Smartphone
Reviews: Palm OS Smartphones, Pocket PC
Phone Edition Models, BlackBerry, MS Smartphone
For feature phones, fashion phones and Symbian
phones from Nokia, LG, Sony Ericsson and more, visit our Phone
Reviews page.
Each section is ordered by review date.
Apple iPhone
iPhone 3GSAnother summer and another iPhone are here. The iPhone 3GS is Apple's newest phone to take the world by storm, or at least a modest tempest. The new model looks the same as the old, but it sports more storage (16 and 32 gig), has a 3 megapixel camera with autofocus and VGA video recording at 30fps, it supports Bluetooth stereo headphones and adds voice dialing and voice command. It's noticeably faster too thanks to a new CPU and graphics chip. 3G HSDPA speed should double once AT&T builds out their upgraded 7.2Mbps network which the iPhone 3GS supports thanks to upgraded hardware.
AT&T
June 2009
iPhone 3G Another year and another iPhone has hit the market, this time worldwide, with just as much fanfare as the first model. Though the iPhone 3G adds only a few new features, they're big ones: 3G HSDPA and a GPS. Other improvements include better audio, improved Bluetooth and that nifty new 2.0 iPhone operating system pre-installed, which adds support for 3rd party applications that are easy to download and install via iTunes on the desktop or directly to the iPhone. The phone has a curvy back that feels better in hand and looks great, though it's slippery as heck. The iPhone 3G is a quad band GSM world phone with worldwide HSDPA support, and it's sold by AT&T in the US. Editor's
Choice 2008.
AT&T
July 2008
iPhoneProbably the most talked about consumer electronics or mobile phone ever, the iPhone is finally here. And yes, it works as well as it does in the demo videos on Apple's website. The iPhone is wildly innovative thanks to its unique touch screen that's gesture sensitive, multi-press aware and it even knows when it's close to your face and turns the touch screen off. It's super-fast, has the best web browser we've seen on a PDA or smartphone, syncs to Macs and PCs, is a full iPod Video and it has a capable email client. It's available only through AT&T, and it's a GSM world phone with EDGE for data. Also included are a 2MP camera, WiFi and Bluetooth 2.0 +EDR. Editor's
Choice 2007.
AT&T
July 2007
Android (Google Phone)
T-Mobile G1 The first Google Android phone is here! The T-Mobile G1, made by HTC, runs Google's open source phone operating system and it sits somewhere between a feature phone and a smartphone. It features 3G, a lovely 320 x 480 color touch screen, GPS, WiFi, thumb keyboard and a 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus lens. The G1 is great for Google-addicts since it syncs with Google contacts and calendar and has push Gmail along with Google Maps. The G1 offers access to the Android Market where you can download applications (many free) to expand the phone's functionality.
T-Mobile
Oct. 2008
Palm Web OS
Palm PrePalm's back, and in a big way with the Palm Pre, their first Web OS phone. The Pre has all the design queues of an iPhone challenger with its capacitive touch screen, super-fun user interface and iPod masquerading feature for iTunes syncing. Happily, the Pre is up to the job and is as fresh, easy to use and fraught with possibility as was the iPhone when it came out. The Pre is currently exclusive to Sprint in the US, and it features EVDO Rev. A for fast data, a GPS, 3 megapixel camera, WiFi, Bluetooth, email with MS Exchange support, Sprint TV, Sprint Navigation and more.
Sprint
June 2009
Windows Mobile Professional - Pocket
PC Phone Edition Models
HTC Touch Pro2HTC's new flagship QWERTY touch screen slider has just started to hit the overseas market. This import unlocked GSM Windows Mobile Pro 6.1 phone really rocks. Forget the Fuze and original Touch Pro-- this is the real deal with fantastic good looks, a 3.6" 800 x 480 display with haptic feedback, the latest version of HTC's TouchFLO 3D that almost completely remakes Windows Mobile and one of the best hardware keyboards on the market. The Pro2 has a GPS, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, WiFi, 512 megs of flash storage, a microSD card slot and a 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera. Sorry, the import version is EDGE-only in the US, but we're sure US carriers will come out with their own versions sporting 3G.
