so its easier to dial by feel. Unfortunately, the media player controls are less tactile and require a bit more pressure to register the command.The dedicated media controls are a nice touch, but theyre hard to press.Since the N95 is a multimedia-centric device, Nokia smartly equipped the phone with a 3.5mm headset jack so you can plug in your favorite pair of earbuds or headphones for a better listening experience. Its located on the left side, in addition to an infrared port and the microSD expansion slot. On the right side, you will find the volume rocker, a shortcut to your photo gallery, and the camera activation button. The latter is in a position so that when youre holding the phone horizontally, it actually mimics the look and feel of a digital camera. The N95s camera lens itself (and flash) is located on the back and is guarded by a protective cover. Finally, theres a power connector and mini USB port on the bottom, and the power button on top of the handset.Thankfully, Nokia put the microSD slot on the left spine of the N95 instead of behind the battery cover.The U.S. version of the Nokia N95 comes packaged with an AC adapter, a USB cable, a TV-out cable, a 1GB microSD card with adapter for SD drives, a pair of earbud headphones, a headphone adapter with antenna and audio playback controls, a desktop software CD (which includes Nokia PC Suite), and reference material. Features Its hard to decide where to begin with the feature-packed Nokia N95, but since imaging is one of its biggest draws, well start there. The N95 is equipped with an impressive 5-megapixel camera--unheard of in the cell phone and smart phone world--with a Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens. (Carl Zeiss was an optician who first started manufacturing lenses for microscopes and then used his expertise for camera lenses.) The breadth of customization and editing options available on this phone is astounding--almost like an actual digital camera. You can choose from seven shooting modes, ranging from close-up to sports to night portrait, and five quality settings. You can adjust the brightness, contrast, white balance, color tone, ISO light sensitivity, and exposure value to get the best picture possible. The flash even has a red-eye reduction option. Plus, theres also a self-timer and a sequence mode for multiple shots. The Nokia N95 is equipped with an impressive 5-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss lens and flash.The N95 can record video at a maximum VGA resolution (640x480) at 30 frames per second, though you also have a choice of four other quality settings. The N95 can record video with sound in MP4 or 3GP (for multimedia messages) format, and length is only limited by the available memory. Theres a handy timer that shows you how much video time you have based on the memory and the quality setting (this feature is available in camera mode as well). Editing options are a little more limited in video mode; you only get two shooting modes (automatic and night) and white balance and color tone settings. In addition, theres a video stabilization feature to help reduce camera shake as youre recording video. The N95s camera produced some impressive photos with rich colors and sharp definition.We were impressed by the quality of photos and videos the N95 produced, as one would hope with a 5-megapixel lens. Pictures boasted vibrant colors and sharp lines and edges, and unlike some smart phones, the N95 didnt require you to have a super steady hand to get a clear shot. The camera phone also did a decent job with nighttime pictures, though they were still pretty dim. Video quality was also good. There wasnt any of that graininess that sometimes plagues videos shot by camera phones. We also wanted to mention the cameras interface, as we found it extremely easy to use and change camera settings, which can sometimes be challenging when you don't have a touch screen. Once youre done, you can touch up your videos and photos with the included image editors. For example, you can add clip art and reduce red eye on still images, or cut audio for videos. Theres about 150MB of internal memory for saving your photos and videos to the phone, but we recommend saving them onto a microSD card, especially since the N95 can support up to 2GB expandable media. And sharing your memories is also easy with the ability to view them as a slide show, print them via Nokias Xpress Solutions, upload them to the Web or Nokias Lifeblog app, or transfer them to other devices. Also, Nokia includes video-out cables so you can hook up your N95 to your TV to view all your media on the big screen.As a multimedia computer, the Nokia N95 isnt limited to just pictures and video. Theres also an integrated music player that supports MP3, WMA, W4A, AAC, AAC+, and eAAC+ files, as well as OMA DRM 2.0- and WMDRM-protected songs. The music library categorizes tracks by artists, albums, genres, and composers; you can also create playlists right on the phone and adjust the sound with the built-in equalizer. The N95 also has an FM radio, though youll have to use the included headset to access the radio, since it acts as the tuner. RealPlayer is also onboard with 3GPP and MPEG-4 video streaming support. Again, we applaud the decision to incorporate a 3.5mm headphone jack, which goes a long way in making the multimedia experience that much better.The Nokia N95 has a 3.5mm headset jack that accepts Walkman-style headphones for a better listening experience.On top of all that, Nokia has also packed a GPS receiver into the N95, along with a mapping application. With it, you can get color maps, route planning, and a healthy points-of- interest database. Theres also a trip computer that shows you information about the total distance, time, average speed, and so forth. However, to get any kind of turn-by-turn directions, youll have to download an upgrade to the device that costs an additional $91.93 for a one-year license or $11.81 for a month. The N95s GPS performance was satisfactory, although it took quite a while for the unit to get a satellite fix. Once connected though, it did a good job of tracking our position and gave accurate route calculations.Aside from the GPS radio, other wireless options on the Nokia N95 include integrated Bluetooth 2.0, Wi-Fi, and an infrared port. The smart phone supports a number of Bluetooth profiles, including wireless headsets, hands-free kits, wireless keyboards, and A2DP for Bluetooth stereo headsets. As far as Wi-Fi, the N95 is compatible with 802.11b/g standards; in addition, theres support for Universal Plug and Play, which lets you use a Wi-Fi connection to hook up with a compatible PC, printer, or home entertainment system, but the number of UPnP devices is limited at the moment. The N95 was able to find and connect to our test access point, and we were able to surf the Net within minutes, using Nokias excellent Web browser. Now, heres the bad news: the N95 does not work on the U.S. 3G networks. Theres support for Europes HSDPA/WCDMA 2100 band, but not for the U.S. HSDPA bands, so were left with just regular ol EDGE speeds. Granted, weve been a bit spoiled after getting a taste for 3G, but for such a high-end and advanced phone as the N95, 3G support would have been huge.While all the aforementioned features are great, you cant forget that the Nokia N95 is, first and foremost, a phone. The N95 includes a speakerphone, speed dial, conference calling, voice-command support, a vibrate mode, and text and multimedia messaging. Unfortunately, the video calling feature found on the European version of the N95 is not supported here in the United States. The phones address book is only limited by the available memory, and the SIM card holds an additional 250 contacts. Theres room in each entry for multiple phone numbers, work and home addresses, e-mail addresses, birthday, and more vitals. For caller ID purposes, you can assign each contact a photo, one of 44 ringtones, or a group ID. Last but not least, the N95 runs the third edition of the S60 platform on the Symbian operating system for your productivity needs. An app called QuickOffice lets you view Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents, and it optimizes the pages for the phones screen, so you don't have to scroll all over the place to read text. There are some nice shortcuts to jump to the top or bottom of the page to reduce the up-and-down scrolling, and theres also a search function. However, if you want any editing capabilities, youll have to upgrade the preloaded copy of QuickOffice. For messaging, the N95 supports IMAP4, POP3, and SMTP e-mail accounts and comes with a full attachment viewer. The N95 does support a number of push e-mail solutions, as well as Microsoft Exchange Server synchronization, but this is dependent upon your service provider (for example, Cingular offers Cingular Express) and companys e-mail solution, so check with your IT department if you have any questions.Theres a handy wizard when you first power up the device to help you configure your e-mail, and we used it to easily set up our SBC Global account. Other productivity apps and PIM tools include Adobe Reader, a Zip Manager, a calculator, a notepad, a measurement converter, a clock, and a voice recorder. PerformanceWe tested the quadband (GSM 850/900/1800/1900; EDGE/GPRS) Nokia N95 in San Francisco using T-Mobile and Cingular service, and in general, call quality was good. On our end, there was a slight background hiss but nothing too distracting that we couldnt carry on a conversation. Our friends, on the other hand, reported clear and excellent audio quality and said it sounded like we were on a landline. They were really impressed that such good sound was coming from a cell phone. Call quality didnt diminish when we activated the speakerphone. We also had no problems pairing the N95 with the Logitech Mobile Traveller Bluetooth headset.In terms of general performance, the N95 was fairly sluggish. There was a delay in response time whether we were using the camera, launching the media player, opening documents, or just calling up the multimedia menu. All in all, its just a matter of a few seconds, but long enough to be noticeable and a bit annoying. The Web browsing experience was good, as pages loaded fairly quickly (faster using Wi-Fi than cellular), and weve always been huge fans of the Nokia Web browser. Multimedia is the N95s forte, as evidenced by the features and performance. Music playback through the phones speakers was better than anything weve heard from recent smart phones. It still lacks that deep bass, but were impressed nonetheless. We also watched a couple of MP4 video clips using RealPlayer, and the video quality was decent with some expected pixilation. However, the playback was smooth and audio and video were always synchronized.The Nokia N95 is rated for four hours of talk time and up to nine days of standby time. In our battery tests, we were able to get eight hours of talk time on a single charge. While the talk time battery life was impressive, the standby time was not, as all the wireless radios and multimedia features take a toll on the device. After just one day of using the N95 in its various capacities--media player, phone, GPS, mobile Web browser--the battery was drained down to just one bar, so keep your travel charger handy. According to FCC radiation tests, the N95 has a digital SAR rating of 0.38 watts per kilogram. ),
(788,Pharos GPS Phone 600e,Positives: The Pharos GPS Phone 600e features a slim design and integrated GPS, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. It also has a 2-megapixel camera and an FM radio. Negatives: The 600e is expensive and doesnt come with navigation software. Call quality was also subpar. Facts: The Pharos GPS Phone 600e isnt a horrible smart phone, but the lack of navigation software and subpar call quality detracts from its overall appeal. Plus, you can get more for your money with other GPS-enabled smart phones. , We suppose it was only a matter of time before GPS specialists Pharos broke into the smart phone market. The company has produced a number of navigation solutions for cars, laptops, and PDAs already, so the mobile phone must have seemed like the next natural step. And that is how the Pharos GPS Phone 600 and the Pharos GPS Phone 600e came to be. Both smart phones are equipped with GPS radios for location-based services and feature Windows Mobile 5 Pocket PC Phone Edition, integrated Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, and a 2-megapixel camera. The 600 also ships with maps of the United States and Canada and Phaross Ostia navigation software. The 600e, on the other hand, doesnt come with any maps and is designed for those who already use and favor other nav applications. Both devices are available now as unlocked phones and carry some hefty price tags; the 600 costs $699.95 while the 600e costs $599.95.Disappointingly, we received only the Pharos GPS Phone 600e, so we couldnt test the navigation features, which we consider to be the main draw of this device. We should be getting a review unit of the 600 soon, but in the meantime, we thought wed see how the 600e performed as a smart phone. We liked its thin design, and Pharos includes some nice utilities to differentiate itself from competitors like the HP iPaq hw6900 series. That said, call quality was subpar, and if youre going to plunk down that kind of cash for a smart phone, we think youd be better served by the HP iPaq hw6900 series, which comes equipped with a full QWERTY keyboard for a better messaging experience. DesignFor a Pocket PC phone, the Pharos GPS Phone 600e is pretty darn thin. Its actually a rebranded version of the E-ten X500 Glofish, which was dubbed the worlds slimmest Pocket PC phone; with its dimensions of 4.4 inches long by 2.3 inches wide by 0.6 inch high, we believe it (though probably not for long). Its certainly the sleekest Pocket PC Phone we can remember seeing in years. While the thinness helps, the 600e still resembles a PDA, so using it as a phone will take some acclimation due to the wider body. But the device has a solid construction and feels comfortable to hold; in addition, the 600e features a soft-touch finish that makes it easier to grip.Front and center, theres a 2.8-inch QVGA touch screen that displays 65,536 colors at a 240x320 pixel resolution. The screen is smaller than the one found on the Cingular 8525, but images and text had sharp definition and vibrant colors. The screen is readable in various lighting conditions, including direct sunlight, and you can adjust the theme, backlighting, and font size, and switch between Landscape and Portrait mode. Unfortunately, the 600e isnt equipped with a full QWERTY keyboard, unlike the 8525 and the HP iPaq hw6900 series. There is a full onscreen keyboard that you can use for text message, but for heavy e-mailers, you may want to consider getting an accessory Bluetooth keyboard.Surrounding the display are the 600es various navigation controls. There are two shortcut keys above the screen: one with a laser-etched satellite icon for GPS and one with a Home icon for the Today screen. You can, however, reassign these buttons to open any other app on the device. Beneath the display are the Talk and End buttons, two soft keys, and a four-way navigation toggle with a center \"select\" button. The latter is the only control that gave us any real trouble. The toggle is a slim outline of a rectangle so its hard to press it any direction with your thumb and not press the OK button in the middle. Plus, the toggle is a bit stiff. We found the 600es four-way navigation toggle stiff and difficult to use.The Pharos GPS Phone 600e is equipped with a 2-megapixel camera, which is located on the back of the device with a flash and a self-portrait mirror. On the left spine, there are volume up and down buttons, a customizable shortcut key, and a 2.5mm headset jack, while a power button, a reset hole, and the camera activation key sit on the right side. Finally, youll find a microSD expansion slot, a mini USB port, and a stylus holder on the bottom of the device. The Pharos GPS Phone 600e comes packaged with an AC adapter, a USB cable, a belt holster, a wired headset, desktop software, and reference material. The Pharos GPS Phone 600e has a microSD expansion slot on the bottom of the unit for carrying large files like photos and music.FeaturesThe Pharos GPS Phone 600e runs Window Mobile 5 Pocket PC Phone Edition, rather than the latest Windows Mobile 6, but you can still view and edit Word and Excel documents and open PowerPoint presentations with the full Microsoft Office Mobile suite. The 600e also supports Microsofts Direct Push technology for wireless synchronization with Microsoft Exchange and your Outlook e-mail, calendar, contacts, and tasks. In addition to the standard PIM tools, Pharos throws in a handy utility called Spb Menu that, in our opinion, does a better job of presenting and organizing the devices apps. Other goodies include a calculator, a voice recorder, a download agent, a program manager, two games (Bubble Breaker and Solitaire), and an FM radio.As far as voice features, the 600e is a quadband GSM world phone with an address book thats only limited by the available memory (the SIM card holds an additional 250 contacts). As with most Windows Mobile smart phones, theres room in each entry for multiple numbers, e-mail, IM, and physical addresses, notes, birthdays, and more. For caller ID purposes, you can assign a photo, a group ID, or one of eight ringtones. The 600e also has a speakerphone, a vibrate mode, voice commands, a SIM toolkit, and a utility called EZDial for easier contact search and dialing. Wireless options on the 600e include Bluetooth 2.0 and Wi-Fi (802.11b/g), and the onboard wireless managers help you get connected to Bluetooth devices or the Web. The phone supports a number of Bluetooth profiles, including wireless headsets, Bluetooth stereo headsets, hands-free kits, dial-up networking, file transfer, and vCard exchange. As far as Wi-Fi, the device was able to find and connect to our test access point, and we were able to easily get on the Web within minutes. Sadly, the Pharos GPS Phone isnt 3G-capable, though it does support EDGE speeds.Now, while the 600e is equipped with a GPS radio, its functions are limited without the inclusion of navigation software. Pharos does include a copy of Microsoft Streets & Trips 2005, so you can transfer maps from your PC to the smart phone. However, it will not give you real-time driving directions. We were disappointed by the quality of the 600es 2-megapixel camera. Colors looked washed out, and you have to have a really steady hand to get a clear picture.As we noted in the Design section, the Pharos GPS Phone 600e has a 2-megapixel camera with a flash and video recording capabilities. You have a choice of five resolutions and a number of setting options for white balance, special effects, and frequencies. You also can enhance your photos with a frame or add a time stamp. In video mode, you get three quality settings and three resolutions, as well as many of the white balance and special effects option, but you lose the photo frames. Overall, we werent very impressed with the quality of the photos. They lacked definition and colors were washed out. Plus, we found you really have to keep the device steady, more than usual, to get a somewhat clear shot. PerformanceWe tested the quadband (GSM 850/900/1800/1900; GPRS/EDGE) Pharos GPS Phone 600e in San Francisco using Cingular service. Call quality was OK; there was a lot of background noise and a distracting echo on our end, and while our friends said they could hear us fine, they could tell we were using a cell phone. When we activated the speakerphone, the results were reversed. Conversations were much clearer, but our callers said we were barely audible as a crackling noise disrupted things. The one bright note is that we had no problems pairing the Logitech Mobile Traveller Bluetooth headset.The 600e is equipped with a 400MHz processor and has 128MB ROM/64MB SDRAM with about 40MB of user-accessible storage and 28MB for running programs. General performance was mixed. The smart phone was quick to perform certain tasks like opening office documents, but it slowed considerably when launching the camera or activating certain wireless features. Obviously, we didnt get the benefit of 3G speeds when browsing the Web on the 600e, but it wasnt horrible, as pages loaded fairly quickly. Music playback through the phones speakers was, as expected, pretty poor, lacking bass and richness. Watching video, however, was surprisingly good. Though you get some pixilation, video quality was better than some other smart phones weve tested and the picture and audio always matched up.The Pharos GPS Phone 600e is rated for 5 hours of talk time and up to six days of standby time. In our battery tests, the 600e just met the rated talk time. ),
(789,Verizon Wireless V Cast Mobile TV,Positives: Verizon Wireless V Cast Mobile TV offers excellent video quality and near-instantaneous channel switching. Negatives: Verizon Wireless V Cast Mobile TV has limited network simulcast options. Facts: Verizon Wireless brings mobile entertainment to a new level with its new V Cast Mobile TV, but more simulcast programming would make it a truly rich experience. , Yes, mobile TV has truly arrived. Verizon Wireless upped the ante when it switched on its V Cast Mobile TV service in March, 2007. Unlike 3G video offerings (including the Verizons EV-DO V Cast streaming video service), Mobile TV uses a portion of UHF spectrum thats different from the one used for standard over-the-air TV broadcasts. That means a stunning viewing experience with no waiting for streaming video to buffer. As such, the cellular and TV signals are independent from one another, and you don't need any signal-strength bars to watch the TV programming. Currently, only the Samsung SCH-u620 and the LG VX9400 support Mobile TV. ProgrammingMobile TV offers eight channels: CBS Mobile, Comedy Central, ESPN Mobile TV, Fox Mobile, MTV, NBC 2Go, NBC News 2Go, and Nickelodeon. On the whole, its a decent offering, but if youre looking to make sure you don't miss your favorite show when youre away from home, youll likely be disappointed. Not all the offerings are \"live\" as in simulcast; some of the content is timeshifted (David Letterman at 11 a.m.?), and others are delivered specifically for mobile viewers, such as NBCs Primetime Catch-Up, a roundup of the networks previous nights prime time offerings. As far as when you can expect to see your favorite network shows simulcast, its hit or miss. Different networks simulcast over Mobile TV at different times. But even if you cant watch your favorite shows when theyre actually broadcast, youll be able to view many popular shows, including Chappelles Show, South Park, CSI, and The Real World. Fox Mobile proved to be the most disappointing in terms of programming, airing failed shows such as Stacked and The Loop during primetime instead of hits such as 24 or The Simpsons. Still, there is a fair amount of live network broadcasts. We were able to watch the NCAA basketball tournament live while away from home, for example, and NBC News 2Go is a mix of mostly live programming from NBC, CNBC, and MSNBC. Its not exactly TiVoToGo, but V Cast could certainly come in handy during commutes or waiting for a flight. PerformanceOne of Mobile TVs big draws is that it delivers live TV broadcasts rather than streaming video. That means true 30-frames-per-second transmission (EV-DO streaming services cap out at 15fps) and fantastic, crystal-clear video quality that rivals regular broadcast TV. We saw no lag between audio and video, and the video itself was crisp and vibrant. Some programs displayed a bit more artifacts than others, but its far superior to any previous mobile video services. Of course the smaller display on a cell phone isnt conducive for extended viewing, but its still a satisfying experience. Channel-hopping on Mobile TV isnt quite instantaneous, but its quick enough--theres about a two-second lag between selecting a channel and the feed coming through, or about what you get with satellite TV. Pricing and availabilityPricing plans include three options. The $25 per month Select plan gives you all eight Mobile TV channels and the V Cast Pack service, which includes unlimited streamed video clips from the V Cast service, access to the carriers mobile Web 2.0 application, and unlimited data and e-mail. The Basic $15 per month includes the eight V Cast Mobile TV channels (V Cast content is extra) while the $13 per month Limited package gives you just four channels: Fox Mobile, NBC 2Go, NBC News 2Go, and CBS Mobile. Mobile TV is currently available in 25 U.S. markets: Tucson, Ariz.; Los Angeles; Palm Springs, Calif.; Colorado Springs, Colo.; Denver; Jacksonville, Fla.; Orlando, Fla.; Atlanta; Chicago; Indianapolis; Topeka, Kans.; Wichita, Kans.; New Orleans; Minneapolis-St. Paul; Kansas City; St. Louis; Omaha-Lincoln, Neb.; Las Vegas; Albuquerque-Santa Fe, N.Mex.; Portland; Nashville; Dallas-Fort Worth; Salt Lake City; Norfolk-Richmond, Va.; and Seattle. More cities will be added later, but if you don't live in one of these areas, the service and the phones wont be available for purchase. ),