Unlocked GSM
June 2009
Palm Treo Pro for Sprint The Treo Pro has finally made it to a US carrier: Sprint. This Windows Mobile 6.1 touch screen phone is the first to come with Internet Explorer Mobile 6 with Flash Lite support. It features a front-facing QWERTY keyboard, 320 x 320 pixel display, a 528MHz CPU and 512 megs of flash storage. The Treo Pro has WiFi, Bluetooth with A2DP support and EVDO Rev. A for fast data over Sprint's network. It's got a good GPS and Sprint Navigation to keep you on the right track and a 2 megapixel camera.
Sprint
March 2009
E-TEN Glofiish X610An entry to mid level Windows Mobile Pro 6.1 touch screen phone, the X610 packs pretty much every feature except 3G and lots of memory. It has a 2.8" QVGA display, quad band GSM with EDGE, FM radio, SiRF III GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth, camera, microSD card slot and a 400MHz CPU. The slate design phone has a flush touch screen and is relatively thin and light for a PDA phone. As usual with E-TEN, we wish for a little more styling and memory to keep things running quickly, but it's nonetheless an OK unlocked GSM smartphone. The Glofiish line is available unlocked with no contract from importers and online retailers.
Unlocked GSM
Jan. 2009
Samsung Omnia (Verizon) One of our favorite Windows Mobile touch screen phones has finally made it to the US! We reviewed the import GSM Omnia i900 back in August 2008, and our two biggest complaints were the high price tag and lack of 3G. Verizon has taken care of both problems, and their version of the Omnia i910 retains just about everything we liked in the original version while adding EVDO Rev. A high speed data and a subsidized price. The Omnia features a 240 x 400 pixel touch screen with haptic feedback and an accelerometer, a fast CPU, 8 gigs of storage and a very good 5 megapixel autofocus camera. Top that off with WiFi, Bluetooth and a GPS and you've got one heck of a smartphone.
Verizon
Jan. 2009
HTC Touch Pro for VerizonThird time's a charm? We've reviewed the Sprint Touch Pro, AT&T's version as the HTC Fuze and now Verizon's in the game with their own Touch Pro. Like the others, the Verizon Touch Pro features a VGA flush touch screen, slide-out QWERTY keyboard, Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional and many high end trimmings: GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0 and a good 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus lens. It's certainly the slickest Windows Mobile device Verizon has offered, though it's missing some of the multimedia applications found on its cross-carrier competitors.
Verizon
Dec. 2008
Sony Ericsson XperiaIt's finally here! Sony Ericsson's first Windows Mobile touch screen phone running their panels user interface. The pricey but feature-rich Xperia X1a is the US version sold at SonyStyle stores and it has US 3G on the AT&T bands. This quad band unlocked GSM world phone has an amazing 800 x 480 touch screen, a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus lens, GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth and an FM radio. It's stylish metal body features a unique arc that fits the curve of one's hand. It certainly looks slick and classy enough for a Bond flick.
Unlocked GSM
Nov. 2008
LG InciteA new slate design touch screen Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional phone from AT&T. The Incite is something a little different from the world of HTC and Samsung touch screen PDA phones that have dominated this year. it's small and light, has a very sharp and bright 240 x 400 pixel display and a touch-customizations. We like the accelerometer and adore the proximity sensor (the iPhone isn't the only kid on the block with that feature now) that turns off the screen when the phone is against your face and turns it back on if you move the phone away. The Incite has a GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth, an FM radio and a 3 megapixel camera with autofocus lens.
AT&T
Nov. 2008
HTC Touch HD HTC's counter to the iPhone sports some impressive specs including a 3.8" touch screen with a huge 480 x 800 resolution. The HD runs TouchFLO 3D, and is an elegant looking phone in terms of both hardware and software. Think of it as an HTC Touch Diamond with a super-sized display and a very impressive 5 megapixel camera tacked on the back. This is an unlocked GSM world phone that will work in the US, but 3G is overseas-only. It has the usual laundry list of high end features including Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0 with stereo A2DP, a GPS, music player and video with YouTube support.