(790,Kyocera Marbl (K127),Positives: The Kyocera Marbl is easy to use, offers decent call quality, and comes with satisfactory features. Negatives: The Kyocera Marbl lacks an external display, and its phone book and ringtone selection are rather small. Facts: The Kyocera Marbl is a decent phone for making calls, though we wish it had an external display. , Virgin Mobile never tries to be more than what it is, and thats a good thing. The company has carefully cultivated an image of a hip, cool carrier that produces cheap, basic cell phones for the youth market. Granted, not every phone from the carrier has been a winner, but Virgin Mobile still accomplishes what it sets out to do. The latest model, the Kyocera Marbl (K127), isnt quite as flashy as the Kyocera Cyclops but its still a decent phones for making calls. And at $29, its a steal.DesignWeve never been fans of flip pones without external displays, so we have to dock the Marbl from the start for the same reason. Yes, we get that an external display makes a phone more expensive, but we just don't like having to open a handset to see whos calling. Other than its lack of an external display, the Marbl does well with its design overall. The plain black form with the center stripe has an understated appeal thats broken only by the Virgin Mobile logo and a small speaker. The Marbl wont take up too much space in your pocket.Though Virgin Mobile has advertised the Marbls thin profile, its measurements of 3.3 inches by 1.7 inches by 0.8 inch wouldnt get it far in the slim-phone Olympics. On the other hand, it is pretty light, at 2.96 ounces, and theres no external antenna to add more girth. Other external features on the phones are few. A headset jack and a volume rocker sit on the left spine, and a charger ports rests on the phones bottom end. The construction is solid on the whole, and the Marbl opens and shuts with authority.The Marbls 1.5-inch display (128x128 pixels) is a tad small for the phones overall size, and the 65,000-color display doesnt pop with vivid resolution. Yet the phone perfectly fine for most uses. Although the icons don't make a lot of sense, the menus are easy to use and arent too laden with animation. You can change the backlighting time and the contrast, but the text size is small and nonadjustable.The navigation array has a spacious design with user-friendly controls. Theres a four-way toggle with a central OK button, two soft keys, Talk and End/power controls, a Back button, and a dedicated speakerphone button. Though we always welcome the speakerphone button, the icon on that particular key wasnt very obvious. The toggle doubles as a shortcut to four oft-used features, but its annoying that the OK button wont open the menu when the phone is in standby mode. Most of the controls are relatively flat with the surface of the phone, but we were able to dial by feel most of the time. The keypad buttons are also flush, but theyre large for the phones size and are lit by a bright backlight.FeaturesThe Marbls features could hardly be any simpler. The phone book is small, with just 200 contacts, but each entry holds six phone numbers, two e-mail address, two Web addresses, two street addresses, and notes. You can save callers to groups, but only groups can be paired with one of the four (yes, you get only four) polyphonic ringtones. You can assign groups a photo as well, but keep in mind that without a camera, multimedia messaging, or an external display its all a bit pointless.Other features are decent for this caliber of phone. Inside youll find a vibrate mode, text messaging, a speakerphone, a voice memo recorder, a calculator, an alarm clock, a stopwatch, a scheduler, a countdown timer, and a tip calculator. The Marbl also supports speed dialing, and we were excited to find voice dialing onboard as well. You can personalize the Marbl with a variety of color themes, wallpapers, screensavers, and alert sounds. Personalization has always been a big Virgin Mobile theme, so naturally you can get more options via the WAP 2.0 wireless Web browser and the carriers VirginXL service. For playtime, the Marbl offers two games: Brick Attack and Race 21.Performance We tested the dual-band (CDMA 800/1900) Marbl in San Francisco using Virgin Mobile service, which operates on Sprints network. Call quality was pretty good; volume was quite loud, and voices sounded natural for the most part. At times the audio sounded a little tinny, but it was nothing that was particularly bothersome. Callers didnt report any significant problems on their end, though they could tell we were using a cell phone. Speakerphone quality was about the same.The Marbl has a rated battery life of 3.8 hours talk time and nine days standby time. Our tests came close, with a rated talk time of 3 hours and 57 minutes. ),
(791,Nokia 2366i,Positives: The Nokia 2366i is easy to use, has a simple design, and offers decent call quality. It also offers a speakerphone and Bluetooth. Negatives: The Nokia 2366i has a dim internal display, and its menu system was rather sluggish. Facts: The Nokia 2366i is a good choice for a simple, functional cell phone to make calls. , As Nokia pares down its CDMA offerings, finding one of the companys cell phones in either Sprints or Verizon Wireless lineup is becoming increasingly rare. Yet the Finns havent blown out of the CDMA space completely, as Verizon customers with an itch for Nokia design can pick up the Nokia 2366i. Though neither new nor high-end, the 2366i remains a perfectly decent cell phone by offering a decent feature set and satisfactory call quality in a basic, compact design. The display was a tad dim, and the phone tended to be a little sluggish, but if youre looking for a user-friendly handset for making calls you could do worse than the 2366i. Its also cheap at just $9.99 with service.DesignThough the Nokia 2366i is a flip phone, it still bears the hallmarks of the functional, entry-level designs that Nokia is so skilled at producing. Its smooth lines don't call attention to themselves, and at 3.2 by 1.69 by 0.94 inches and 3.7 ounces, its minimalist size is unobtrusive. A stubby antenna adds a bit more girth but were used to that from a CDMA phone. Though the hinge is sturdy and the flap closes with authority, the phone does have a light-plastic feel. That shouldnt be a problem for most people, but extreme sports enthusiasts should stay away.The 2366i has a monochrome external display.Front and center is the postage stamp (96x65 pixels) external display. Its monochrome with a blue background, but thats perfectly fitting for a phone without a camera. It shows the date, the time, the battery life, the signal strength, and the caller ID (where available) but you cant change the backlighting time or any other options on the external display. Surrounding the display is a patterned section on the front flap and a thin, silver border, which help to break up the plain black color scheme. A covered headset jack sits on top of the phone, and a thin volume rocker sits on the left spine. The charger port is in the bottom end.Inside the 2366i, the 1.75-inch (128x160 pixels) main display is serviceable but not very fancy. With support for 65,536 colors, the resolution is pretty dim, and it doesnt render graphics or bright hues well. Thats about what you can expect from such a basic phone, but it may be disappointing or even hard to see for some users. You can change the backlight time on the internal display, but no other options are customizable. The menu system is simple and easy to master, and we like that it doesnt follow Verizons standard interface.The navigation array takes the shape of a square and consists of a four-way toggle, a central OK button, and two soft keys. The toggle doubles as a shortcut to four user-defined functions, but we would have liked to see a dedicated Back key. Though the OK button is raised, all other controls are flat with the surface of the phone. The keypad buttons are also flush, but we like that they are quite large for the phones size and arent slick in the least. They also benefit from a bright backlight, though the numbers on the keys may be too small for some users to see.FeaturesThe 2366i has a small, 250-contact phone book. Thats not nearly enough for the busy exec, but it should be fine for anyone who uses a cell phone only occasionally. Each entry holds five phone numbers, e-mail addresses, a street address, and notes. You can save contacts to groups or pair them with 1 of 16 polyphonic ringtones.Other features include a vibrate mode, a speakerphone, an alarm clock, a calendar, a notepad, a to-do list, a calculator, a timer, and a stopwatch. Text messaging is also on board, but the 2366i does not support multimedia messaging nor does it have a wireless Web browser. On the other hand, it does have some offerings we werent expecting, including a unit converter, a world clock, a voice recorder and Bluetooth 2.0. On the whole its a nice selection of offerings.You can personalize the 2366i with a variety of wallpapers, screensavers, color themes, and alert sounds. Be advised youll have to be content with the choices that come on the phone because theres no Web browser. But in a very un-Verizon way, you get two full-length games (not demos): Golf Tour and Solitaire. PerformanceWe tested the dual-band (CDMA 800/1900) 2366i in San Francisco using Verizon Wireless service. Call quality was thoroughly decent with admirable voice quality and volume. Callers reported about the same conditions, though they could tell we were using a cell phone. It was more difficult to hear callers when we were in a noisy environment, but it wasnt a huge problem. Speakerphone quality wasnt spectacular--voices sounded a bit hollow--but it was fine for this caliber of a phone. We could understand, however, why the speakerphone works only when the phone is closed. Its not a big deal but it just doesnt make sense. We couldnt help notice that the menus were rather sluggish. More often than not, it took a few seconds to transition between menu pages or to open an application. It was an unexpected delay on such a basic phone, and it could get annoying over a long period. The 2366i has a promised battery life of 3.9 hours talk time and 13 days standby time. Our tests revealed an impressive talk time of 4 hours and 20 minutes. According to FCC radiation tests, the Nokia 2366i has a digital SAR rating of 0.87 watts per kilogram. ),
(792,Sanyo SCP-7050,Positives: The Sanyo SCP-7050 is a rugged and durable military-certified phone. It supports Sprints Ready Link push-to-talk service. plus it has built-in GPS. Negatives: The Sanyo SCP-7050 is rather bulky and unattractive phone. Facts: The Sanyo SCP-7050 makes up for its lackluster appearance with a durable design, built-in GPS, and Ready Link support. The SCP-7050 would be great for those who need a tough phone for the rough outdoors. , While there have been a few fancy multimedia Sanyo handsets such as the Sanyo M1 and the Sanyo Katana, most Sanyo phones are made with simplicity in mind. The Sanyo SCP-7050 is one such basic handset, though it does support Sprints Ready Link push-to-talk network and has built-in GPS. The SCP-7050 is especially useful for those who work or play in harsh environments, as it is the first Sprint phone that is military spec certified against dust, shock, and vibration. It will be available for $149 with a two-year agreement with Sprint. he Sanyo SCP-7050 is built with durability in mind. The Sanyo SCP-7050 is the very definition of a rugged phone. Clad in a rubberized, no-slip material, the SCP-7050 is built with durability in mind. As a result, it isnt terribly attractive. Its quite a chunky phone (measuring 3.6 by 2.0 by 1.1 inches and weighs 4.1 ounces), it has a stubby extendable antenna, and theres a large speaker grille on its front face. Though its not terribly small, we still managed to keep it in our pockets. Its heft also contributes to a very solid feel in the hand. Flipping it open can be done with one hand, and the hinge feels nice and secure. Underneath the speaker grille is the 1.0-inch diagonal monochrome external display that shows information such as the time, battery life, signal strength, and caller ID. On the left spine are the headset jack, a voice memo/Ready Link button, and the volume rocker. The right spine is home to a voice dial button, plus a Call List button, which shows a list of Recent Calls on the external display when the phone is closed. Open up the phone and youll be presented with a 2.0-inch diagonal internal display. With a 240x320 pixel resolution and 265,000 colors, the screen looked great. Images looked sharp and saturated with color. We were a bit disappointed that the phone didnt have a camera to take advantage of such a nice display. You can adjust the screens backlight, the default greeting, the background color tone, the color of the screen when theres an incoming call, plus the font size for both internal and external displays. The menu interface was intuitive and easy to use as well. The navigation array on the SCP-7050 is fairly standard for most Sanyo phones. It has two soft keys, a circular toggle with a middle Menu/OK button, a dedicated Web key, and a Back key. The toggle also doubles as shortcuts for text messaging, the contacts list, the My Content folder, and the calendar. Underneath that are the Talk and End/Power keys, plus a dedicated speakerphone key in the middle. Although somewhat slick, all the keys in the navigation array were raised enough above the surface, so navigation was a breeze. The alphanumeric keypad had a nice bubble-like bump texture to the buttons, making it easy to dial by feel. The whole keypad has a pleasant blue backlight when the phone is active. The SCP-7050 is quite a basic business phone in terms of features, without a camera or a music player to make things too complicated. The address book holds up to 500 entries and each entry can hold up to seven numbers, an email address, a memo, a web URL, and a home address. Each contact can be assigned one out of 17 polyphonic ring tones and also can be placed into groups. Photo caller ID isnt available, and thats just fine, considering the phone doesnt have a camera.Other features of the phone include a vibrate mode, text and picture messaging, voice messaging, voice-activated dialing, e-mail, Bluetooth, a speakerphone, instant messaging, voice recording, an alarm clock, a stop watch, a countdown counter, a world clock, a calculator, mobile web access via Sprint Vision, built-in GPS, and support for Sprints Ready Link push-to-talk service. Theres also Wireless Backup, which lets you back up your contacts list remotely to Sprints servers, just in case you lose your phone. Plus, you can use your phone as a modem if youre signed up on the appropriate Sprint plan. Personalization options are somewhat limited with only a handful of background themes, screensavers, and alert tones. You can, however, download more screensavers and sounds from Sprint. Included games are a demo of Brain Juice, a selection of Gameloft games, a Pac-Man demo, Tetris, and a demo of World Series of Poker, and you can always purchase more Java (J2ME) games from Sprint as well. You can download quite a few handy applications too, such as Sprint Radio, which lets you access Sprints audio streaming service with everything from the latest chart toppers to podcasts from NPR. Another handy application is the Telenav GPS Navigator, which gives you turn-by-turn driving directions to your destination.We tested the dual-band dual mode (CDMA 800/1900; AMPS 800) Sanyo SCP-7050 in San Francisco using the Sprint network. We were very impressed with the call quality; audio came in loud and clear and callers could hardly tell we were on a cell phone. Speakerphone calls were impressive as well; though there was a noticeable hiss at certain points in the conversation, it was nothing to worry about. The Sanyo SCP-7050 has a rated battery life of 4.4 hours of talk time and a tested talk time of 4 hours and 34 minutes. According to FCC radiation tests, the Sanyo SCP-7050 has a digital SAR rating of 1.22 watts per kilogram. ),
(793,Samsung Upstage SPH-M620,Positives: The Samsung Upstage SPH-M620 has decent call and music quality, an included extended battery, and a complete feature set that includes stereo Bluetooth, a music player, a megapixel camera, and EV-DO support. It also offers an original, ergonomic design thats user-friendly and attractive. Negatives: The Samsung Upstage SPH-M620s battery isnt user-replaceable, and its tiny phone display isnt very useful. The flipping motion can also become tedious when used over time. Finally, the music player was somewhat buggy, and the single speaker had unimpressive output. Facts: If you can get past the learning curve, the Samsung Upstage SPH-M620 is a unique, powerful, and attractive phone that successfully combines music and calling functions into one handy convergence device. Its not perfect by any means, but it remains an innovative, satisfying phone. , Every once in a great while, a new cell phone comes along that has the potential to shove the industry toward a whole new path. Motos StarTAC did much to usher in the flip-phone era, while the companys Razr helped spawn the new thin-phone revolution. But now its Samsungs turn to be a trendsetter with its new Samsung Upstage SPH-M620 for Sprint. Though its hardly the first quality music phone--Sony Ericsson and Nokia have had their share--its inventive, dual-sided design does more to combine cell phone and MP3 player ergonomics than any other music handset weve seen. The concept first saw light last year with the GSM Samsung Ultra Music, but Sprint is the first carrier to bring the form factor to the United States. And its a good thing too, considering how uninspiring Sprints handset lineup has been in the past year. As with anything new, the Upstage has its kinks, and it isnt for the gadget-phobic--theres a lot to get use to, not only with the controls and interface but also with the oddball Upstage name (we just don't get it). But if you approach it with an open mind and take the time to explore it fully, you should find a novel, functional cell phone with admirable performance on both the calling and music fronts. Again, its not perfect, but its a very positive step in a new direction. Indeed, it just makes us excited for the next-generation model. At $149 with a two-year service agreement, the Upstage has a very fair price, but you might be able to find it cheaper online. DesignWith one side resembling a phone and the other side resembling an MP3 player, you may not know what to think of the Samsung Upstage when you first pick it up. Indeed, the dual-sided form factor throws you for a loop, but thats exactly what its meant to do. As well get to shortly, each side has different uses, which can at times be confusing. But this split-personality approach gets big points for innovation. Its also quite the looker and should evoke oohs and aahs from even the most jaded gadget enthusiasts. Samsungs current obsession with being thin clearly shows up the Upstages design. At 1.73x4.07x0.37 inches, its a little taller and wider than the iPod Nano and only slightly fatter than Samsungs razor-thin SGH-T519 Trace. It slips easily into a pocket or bag, and at 2.57 ounces, it wont weigh you down. The form factor was comfortable as well; the Upstage had a solid feel in the hand, and we didnt mind using it for long conversations. Of course it wont cradle your head like a flip phone, but that goes with the territory when youre using a candy bar handset. The Upstages \"phone\" side is pretty ordinary. The navigation array is typical Samsung--theres a square toggle with an OK button in the middle, two soft keys, a dedicated camera button, a Back control, and the traditional Talk and End/Power keys. The controls are mostly flush with the surface of the phone, but they have just the slightest bit of texture and a tactile \"push\" feeling when pressed. Our only complaint was that theyre a tad small for larger fingers. Also, its disappointing that the toggle doesnt offer shortcuts to favorite features. The keypad buttons are about the same: theyre raised slightly above the surface of the phone with a tactile feel. We were able to dial by feel, and we liked the bright backlighting and large numbers. Also, the keypad is big enough for larger fingers. The 65,000-color TFT display on the phone side also was a mixed bag. First off, its tiny at just 1.4 inches diagonally (176x65 pixels). Normally wed be up in arms about such a small screen, but we understand Samsungs motive--a bigger screen would have made for a bigger phone. It manages to cram in the date, the time, signal strength, battery life, and even photo caller ID, but the tiny dialing and message text may be too small for some users. Display options are also limited; you can change the backlight time and dialing font style only. Its worth noting as well that the display shows only four menu options: call history, contacts list, and options for entering and sending--but not reading--a text message. Though we understand that most applications would be difficult to use on the small display, we think Samsung could have given us a basic Settings menu at the very least. On the upside, you can use it to take self-portraits with the camera lens that sits just above. While the Upstages phone side is used for making calls, tapping text messages, and taking vanity shots, the music player side is used for just about all other functions. The majority of its real estate is taken up by the large, 2.1-inch (176x220 pixels) TFT display. With support for 262,000 colors, its bright, vivid, and easy on the eyes. Its perfect for browsing through the complete set of user-friendly menus and for taking photos. Before you can take snaps, you must activate the camera using the aforementioned shortcut on the opposite side. The Upstages navigation touch pad is user-friendly after a period of acclimation. We admit we were skeptical of the Upstages large, square touch pad, but the results exceeded our expectations. As with any touch pad, theres no tactile \"push\" to the control, so the lighter the touch, the better. You can adjust the sensitivity if you wish, but we didnt have any problems after a brief period of acclimation. On the other hand, its worth noting that there tends to be a slight delay when using the commands. A tap to the top of the pad opens the main menu, while the lower-left and lower-right corners serve as Back and End keys respectively. When inside a menu, a tap in the up, down, right, and left directions will move the select icon in the corresponding direction, while the top-right and left corners function as soft keys. And when inside the music player, the sides of the pad double as rewind and fast-forward controls. You also can swipe your finger in side-to-side and up-and-down motions to move around the menus. Its important to note that the touch pad does not support circular movement--if you try to do so, the select icon will jump madly around the menu--instead, you must complete vertical and horizontal swipes separately. Though this may sound cumbersome, the touch pad is actually quite easy to use once you understand how it works. A short swipe moves the select icon one menu choice, a long wipe moves it two choices, while a long swipe and a pause moves the icon continuously until you lift your finger. As with the tapping method, the finger-swiping will take some practice. It took us about an hour to master it completely, even after we took the handy tutorial. But once we got the hang of it, we thought it was quite user-friendly and intuitive. As we said earlier, keep an open mind and be patient. And in any case, it beats the LG Chocolates touch controls, hands down. In the middle of the touch pad is a large control that functions both as an OK button for selecting menu items and a play/pause control when the music player is open. Unlike the touch pad, the OK button is raised above the surface of the phone, and it has a tactile \"push\" feel when pressed. As weve mentioned previously, the Upstages split personality means certain applications can be used on only one side of the phone. And when one side is in use, the other sides display and controls are inactive--including the power key. While thats not a problem for a lot of things, it does mean you have to alternate between sides for some functions. For example, when searching for a song in the Sprint Music Store, you can navigate through the store only on the music player side. But if you want to search for a particular track, youll have to flip the phone over, type in the name, then flip it back again to select the track you want. Though we understand that such a flip-flop motion is an inevitable consequence of the Upstages design, the process can get tedious if done over and over again. And while you can use the touch pad to enter text, it involves too much scrolling to be really useful. The flipping motion is done one of two ways: at times the phone prompts you to press a soft key, but you can also use the Flip button located on the right spine (when looking at the phone side). Either way, the opposite display and controls will activate for use. Just below the Flip button is the MicroSD card slot, while above it is a handy slider control for locking all exterior keys. A volume rocker and a reset button sit on the other spine, just above the charger port/headset jack (you can use one device at a time). The Samsung Upstages Flip button sits next to the MicroSD card slot. We have a big complaint with the Upstages speaker situation. The only speaker rests on the phone side and is used to hear voice calls, music, and streaming video. While the lack of stereo speakers on a music phone is bad enough, the lack of a speaker on the Upstages music player side means the audio output is pointed away from you if youre listening to music or watching videos without a headset. As a result, the sound quality is diminished, particularly if you try to rest the phone on a table. Its a bad design move on Samsungs part, and one that we hope it will correct In future Upstage models. Another quirk of the Upstage is that the battery is not user-replaceable. Though that means you wont be able to replace a faulty battery yourself, Samsung and Sprint redeem themselves by including an extended battery in the box. Whats more, this extra battery sits in an attractive wallet that protects the phone from scrapes and bruises. The outside of the wallet has a soft, leather-like feel that gives the phone a classy look--not that it needed much help. You can even keep the Upstage in the wallet for making calls, which is a comfortable arrangement. FeaturesThe Samsung Upstage comes with a feature set that strongly complements its conversation-piece exterior. Well address the basics first. The phone book is smaller than we expected, with a capacity of just 500 contacts. Each entry has room for five phone numbers, e-mail and Web addresses, notes, and a nickname. You can save callers to groups or pair them with a photo or one of 29 polyphonic ring tones. Other essentials include a vibrate mode, text and multimedia messaging, a calculator, an alarm clock, a world clock, a memo pad, and a planner. And on the higher end, the Upstage offers voice commands and dialing, mass USB storage, instant messaging and e-mail, and a speakerphone. Bluetooth also is on board, and thankfully, the Upstage includes stereo and object exchange profiles. Indeed, we were able to transfer a photo onto the phone with no problem. The Upstage comes with 70MB of internal shared memory. Thats a bit on the low side, but a 64MB MicroSD card also comes in the box. If youre going to be a heavy music user, the Upstage can accommodate 2GB cards. Of course, the Upstage is all about music. Its offerings in that department are similar to Sprints other music phones, but theyre satisfying on the whole. You can access Sprint Music Store for simultaneous downloads both to your PC and wirelessly to your phone. Alternatively, you can use Sprints Sync Manager software and the included USB cable to transfer songs already on your PC to the phone. The onboard digital music player is nothing too fancy. Though you get album art, the features are limited to repeat and shuffle modes and you cant use MP3s as ring tones. Hopefully, Sprint will improve the dull and somewhat plodding music interface soon. The Upstage comes with an airplane mode for turning off the phones calling functions while listening to music in flight. You can also minimize the music player in order to use applications while your tunes are playing. If you don't have a stereo Bluetooth headset, Samsung includes a 3.5mm headphone adapter in the box. Its doesnt actually include headphones too; rather, its just a microphone and the proprietary connection for the Upstage. As an EV-DO phone, the Upstage offers full support for Sprints 3G services. You can connect to Sprints Power Vision streaming video services for a variety of content, much of which is exclusive to Sprint. Included are Sprint TV, which offers movie previews and programming from channels such as CNN, VH1, ESPN, Comedy Central, and the Cartoon Network, as well as from the carriers PowerView service, which offers additional shows and downloadable content. If radio is your thing, you also can stream tunes form Sirius Radio. Sprint Movies delivers full-length, pay-per-view movies straight to your phone, while mobile podcasts are available from Samsung on a broad range of topics. Furthermore, you get Sprints On Demand service for access to a host of information such as news headlines, sports scores, and weather updates personalized for your zip code, In all, theres an impressive assortment of options. The Upstages camera doesnt come with a flash. The Upstages 1.3-megapixel camera takes pictures in four resolutions, from 1,280x160 down to 176x220. Other camera features include three quality settings, brightness and white balance controls, a night mode, a self-timer, four color effects, 10 fun frames, a 5x zoom, and four shutter sounds as well as a silent mode. The camcorder records clips with sound and a selection of editing options similar to the still cameras. Clips meant for multimedia messages are capped at 30 seconds, or you can shoot for as long as the available memory will permit. For easy photo printing, the Upstage supports PictBridge technology for transferring images directly to a printer. In our tests, photo quality was good but not great. Colors were sharp and there was enough light, but unless we held the camera perfectly still, images tended to be a tad blurry. The Upstages photo quality was good but not great. You can personalize the Upstage with a variety of screen savers, clock styles, and sounds. If you don't get enough options on the phone, you can always buy more using the WAP 2.0 wireless Web browser. The Upstage comes with demo versions of five games: Midnight Bowling, Nightclub Empire, Pac-Man, Tetris, and World Series of Poker. Avid gamers will have to buy the full versions, but be warned that gameplay is somewhat difficult using the touch pad. PerformanceWe tested the dual-band (CDMA 800/1900) Samsung Upstage in San Francisco using Sprint service. Call quality was admirable overall; voices sounded natural, and we had enough volume. On the reception side, there was little static or interference, and we had no trouble getting a signal. Though they could tell we were using a cell phone, callers reported no significant problems either, even when we were in noisy environments. Also, we had few troubles speaking to automated calling systems. Our only complaint was that the audio sounded somewhat harsh at times. It wasnt a huge deal, but the bass-heavy effect was noticeable in a few different calling situations. Speakerphone calls werent always reliable. On our end the sound was fine, but callers couldnt quite hear us unless we were in quiet environments. On the other hand, we didnt have any problems with voice commands. We successfully paired the Upstage with the Samsung SBH170 stereo Bluetooth headset. Call quality remained decent on both ends, though callers had slightly more trouble hearing us at times. We also used the headset to listen to music and were generally satisfied with the sound quality. There was slight bass-heavy effect to the sound, but that could be due to the headset. We also listened to music using the headset adapter and some generic 3.5mm earbuds and had the same experience. Without the headset, music quality wasnt quite as good due to the somewhat unimpressive output of the single exterior speaker. On the whole, the Upstages EV-DO connection was strong, even when were in buildings. Streaming video quality was on a par with that of other Samsung EV-DO phones, such as the Samsung SPH-M610. Few of the videos were pixilated and grainy, except when there were quick movements on the screen. There was also little choppiness, and only one video paused for rebuffering. The sound from the videos mostly matched the movement of the speakers mouths, but it was too low and bass-heavy when we didnt use a headset. The connection to the Sprint Music store took more than few minutes to load the first time around. It was much longer than weve encountered with other Sprint music phones, but once we were up and running the connection was pretty solid. Songs took a just few seconds to download from the Sprint Music store, and it took about a minute and a half to transfer 40MB of music from our PC--not bad at all. The Music Sync software was easy to use and loaded without a hitch, but the music player had a tendency to be somewhat sluggish at times. Whats more, we also had a bit of trouble when we disconnected the Bluetooth headset in the middle of a paused song. When we restarted the song, the Upstage was unable to play songs downloaded from the PC. The error message didnt clear unless we turned off the phone and started it again. It happened only once, but its a still a point of concern. At the time of this writing, Sprint said it was investigating the issue, The Upstage has a rated battery life of 2.5 hours talk time. Thats pretty low, but when using the extended battery, the promised talk time climbs to a more respectable 6.3 hours. In our tests we managed to beat the rated time for the internal battery by an extra half hour but we fell short of the promised time for the extended battery by coaxing just 5.5 hours on a single charge.Music-only battery life is promised at 7 hours or as long as 16 hours with the extended battery. Yet we managed to pull much more juice from the Upstage in our tests. Using the internal battery, we managed 11.3 of music time while the extended battery gave us a full 27 hours for our tunes--impressive indeed. According to the FCC, the Samsung Upstage SPH-M620 has a digital SAR rating of 1.4 watts per kilogram, which is rather high. ),
(794,Nokia E65,Positives: The Nokia E65 smart phone boasts a beautiful and compact slider design, and features a 2-megapixel camera, e-mail, and productivity apps. It also offers good call quality and solid talk time battery life, and has Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and 3G support. Negatives: The E65 doesnt support document editing out of the box, and the lack of a full QWERTY keyboard makes it less than ideal for e-mail. Its occasionally slow, and theres no flash for the camera. The front and side navigation controls are also small and hard to use. Facts: With the exception of a couple of design flaws, the sexy slider Nokia E65 is a good voice-centric Symbian smart phone that also offers various wireless options and productivity tools. Note: This product is part of the Nokia E series. ., Weve seen slider smart phones before, but really only in the form of larger, full QWERTY devices (i.e., Cingular 8525, UTStarcom XV6700) rather than the compact cell phone variety, such as the LG Chocolate. Like flip phones, this is one design area where smart phone manufacturers have yet to really dive in, but Nokias willing to take the plunge. First introduced at the 3GSM World Congress, the Nokia E65 is a slim slider phone for mobile professionals who value voice capabilities over messaging. (E-mail fanatics and power users should take a look at the Nokia E62 and Nokia E70 instead.) It offers a range of phone features, such as one-touch conference calling and VoIP support, and has good call quality and solid battery talk time. Despite its sleek and sexy profile, there are some downsides to the phones small size, as the navigation controls are cramped and frustrating to use. However, in the end, we think its worth the extra effort. The quadband GSM Nokia E65 has not been picked up by a U.S. carrier, so you will have to purchase an unlocked version for a pricey $490. DesignWhat can we say about the Nokia E65 except that its absolutely gorgeous. From its silver-and-mocha casing to its slim-and-trim profile, the E65 is a stunning and elegant smart phone--two words that arent usually associated with these business-centric devices. The slider phone is compact and lightweight (4.1x1.9x0.6 inches; 4.0 ounces), making it comfortable to hold in the hand and cradle against your ear during a call. Plus, it features a soft casing that feels like leather, and it not only makes the phone easy to grip but adds a touch of luxury to the handset. Theres a 2.2-inch diagonal TFT screen that displays 16.7 million colors at a 320x240 pixel resolution. It has a slightly lower resolution than its sibling, the E70, so we noticed colors werent as bright and text and images werent as sharp. Still, its a nice display and we could still read it in direct sunlight. You can adjust the intensity of the backlight and customize the screen with different themes. The Nokia E65 doesnt have a touch screen, so you can navigate the phones menus and launch applications with the controls beneath the display and the shortcut buttons on the right side. There are four keys on the right: a voice recorder launcher, an edit key that lets you choose the text input type, and volume up/down buttons. The volume controls have raised bumps so theyre easier to press by feel, especially while on a call, but the other two buttons do not, so youll have to pay closer attention when trying to access them. Actually, all four buttons are pretty small and close to each other, so its going to be difficult regardless. Unfortunately, the same affliction plagues the navigation array on the front of the device. This is the one pitfall of the E65s compact design. First, theres an outer ring of controls that consist of two soft keys, the Talk and End buttons, a Main Menu shortcut, and a clear key. Inside that circle (err, rectangle), youll find shortcuts for conference calling, Web access, your Contacts list, muting and unmuting a call, and a four-way navigation toggle with a center select key. This is all well and good, but the first set of mentioned keys are squeezed onto sliver-like bars (see image below), which made it entirely too easy to accidentally press the inner controls with your thumb. We had a similar experience with the toggle. It required a concentrated effort to touch just the edge of the directional keypad to scroll up and down or left and right, while trying to avoid the much larger center select key. The Nokia E65s navigation controls are small and cramped, making them very hard to use.To expose the alphanumeric dialpad, just push up the front cover of the E65; we found it easiest to push the bottom end of the phone with our thumb. The sliding mechanism is smooth, and the cover clicks nicely into place. Thankfully, the keypad is more spacious and features large, tactile buttons for easy dialing. Theyre also brightly backlit so you can read them in dark environments. Clearly, the lack of a full QWERTY keyboard means the E65 isnt optimized for e-mail, but its OK for text messages and short e-mail replies when absolutely necessary. Fortunately, the numeric keypad is larger and roomier, but the lack of a QWERTY keyboard doesnt make this an ideal messaging device.Rounding out the device is the camera lens on the back, a power button on top of the unit, and the power connector and USB/headset port on the bottom. There is also a microSD slot that accepts up to 2GB cards, but as Nokia has an annoying habit of doing, its located behind the battery cover so you have to remove it every time you want to access it. Oh Nokia, when will you stop putting the expansion slots behind the battery cover? Our Nokia E65 came packaged with an AC adapter (European standard; youll need to get a travel adapter for U.S. outlets), a USB cable, a soft carrying pouch, a wired headset, a microSD card/SD card adapter, software CD, and reference material. FeaturesThe beauty of the Nokia E series is that there is a model to suit the particular needs of most mobile professionals. The QWERTY keyboard-equipped Nokia E62 and the Nokia E70 clearly focus on messaging, and while the Nokia E65 offers similar e-mail functionality, it concentrates more on the voice features, hence the cell phone-like design and voice-specific controls. The E65 is a quadband world phone, allowing for use overseas, and has a speakerphone, conference calling, voice dialing, speed dial, and VoIP support. Of course, some of the more cool phone features, such as video calls, are not available here in the United States, as were a bit behind our European and Asian counterparts. The address book is only limited by the available memory (about 50MB internal memory; the SIM card holds an additional 250 contacts) and each entry allows for multiple phone numbers, e-mail, Web, and physical addresses, birthday, notes and more. For caller ID purposes, you can attach a photo, or assign a group ID or one of 41 ringtones. The Nokia E65 is stacked with wireless options: Bluetooth 1.2, Wi-Fi (802.11b/g), 3G (UMTS), and infrared. You can use the Bluetooth to connect to wireless headsets, hands-free kits, and keyboards, to transfer contacts and files, and for dial-up networking. In addition, you can pair the smart phone with a Bluetooth GPS receiver (additional purchase) and take advantage of the pre-installed navigation app on the E65 to get maps and directions right on your device. The only thing on our wish list is support for the A2DP profile for use with stereo Bluetooth headsets. Connecting to the Web was a snap. The phone has a Wi-Fi finder and it had no problem finding and connecting to our test access point. On a related note, the E65s has a full HTML Web browser. Like all of the E series, the Nokia E65 runs the third edition of the S60 platform on the Symbian operating system. The interface is user-friendly, and all applications and utilities are organized by appropriate category. An app called QuickOffice lets you view Word, Excel, and Powerpoint documents. It optimizes the pages for the phones screen, so you don't have to scroll all over the place to read text. There are also some nice shortcuts to jump to the top or bottom of the page to reduce the up-and-down scrolling, and a search function. Unfortunately, unlike the Nokia E70, you have to upgrade the preloaded copy of QuickOffice to get any editing capabilities, which was a bummer. We loaded all three file types and a PDF on a microSD card, and had no problems opening them on the E65. Also, for professionals who often give presentations on the road, theres a Screen Export function that allows you to display the E65s screen via a compatible projector. There is also a new business utility on the E65 that we havent seen on previous models called the Nokia Team Suite. Here you can create \"teams\" and define members, conference call numbers, conference call PINs, and Web pages, so you can find all the information in one place--very convenient if youre got regular team conference calls. The smart phone also has Adobe Reader and Zip Manager. Other productivity apps and PIM tools include a calculator, a notepad, a measurement converter, a clock, a printer utility, a download agent, and the aforementioned navigation app. As weve already mentioned, without a full QWERTY keyboard, the Nokia E65 isnt the best smart phone for messaging, but that doesnt mean its devoid of such capabilities. The phone works with POP3, IMAP, and SMTP accounts, and comes with a full attachment viewer. You can get real-time message delivery through a number of push e-mail solutions, including Intellisync Wireless E-mail, BlackBerry Connect, GoodLink, Visto, and Seven Always-On Mail. Theres also a mobile VPN client so that you can securely tap into your corporate server. The E65 also supports instant, text, and multimedia messaging. The smart phone has a built-in music player with support for MP3, RealAudio, and AAC music files. You can sort songs by artist, album, genre, or composer. In addition, you have the ability to create playlists right on the device, set songs on Random or Repeat mode, and tweak the sound settings via the built-in equalizer. For videos, RealPlayer is onboard and is compatible with MPEG-4 and 3GPP formats. Theres also an image viewer for JPEG, BMP, BNG, and GIF files. Though the E65s 2-megapixel camera took sharp pictures, the inclusion of a flash would have helped darker shots (like the one above).To take your own pictures, theres a 2-megapixel camera with video recording capabilities, offering the same photo and video options as the one found on the Nokia E70 (please read the Features section of our E70 review for more). Overall, picture quality was OK, though a flash might have helped, since images came out a bit dark. PerformanceWe tested the quadband (GSM 850/900/1800/1900; EDGE/UMTS) Nokia E65 in San Francisco using T-Mobile and Cingular service, and call quality was great. We had no problems carrying on conversations, and our callers reported clear audio and said they couldnt tell we were using a cell phone. We even caught one of our friends while she was at a hockey game, and she said she could hear us perfectly, even over the action and the crowd--very impressive. The speakerphone was also good, though quality diminished slightly on our end and voices sounded a bit far away. We had no problems pairing the E65 with the Logitech Mobile Traveller Bluetooth headset. Overall performance was satisfactory, although as weve noticed with other Nokia E series phones, there is a bit of a dip in response time when opening Office documents and switching between apps. Were just talking about a few seconds, so its nothing thatll prevent you from working. Multimedia performance was OK. Again, the phones speakers did a weak job with music playback; songs sounded hollow and lacked richness. Watching video was actually decent. Picture and audio were mostly synchronized, and though there was some slight pixilation, it was better than other smart phones weve seen. The Nokia E65 is rated for 6 hours of talk time and up to 11 days of standby time. In our battery tests, we were able to get 7 hours of talk time on a single charge. According to FCC radiation tests, the E65 has a digital SAR rating of 0.74 watts per kilogram. ),