Unlocked GSM
Nov. 2008
HTC FuzeThe TouchFLO 3D invasion continues, and now we have AT&T's answer to the Sprint Touch Pro with the HTC Fuze. The Fuze has the same set of features, but the casing is classic GSM Diamond, with a gloss black faceted back and angular lines. The Fuze is a quad band GSM phone with triband 3G HSDPA for the US and overseas. It runs HTC's TouchFLO 3D UI on top of Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, and it has a wonderful VGA touch screen. Like the HTC Tilt it replaces, it has GPS, WiFi and Bluetooth with A2DP stereo too. The Fuze has a side-sliding QWERTY keyboard and support for email including push email, SMS and IM.
AT&T
Nov. 2008
HTC Touch Pro for SprintSprint's flagship PDA phone with a keyboard is a hard act to follow. The Touch Pro, like the Diamond, has a fantastic VGA flush touch screen with TouchFLO 3D reviving tired Windows Mobile's look and feel. The Pro has it all: GPS, Sprint TV, YouTube, email, serious web browsing with Opera, WiFi, Bluetooth with A2DP and an SDHC microSD card slot. It runs on a 528MHz processor with 288 megs of RAM and 512 megs of flash memory for storage. It sports a 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera with flash, a 5 row slide-out QWERTY keyboard and Windows Mobile 6.1.
Sprint
Nov. 2008
Samsung EpixThink of it as the Samsung BlackJack II on steroids. The Epix i907 on AT&T is a 3G QWERTY bar Windows Mobile Professional phone with a 320 x 320 pixel flush touch screen. It has a fast 624MHz CPU, yet it's got very good battery life. There's plenty of memory on board along with WiFi, a strong GPS, Bluetooth with A2DP stereo and a 2 megapixel camera. It plays CV, AT&T's streaming media service, and comes with a nice bundle of Samsung applications. One of our Fall favorites.
AT&T
Oct, 2008
Palm Treo ProIt's been a while since the Treo 750 came out, and now we have Palm's successor, which loses the Treo 850 handle and instead goes under the name Treo Pro. The Treo Pro looks more like the Palm Centro, but it has Pro features inside: GPS, WiFi, 3G HSDPA, Bluetooth 2.0 +EDR and a 400MHz processor. No US carrier has picked up the Treo, so it's sold as an unlocked GSM phone with no contract in tow. The Treo runs Windows Mobile 6.1 and features a flush touch screen for easier access to the display.
Unlocked GSM
Sept. 2008
E-TEN Glofiish V900The V900 is E-TEN's flagship unlocked GSM Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional phone for 2008. It boasts a VGA display that's flush mounted and finger-friendly. It comes with Spb Mobile Shell 2.1 pre-installed for an even touchier experience, and it's loaded with a 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera, US 3G HSDPA, WiFi, Bluetooth, an FM radio and a SiRF Star III GPS. The Glofiish runs on a 533MHz processor with 128 megs of RAM and 256 megs of flash ROM for good performance and it has an integrated digital TV tuner. The catch? The TV tuner doesn't work in the US.
Unlocked GSM
Sept. 2008
US 3G HTC Touch DiamondFirst Look. It's raining Diamonds here. This time we've gotten a hold of the US unlocked GSM HTC Touch Diamond before its official release. The US version has dual band US 3G HSDPA that works on AT&T's 850/1900 bands. It's also a quad band GSM unlocked world phone with EDGE. Like the Sprint Diamond, it's a little thicker than the original Euro model, but it retains the Diamond-faceted back and overall great looks. The battery is larger than the Euro Diamond, and this Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional phone features TouchFLO 3D, GPS, VGA display, WiFi, Bluetooth and a 3.2 megapixel camera.
Unlocked GSM
Sept. 2008
Sprint HTC Touch DiamondOfficially announced on September 10th, the Sprint HTC Touch Diamond is one of the best Windows Mobile Professional phones Sprint has ever offered. It features a VGA display, 4 gigs of storage, a fast CPU and lots of RAM. The excellent Opera 9.5 web browser and youtube are on board with EVDO Rev. A to back it up. There's also Sprint TV, Sprint Radio, a GPS and a good 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera. Sprint and HTC have answered most of our complaints with the original GSM Diamond, and this version has so far impressed us with its speed, stability and top notch business and multimedia features.