(795,LG Shine (KE970),Positives: The LG Shine KE970 cell phone is certainly attractive. It also has decent call quality and a great camera. Negatives: The LG Shine KE970 has a flat, poorly designed dialpad, unintuitive Talk and End keys, and an average speakerphone. Battery life was somewhat low, and the mirrored front catches fingerprints easily. Facts: Though it wasnt always easy to use, the LG Shine KE970 is a pretty phone with decent performance. We just wouldnt recommend paying full price. , LG must have known it was on to something when it launched its VX8500 Chocolate cell phone last year. By the time the pretty phone with the touch controls made its formal debut with Verizon Wireless in August, it had become one of the most anticipated handsets of 2007. And though the reality didnt live up to the hype completely--the controls were frustrating and its multimedia performance was below par--it still gathered a crowd of fans and almost made Verizon cool again. And now after launching a GSM version of the phone and a selection of colored Chocolates, LG takes the concept in a new direction with the LG Shine KE970. Like the Chocolate, the Shine comes with a lot of hype and glowing first impressions (from EBAY included), but like the Chocolate, beauty isnt everything. The features are pretty average, and the keypad is downright terrible. The Shine isnt offered by a U.S. carrier, so youll have to buy it unlocked. As such, you can expect to pay around $575. DesignWell warn you off the bat that much of our review of the Shine is in this section. The Shine is without a doubt a design-first phone, and LG has no qualms about pushing its beauty. In all seriousness, it really is quite lovely. The slider phones polished-metal exterior gives it a sophisticated, posh look, and the stainless steel case gives it a sturdy, solid feel in the hand. At 3.9 inches by 2 inches by 0.54 inch, its a little wide for our tastes, but it slips easily into a pocket. And though its a tad heavy, at 4.4 ounces, it wont weight you down.Of course its obvious why they call such a glossy phone the Shine. But it does more than just shine; it positively sparkles when the mirrored face catches the light just so. (Note: this is not a phone for the understated.) The mirror is also handy for checking your teeth before a big date, provided you can see your choppers through the fingerprints and smudges that the mirror holds so easily. At first glance you may wonder where the heck the display is on the Shine, but a quick press of a button will cause the large 2.25-inch (240x320 pixels) screen to appear underneath the mirrored face. Like the phone itself, the display is quite brilliant with an eye-popping 256,000 colors and richly detailed graphics. You can change the dialing font style, the brightness, and the backlight time, but be advised the changes apply when the phone is open. The menu interface is simple and easy to understand, and its available in two styles.Just below the display is the Shines thoroughly unique navigation array. Instead of a toggle or a joystick, the KE970 features a scroll bar set between two buttons. The scroll bar is used for up and down navigation, and the buttons move you side to side. It goes without saying that the arrangement takes some getting used to, but we found it much more comfortable to use than the Chocolates touch-sensitive controls. The scroll bar is a little less than an inch wide, so it should be large enough for must users, but the two buttons on either side of the bar are much too small.Using the LG Shines navigation array takes practice.You also use the scroll bar to select a menu item by pressing down. Unfortunately this action wasnt as intuitive as simple scrolling. If you don't press the bar exactly in the center your finger may just slide off the bar completely, thus moving your cursor around the menu. It took us a while to get the hang of it so you might want to try it out first. Finishing off the front of the phone are two soft keys that sit on either side off the scroll bar. Theyre marked only by small LEDs--indeed we didnt realize they were buttons at first--but theyre large and have a nice tactile feel.After the debacle of the Chocolates side-mounted End/power key we were a little apprehensive about what we might find on the Shine. Though its back in its rightful place on the front of the phone, LG decided to cram both it and the Talk key behind the sliding face, just above the keypad. As a result you have to slide open the phone to accept or end a call. Though we get that LG was trying to minimize clutter on the shiny exterior, having to open the phone to manage calls just seems like an extra step to us. Of course that means you have to open the phone to turn it on as well. In addition, this top row of keys is much too close the bottom of the slider.Speaking of which, the slider mechanism is quite sturdy and has little of the slippery effect weve seen on other slider phones. You can open and close it easily with one hand, but it still requires a bit of effort. Our only complaint was that theres not a good thumb grip on the bottom of the slider. On a few occasions our finger slipped up to the scroll bar instead.Sliding up the Shine also reveals the keypad that, to be frank, is pretty awful. The keypad look like something from the first generation of Razrs, only worse. Besides being rather cramped, the keys have absolutely no texture or clear separation from each other. Dialing by feel is impossible even though the keys do have a downward \"push\" effect when pressed. The backlighting is also rather dim, though the numbers on the keys are a good size. A dedicated clear key sits between the Talk and End/power buttons.Curiously, all the Shines external controls are crammed onto the left spine. Its not a bad thing but its worth noting that even volume rocker has been moved from its traditional resting place on the right spine. From top to bottom, theres a headset/charger jack (you can use only one at a time), the aforementioned volume rocker, a music player shortcut, and a camera shutter release button. The microSD card slot is accessible from the right spine, though you have to remove the battery cover to access it. Finally, the camera lens, the flash, and the self-portrait mirror sit on the rear face.FeaturesThe Shines features are decent, but its brains don't really match its beauty. Well start with the basics first. The phone book holds a healthy, 1,000 contacts with room in each entry for four phone numbers, an e-mail address, and notes (the SIM card holds an additional 250 names). You can save contacts to groups, assign them a photo for caller ID, and pair them with any of 20, 40-chord polyphonic ringtones. Other essentials include a vibrate mode, text and multimedia messaging, an alarm clock, a calculator, a memo pad, a stop watch, a unit converter, and a world clock. On the higher end, you get a voice recorder, e-mail support, Bluetooth, and a speakerphone. You can use the KE970 as a USB mass-storage drive and the document reader allows you to view text files and PDFs, as well as PowerPoint, Word, and Excel documents. The internal memory is impressive at 50MB of shared space, and you can use a microSD card for more room.The Shines camera comes with a flash and a self-portrait mirror.The 2.0 megapixel camera outshines (no pun intended) the Chocolates shooter in many ways. You can take photos in a selection of resolutions, from full two megapixels (1,600x1,200 pixels) down to VGA and below (320x240 pixels). Other camera features include a self-timer, three quality modes, four color effects, an adjustable white-balance setting, a choice of shutter sounds, and a multi-shot mode (available only at the lowest resolutions). The Shines camera also comes fully equipped with a self-portrait mirror and a flash.The camcorder shoots videos with sound in two resolutions (128x96 or 176x144). It also includes a set of editing options similar to the still camera, and you can use the zoom. Clips meant for multimedia messages are capped at eight seconds; otherwise you can shoot for as long as the available memory permits. Pictures from the Shine have admirable photo quality.A Schneider Kreuznach lens and an efficient autofocus ensure this isnt your ordinary camera phone. Indeed, photo quality was quite good, with sharp colors, distinct object outlines, and vivid detail. The flash wasnt terribly effective but we were glad to have it anyway. Video quality was good but not great. Though the clips werent as grainy as weve seen on other camera phones, we wouldnt want to use the Shine for our home movies. On the whole, the Shines camera is a worthy effort but not quite as good as the fantastic 3.2-megapixel shooter on the Sony Ericsson K790a.The music players design is very minimalist, but it does the job of delivering tunes for short stints. It supports MP3, WAV, AAC, AAC+, and AAC++ files, and we like that you can save files as ringtones. On the other hand, features are limited to an equalizer and a shuffle mode. Fortunately, getting music on your phone is exceptionally easy. You don't need any software or special tools, instead just connect your Shine to your computer as a mass-storage device and then drag and drop your tracks into the phone. The included 3.5mm headphones exceeded our expectations. You can use them to make calls and even navigate through your contacts list. The headphones come with an adapter, so you can use your own headphones with the Shines proprietary connection. You can personalize the Shine with a variety of wallpapers and sounds, and of course you can always download more with the included WAP 2.0 wireless Web browser. Gaming options were limited to two titles: Bubble Soccer and Fishing Mania. Avid gamers will have to buy more titles for extended play.PerformanceWe tested the triband (GSM 900/1800/1900) Shine in the San Francisco area using T-Mobile service. Call quality was quite clear, with little distortion or feedback. Voices sounded natural, and we enjoyed enough volume. Callers didnt report many problems either, though they said the KE970 picked up a fair amount of wind noise. Also, automated calling systems could understand us all the time. Speakerphone calls were less satisfactory. On our end, the sound was muffled and callers reported likewise. Calls with the included wired headset and a Bluetooth headset were fine. Just keep in mind that since the Shine doesnt support the GSM 850 band, reception will diminish in rural areas.Audio quality on the MP3 player was loud and clear for the most part. Its not enough to replace your standalone MP3 player, but it had little of the tinny sound we encounter in other MP3 phones. We liked that you could use your own headphones.The Shine has a rated talk time of three hours and a promised standby time of 11.6 days. In our tests, we met the talk time, but thats still a bit low for a GSM phone. According to FCC radiation tests, the LG Shine KE970 has a digital SAR rating of 0.443 watts per kilogram. ),
(796,Motorola W315,Positives: The Motorola W315 has a user-friendly, basic feature set that includes a speakerphone. Negatives: The Motorola W315 has a washed-out internal display and flat, clunky controls. Also, the volume level on calls faded in and out a bit, and the talk time battery life was low. Facts: The Motorola W315 is fine for making calls, but there are better options in Verizons lineup. , Though Motorola has been best known over the last couple of years for its unending thin phone collection, the company hasnt dropped basic, simple cell phones from its lineup completely. For the most part, theyre pretty unremarkable, save for perhaps the Motorola V195, but its good to know Moto isnt completely obsessed with flashy, design-centric models like the Razr. One of the companys latest basic phones is the Motorola W315 for Verizon Wireless. Behind the somewhat clunky design is a simple feature set designed for making calls. Call quality wasnt top-notch, and the battery life was much too low. Its a bargain at $9.99 with a two-year contract, but wed recommend Verizons LG VX3400 for a better overall experience.DesignAt 3.48 by 1.96 by 0.98 inches and 4.06 ounces, the Motorola W315 is a bit hefty for such a basic phone. We didnt see it as a problem, but the dimensions can mean a trade-off for other users. Though the W315 slips easily into a bag, it can be a bit much for smaller pockets when youre out for a night on the town. A stubby antenna adds more girth, but were used to that from a CDMA phone. On the whole, the W315 felt comfortable in the hand but we couldnt help notice the hinge mechanism was a tad loose. We didnt have any problems, but it didnt flip open with a sturdy click. On the other hand, we liked the blue color, the rounded edges, and the rubberized texture on the W315s exterior. Moto must have gotten the memo that vertical external displays are an \"in\" feature in cell phone design. Like on the Samsung SGH-T329. The rectangular vertical display makes for a nice change and a unique look. Though it could be bigger (just under one inch, 96x32 pixels), it still crams in all the information you need--including the time, battery life, signal strength, and caller ID (where available). You also can change the orientation of the text from vertical to horizontal (the former is better). Since the W315 doesnt have a camera phone, we don't mind the monochrome resolution. Finishing off the exterior of the phone are a voice dialing button on the left spine while on the right spine sits a volume rocker, Motos standard \"smart\" key, and the mini-USB charger port. The speaker lives on the rear face, which isnt the best place for it. The W315 has a vertical external display. The internal display is rather disappointing. Though it supports 65,000 colors, its much too washed out and dull. Its also a tad small for the phones overall size (1.8 inches, 128x160 pixels). On the upside, it ditches Verizons much-maligned standardized menu interface in favor of the standard (and rather dull) Moto menu system. While thats a step up in our book, its just a baby step. The navigation array just below the display is quite spacious, but the controls lack any real texture and are too flat with the surface of the phone. A four-way toggle with a central OK button sits in the midst of two soft keys, a clear button, and the standard Talk and End/Power keys. You can set the toggle as a shortcut to four user-defined shortcuts, while a secondary shortcut button opens a customizable menu of oft-used functions. The keypad buttons have a similar design--theyre quite large, but they too are flush with the surface of the phone. Dialing by feel is difficult and the keys didnt feel very firm. On the other hand, theyre lit by a bright backlighting with large numbers. FeaturesThe W315s feature set is decidedly slim, but it gets the job done for making calls. The phone book holds 500 contacts with room in each entry for six phone numbers and an e-mail address. You can save contacts to groups or assign them one of 25 (32-chord) polyphonic ringtones (not a bad selection for a basic phone). You also can pair contacts with a photo, but keep in mind the photos wont show up on the external display. And since theres no multimedia messaging or wireless Web browser, your options are pretty limited. Other features include a vibrate mode, text messaging, voice dialing, a calculator, a calendar, a voice memo recorder, and an alarm clock. Theres also a speakerphone on board. You can personalize the W315 with a variety of menu colors, wallpaper, color themes, and sounds. Alternatively, you can program a customizable banner and greeting as well. Your options are limited to what comes in the phone, however, since theres no wireless Web browser. PerformanceWe tested the dual-band, dual-mode (CDMA 800/1900; AMPS 800) Motorola W315 in San Francisco using Verizon Wireless service. Call quality was decent on the whole but not spectacular. Voices sounded natural on our end but at times the sound faded in and out. Its not that the audio turned off completely; rather it just became muffled for a second or two. When volume was working it was loud enough, even when we were in noisy environments. On their end, callers could hear us plainly and they didnt report the audio issues we encountered. They could tell we were using a cell phone though and reported a fair amount of wind noise. Speakerphone calls were quite loud with clear audio, but we don't like that the speaker faces the rear of the handset. To get the best speakerphone quality, you need to rest the W315 upside-down. The Motorola W315 has a battery life of more than 8.5 hours talk time and 8.8 days standby time. It had a talk time of only 4 hours in our tests however. According to FCC radiation tests the W315 has a digital SAR rating of 1.5 watts per kilogram. ),
(797,LG VX3450,Positives: The LG VX3450 has an adorably curvy and compact design with easy to use controls and great audio quality. It has a speakerphone, a voice-command feature, and an external screen for caller ID. Negatives: The LG VX3450 has rather dull internal display, and personalization options are limited. Facts: The LG VX3450 is a great basic phone with a compact and attractive design. Its excellent sound quality and intuitive controls make it one of the better basic phones. , Basic phones without a lot of features are still immensely popular with a lot of cell phone users. It turns out that plenty of people just want a cell phone that can make calls without a lot of extra features, such as a camera or a music player. Thankfully, there are quite a few handset manufacturers out there that are still churning out basic, no-nonsense phones. LG, for example, has come up with the LG VX3450, and while its certainly bare-bones in the features department, it still looks attractive and most importantly, has decent call quality. The LG VX3450 is available for $19.99 with a new two-year contract with Verizon Wireless and comes in two colors, silver or blue. The LG VX3450 is a compact and curvy phone. The first word that comes to our mind when looking at the LG VX3450 is cute. Its curvaceous, almost hourglass-like design makes it look like it has a bit of a belly. Plus, its so compact and lightweight--it measures 3.4x1.9x1.0 inches and weighs 3.3 ounces--that it fits very naturally in the hand and cradles comfortably next to the ear. The hinge had just the right amount of give, and we could open and close the phone one-handed. The VX3450 has a stubby antenna on the top right side. We always appreciate it when a basic phone such as this one has an external screen, and the VX3450 meets that requirement. Its a small, 1-inch diagonal, monochrome display, but at least it has a blue color filter. The external screen displays the date, the time, battery life, and signal strength, as well as caller ID. Though we wouldve appreciated a color screen for photo caller ID, the VX3450 doesnt have a camera anyway so the monochrome is fine with us. A volume rocker rests on its left spine, while a dedicated voice command button is on the right. Open the phone and youll find a rather lackluster internal display. The small, 1.5-inch diagonal screen only supports 65,000 colors and it shows--the images appeared rather fuzzy around the edges and colors were muted. We did like LGs simple menu navigation system in lieu of Verizons custom menu style, as its far easier to use. You can adjust the backlight timer, the contrast, as well as the font sizes for the calling digits, the text editor, and the menu font. Underneath the display is the navigation array which is made up of two soft keys and a four-way toggle with a middle OK key. The toggle doubles as shortcuts to the speakerphone, the calendar, messages, and the sounds settings menu by default. However, you can define your own shortcut for the right arrow key via the Tools menu. Surrounding the toggle are the Send key, a Clear key, and the End/Power key. These keys, along with the alphanumeric keypad, are nice and big, well spaced, and have a slight bump above the surface of the phone for easy dialing and texting. The VX3450 has a 300-contact address book, and each entry can accommodate as many as nine numbers, an e-mail address, and a memo. For caller ID purposes, you can assign a group ID or pair a name with one of 30 different 32-chord polyphonic ring tones or message alert tones. You can also use one of the included clip-art icons as a picture caller ID since the phone doesnt have a camera. Other features of the phone include text and picture messaging, a schedule, an alarm clock, a voice memo recorder, a note pad, a tip calculator, a calculator, a world clock, a unit converter, a speakerphone, and a melody composer that lets you create your own ring tone, as well as voice dialing support. As there is no Web browser on the VX3450, personalization options are rather limited; there is no way for you to get additional wallpaper or themes. All you have are the wallpaper, themes, banner, colors, and fonts that are already installed on the phone. You can have different start-up and shut-down screens, and choose between analog or digital clock format for the display in standby mode. We tested the dual-band trimode (CDMA 850/1900, AMPS 850) LG VX3450 in San Francisco using Verizons network. The call quality was superb; we could make calls from the subway without too much hiss or static. Callers did know that we were calling from a cell phone, but it wasnt a significant hindrance. The VX3450 has a rated talk time of 2.5 hours and a standby time of almost 7 days. We eked out a respectable 3 hours and 40 minutes of talk time in our tests. According to FCC radiation tests, the LG VX3450 has a digital SAR rating of 0.937 watts per kilogram. ),