Sprint
Sept. 2008
MWg Zinc IIFrom the team that brought you some really cool Windows Mobile phones for the UK carrier O2 who are now the backbone of MWg, we have the Zinc II. This Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional phone rises in the spirit of side-sliding QWERTY PDA phones like the HTC Tilt, adding an updated design with rounded corners, a soft touch finish and most important- a flush display. It's got a SiRF III GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0, a 2 megapixel camera and US 3G. It's a quad band unlocked GSM phone with worldwide 3G that's sold unlocked for use with any GSM carrier.
Unlocked GSM
Sept. 2008
Samsung Omnia i900One of the hottest Windows Mobile Professional phones of 2008, if not one of the hottest smartphones altogether, the Samsung Omnia i900 lives up to its name (Omnia means all in Latin). This quad band unlocked GSM phone has everything except US 3G: GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth with A2DP, FM radio, Opera 9.5, microSD card slot and a 624MHz processor. But the real biggies are the 240 x 400 pixel 3.2" touch screen with Samsung's TouchWiz UI, 8 or 16 gigs of storage and a really fine 5 megapixel autofocus camera. Certainly a phone to consider if you're interested in a GSM import and can live without 3G.
Unlocked GSM
August 2008
HP iPAQ 910c We don't see many HP iPAQ Windows Mobile Professional phones hit the market, but when we do, we're usually impressed. The iPAQ 910c boasts a long list of high-end features for a reasonable $499 price (unlocked GSM world phone, no contract required). It's a modern-looking QWERTY bar phone with a very good keyboard, 3G 7.2Mbps HSDPA, GPS, WiFi and Bluetooth. There's also a 3MP camera with autofocus, an SDHC microSD card slot and Bluetooth A2DP all running on a 416MHz Intel processor. If you like the size and form factor of QWERTY Windows Mobile Standard Edition phones like the BlackJack II and Moto Q9 but want a touch screen and Pro features, the iPAQ 910 should be on your short list.
Unlocked GSM
August 2008
Treo 800w It's been almost 2 years since the Treo 700wx came out on Sprint, and now we have its thoroughly modern replacement: the Treo 800w. This is the first Treo to sport the big four: GPS WiFi, EVDO Rev. A and Bluetooth. Looking like an old school Treo mixed with a dash of Centro, the 5 ounce 800w has come down in size while maintaining that excellent Palm keyboard. This Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional phone has a 320 x 320 display, a 2 megapixel camera, microSD card slot and a 333MHz processor with plenty of memory behind it.
Sprint
July 2008
Toshiba Portege G810 It's a Portege, but it's not a Toshiba notebook. This is Toshiba's latest Windows Mobile Professional 6.1 phone with a flush touch screen and custom touch user interface software. It looks beautiful, fitting in with the LG Prada, Touch Diamond and other recent slate-design touch screen phones. It's an unlocked quad band GSM world phone with worldwide 3G HSDPA and HSUPA that plays nicely on AT&T's HSDPA network. Though fairly compact and light, it's got a laundry list of high end features including GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0 +EDR, a 3 megapixel autofocus camera and FM radio. This 400MHz Pocket PC phone is offered by importers in the US.
Unlocked GSM
July 2008
HTC Touch Diamond Here's our full review of HTC's flagship Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional quad band unlocked GSM phone featuring TouchFLO 3D. The Diamond sports a very innovative and attractive UI that makes you feel like you're not using Windows Mobile (for the most part a good thing). Beyond the new interface, the HTC Diamond has jaw-dropping good looks and it's amazingly thin, small and light. Yet somehow HTC managed to fit 4 gigs of flash storage, GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth, non-US 3G and a 3 megapixel autofocus camera. The only drawback: there's no US 3G support. But HTC tells us a US version will follow.