(798,Nokia E70,Positives: The Nokia E70 cell phone features a fold-out full QWERTY keyboard and a vibrant display. The Symbian smart phone offers integrated Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, document viewing and editing, and robust e-mail capabilities. Its also equipped with a 2-megapixel camera and solid talk-time battery life. Negatives: The E70 lacks 3G support and occasionally suffers from sluggish performance. The joystick is hard to use, and without the backing of a U.S. carrier, the phone is expensive. Call quality is substandard, and the phones speaker is also pretty weak. Facts: The mobile professional who wants a compact smart phone that doesnt sacrifice features should take a look at the Nokia E70; just be prepared to pay a price. Note: This product is part of the Nokia E series. ., Like HTC, Nokia distinguishes itself in the smart phone world by offering a broad range of designs. Nokias E series is particularly noteworthy; this family of business-centric smart phones comes in all shapes and sizes, pretty much ensuring that theres a style to suit almost everyone. Weve already checked out the broad and powerful Nokia E62, which is built for the power user, but what if you want the same messaging capabilities without all the bulk? No problem. The Nokia E70 answers that call. It offers a more compact candy bar-style design, yet still manages to pack in a fold-out QWERTY keyboard, robust productivity tools for the mobile professional, and a 2-megapixel camera. Unfortunately, all this power takes a bit of a toll on the phone, as it occasionally suffers from sluggish performance, and call quality could be better. As with most of Nokias smart phones, the E70 has not been picked up by a U.S. carrier, so youll pay a premium for an unlocked version. Currently, the Nokia E70 is available for around $390 to $450.DesignThough the Nokia E70 shares the same flip-phone body of the Nokia 6820, thats where the similarities end between the two phones. Like the rest of the Nokia E series, the E70 caters to the business crowd, so the handset has a more muted and refined look, with its classic silver-and-black color scheme and streamlined design. By contrast, the Nokia 6820 has a more youthful light blue-and-silver casing and resembles a basic, starter cell phone. The E70 has a stout body to match its solid feature set; at 4.6 inches long by 2.9 inches wide by 0.8 inch thick and weighing 4.4 ounces, it certainly doesnt fall into the sleek-and-sexy category, and its quite masculine-looking, but it feels solid in the hand and is comfortable to use as a phone. On front of the device, there is a gorgeous 2.2-inch diagonal, 16 million-color TFT display with a 352x416-pixel resolution. We were impressed by how sharp and vibrant text and images looked on the E70, and everything was still readable under direct sunlight. As with most of Nokias Symbian smart phones, however, the E70 does not have a touch screen. To navigate the phones menus, there are two soft keys and a joystick underneath the screen, while below that are Talk and End keys, a Menu shortcut, and a Clear button. Most of the controls are easy to press, but we wish the joystick was slightly larger or raised more above the phones surface, and its also a bit stiff. Using our thumb, we often pressed the joystick and selected an item accidentally, when all we wanted to do was move in one direction. Fortunately, the numeric keypad is easier to use, as the keys are spacious and tactile, if not a bit slippery. Plus, they are adequately backlit for typing in darker environments. The fold-out QWERTY keyboard is fairly easy to use and the screen automatically switches to landscape mode.Of course, for serious messaging, you can flip up the front cover and take advantage of the Nokia E70s full QWERTY keyboard. We like that the screen automatically switches to landscape mode, and the covers hinge was sturdy enough to endure repeated opening and closing. The keyboard itself is fairly good. Its buttons are tactile and brightly backlit, but its not as spacious as the LG enVs keyboard. The number/symbol buttons that line the top row also are smaller than the rest of the keys, so these may be extra troublesome. I have fairly small hands, so I didnt run into too many problems with pressing the wrong keys, but if you have larger thumbs, you may have some difficulties at first. However, as with any QWERTY device, you can be typing with ease after a period of acclimation. We also thought the menu navigation on the E70 in its open state was much easier to use than the confusing Samsung SCH-u740.Other design features on the Nokia E70 include a customizable shortcut key on the left spine, and a power/USB/headset connector port on the bottom of the unit. The camera lens is on the back of the device. Theres a miniSD card slot as well, but unfortunately, its inconveniently located behind the battery cover on the right side (with the back side facing you). The Nokia E70 is equipped with a 2-megapixel camera with an 8x digital zoom, but theres no flash or self-portrait mirror.Finally, Nokia packages the E70 with a travel charger, a USB cable, a wired headset, a CD-ROM with desktop software, and reference material.FeaturesIf the QWERTY keyboard didnt tip you off, the Nokia E70 has a heavy focus on messaging, but don't forget, its a phone first. The E70s address book is only limited by the available memory (about 64MB of internal memory; the SIM card holds an additional 250 contacts), and theres room in each entry for multiple numbers; e-mail, Web, and street addresses; company information; birthday; notes; and more. For caller ID purposes, you can assign a contact a photo, group ID, or one of 48 ringtones. Other phone features include a speakerphone, voice dialing, conference calling, speed dial, VoIP calls, and a vibrate mode. Wireless options on the E70 arent as robust as the Nokia E62, but you do get integrated Bluetooth 1.2, Wi-Fi, and EDGE support. Whats missing? Glorious 3G speeds--well, here in the States, anyway. You can use the Bluetooth to connect to wireless headsets, hands-free kits, Bluetooth printers, and keyboards; to wirelessly transfer files and contacts; and for dial-up networking. Sadly, theres no support for the A2DP profile, so you cant use Bluetooth stereo headsets with the E70. We were able to connect to the Web through both our test access point and Cingulars EDGE network, and the phone features an Opera browser that does an excellent job of optimizing sites for mobile devices.You get a plethora of messaging choices with the E70. It offers synchronization with Microsoft Outlook and Lotus Notes, and supports POP3, IMAP4, and SMTP e-mail protocols. For push e-mail solutions, you have your pick of Nokia Intellisync Wireless E-mail Solution and a number of popular third-party clients, including Good Technology, BlackBerry Connect, Seven Always-On, and Visto. Theres also a built-in attachment viewer. Aside from e-mail, the E70 also handles text, multimedia, and instant messaging. The Nokia E70 runs the third edition of the S60 (Symbian) platform, and offers a fairly intuitive and pleasant-looking interface. Most apps and utilities are neatly organized by category. For example, youll find the phones PIM tools, such as the Calendar, Notes, and Calculator, in the Organizer folder. Theres full support for viewing and editing Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents. Using the included USB cable, we were able to transfer all three file types and a PDF, and had no problems opening or working on them. Mobile professionals also may appreciate the Screen Export function that allows you to display the E70s screen via a compatible projector. The smart phone also has Adobe Reader and Zip Manager.For carrying larger files like music and video, there is a miniSD slot but its located behind the battery cover. For fun, the smart phone has a built-in music player with support for MP3, RealAudio, and AAC music files. You can sort songs by artist, album, genre, or composer. In addition, you have the ability to create playlists right on the device, set songs on Random or Repeat mode, and tweak the sound settings via the built-in equalizer. For videos, RealPlayer is onboard and is compatible with MPEG-4 and 3GPP formats. Theres also an image viewer for JPEG, BMP, BNG, and GIF files.The E70s camera took decent pictures, with rich colors but slightly blurry lines. Last but not least, the E70 is equipped with a 2-megapixel camera with an 8x digital zoom and video recording capabilities. Editing options arent as robust as weve seen on some of todays camera phones, but you do get a choice of two resolutions and three quality settings. You can adjust the white balance and color tone, and while theres no flash, there is a night mode, a self-timer, and sequence mode. We also like that theres an image counter displayed at the top of the screen to let you know how many more pictures you can take before running out of memory. However, as we always advise, you should store images on a miniSD card to free space on your phone. In Video mode, there are three resolutions available to you, and you can record in short or maximum length. Picture quality was good. Colors were rich, though lines were slightly blurry. PerformanceWe tested the triband (GSM 850/1800/1900; EDGE) Nokia E70 in San Francisco using Cingular service, and call quality was mediocre. We could hear our friends clearly, but apparently, we sounded like we were in a tunnel. Activating the speakerphone only made things worse. Voices were weak on our end, even with the volume at its highest level, and our callers reported choppy call quality. On the upside, we had no problems pairing the phone with the Logitech Mobile Traveller Bluetooth headset.Overall performance was OK. There was a slight lag when the screen orientation would change after opening the keyboard, and the delay became even more noticeable when opening documents or switching between apps. Although the E70 only supports EDGE speeds, the Web browsing experience was fairly fast. We viewed pages like EBAY.com and ESPN.com and they loaded quickly, and we just love, love, love the browser. The handsets beautiful screen also contributed to the good experience. Music playback through the phones speakers was pretty poor. Songs sounded hollow and one-dimensional. Plugging in the proprietary headset improved the situation only a little.The Nokia E70 is rated for 7 hours of talk time and up to 14 days of standby time. In our tests, we were able to get 7.5 hours of talk time on a single charge. According to FCC radiation tests, the E70 has a digital SAR rating of 0.9 watts per kilogram. ),
(799,Samsung Sync SGH-A707 (blue),Positives: The Samsung Sync has an attractive design that includes a great internal display. It also supports Cingular Music and offers a full range of features, including support for HSDPA networks, stereo Bluetooth, and a satisfying 2-megapixel camera. Negatives: The Samsung Sync had average call quality at times, and we werent impressed by the navigation controls or keypad. Also, it doesnt come with a USB cable in the box. Facts: The Samsung Sync is a great choice for music-mad cell phone users, but its call quality could be better. Note: This product is part of the Samsung Sync SGH-A707 series. ., Photo gallery:Samsung Sync (SGH-A707) ),
(800,Samsung Sync SGH-A707 (red),Positives: The Samsung Sync has an attractive design that includes a great internal display. It also supports Cingular Music and offers a full range of features, including support for HSDPA networks, stereo Bluetooth, and a satisfying 2-megapixel camera. Negatives: The Samsung Sync had average call quality at times, and we werent impressed by the navigation controls or keypad. Also, it doesnt come with a USB cable in the box. Facts: The Samsung Sync is a great choice for music-mad cell phone users, but its call quality could be better. Note: This product is part of the Samsung Sync SGH-A707 series. ., Photo gallery:Samsung Sync (SGH-A707) ),
(801,Helio Heat (gold),Positives: The Helio Heat is a sleek and compact slider handset that comes packed with features such as a megapixel camera, a music player, EV-DO access, and built-in GPS. It also comes with support for Helio Music. Negatives: The Helio Heat has unintuitive electrostatic touch-sensitive buttons that took a bit of training to use. It doesnt have a microSD card slot, and the speakerphone sound was mediocre. Facts: The Helio Heat is a decent affordable alternative to the Drift, but the tradeoffs are high. Even though we were willing to forgive its low-grade speakerphone and lack of microSD card slot due to its lower price tag, the mediocre sound quality and unintuitive touchpad buttons might be enough to make you plunk down the extra cash for the Drift instead. Note: This product is part of the Helio Heat series. ., Helio is by far one of the sexiest MVNOs on the market today, thanks to the companys innovative marketing campaign, the slick user interface on its Korean-made phones, and supported features such as MySpace Mobile access. Late last year, Helio upped the ante on its handset offerings when it introduced the admirable Helio Drift, the companys first ever handset with built-in GPS technology for applications like Google Maps for Mobile and Buddy Beacon, Helios friend-locator service. And now the company goes in another direction with a lower-end version of the Drift called the Helio Heat. It has a more streamlined design and still has the built-in GPS, but we werent fans of the electrostatic touchpad buttons. That said, the Heat is markedly less expensive than the Drift at $150 (the Drift is $225), making it the cheapest phone in Helios lineup. It also comes in both Onyx Black and Gold colors. DesignIf the Helio Drift had a face-lift and a tummy tuck, the result would look very much like the Helio Heat. While they are both Samsung sliders, the Heat is slimmer and sleeker than the more staid-looking Drift. Measuring 3.6x1.8x0.6 inch and weighing 3.17 ounces, the Heat doesnt quite have the curves of the Drift, but it makes up for that with its smooth corners and compact design. On the other hand, its slight glossy finish does make it more prone to fingerprint smudges. Thanks to its small shape, it fits neatly in the hand as well as in the pocket. We found it best to push the bottom end of the phone upward to slide the handset open. As for closing it, there is a slight raise on the upper edge of the top navigation button that your thumb can use as an anchor to slide the phone downward. It was easy to perform both maneuvers with one hand. The Helio Heat has an electrostatic touchpad. Though rather small at 1.99 inches, the QVGA 262,000-color screen on the Helio Heat still managed to wow us with excellent image quality. Colors looked really sharp on the screen, which came in handy when scrolling through Helios colorful menu interface. As on all Helio phones, the interface on the Heat was easy to use, with graphical menu icons arranged in a circle. The phones left spine is home to a volume rocker and a play/pause button for the media player. The end/power key and dedicated camera buttons are on the right spine, while the 1.3-megapixel camera lens, a self-portrait mirror, and flash are on the back of the phone when the slider is open. The Helio Heat has a 1.3-megapixel camera. While the four-way navigation toggle below the display consists of normal keys, all the other controls are touch sensitive. Similar to those found on the LG VX8500 Chocolate, these \"buttons\" don't have a tactile feel and can be seen and activated only when the phone is powered on. There are two soft keys, the send key, the back key, and dedicated music player controls. As with most touch-sensitive keys, there was nothing to delineate one key to the next because of the flat surface. Whats more, the lack of tactile feedback resulted in quite a few mistakes; either we found we were tapping a button too many times or not enough times, and this was after we had fiddled around with the touch-sensitivity settings. Also, the touchpad locks up on you if the phone is closed and when youre on a call to prevent accidental misdials. While this is commendable, it also means we either have to press the play/pause button to break the lock or slide the phone open if it was closed. As for the navigation toggle, it doubles as a shortcut for the Web browser, the games folder, messaging, and the video and music folder, plus theres also the middle confirmation key. As with the Chocolate--the end/power keys location on the spine is inconvenient. We kept hitting the back control when we tried to hang up a call. The alphanumeric keypad is revealed when the phone is slid upward. While the keys are rather flat, there was still some texture in between each key, which allowed us to dial easily and with confidence.FeaturesAs we mentioned before, the Heat is a lower-end version of the Drift, meaning its feature set is not quite as robust. That said, the Heat still delivers some impressive offerings. As for the basics, the Heats address book can hold up to 1,000 contacts with room in each entry for five numbers, an e-mail address, a birth date, a home address, and a memo. Each contact also can be assigned a caller group, a photo or video for caller ID, and one of 27 polyphonic ringtones. Other features of the phone include text and multimedia messaging, instant messaging, e-mail, a speakerphone, a vibrate mode, speed-dialing, a calendar, a to-do list, a wake-up call feature, an alarm clock. The phone also has a calculator, a world clock, a unit converter, a notepad, a stopwatch, a voice memo recorder, a wireless Web browser, stereo Bluetooth support, high speed 3G/EV-DO speeds, USB mass storage mode, and built-in GPS technology. As with the Drift, this built-in GPS allows Helio to offer location-based applications such as Google Maps for Mobile, a miniaturized version of Google Maps with traffic information and driving directions, and Buddy Beacon, a Helio-branded friend locator service that works by broadcasting your location to your friends and vice versa. A more detailed description of these services can be found in our review of the Helio Drift. Like all of the other Helio phones, the Heat has great MySpace Mobile integration plus a wide array of broadband offerings like Yahoo Search, shortcuts to sites like CNN and Digg, video and audio streaming from TV shows (content partners include ABC, MTV, and FOX), and music videos. If you wish to download the content in its entirety, you can purchase music videos for $2.50 each, ringtones for $1.00 each, and video ringers (ringtones in video form) for $2.99 each. There also is an optional dynamic newsfeed aggregator called Helio On Top (H.O.T.) that displays the latest headlines from select outlets like Yahoo News and Sports Illustrated. We were a bit disappointed that you couldnt add your own desired newsfeeds into the application. You can read a more detailed version of these services in our review of Helios other phones, the Hero and the Kickflip. The Heat also is the first Helio phone to provide access to its brand new Helio Music store. Launched in February 2007, its similar to the music service offered by Verizons V Cast Music. You can download a song to your PC for 99 cents, of which you can then upload to your phone later, or you can download an over-the-air song for $1.99 and then transfer it to your home PC later on. And in a unique Helio twist, you also can \"gift\" a song to your friends or \"beg\" for a song from them. (You can \"gift\" and \"beg\" other content too, such as a music video or a ringtone.) Of course, you also can upload your own existing collection of MP3s to the Heat via Helios free MediaMover application. Unfortunately, the Heat only comes with 136MB of internal memory and does not have a microSD card slot, which is severely limiting for a music phone. We were quite impressed with the sound quality of the music when heard with the provided earbuds--the audio sounded loud and clear, though not nearly as good as from a dedicated MP3 player. Without the earbuds, the music sounded tinny and muffled when played via the phones built-in speakers. The Helio Heat took pretty good pictures. The Heat comes with a 1.3-megapixel camera, which is a step down from the Drifts 2-megapixel offering, but understandable since the Heat is positioned as a lower-tier model. Camera settings include image resolution (1280x960, 800x600, 640x480, 320x240, 240x240), quality (Super Fine, Fine, Normal), brightness, white balance (auto, daylight, cloudy, incandescent, and fluorescent), lighting (normal, spotlight), color effects, photo frames, a self timer, a flash, up to 9x zoom, and sounds for the shutter and the self-timer (all the sounds can be turned off if desired). As for the video camera settings, you could adjust the frame rate, the white balance, lighting, a mute control, color effects, and brightness. As we mentioned, the Heat comes with only 136MB of internal memory, so there isnt much room to store a large chunk of photos or videos. The resulting quality of the photos was pretty good, with not a lot of blur and good color saturation. Video quality did not fare so well however, as it was quite choppy and low res. The Helio Heat also comes with a Photo Studio in the phone itself that lets you edit the photos by resizing, rotating, flipping, stretching, or swirling the images, or by adding filters, effects, stickers, fades, and overlays in the videos.There is no shortage of personalization options with the Heat. Not only can you purchase and download additional graphics for wallpaper and screensavers, you also can get alerts, ringtones, video ringers, and much more from the Helio store. The Heat comes with three games--Gameloft Mega Hits, Monopoly Here and Now, and a trial version of 3D Fortune Gold--and you always can get more from Helio as well.PerformanceWe tested the dual-band (CDMA 800/1900; EV-DO) Heat in San Francisco using Helios service. While we heard our callers loud and clear, we did hear quite a bit of hiss and static, which definitely tipped our callers off that we were using a cell phone. Speakerphone quality was all right, but the audio did sound a bit tinny. We managed to pair the Heat with the Gennum nx6000 Bluetooth headset without a hitch, and audio quality heard through the headset was decent. As far as the EV-DO speeds go, we managed to download files quite quickly--a song we purchased from Helio Music downloaded in mere seconds. We experienced some lag when streaming videos and the quality wasnt as good as we would like, but we didnt experience any buffering issues when watching clips. The Helio Heat has a rated talk time of three hours and a rated standby time of eight days. According to FCC radiation tests, the Heat has a digital SAR rating of 1.46 watts per kilogram. ),
(802,Motorola Krzr K1m Fire (Verizon Wireless),Positives: The Motorola Krzr K1m is downright sexy and offers Bluetooth, EV-DO support, and decent call quality. Negatives: The Motorola Krzr K1m suffers from metallic music quality, poor streaming videos, and sluggish performance. Also, it offers a lower-resolution camera than on the GSM Krzr K1. Facts: Though its oh-so pretty, the Motorola Krzr K1m doesnt offer any new features. Plus, multimedia performance wasnt reliable. Note: This product is part of the Motorola Krzr K1 series. ., Just when you thought Motorola couldnt ride the wave from its popular Razr any longer, the once-staid, now-cool company rolls out its line of Krzr handsets. Styled similar to the Razr but with a few important improvements, the Motorola Krzr K1m casts a slim and striking profile thats sure to send cell phone fashionistas into a tizzy. As with its predecessor, the style-focused form factor entails some usability sacrifices in the controls, but the Krzr K1m ranks as the one of the prettiest cell phones weve seen thus far. On the downside, performance had its high and low points, and the Krzr K1ms features set, which includes Bluetooth, a megapixel camera, and support for EV-DO networks, doesnt offer any changes over Verizons Razr V3m. And in all seriousness, just where did Motorola get the silly name? The Krzr K1m is so hyped that Verizon Wireless and Sprint announced availability within a week of each other, yet Verizons version is the first to go on sale. You can get it for as low as $199 with service. (Theres also a GSM version of the phone, the Krzr K1). While we don't hide the fact that were growing tired of the thin-phone phenomenon, well admit readily that the Krzr is getting us excited about diet handsets all over again. To put it mildly, the Krzr K1m is very pretty, so pretty that it makes the Razr look like some circa-1980s car phone. While the Razr was a one-trick pony with its design--thin from the side, yes, but also boxy and plain from the front--the Krzr is beautiful all around. At 4.05 by 1.73 by 0.67 inches, it has a slightly thicker profile than the Razr while also being taller and thinner when measured across its front face. The dimensions make the Krzr much more comfortable to hold in the hand, and it feels better when cradled against your face. Also, at 3.6 ounces (a tad more than the Razrs 3.3 ounces), it enjoys a more solid construction and a sturdier hinge. Its still a bit hard, however, to feel such a small phone vibrate when its in your pocket. As Moto is quick to point out, the Krzr includes a plate of hardened reflective glass on its front face. Though that sounded a bit gimmicky when we first heard about it, the result is undeniably appealing with a sleek and sharp look. The dark gray color is nice as well, though were partial to the blue face on the GSM Krzr K1. On the other hand, the K1ms darker hue attracts fewer smudges and fingerprints than the K1m. Motorola promises the glass will withstand cracking and scratches, but we didnt try to prove that wrong. Another highlight was the shiny chrome plating on the handsets bottom end.The postage stamp external display is a bit small for the phones size, but it shows an acceptable 65,536 colors. You can view the date, time, signal strength, battery life, and caller ID (where available), and you can use the display as a viewfinder for self-portraits. The display disappears entirely when the backlighting is off, but a flick of any exterior button will activate it again. Alternatively, you can change the backlighting time to always-on. The Krzr K1m has touch-sensitive music controls. The camera lens lies above the display, though its disappointing that yet again theres no flash. On the upside, however, one of the phones more interesting design features sits just below the display near the bottom of the front flap. Here are three touch-sensitive buttons for controlling the music player. Fortunately they are lit and usable only when the player is on--a wise design decision, as its impossible to activate the player accidentally--but they can be too sensitive when the player is on. We paused out music unintentionally a few times, which was annoying. Overall, however, wed favor the Krzrs touch controls above those on the LG Chocolate.Completing the outside of the phone is a voice-dialing button on the left spine and a volume rocker and speakerphone/smart key on the left spine. A covered mini USB port sits on the left spine as well, but its worth noting that, because its the port for both the headset and the charger, you can use only one accessory at a time. The Micro SD card slot is located somewhat inconveniently behind the battery cover. Were glad you don't have to remove the battery as well, but