Unlocked GSM
June 2008
HTC Touch Dual US version This is the US version of the Touch Dual, currently offered by Best Buy with no contract. The Dual is a quad band GSM phone with US 3G HSDPA and a slide-down 20 key QWERTY keyboard that uses predictive text. It offers many improvements over the original GSM HTC Touch including a 2x faster 400MHz processor, 128 megs of RAM, 256 megs of ROM, Windows Mobile 6.1 and a 2 megapixel autofocus camera. The Touch Dual has HTC's TouchFLO user interface, matured and more responsive since the Touch first launched a year ago, and we like it quite a bit.
Unlocked GSM
June 2008
HTC Advantage X7510 The not bigger (thankfully) but somewhat better HTC Advantage should be out next month. We got our hands on a final hardware version with not quite final software for this review. The X7510 is a refresh of the Windows Mobile mini-computer with a VGA 5" touch screen display, GPS, quad band GSM, triband US-friendly HSDPA 3.5G, WiFi, Bluetooth and a 3MP camera. What's new? The tiny hard disk is gone and has been replaced by a 16 gig flash drive, the OS is now Windows Mobile 6.1 and the removable keyboard has been redesigned. The X7510 will only be available through importers in the US unlike last years's X7501 and as ever, it's the MacGyver of mobile devices, doing most everything well.
Unlocked GSM
May 2008
Verizon XV6900 Verizon's version of the HTC Touch is small, sumptuous and one of the least geeky looking PDA phones on the market. It's nearly identical to the Sprint Touch, varying only in color and software customizations. The 4 ounce XV6900 features a large QVGA touch screen with HTC's finger-friendly TouchFLO UI and Windows Mobile 6 Professional. This Pocket PC phone has a 400MHz processor, 128 megs of RAM, 256 megs of flash memory and a 2 megapixel camera. It's got EVDO for fast data but no WiFi. If you don't need a hardware keyboard, it's definitely worth a look.
Verizon
April 2008
E-TEN Glofiish X650The non-3G sibling to the Glofiish X800 features a more basic industrial design that harks back to the E-TEN Glofiish X500+. Though slim and light for a Windows Mobile Professional Pocket PC phone, the X650 packs in every popular feature including a VGA display, SiRF III GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth, a good camera and an FM radio. The X650 is a quad band GSM phone with EDGE for data that's sold unlocked by a variety of importers. It has a 500MHz CPU, 256 megs of flash memory and an SDHC microSD card slot.
Unlocked GSM
April 2008
ASUS P527The P527 is an unlocked GSM Pocket PC phone that's sold in the US. It features an integrated SiRF III GPS, and is available with ASUS Go navigation software and maps of North America on a microSD card. The P527 isn't offered by a US carrier, but is sold by a few US retailers (mostly online). It's a quad band GSM Windows Mobile 6 Professional phone with EDGE for data and it has WiFi and Bluetooth 2.0 +EDR. It has a 2 megapixel camera with autofocus lens and a microSD card slot that supports SDHC high capacity card. The ASUS runs on a 200MHz TI processor with 64 megs of RAM, which means it's not the fastest kid on the block. The P527 is one of the few PPC phones with a hardware number pad and true candybar phone design.
Unlocked GSM
March 2008
Sharper Image TSI101 Who'd think you could visit your local mall and come out with an unlocked GSM Windows Mobile 6 Professional PDA phone? Sharper Image has gotten into the unlocked GSM phone business, and we take a look at their Windows Mobile Pocket PC phone that works with any GSM carrier's SIM. There's a catch though- the TSI101 is missing one US band, the 850MHz band used by AT&T, so don't get your hopes up if you're an AT&T customer. T-Mobile customers might want to check out this triband phone with EDGE for data. It's got the usual QVGA color touch screen, a GPS, 2 megapixel camera and Bluetooth. In fact,SI includes a mini Bluetooth headset in the box.
Unlocked GSM
Feb. 2008
E-TEN Glofiish X800 Yet another swiss army knife of a Windows Mobile Professional phone from E-TEN. The X800 is the first to sport 3G with triband HSDPA that works in the US. Not only that but it has a VGA display, WiFi, Bluetooth, a 2 megapixel autofocus camera, front-facing videoconferencing camera, an FM radio and a SiRFstar III GPS. Whew. This relatively slim and pocketable Pocket PC phone is sold unlocked and its quad band GSM radio works worldwide. Well worth a look if you want everything but a hardware keyboard.
Unlocked GSM
Jan. 2008
Sprint Touch by HTC The GSM Touch made quite a stir earlier this year with its new TouchFLO UI and special, gesture-friendly screen. Not only that, the PDA phone wasn't much bigger than a RAZR, had great looks and weighed only 4 ounces. It wasn't the brightest kid on the block though, thanks to a slow CPU and low memory. Sprint's version answers those shortcomings: their version has a 400MHz CPU, lots of memory (more than the powerhouse Mogul) and EVDO for fast data. Nice! This Windows Mobile 6 Pocket PC phone has a fun side thanks to Sprint TV, Sprint Music Store and the usual good Windows Mobile multimedia support. A 2MP camera and Bluetooth 2.0 are on-board but no WiFi.
Sprint
Oct. 2007
AT&T Tilt by HTC Last year we thought the Cingular 8525 was an impressive PDA phone. This year HTC and AT&T show themselves up with the Tilt, which adds a GPS, slide-out and up keyboard, better camera and Windows Mobile 6 Professional. The Tilt whose codename was the HTC Kaiser first shipped overseas as the HTC TyTN II and MDA Vario III. The Tilt is a Pocket PC phone with a touch screen, quad band EDGE, triband 3.5G HSDPA, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0 with AVRC and it has a 3 megapixel camera with autofocus lens. It adds a few AT&T-centric goodies like Cellular Video that keep this business-oriented device from turning dull during downtime.
AT&T
Oct. 2007
HTC Advantage X7501While PDA phones have morphed into phones, or tried to, in the past few years, HTC tries something novel and useful: a PDA phone that's firmly rooted in handheld computing. Looking like a tiny notebook, the HTC Advantage X7501 runs Windows Mobile 6 Professional on a 624MHz processor with 128 megs of RAM, 256 megs of flash ROM and an 8 gig microdrive. It has a VGA display, VGA-out for TV viewing and presentations, detachable QWERTY keyboard, a 3 megapixel autofocus camera, Bluetooth 2.0, WiFi and a full GPS inside. Whew! And there's a quad band unlocked GSM radio with EDGE and triband HSDPA 3G for voice and data. This is the US version, due for imminent release at US retail outlets. A viable and interesting mobile computing alternative to UMPCs and micro PCs.
Unlocked GSM
July 2007
E-TEN Glofiish X500+ The VGA version of the Glofiish X500 runs Windows Mobile 6 Professional and features a SiRF Star III GPS. Slim and pocketable compared to other VGA Pocket PC phones, the X500+ has everything but the kitchen sink: an unlocked quad band GSM phone with EDGE for data, WiFi 802.11b/g, Bluetooth 2.0 +EDR, 2 megapixel camera with business card reader and an FM radio.
Unlocked GSM
July 2007
HTC Mogul(PPC-6800) Here's Sprint's replacement for the once-beloved but now aged PPC-6700. This Windows Mobile Professional 6 (Pocket PC) phone has a lot to offer: strong performance from its 400MHz Qualcomm MSM7500 CPU, a whopping 256 megs of flash memory and EVDO Rev. 0 with a free software upgrade to EVDO Rev. A promised later this year. The Mogul has WiFi 802.11b/g, Bluetooth 2.0 and a 2 megapixel camera with LED flash. It has a microSD card slot and comes with a 512 meg card.
Sprint (and Verizon)
June 2007
HTC Touch A small, light and simply elegant Windows Mobile Professional phone. Its claim to fame is a touch screen that's optimized for finger and gesture use, so you need not use the stylus as often. The Touch is a triband 900/1800/1900MHz unlocked GSM phone, with an 850MHz version coming later this year. It has Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP stereo support, WiFi 802.11b/g and a 2megapixel camera. The Touch runs on a 201MHz TI OMAP processor and it has EDGE for data.