wed prefer to find it on the outside of the handset. The Krzr K1ms memory slot is hidden behind the battery cover. The Krzrs internal display measures a roomy 1.9 inches (176x220 pixels) and supports 65,536 colors. The result is a rich and vibrant screen that displays most anything well. Even Verizons clunky standardized menu interface, which few people are crazy about, looks good here. You can change the backlighting time and the brightness, but no other options are customizable.The navigation array and keypad buttons will look familiar to Razr fans; they have a similar design and layout. The four-way toggle doubles as a shortcut to four user-defined functions, while the OK button in the toggles center opens the menu when in standby mode. Surrounding the toggle are two soft keys, a dedicated camera shortcut, a Clear/Back key and the traditional Talk and End/Power controls. Though the navigation array as a whole is smaller than on the Razr (due to the Krzrs smaller size), its still spacious enough for users with big paws. Keypad buttons are a holdover from the Razr as well, with a flat design and no separation between the individual buttons. They have a bit less texture than on some of the newer Razrs (such as the V3i), so its harder to dial by feel, and the keys can be slippery and difficult to master. On the other hand, they are brightly backlit.We admit weve just spent a lot of time taking about the Krzrs design, but look and feel are really what the phone is all about. As we said previously, it doesnt offer anything new in terms of features, so theres a lot less to talk about in that department. Theres a 1,000-contact phone book with room in each entry for five phone numbers and two e-mail addresses. You can organize contacts into groups or pair them with a photo or one of 20 (72-chord) polyphonic ring tones for caller ID. Basic features include a vibrate mode, a voice recorder, text and multimedia messaging, an alarm clock, a calendar, a calculator, a world clock, and a notepad. On the higher end, theres a speakerphone, voice dialing and commands, a mini USB port, e-mail, and PC syncing. Bluetooth is onboard as well, but its options are limited. Though you still cant use it to transfer music files and ring tones, in a welcome move toward customer-friendliness Verizon is now offering photo transfers via that feature. Onboard usable memory is a bit skimpy at 18MB, but the Micro SD card slot gives you even more room. In a strange move, the K1ms camera is 1.3-megapixel, while the GSM Krzr K1 offers a 2-megapixel shooter. Were scratching our heads at the disparity, which doesnt make a whole lot of sense. Nonetheless the K1ms camera does the job. You can take pictures in four resolutions (1,280x1,024; 640x80; 320x240; and 160x120) but you don't get a selection of quality settings. Other options include a multishot option, brightness and white-balance controls, a self-timer, three color effects, an 8X zoom, 10 fun frames, and three shutter sounds (plus a silent option).The camcorder shoots clips in 176x144 resolution with sound; editing options are similar to the still camera. Videos meant for multimedia messages are capped at 14 seconds; otherwise you can shoot for as long as the available memory permits. Image quality was decent but not quite what we expected from a megapixel camera. Images were bit blurry, and colors werent always sharp. The Krzr K1m had average photo quality for a megapixel camera. As an EV-DO phone, the Krzr K1m supports the full range of Verizons 3G services including the V Cast video service and the V Cast music store. The music players interface is standard for all phones from the carrier that support the music store. You also get access to a variety of Verizon applications including VZ Navigator, Backup Assistance, and Chaperone as well as a host of alternative programs and services such as Fox Sports Mobile Pro, Extra TV, and Weathernews. There isnt much for gamers; you get demo versions of just two titles (Tetris and Pac-Man). Full versions and other games are available for purchase with the WAP 2.0 wireless Web browser. Just remember that Verizon uses BREW instead of Java. You can personalize the Krzr K1m with a variety of wallpaper, screensavers, and sounds. You can always buy more choices if you want them.We tested the (CDMA 800/1900; EV-DO) Motorola Krzr K1m in San Francisco using Verizons service. Sound quality was unchanged from other Verizon phones like the V3m. Voices were clear, and volume actually was a bit louder than most of the Razrs weve tried. On their end, callers said we sounded fine, and they could hear us plainly in louder environments. At times there was a slight hiss in the background, but it wasnt bothersome. Reception was sharp, and the EV-DO connection was strong even in buildings. Speakerphone calls sounded a bit hollow but with enough volume, and Bluetooth headset calls were satisfactory.Music audio quality was decent, though the hiss that was audible during phone calls seemed louder here. It didnt make our tunes intolerable by any means, but it did give them a robotic and bass-heavy effect. The music player itself was sluggish at times, and it often paused for a fewseconds when navigating though different options. Also, unless you set it as a shortcut through the navigation toggle, it took too many clicks to activate the player. A 2.6MB song took about a minute and 30 seconds to download, which is rather slow. V Cast video also was unimpressive. It took up to a minute to access the applications main menu and navigation through menus was sluggish here as well. Whats more, clips showed a fair amount of pixilation. If youre a multimedia nut, Verizon has better, but less-pretty options such as the LG VX8300. The Motorola Krzr K1m has a rated talk time of 4.2 hours and a promised standby time of 18 days. In our tests, we managed to get a talk time of 4 hours and 16 minutes. According to FCC radiation tests the Krzr K1m has a digital SAR rating of 1.03 watts per kilogram. ),
(803,RIM BlackBerry Pearl Red (AT&T),Positives: The RIM BlackBerry Pearl is the first BlackBerry to offer a 1.3-megapixel camera, music and video playback, expandable memory, and a mapping application. The supersleek phone also continues to offer superior push e-mail capabilities, EDGE support, and Bluetooth. Negatives: The RIM BlackBerry Pearls microSD slot is inconveniently located behind the battery, and call quality was subpar in our tests. We also wish there were external controls for the music player and integrated Wi-Fi. Facts: Though nothing revolutionary, the addition of multimedia features and the already solid e-mail capabilities make the RIM BlackBerry Pearl an attractive device for business users and consumers alike. Note: This product is part of the RIM BlackBerry Pearl series. ., When the RIM BlackBerry Pearl debuted back in September 2006, T-Mobile had an exclusive on the phone for a few months. However, Cingular/AT&T wasnt too far behind to snatch up the sexy Pearl, and we don't blame them. Its the first BlackBerry to offer a built-in camera, video and music playback, and expandable media. And while we certainly welcome these additions, we should note that the Pearl isnt offering anything revolutionary; most smart phones today have the same capabilities and offer more functionality, such as video recording. That said, we think the Pearls sleek design and new features, coupled with the BlackBerrys heralded e-mail capabilities, will be a draw for business users and consumers alike. Cingular/AT&Ts version of the Pearl does offer a couple of extra capabilities that the T-Mobile version does not, most notably push-to-talk and location-based services. Its also available in black or ruby red, while T-Mobile has a black and a white model. Though we did not test the Cingular/AT&T Pearl, you can read more about its design and feature set below and check out our review of the T-Mobile Pearl for more on its general performance. The RIM BlackBerry Pearl (black and ruby red) is available now through Cingular/AT&T for $199.99 with a two-year contract and after rebates. DesignWe don't think were going too far when we say that the RIM BlackBerry Pearl is the sexiest BlackBerry to date--it even gives the Motorola Q some stiff competition. It sports a supersleek design (4.2 by 2.0 by 0.5 inches; 3.1 ounces) and a polished look with its glossy black-and-chrome finish (also available in dark ruby red). It actually reminds us of the MotorolaSlvr L7, and its more cell phone-like appearance will go a long way to attract a broader audience rather than just business users. Also, with its slimmed-down profile, we had no problems slipping it into a purse or pants pocket, and it felt solid and comfortable to hold up to our ear for phone calls. The BlackBerry Pearl rocks a 2.25-inch TFT screen that displays 65,000 colors at a 240x260-pixel resolution. Like the rest of the companys devices, its not a touch screen, but it offers a sharp, clear display with vibrant colors and is great for viewing e-mail, images, and Web sites. It also features light-sensing technology, so it will automatically adjust the screen and keyboard depending on your environment; true enough, it adjusted the displays light so that we could still read it in direct sunlight. You can change the screens theme, backlight time, and font size, style, and family. A small LED above the screen illuminates colors for different status messages: green for wireless; blue for Bluetooth; red for new messages; and amber for low battery. Theres also a mute button on top of the device. The pearl-like trackball replaces the trackwheel of past BlackBerrys. Just below the screen, youll find the reason why RIM decided to name this BlackBerry after a gemstone: the pearl-like trackball. Its reminiscent of the one found on the T-Mobile Sidekick 3 and allows for four-way scrolling; pressing it down acts as a select button. (You can adjust the trackballs sensitivity under the Options, Screen/Keyboard menu if you need to change its responsiveness.) The trackball, along with the Menu and Escape buttons that surround it, replace the trackwheel and Escape key that have been mainstays of BlackBerrys in the past. Having grown accustomed to these controls, we missed having these buttons on the right side for easy one-handed use, and we suspect other BlackBerry users might feel the same way. Its not that the new setup doesnt allow for one-handed operation; its just different and takes some acclimation. Volume controls and a customizable shortcut key now reside on the right spine. With the jog dial and Escape key relocated, youll now find volume up/down buttons and a customizable convenience key on the right spine, while a 2.5mm headset jack, a mini USB port, and another user-defined shortcut key are on the left side. By default, the right shortcut key was assigned to be the camera activation button, and we found that to be quite convenient, especially if you want to take a horizontal picture, as it mimics the feel of a standalone digital camera. The Pearls camera lens is located on the back, along with a flash and a small self-portrait mirror. Weve never been big fans of the SureType keyboard, and were still not. For the uninitiated, this modified keyboard features a traditional QWERTY layout, but two letters are assigned to one key. As you start to enter the letters of a word, SureType technology will present you with a list of possible letter combinations or words based on context. Great in theory, but weve found it can be slow and frustrating because you have to type the letters, scroll to the correct word, then select it. That said, we understand some concessions have to be made to keep a handset like this small, so were willing to cut RIM some slack here. Were a bit less forgiving, however, about the fact that the microSD card slot is located behind the battery. Its a pain to have to take the battery out every time you want to access it, and even Nokia, which has been notorious for this design quirk, has found a way to make it so that at least you don't have to remove the whole battery, only the cover. Given this is the first BlackBerry to even offer an expansion slot, you may be thinking were nitpicking at this point, but its still an inconvenience. Though we appreciate the inclusion of a microSD slot, we wish it werent located behind the battery. Finally, RIM packages the device with a travel charger, a pair of earbuds, a USB cable, and a desktop companion software CD. Theres no belt holster included with the Pearl, but RIM said this is because its such a slim device it doesnt warrant one, which we find agreeable. There are, however, belt clips and cases for purchase. Features The RIM BlackBerry Pearl has generated so much buzz because it represents several firsts for the company. As we mentioned in the design section, the Pearl is the first BlackBerry to offer expandable media, but its also the first to have a camera and an integrated media player. Though revolutionary for the product line, these new multimedia features are fairly basic compared to those of other smart phones on the market. Still, well take it over nothing, and we certainly think its a step in the right direction and a sign of good things to come from BlackBerry. The BlackBerry Pearl is the first device from the company to have an integrated camera. The BlackBerry Pearl sports a 1.3-megapixel camera with a flash and 5x zoom; however, it doesnt have video-recording capabilities like most camera-equipped smart phones and cell phones. You also don't get as many of the customization options, but you can choose from three picture sizes (1,280x1,024, 640x480, and 320x240) and three quality settings (normal, fine, and superfine). You also can adjust the white balance setting depending on your environment. Once youre done snapping photos, you can save them to your devices internal memory or to the media card, or set them as caller ID or as your home screen. You have several options for sharing your images with family and friends: e-mail, a multimedia message, or an instant message. Theres also a slide show feature, but there was an annoying \"Loading...\" message in between each picture. We were a bit disappointed by the quality of the Pearls camera. Though we could recognize the objects in the photos, colors were washed out, and there was an overall grainy effect to the picture. Still, these camera phones were never designed to replace your digital camera, so for the quick snapshot, the Pearl is OK. The BlackBerry Pearls 1.3-megapixel camera took decent pictures, though colors were a bit washed out. While you cant record video, you can watch video with the integrated media player. The BlackBerry Pearl supports various video formats, including AVI, MP4, MOV, and 3GP files. The player has play and stop buttons, and you can fast-forward and rewind clips by clicking the trackball and scrolling right or left. We just wish there were a full-screen mode since these player controls take up the lower quarter of the screen. For music, the BlackBerry Pearl supports MP3, AAC, MIDI, and WAV files, among others. You can create playlists as folders and shuffle and repeat songs within a certain folder. It also displays some track information, such as title, artist, and album art if available. As we were trying out with the music player, we quickly found that external player controls would have been nice. Instead, we had to press the Menu key first if we wanted to skip a track or go back to the previous song. We do like, however, that you can easily set a song as your ringtone simply by pressing the Menu key and selecting \"Set as phone tune\" from the list. You also can continue to play music as you use the devices other apps; and if you happen to get an incoming call, the Pearl will pause the music and pick up where you left off after you hang up.Beyond multimedia, the Pearl is also the first BlackBerry to come with a map application. BlackBerry Maps provides local maps and allows you to get text-based driving directions right on your device, but there are no integrated GPS capabilities (you can add this functionality with a Bluetooth GPS receiver). You can map addresses straight from your contacts list or enter them manually. In addition, you can e-mail your location to a colleague or a friend or add it to a Favorites list. The map details are pretty bare-bones, but you can zoom in or out and pan maps. We thought it weird that you couldnt pan left or right with the trackball. Instead, you have to use the numerical keypad. Other than these new capabilities, the BlackBerry Pearl retains many of the same features that has made BlackBerrys popular, such as e-mail. The smart phone can sync with your companys BlackBerry Enterprise server with support for Microsoft Exchange, IBM Lotus Domino, or Novell GroupWise to deliver corporate e-mail in real time. It also supports up to 10 personal/business POP3 or IMAP4 e-mail accounts. Theres a setup wizard onboard to help with this process, and we used it to get our AT&T Yahoo account set up on the device. It was quick and easy, and we were soon receiving messages on the Pearl, sometimes even before they had shown up in our in-box on the computer. Other messaging options include text and multimedia messages, and were glad to see the inclusion of popular instant-messaging clients, such as Yahoo, AOL, MSN, and ICQ.For mobile professionals, an attachment viewer opens popular file formats, such as Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Corel WordPerfect, PDF, JPEG, GIF, and more. You also can view tracked changes and embedded images and zoom and rotate documents, but you cant edit documents out of the box, though third-party software is available that allows this functionality. Other applications on the Pearl include a calendar, a Web browser, a tasks list, a memo pad, an alarm, a password keeper, and a calculator. As a phone, the address book is limited only by the available memory, which tops out at 64MB flash memory (the SIM card holds an additional 250 contacts). For each entry, you can store up to eight numbers, work and home addresses, e-mail and Web addresses, company information, and notes. For caller ID purposes, you can assign a photo to a contact as well a group category, business or personal. The BlackBerry Pearl now supports voice dialing, so you can use voice commands to call up contacts and dial numbers. In addition, Bluetooth 2.0 is onboard for wireless headsets, car kits, and desktop connectivity. Though RIM has said it plans to add Wi-Fi to future devices, the Pearl does not have integrated Wi-Fi. Fortunately, you can take still surf the Web using Cingulars EDGE network. Finally, Cingular/AT&T offers carrier-specific services not available on the T-Mobile version of the Pearl: push-to-talk (PTT) capabilities and location-based services. PTT plans start at $9.99 per month, and with it, you can instantly see the availability of your contacts before calling them and make individual or group PTT calls. If youre constantly on the road or are directionally challenged, you also can turn your Pearl into a navigator with the addition of a Bluetooth GPS receiver and Cingular/AT&Ts TeleNav GPS Navigator. This add-on service costs $9.99 per month for unlimited trips or $5.99 for up to 10 trips, and provides color maps, text- and voice-guided turn-by-turn directions, points of interest, and more. ),
(804,Sony Ericsson Z710i,Positives: The Sony Ericsson Z710i has an attractive, user-friendly design and a generous selection of features. Its a good performer too. Negatives: The Sony Ericsson Z710i doesnt have the best external display. It also lacks stereo speakers and a camera flash, and its call quality had a slight echo effect. Facts: If youre looking for a user-friendly, quality music phone, the Sony Ericsson Z710i delivers the goods. Note: This product is part of the Sony Ericsson Z710i series. ., We have to admit that were a little confused by Sony Ericssons music phone strategy. Beyond the generally excellent Walkman MP3 phones, the company has put out a selection of other music handsets as well. Handsets like the Sony Ericsson Z710i arent branded as official Walkman models, but they have just about the same music feature set nonetheless. So, like we said, its just a bit confusing. Regardless, the Z710i accomplishes what it sets out to do. Its a quality phone and music player and the Sony Ericsson seems to have corrected design issues that plagued its phones in the past. DesignExcept for a color change, the Z710i is strikingly similar to the Sony Ericsson W710i Walkman. It has the same flip phone design with the looped antenna on the top of the rear flap. Like its predecessor, its a tad boxy (3.4 by 1.9 by 1.0 inches). But its a pleasant shape on the whole and it has a comfortable and solid (3.6 ounces) feel in the hand. The dark-gray color scheme is attractive, and it also comes in a lighter \"metallic sand\" version as well. Compared with the W710i, the Z710is exterior features are both improved and somewhat disappointing at the same time. Well start with the bad news first. We dinged the W710i for its bland external display and were going to have to do the same with the Z710i. Like its predecessor, the display is very large (1.5 inches) but the monochrome resolution means it doesnt support photo caller ID. It also wont act as a viewfinder for self-portraits, but Sony Ericsson redeemed itself this time around by adding a self-portrait mirror to the camera lens just above (theres still no flash though). You can change the backlighting time, and though the brightness isnt customizable the display remains visible in direct light. On the upside, the display is great for using the music player with the phone closed. Since theres so much room, you can see the name of the song, the artist, and the album, plus the time remaining on the current track. Sony Ericsson also wins points for the music player buttons on the front flap. Though theyre smaller than the music controls on the W710i and they lack the same rubberized texture, theyre still easy to use. They can be a bit too sensitive, but the handy sliding control on the left spine locks the controls to prevent them being pressed accidentally. The Z710s external display is bordered by the external music controls.The left spine holds a volume rocker and a dedicated camera button. Both keys are large and tactile, but the camera control is usable only when the phone is open. The Memory Stick Micro slot sits just below, but youre required to remove the battery cover to access it. A single speaker sits on the back of the rear flap. The speaker is in an awkward location, and its too bad Sony Ericsson didnt include stereo speakers on a music phone. The Z710s interior shares much in common with the W710i as well. In typical Sony Ericsson style, the display is thoroughly spectacular. It measures two inches diagonally (176x220 pixels) and supports 262,144 colors. Everything from text to photos to graphics shows up beautifully, even in direct light. Sony Ericssons simple menu system also looks good. Only the brightness and the clock style are customizable, but the text size should be large enough for most users. Below the display and the sturdy hinge is the well-designed navigation array. A large, tactile four-way toggle with a central OK button is surrounded by two soft keys, dedicated Clear and Back controls, and a shortcut for the Web browser. You can program the toggle to give one-touch access to four functions while another dedicated control opens a secondary menu of user-defined shortcuts. As with other Sony Ericsson handsets, the Z710i lacks Talk and End buttons; instead the soft keys perform those functions. Sony Ericsson is getting better with its keypads and the Z710i shows the companys progress. Though similar to the W710i in design, they don't feel as cheap and arent as slippery. The raised keys are large and are lit by a bright backlighting. Just below the keypad are the Power button and a dedicated messaging control. Both keys are a bit small, but its not a huge deal. FeaturesThe ZZ10s feature set closely follows that of its predecessor. The phone book holds a healthy 1,000 contacts with room in each entry for five phone numbers, e-mail and Web addresses, a job title and company, work and home street addresses, a birth date, and notes. And if you have more than 1,000 friends, the SIM card holds an additional 250 names. You can assign contacts to a group or pair them with one of 15 polyphonic ringtones. You can assign a photo or video ringtones as well, but keep in mind that they wont show up on the external display. Other essentials include a vibrate mode, text and multimedia messaging, an alarm clock, a calendar, a task list, a notepad, a timer, a world clock, a stopwatch, a calculator, and a voice memo recorder (space is limited by the available memory.) On the high-end side, the Z710i comes with a speakerphone (usable after you make a call), PC syncing, full Bluetooth with a stereo profile, push e-mail, a code memo for storing sensitive information, modem capability, and USB mass storage support. Though its not an official Walkman phone, the Z710i has just about the same music player, which is a good thing. Sony Ericsson is no slouch when it comes to music phones and the Z710i shows the companys strengths. It supports a broad range of formats, including MP3, MP4, 3 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, stereo widening, and an equalizer. Unlike other Sony Ericsson music phones, however, the Z710i doesnt offer Sonys Mega Bass. 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. The interface is a bit utilitarian but we don't need fancy graphics to enjoy our tunes. And for even more music fun, the Z710i features an FM radio with 20 presets. Our Z710is internal memory is on the low side--just 18MB--but some alternate versions may have as little as 10MB. And keep in mind that, since its shared with other applications, your actual storage space may be less. If youre planning to use the music player frequently, we recommend investing in a Memory Stick Micro for extra space; our test phone came with a 64MB card but larger cards are available. Getting music on the phone is relatively easy using the included USB cable and Sony Ericsson Disc2Phone and PC suite software. The Disc2Phone software is unchanged from previous Walkman phones. As such, its quite spartan, but its easy to understand (see Performance for more information). The Z710is camera has a self-portrait mirror but no flash.The user-friendly 2-megapixel camera shoots photos in three sizes (2-megapixel, 1-megapixel, and standard VGA). Other options include two quality settings, three color effects, a night mode, white balance and brightness adjustments, 12 fun frames, a 2.5x zoom (smaller then the W710i), and four shutter sounds (theres no silent option). Theres also a self-timer, a multishot mode, a time and date stamp, and an option for taking panoramic shots. When finished with your shots, you can save them to the phone or send them to a friend in a multimedia message. We don't like that the phone has to downsize a 2-megapixel photo in order to send it. Alternatively, you can use the USB cable and PC software to transfer a photo to a computer for printing. Overall photo quality was decent with vivid, sharp colors and distinct object outlines. On the other hand, its disappointing that the Z710i doesnt have a flash. A PhotoDJ lets you edit your photos while the software includes a starter edition of Adobe Photoshop. We liked the Z710s photo quality.The camcorder takes clips with sound and offers a set of editing options similar to the still camera. Clips meant for multimedia messages are capped at about two minutes; otherwise you can shoot for as long as the memory permits. Video quality was satisfactory, with little blurriness. The Z710i comes with a VideoDJ application. You can personalize the Z710i with a variety of color themes, wallpaper, and screen savers. You can purchase more options with the WAP 2.0 wireless Web browser. You can download more ringtones as well or create your own using the MusicDJ application. And unlike other music phones, you can save MP3 files as ringtones. Alpha Wing 2 is the only Java (J2ME) game included, but you get the full version.PerformanceWe tested the quadband (GSM 850/900/1800/1900; EDGE) Sony Ericsson Z710i world phone in San Francisco using T-Mobile service. Call quality was generally good with no voice distortion. The volume level also was admirable and we encountered little static or interference. Its worth noting though that the audio had a slight echoed effect, almost as if the sound was coming from the back of the speaker. It wasnt detrimental to our conversations, but it was noticeable just the same. On their end, callers said they could hear us plainly, though they could tell we were using a cell phone. Also, they complained of some wind noise. Speakerphone calls were decent and less muffled than on other phones. That said, the rear-facing speaker means we had the best experience if we rested the phone upside-down. We also tested the phone with the included wired headset and a Bluetooth headset, and had a satisfactory experience with both.Music quality was admirable and on par with other Sony Ericsson music phones. As with the W710i we were really hoping for stereo speakers, but you can get stereo sound with the included wired headset. Sound quality was pretty impressive considering the headset comes included with the phone, which is a good thing since Sony Ericssons proprietary connection prohibits against using a headset of your own. Fortunately, the music player interface wasnt as sluggish as on the W710i and unlike the W810i the Disc2Phone software didnt ask us repeatedly to install a driver. Music transfer time also shows improvement; it took just over a couple of minutes to transfer 40MB of tunes. The Sony Ericsson Z710i has a rated battery life of 10 hours talk time and 14.5 days of standby time. Our tests revealed a talk time of only 8 hours. According to FCC radiation tests, the Z710i has a digital SAR rating of 1.36 watts per kilogram. ),
(805,Verizon Wireless PN-820,Positives: The Verizon Wireless PN-820 brings the capabilities of a Windows Mobile smart phone into a practical clamshell design. It also offers integrated Bluetooth, EV-DO support, and a 1.3-megapixel camera. Negatives: The PN-820 doesnt support Verizons V Cast services and lacks integrated Wi-Fi. Call quality was also mixed and the smart phone doesnt come preloaded with a document viewer like the Cingular 3125. Facts: Though not the flashiest handset on the market, the Verizon Wireless PN-820 offers mobile professionals a decent-performing Windows Mobile smart phone in a functional flip phone design. , Smart phones have come a long way in design. Nowadays, they come in all shapes and sizes--from the sleek to the small--and not just the bricklike variety. Yet theres one form factor that the phone manufacturers have yet to conquer--flip phones. The Cingular 3125 was a good effort, but its Trekkie look isnt for everyone. Enter the Verizon Wireless PN-820. Its certainly not sexy--some might call it dull even--but the design is practical and more important, functional. Plus, the Windows Mobile 5 smart phone packs in Bluetooth, EV-DO support, and good performance. Of course, we have our share of complaints. For example, we wish the PN-820 supported Verizons V Cast services, and call quality was somewhat mixed. Also, the lack of a QWERTY keyboard doesnt make the device ideal for e-mail fanatics and power users. That said, for mobile professionals who want to be able to check their messages on the go, the PN-820 is a good choice. The Verizon Wireless PN-820 is available now for a reasonable $149.99 with a two-year contract.DesignSexy, flashy, cutting-edge--these are all words we wouldnt use to describe the design of the Verizon Wireless PN-820, but we don't think this a bad thing. Unlike the futuristic Cingular 3125, which I still find completely odd-looking, the PN-820 looks like a run-of-the-mill flip phone. Yes, the black-and-silver color scheme is basic, but its completely appropriate for the intended audience of mobile professionals. And sure, at 3.8x2.0x0.7 inches and 3.9 ounces, the PN-820 is on the bigger side (especially with its protruding external antenna) compared to todays lot of skinny cell phones; however, the larger size allows the PN-820 to have a spacious internal screen and keypad, which come in handy for the smart phone capabilities. In addition, it feels solid in the hand and comfortable to hold while on a phone call. The Verizon Wireless PN-820 comes equipped with a 1.3-megapixel camera and flash.On the front cover, there is a 1.07-inch diagonal external color screen that shows all the basic information, such as the date, time, battery life, signal strength, and caller ID (where available). You can also use it as a viewfinder for self-portraits, as the camera lens and flash are located above the display. To activate the camera, there is a quick-launch button on the right side of the PN-820 as well as a voice recorder button. Meanwhile, the left spine holds a miniSD card slot and a volume rocker. Just to nitpick, we wish the volume controls were higher up on the phone, since such a placement would make it easier to adjust the volume while on a call. As it is, we have to slide our thumb down quite a bit to access those buttons, but again, this is really a minor issue. For storing photos and other multimedia files, invest in a miniSD card.The inside of the Verizon Wireless PN-820 holds a vibrant 2.2-inch diagonal, 65,536-color screen with a 320x240 pixel resolution. Text and images look sharp, but as with all Windows Mobile 5 Smartphone devices, the PN-820 does not have a touch screen. Fortunately, there is a set of large and easy-to-use navigation controls below the display to operate the handset. You get two soft keys, a shortcut to the Home screen, Talk and End keys, a clear button, and a four-way toggle with a center OK button. The layout is nice and spacious, so most users shouldnt have any problems with pressing the wrong button. The numeric dial pad also features ample-sized keys and adequate spacing for easy dialing and text messaging. Clearly, the lack of a full QWERTY keyboard doesnt make the Verizon Wireless PN-820 a full-on e-mail machine, which means the PN-820 is best-suited for those who just want the ability to check their messages and perform mobile triage when absolutely necessary. If you need full e-mail capabilities, take a look at devices like the Samsung BlackJack and T-Mobile Dash instead.Finally, rounding out the PN-820s design elements, is a 2.5mm headset jack on top of the phone and a power-USB connector port on the bottom. Verizon packages the PN-820 with a travel charger, a USB cable, a wired stereo headset, desktop software, and reference material.Features The Verizon Wireless PN-820s feature set is on par with a lot of todays Windows Mobile smart phones, and were glad to see the carrier has lightened up on some of its Bluetooth restrictions. First, the PN-820 runs Windows Mobile 5 Smartphone Edition rather than the latest Windows Mobile 6. As a result, you don't get the new Microsoft Office Mobile suite with native support for viewing and editing Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files. The PN-820 does synchronize with Microsoft Outlook, with its always-on e-mail delivery via Verizon Wireless Sync. In addition, there is an e-mail attachment viewer, but unfortunately, the PN-820 doesnt come preinstalled with the ClearVue Suite like the Cingular 3125. Aside from Outlook, you can configure the PN-820 to receive e-mails from your personal accounts (POP3 or IMAP4). As we noted in the Design section, the lack of a QWERTY keyboard makes the PN-820 better for viewing e-mails rather than sending them. Other messaging options include text, multimedia, and instant messaging.As a Windows Mobile smart phone, you also get Internet Explorer Mobile and Windows Media Player 10 Mobile so you can enjoy your favorite MP3, WMA, AAC, and AMR-NB music files and MPEG-4, WMV, AVI, and H.263 videos. The phone has 128MB RAM and 64MB of flash memory with about 48MB of user-accessible storage and 15MB for running programs. For larger multimedia files, we suggest storing them on a miniSD card. The Verizon Wireless PN-820 includes other PIM tools, such as a calendar, a task manager, a calculator, a download agent, and a voice recorder.Wireless options on the smart phone include integrated Bluetooth 1.2 and EV-DO support. One of our biggest gripes about Verizon has been its annoying habit of crippling the Bluetooth capabilities on its phones, but were glad to see theyve loosened their grip with the PN-820. The smart phone supports a number of profiles, including wireless headsets, hands-free kits, OBEX, A2DP for stereo Bluetooth headsets, and dial-up networking. The latter allows you to use the PN-820 as a tethered modem (via a USB cable) for your laptop, and with the EV-DO speeds, youll be able to connect and browse the Web using the included USB cable, but you will need to sign up for Verizon Wirelesss BroadbandAccess Connect service in order to do so. If you already have an unlimited data plan with qualifying voice plan, you can get unlimited BroadbandAccess Connect for $15 a month, otherwise, it will cost $30 a month.Now, while the PN-920 lacks integrated Wi-Fi, it does work on the carriers EV-DO network, youll be able to connect and browse the Web at almost broadband-like speeds. Theoretically, data speeds can reach up to 2Mbps, but youll probably experience more in the 400Kbps to 700Kbps range. Were all about the 3G capabilities, but were completely disappointed that you cant take full advantage of them, since you cant access any of Verizons V Cast services.As far as voice features, the Verizon Wireless PN-820s phone book is limited only by the available memory. Each entry can hold up to 12 numbers, several e-mail addresses and IM handles, street addresses, and more. For caller ID purposes, you can assign a contact a group ID, a photo, or one of 14 ringtones. Other phone features include speed dialing, voice dialing, and a speakerphone.Photo quality was decent, but you need to have a steady hand to get a good shot.Finally, the PN-820 comes equipped with a 1.3-megapixel camera with video recording capabilities, as well as a flash, self timer, and digital zoom. For still images, you get a number of options for adjusting brightness, white balance, and color effects in addition to various resolutions and quality settings. As usual, editing options are more limited when you switch to video mode, but you can choose from three quality settings. Picture quality was decent. Lines were a little blurred, but we were still able to make out the richness of the image and colors. We should note that you really have to hold your hand steady to get a decent shot.PerformanceWe tested the dual-mode Verizon Wireless PN-820 in San Francisco, and call quality was mixed. Our callers said we sounded loud and clear, but we had a hard time hearing them (their voices were muffled). Activating the speakerphone returned similar results. Our friends said audio quality diminished just slightly, but we had to constantly ask them to repeat themselves as the conversation sounded garbled. On the bright side, we had no problem pairing the PN-820 with the Logitech Mobile Traveller Bluetooth headset.General performance was decent. There were times where there was a slight lag when launching apps such as the camera, but overall we enjoyed snappy response. The Web browsing experience was also good thanks to the EV-DO support, as pages loaded fairly quickly. Multimedia performance was what we expected from a smart phone, which is to say that listening to music was bearable through the included earbuds, but songs sounded tinny and weak through the phones speakers. Video was surprisingly watchable on the PN-820 as the picture was clear and smooth and audio matched up with the video, but we couldnt imagine watching more than a couple minutes of footage on the small screen.The Verizon Wireless PN-820 is rated for 3.3 hours of talk time and up to 6 days of standby time. In our tests, we were able to get 4.5 hours of talk time on a single charge. According to FCC radiation tests, the PN-820 has a digital SAR rating of 1.23 watts per kilogram. ),
(806,Wilson Electronics SignalBoost Cellular Amplifier,Positives: The Wilson Electronics SignalBoost Cellular Amplifier delivers improved cell phone reception, ensuring clear phone calls and strong connections. Its easy to set up and use, and it doesnt interfere with other electronic signals. Negatives: The Wilson Electronics SignalBoost Cellular Amplifier uses a wired connection to your cell phone, which limits mobility. Also, it doesnt work with Nextel iDEN phones. Facts: Though the wired cell phone connection is rather restrictive, the Wilson Electronics SignalBoost Cellular Amplifier solidly fulfills its promise to boost the signal to your cell phone. Just make sure your phone is compatible. , If you live or work in an area with poor cell phone reception or you drive through too many dead zones during your commute, you know how frustrating it can be to place a simple call. And though you might think a cell phone signal booster is the answer to your problems, its important to think carefully about your options. Those tiny metal decals that youve seen on television may look great, but theres a good reason youre paying just a few dollars--they hardly work at all. There are better performing, and more expensive, options such as the SignalBoost Cellular Amplifier from Wilson Electronics. Like the Spotwave Zen that we reviewed last year, the SignalBoost successfully improved our cell phone signal in previously patchy areas. Its also easy to use both in buildings and in cars, even though we didnt love using a wired connection to our phone. Like the Spotwave Zen, the SignalBoost doesnt come cheap (between $150 and $200), but if all else has failed and you still cant find reception, it could be money well spent. Just be sure it works with your phone (Nextel handsets are not supported). The SignalBoost consists of four parts: the main amplifier, a power cable, an antenna for catching the cell phone signal, and the cable that transfers the signal to your phone. The blue amplifier is relatively small, measuring 5x3.5x2 inches, so it can fit rather unobtrusively in the corner of a room or under a car seat or dashboard. On the other hand, its a tad heavy (1.02 pounds). Since it grows quite hot after extended use, make sure you put it in an area with adequate ventilation. If youre going to use the SignalBoost in a car, you can use the included cigarette lighter adapter, but for home or office use the gargantuan AC adapter (not included). Note that when used inside a building, the mass of wires wasnt a problem, but the arrangement was somewhat cumbersome in a car. The universal cell phone connector is a cable that attaches directly to your cell phone. As we said earlier, the SignalBoost uses a wired connection for delivering the amplified signal to your phone. We didnt care for the arrangement, as the 7.5 foot cable limits your mobility when having a conversation outside of your car. Fortunately, Wilson Electronics makes a wireless version of the device, which would be a better fit if youre on the go constantly. The final part is the antenna for catching the cell phone signal. For building use, theres a 4-inch antenna with a magnetic base, which you can position discreetly on a windowsill. Alternatively, you can use an optional bracket that attaches with suction cups to a window. The cable connecting it to the amplifier is quite long (10 feet), so you have a lot of freedom as to where to position everything--yet its worth noting that Wilson advises that you place the antenna at least 11 inches from all people. While that makes us wonder if our brains will fry if we violate the perimeter, we had no problem maintaining our space with such a lengthy cable. The small antenna also works for car use, but if youre in a really remote area, Wilson offers a larger 12-inch antenna (sold separately for $34.95). The strong magnetic base ensures that it will stick to your car securely and though you have to run the connecting cable through a crack in your window or under the door seal, the cable is rather long (10 feet). Setting up the SignalBoost could scarcely be easier. After installing the antenna and plugging it into the amplifier, you need only insert the universal connector into the amplifier and then attach the other end to your phone using the adhesive Velcro patch. Youll need to find a space on your handset near the antenna that measures about one inch by half an inch and apply. That much room can be hard to find on smaller handsets, but we had no trouble using a Motorola Razr V3xx, Nokia 6133, or Samsung SCH-U740. Your final step is to connect the power cable and turn on the amplifier. The amplifier takes no time to warm up, though it can take a few seconds for the change in signal to register. We tested the SignalBoost in a building where our T-Mobile Nokia 6133 and Cingular Motorola Razr V3xx received only one to two bars of signal. On the whole, it made a noticeable difference in reception; we shot up to four bars on both phones and enjoyed clear audio on our end with no dropped calls. At times, we got a full five bars, but four was the norm. Callers said we sounded loud and clear, though they said they encountered more patchiness than we did, particularly on the Razr V3xx. That could be due to the phone, however. The SignalBoost also enhanced data speeds on the 3G Motorola phone, but the improvement wasnt quite as strong as it was with voice calls. When we tested the SCH-U740 inside, the SignalBoost didnt make as much of a difference, mostly because we received strong Verizon Wireless coverage to begin with. As previously mentioned, the SignalBoost doesnt work with Nextels iDEN phones at the time of this writing, but Wilson Electronics told us they are developing a compatible model. We were able to better test the SCH-U740 on a stretch of Bay Area road that gets weak reception from all carriers. When using the small antenna reception on the Verizon phone, reception was quite a bit better but still not perfect. We still had a dropped call and we encountered a bit of static. The larger antenna performed better, however, so we recommend making the investment if youre not satisfied on the first try. The larger antenna also was superior with the Nokia and Motorola handsets. Keep in mind that individual results will vary, but in our experience, the SignalBoost made a big difference in areas with poor reception. From what we could see, the SignalBoost didnt interfere with other electronic signals. Our in-home Wi-Fi didnt suffer nor did car radio reception. Wilson promises that the device can boost cell phone signal strength up to 10 times, but we had no way of verifying that claim accurately. We were hoping for an indicator on the amplifier to indicate signal strength; instead theres only a light that shows whether the power is on. That shouldnt be a problem for most users, but its still an important caveat. ),
(807,Helio Heat (Onyx Black),Positives: The Helio Heat is a sleek and compact slider handset that comes packed with features such as a megapixel camera, a music player, EV-DO access, and built-in GPS. It also comes with support for Helio Music. Negatives: The Helio Heat has unintuitive electrostatic touch-sensitive buttons that took a bit of training to use. It doesnt have a microSD card slot, and the speakerphone sound was mediocre. Facts: The Helio Heat is a decent affordable alternative to the Drift, but the tradeoffs are high. Even though we were willing to forgive its low-grade speakerphone and lack of microSD card slot due to its lower price tag, the mediocre sound quality and unintuitive touchpad buttons might be enough to make you plunk down the extra cash for the Drift instead. Note: This product is part of the Helio Heat series. ., Helio is by far one of the sexiest MVNOs on the market today, thanks to the companys innovative marketing campaign, the slick user interface on its Korean-made phones, and supported features such as MySpace Mobile access. Late last year, Helio upped the ante on its handset offerings when it introduced the admirable Helio Drift, the companys first ever handset with built-in GPS technology for applications like Google Maps for Mobile and Buddy Beacon, Helios friend-locator service. And now the company goes in another direction with a lower-end version of the Drift called the Helio Heat. It has a more streamlined design and still has the built-in GPS, but we werent fans of the electrostatic touchpad buttons. That said, the Heat is markedly less expensive than the Drift at $150 (the Drift is $225), making it the cheapest phone in Helios lineup. It also comes in both Onyx Black and Gold colors. DesignIf the Helio Drift had a face-lift and a tummy tuck, the result would look very much like the Helio Heat. While they are both Samsung sliders, the Heat is slimmer and sleeker than the more staid-looking Drift. Measuring 3.6x1.8x0.6 inch and weighing 3.17 ounces, the Heat doesnt quite have the curves of the Drift, but it makes up for that with its smooth corners and compact design. On the other hand, its slight glossy finish does make it more prone to fingerprint smudges. Thanks to its small shape, it fits neatly in the hand as well as in the pocket. We found it best to push the bottom end of the phone upward to slide the handset open. As for closing it, there is a slight raise on the upper edge of the top navigation button that your thumb can use as an anchor to slide the phone downward. It was easy to perform both maneuvers with one hand. The Helio Heat has an electrostatic touchpad. Though rather small at 1.99 inches, the QVGA 262,000-color screen on the Helio Heat still managed to wow us with excellent image quality. Colors looked really sharp on the screen, which came in handy when scrolling through Helios colorful menu interface. As on all Helio phones, the interface on the Heat was easy to use, with graphical menu icons arranged in a circle. The phones left spine is home to a volume rocker and a play/pause button for the media player. The end/power key and dedicated camera buttons are on the right spine, while the 1.3-megapixel camera lens, a self-portrait mirror, and flash are on the back of the phone when the slider is open. The Helio Heat has a 1.3-megapixel camera. While the four-way navigation toggle below the display consists of normal keys, all the other controls are touch sensitive. Similar to those found on the LG VX8500 Chocolate, these \"buttons\" don't have a tactile feel and can be seen and activated only when the phone is powered on. There are two soft keys, the send key, the back key, and dedicated music player controls. As with most touch-sensitive keys, there was nothing to delineate one key to the next because of the flat surface. Whats more, the lack of tactile feedback resulted in quite a few mistakes; either we found we were tapping a button too many times or not enough times, and this was after we had fiddled around with the touch-sensitivity settings. Also, the touchpad locks up on you if the phone is closed and when youre on a call to prevent accidental misdials. While this is commendable, it also means we either have to press the play/pause button to break the lock or slide the phone open if it was closed. As for the navigation toggle, it doubles as a shortcut for the Web browser, the games folder, messaging, and the video and music folder, plus theres also the middle confirmation key. As with the Chocolate--the end/power keys location on the spine is inconvenient. We kept hitting the back control when we tried to hang up a call. The alphanumeric keypad is revealed when the phone is slid upward. While the keys are rather flat, there was still some texture in between each key, which allowed us to dial easily and with confidence.FeaturesAs we mentioned before, the Heat is a lower-end version of the Drift, meaning its feature set is not quite as robust. That said, the Heat still delivers some impressive offerings. As for the basics, the Heats address book can hold up to 1,000 contacts with room in each entry for five numbers, an e-mail address, a birth date, a home address, and a memo. Each contact also can be assigned a caller group, a photo or video for caller ID, and one of 27 polyphonic ringtones. Other features of the phone include text and multimedia messaging, instant messaging, e-mail, a speakerphone, a vibrate mode, speed-dialing, a calendar, a to-do list, a wake-up call feature, an alarm clock. The phone also has a calculator, a world clock, a unit converter, a notepad, a stopwatch, a voice memo recorder, a wireless Web browser, stereo Bluetooth support, high speed 3G/EV-DO speeds, USB mass storage mode, and built-in GPS technology. As with the Drift, this built-in GPS allows Helio to offer location-based applications such as Google Maps for Mobile, a miniaturized version of Google Maps with traffic information and driving directions, and Buddy Beacon, a Helio-branded friend locator service that works by broadcasting your location to your friends and vice versa. A more detailed description of these services can be found in our review of the Helio Drift. Like all of the other Helio phones, the Heat has great MySpace Mobile integration plus a wide array of broadband offerings like Yahoo Search, shortcuts to sites like CNN and Digg, video and audio streaming from TV shows (content partners include ABC, MTV, and FOX), and music videos. If you wish to download the content in its entirety, you can purchase music videos for $2.50 each, ringtones for $1.00 each, and video ringers (ringtones in video form) for $2.99 each. There also is an optional dynamic newsfeed aggregator called Helio On Top (H.O.T.) that displays the latest headlines from select outlets like Yahoo News and Sports Illustrated. We were a bit disappointed that you couldnt add your own desired newsfeeds into the application. You can read a more detailed version of these services in our review of Helios other phones, the Hero and the Kickflip. The Heat also is the first Helio phone to provide access to its brand new Helio Music store. Launched in February 2007, its similar to the music service offered by Verizons V Cast Music. You can download a song to your PC for 99 cents, of which you can then upload to your phone later, or you can download an over-the-air song for $1.99 and then transfer it to your home PC later on. And in a unique Helio twist, you also can \"gift\" a song to your friends or \"beg\" for a song from them. (You can \"gift\" and \"beg\" other content too, such as a music video or a ringtone.) Of course, you also can upload your own existing collection of MP3s to the Heat via Helios free MediaMover application. Unfortunately, the Heat only comes with 136MB of internal memory and does not have a microSD card slot, which is severely limiting for a music phone. We were quite impressed with the sound quality of the music when heard with the provided earbuds--the audio sounded loud and clear, though not nearly as good as from a dedicated MP3 player. Without the earbuds, the music sounded tinny and muffled when played via the phones built-in speakers. The Helio Heat took pretty good pictures. The Heat comes with a 1.3-megapixel camera, which is a step down from the Drifts 2-megapixel offering, but understandable since the Heat is positioned as a lower-tier model. Camera settings include image resolution (1280x960, 800x600, 640x480, 320x240, 240x240), quality (Super Fine, Fine, Normal), brightness, white balance (auto, daylight, cloudy, incandescent, and fluorescent), lighting (normal, spotlight), color effects, photo frames, a self timer, a flash, up to 9x zoom, and sounds for the shutter and the self-timer (all the sounds can be turned off if desired). As for the video camera settings, you could adjust the frame rate, the white balance, lighting, a mute control, color effects, and brightness. As we mentioned, the Heat comes with only 136MB of internal memory, so there isnt much room to store a large chunk of photos or videos. The resulting quality of the photos was pretty good, with not a lot of blur and good color saturation. Video quality did not fare so well however, as it was quite choppy and low res. The Helio Heat also comes with a Photo Studio in the phone itself that lets you edit the photos by resizing, rotating, flipping, stretching, or swirling the images, or by adding filters, effects, stickers, fades, and overlays in the videos.There is no shortage of personalization options with the Heat. Not only can you purchase and download additional graphics for wallpaper and screensavers, you also can get alerts, ringtones, video ringers, and much more from the Helio store. The Heat comes with three games--Gameloft Mega Hits, Monopoly Here and Now, and a trial version of 3D Fortune Gold--and you always can get more from Helio as well.PerformanceWe tested the dual-band (CDMA 800/1900; EV-DO) Heat in San Francisco using Helios service. While we heard our callers loud and clear, we did hear quite a bit of hiss and static, which definitely tipped our callers off that we were using a cell phone. Speakerphone quality was all right, but the audio did sound a bit tinny. We managed to pair the Heat with the Gennum nx6000 Bluetooth headset without a hitch, and audio quality heard through the headset was decent. As far as the EV-DO speeds go, we managed to download files quite quickly--a song we purchased from Helio Music downloaded in mere seconds. We experienced some lag when streaming videos and the quality wasnt as good as we would like, but we didnt experience any buffering issues when watching clips. The Helio Heat has a rated talk time of three hours and a rated standby time of eight days. Our tests showed a tested talk time of 3 hours and 23 minutes. According to FCC radiation tests, the Heat has a digital SAR rating of 1.46 watts per kilogram. ),
(808,Motorola Razr V3xx (Gold),Positives: The Motorola Razr V3xx offers decent call quality, stereo Bluetooth, and a great interior display. And thanks to the HSDPA data connection, it offers zippy Web browsing, fast downloads, and admirable streaming video quality. Negatives: The Motorola Razr V3xx isnt a quadband world phone, and its 1.3-megapixel camera is inadequate for such a high-end handset. Also, the voice dialing is unreliable, the phone lacks stereo speakers, and the data settings for third-party applications are too restrictive. Facts: Though its feature set didnt live up to expectations, the Motorola Razr V3xx improves on many of the traditional Razr pitfalls that have plagued the product line since its inception. As such, its the most satisfying Razr to date. Note: This product is part of the Motorola Razr series. ., The carrier that brought you the very first Razr cell phone is now bringing yet another one (yes, another one) to the market. The Motorola Razr V3xx for Cingular Wireless (soon to be AT&T) doesnt bring anything particularly revolutionary to the Razr family but it does include a handful of noteworthy offerings that deserve a closer look. Believe us, were as over the Razr as the next person, but with stereo Bluetooth, an Opera Web browser and improved call quality, the Razr V3xx is a solid step above its predecessor. Whats more, the support for Cingulars 3.5G HSDPA network makes it the fastest GSM Razr yet. You can get it for a very reasonable $79 with service. DesignExcept for a color change, the Motorola Razr V3xx is no different from the original Razr V3. You get the same iconic profile that sparked the thin phone tsunami, but it still looks just as boxy when viewed straight on. At 4.05 inches long by 2.08 inches thick by 0.6 inch thick, and weighing 3.8 ounces, its slightly bigger and heavier than its predecessor, but the change is hardly noticeable in the phones ergonomics. It feels just the same when held in the hand and its slips just as easily into a pocket or bag. And of course, its just as difficult to feel the phone vibrate when its in your pocket. Like most of its siblings, the Razr V3xx is available in multiple color schemes. We reviewed the dark gray version but you can also find it in a flashy gold hue reminiscent of T-Mobiles gaudy Razr V3i Dolce & Gabbana. As the carrier is in the midst of a name change, the Razr V3xx has a Cingular logo on its rear face while the AT&T globe shows up on the external display.Speaking of which, the external display is the same as on the Razr V3. Well say again thats its a tad small for the phones size (96 x 80 pixels) but the 64,000-color resolution is more than adequate for most uses. And in any case, its a big improvement over the V3s 4,000-color screen. The display also works as a viewfinder for the camera but its annoying that theres no dedicated button for activating the camera. Instead, you must open the phone, start the camera, and then close it again to snap vanity shots using the Motorola \"smart\" key. The camera lens sits just above the display, and once again theres no flash.A volume rocker sits on the left spine of the front flap just above the mini-USB slot and the aforementioned smart key. The latter control also locks the external buttons with you hold it down for a couple seconds. A voice recorder button sits on the right spine but it can be used only when the phone is open. The single speaker is located on the rear face of the phone just below the battery cover. While weve dinged previous Razrs because they put the MicroSD card slot behind the battery cover, were more willing to let it slide this time around. Though you have to remove the battery cover to change the card, you don't have to remove the battery itself as well. Were glad to see a 262,000-coolor internal display on the V3xx. Moto has been inconsistent with its Razr displays--some models get 65,000-color screens while others get 262,000-color resolutions--and wed expect nothing less from an HSDPA phone. At 2.25 inches (320x240 pixels), its large, bright and vibrant and it displays everything from text to graphics well. Though it shows a few design tweaks, Motos dull menu system is the only distraction. We hope the company redesigns the interface soon as its been looking long in the tooth for a couple years now. The navigation array just below the display is standard Razr. Like the later models in the series, the Razr V3xx has tiny raised ridges between the individual controls. Dialing by feel still takes some getting used to, but its an improvement over the completely flat controls on the Razr V3. Shortcut options abound. The navigation toggle doubles as a shortcut to four user-defined applications, and you can set the smart key as a shortcut to another chosen feature when the phone is open. In standby mode the left soft key opens a further shortcuts menu while the right soft key and the central OK button activate the main menu. While some users have complained that you cant change the settings on the soft keys, we don't really mind. Below the toggle are dedicated buttons for the Web browser and the Cingular Video application, a Clear button, and the Talk and End/power controls. On the whole its a spacious user-friendly arrangement despite the lack of a dedicated speakerphone button. The keypad also shows no difference from other Razrs. They keys are flat with the surface of the phone but the numbers are rather large and lit by a bright backlighting. Tiny raised ridges separate the individual rows, but new Razr users should still give the phone a test drive first.FeaturesAs we said earlier, the Razr V3xx is more of an update to the Razr family rather than an entirely new phone altogether. The changes are all on the high-end features, so well get the basics out of the way first. The phone book holds 1,000 contacts with room in each entry for six phone numbers, three e-mail addresses, a Web address, three street addresses, a nickname, a birthday, and notes (the SIM card holds an additional 250 names). You can save contacts to groups and pair them with a photo and one of eight polyphonic ringtones or 14 monophonic tones. You also can use voice notes as ringtones but in all honestly, the selection of integrated sounds is disappointing for such a multimedia phone. Other essentials include a choice of vibrate modes, text and multimedia messaging, a voice recorder, a world clock, a calendar, and a calculator. Worker bees who arent quite ready for a smart phone should get some use out of the Razr V3xx. Inside youll find full Bluetooth with a stereo profile (yay!), PC syncing, USB storage support, PC modem capability, a speakerphone (minus a dedicated button), and e-mail and instant messaging for AOL, Windows and Yahoo! clients. Connecting to the instant messenger is relatively zippy thanks to the HSDPA connection but we still cant imagine having full conversations on an alphanumeric keypad. Voice dialing is onboard as well but we found it harder to use than many other phones. More often than not, it couldnt register the contact we were naming.As a 3.5G HSDPA phone, the Razr V3xx supports the full range of Cingular broadband multimedia applications. Cingular Video brings a satisfying range of streaming video clips from such channels as NBC, Comedy Central, ESPN, The Weather Channel, VH1, and CNN. Theres a special channel for kids as well, with programming from The Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, and The Cartoon Network. We have to admit, though, that we spent plenty of time on Muppets Mobile. Premium entertainment is offered from HBO Mobile and Music Choice for an extra charge. For a full analysis of the offerings see our Cingular Video review. MobiTV applications are integrated as well.If youre more interested in listening to tunes, the Razr V3xx also supports the Cingular Music application (the phone identifies it as \"AT&T Music\", however). When it went live late last year Cingular Music filled a hole in the carriers multimedia offerings by offering a central application for downloading tunes to the music player and accessing related music content. We like that Cingular uses partners rather than operating its stores, but at present you cant download music wirelessly. Theres also a Music ID application, support for streaming radio, and a community section. The music player interface is strictly utilitarian but it offers Shuffle and Repeat modes, spatial audio, and bass boost. The Opera Web browser is easy to use and offers a more pleasant interface than on other Cingular phones. And since it operates over the carriers HSDPA network, data speeds can fall in the 1.8Mbps with bursts at higher speeds possible. As well cover in the Performance section below, browsing was fast and efficient but the phones default security settings severely limit the usability of third-party applications. For instance, when using the mobile version of Google Maps, the browser asked us whether we wanted to proceed every time we requested data. Its quite frustrating, particularly since you cant change the settings. Like every other Razr, theres no flash with the camera.Though the Razr V3xxs 1.3-megaixel camera is an improvement over the Razr V3, we were hoping for a 2-megapixel shooter on such a media-centric handset. In all seriousness, as high-resolution camera phones proliferate, 1.3-megapixel models are becoming the new VGA. Were also disappointed that unlike the Razr V3x, Motos V3xx didnt include a second interior camera for future use with video calling. You can take pictures in four resolutions and choose from a variety of editing options, including three quality settings, an 8x zoom, six lighting conditions, a self timer, seven color effects, and three shutter sounds plus a silent option. The video recorder shoots clips with sound in three quality settings and a choice of similar editing options. Clips meant for multimedia messages are limited to 16 seconds; otherwise you can shoot for as long as the available memory permits. And while were on the subject, you get a healthy 60MB of shared internal memory but you can always use a MicroSD card slot (up to 2GB) for more space. Picture and video quality are improved over the Razr V3s, with distinct edges and colors. At times, however, the images are washed out, and since theres no flash, darker conditions arent ideal. Video quality is about average for a 1.3-megapixel camera phone.The Razr v3xx has decent photo quality.You can personalize the Razr V3xx with a variety of wallpapers, screensavers, color themes, and alert sounds. You can always get more choices from the carriers MediaNet application and the wireless Web browser. You can buy more ringtones as well, but sadly, you wont be able to use downloaded MP3 files for your calls. As for gaming, the Razr v3xx comes with demo versions of four Java (J2ME) tiles: EA Air Hockey, Midnight Pool, Platinum Sudoku, and Tetris. Youll have to buy the full versions for extended play.PerformanceWe tested the triband (GSM 850/1800/1900; HSDPA) Motorola Razr V3xx in San Francisco using Cingular service. Its disappointing that the phone is not fully quadband like the Razr V3. As such, it wont have as much coverage outside of the United States. Its a baffling change to say the least, and one that makes the phone significantly less consumer-friendly.Call quality was very decent with strong audio clarity and signal reception. Voices sounded natural and there was little static or interference. Even better, the volume level was much improved over previous Razr models. Low volume had been a recurring problem since the original V3. Callers said we sounded fine and didnt report any significant problems. Also, voice recognition systems (like when calling an airline) could understand us. Our only complaint was that voices sounded tinny from time to time. It wasnt a bother, but it was noticeable just the same. Sound quality also can diminish in noisy environments but it wasnt a deal breaker either. Speakerphone quality was loud enough, but not unexpectedly, voices sounded more muffled. On their end, callers had trouble hearing us over speakerphone unless we spoke close to the phone. Lastly, Bluetooth calls were decent.Streaming video quality was quite sharp on the whole. There was very little pixelation, and videos suffered from almost no choppiness or color distortion. We did have to rebuffer a few times (mostly when inside interior rooms of a building), but it wasnt too bothersome. Sound quality was good as well and voices matched the speakers mouths. Music quality was serviceable but nothing special. There was a tinny quality at times, and wed prefer stereo speakers.Due to the strong HSDPA connection, we had a strong wireless Internet connection without any major hiccups. Individual Web pages loaded in an instant, while moving backward to cached pages was even faster. In all, its a satisfying experience that involves none of the usual waiting that comes with mobile Web browsing. Downloads were also painless--we were able to download a game in just 8 seconds. Just be warned that the strength of the HSDPA connection will waver outside of urban areas. The Razr V3xx has a rated battery life of three hours talk time and 12 days standby time. Three hours is quite low for a GSM phone but 12 days is about average. According to FCC radiation tests, the Razr V3xx has a digital SAR rating of 1.21 watts per kilogram. ),
(809,Motorola Razr V3xx,Positives: The Motorola Razr V3xx cell phone offers decent call quality, stereo Bluetooth, and a great interior display. And thanks to the HSDPA data connection, it offers zippy Web browsing, fast downloads, and admirable streaming video quality. Negatives: The Motorola Razr V3xx isnt a quadband world phone, and its 1.3-megapixel camera is inadequate for such a high-end handset. Also, the voice dialing is unreliable, the phone lacks stereo speakers, and the data settings for third-party applications are too restrictive. Facts: Though its feature set didnt live up to expectations, the Motorola Razr V3xx cell phone improves on many of the traditional Razr pitfalls that have plagued the product line since its inception. As such, its the most satisfying Razr to date. Note: This product is part of the Motorola Razr series. ., The carrier that brought you the very first Razr cell phone is now bringing yet another one (yes, another one) to the market. The Motorola Razr V3xx for Cingular Wireless (soon to be AT&T) doesnt bring anything particularly revolutionary to the Razr family but it does include a handful of noteworthy offerings that deserve a closer look. Believe us, were as over the Razr as the next person, but with stereo Bluetooth, an Opera Web browser, and improved call quality, the Razr V3xx is a solid step above its predecessor. Whats more, the support for Cingulars 3.5G HSDPA network makes it the fastest GSM Razr yet. You can get it for a