Unlocked GSM
June 2007
T-Mobile WingThe Wing is T-Mobile's follow-up to their popular but aged MDA in the US. The Wing is significantly slimmer, though not lighter than the MDA and it has a rubberized finish similar to the T-Mobile Dash that looks good and feels great in the hand. This Windows Mobile 6 Professional Edition Pocket PC phone has a quad band GSM phone inside with EDGE for data, a side-sliding QWERTY keyboard, Bluetooth 2.0, WiFi 802.11b/g, a 2MP camera and a 201MHz TI processor. It's one of the HTC Herald variants, and is a cousin to the HTC P4350.
T-Mobile
May 2007
E-TEN Glofiish M700 Take the recently reviewed Glofiish X500 and add a side-sliding QWERTY keyboard and you've got the M700. This "everything but the kitchen sink" PDA phone has WiFi 802.11b/g, Bluetooth 2.0 +EDR, a 400MHz Samsung CPU, a 2MP camera with flash, an FM radio and best of all, a SiRFStarIII internal GPS. This quad band GSM world phone has EDGE for data and is sold unlocked for use with any carrier.
Unlocked GSM
March 2007
i-mate JAQ3 The second Pocket PC phone to sport both a front-facing static keyboard and a QVGA landscape touch screen display (the JAQ was the first). The JAQ3 is a quad band phone with EDGE that's sold by importers unlocked for use with any GSM carrier. It has a very good QWERTY keyboard, WiFi 802.11b/g, Bluetooth and a 2 megapixel camera. The uber-thin JAQ3 looks like a super-sized Samsung BlackJack MS Smartphone, which is a compliment, though its width and height may stretch your pocket.
Unlocked GSM
Jan. 2007
Palm Treo 750The latest Windows Mobile Treo Pocket PC Phone gets a lot of love from us. Palm has done more than warm over a Treo 700: this GSM Cingular phone went on a diet, lost the external antenna and gained an improved camera and Bluetooth. Palm's customizations of Windows Mobile and the front-facing QWERTY keyboard make the Treo 750 a breeze to use one-handed. The 300MHz processor, ample RAM and ATI graphics accelerator keep it humming along nicely and 3G plus AKU 3.2 keep the emails flowing in nicely.
AT&T
Jan. 2007
HTC P3300 and XDA Orbit These two phones are variations of the HTC Artemis. Though they have different casings, they're identical inside. They are Windows Mobile 5 Pocket PC phones and the HTC P3300 is sold unlocked while the XDA Orbit is offered by O2 in Europe. Features include a very compact design, internal GPS, quad band GSM phone with EDGE for data, a 2MP camera, WiFi and Bluetooth. We got a hold of both models for this review.
Unlocked GSM
Jan. 2007
E-TEN Glofiish X500 The X500 wants to be your everything. It's a Windows Mobile 5 Pocket PC, a quad band GSM phone and a GPS. Featuring a PDA-like design, the Glofiish X500 features an internal SiRF III GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR, EDGE for data, a 400MHz CPU and a 2 megapixel camera. It's sold unlocked by importers in the US and will work with any GSM carrier.
Unlocked GSM
Jan. 2007
Cingular 8525 and HTC TyTNThis worthy successor to the HTC Wizard line of devices including the Cingular 8125 really wow-d us. We take an in-depth look at both the Cingular 8525 and the HTC TyTN which are non-identical twins running on both the US and European 3G networks with support for HSDPA. This quad band GSM world phone sports a 400Mhz CPU, Bluetooth 2.0, WiFi 802.11b/g and has an excellent slide-out QWERTY keyboard. Its 2.0MP is the best we've seen on a Windows Mobile phone and the device is ready for serious business work and multimedia fun. The Cingular 8525 is sold by Cingular in the US and the HTC TyTN is sold unlocked by importers for use with any GSM carrier.
AT&T and unlocked GSM
Nov. 2006
Palm Treo 700wxThough Verizon had an eight month exclusive on the first Windows Mobile Treo, Sprint makes it worth the wait by doubling memory (much needed) and including both DUN and push email support out of the box. The Treo 700wx runs Windows Mobile 5.1 on a 312MHz processor with 64 megs of RAM and 60 megs of available flash ROM. It has Bluetooth, a 1.3 megapixel camera and EVDO (Sprint's Power Vision) for fast data. Well worth a serious look if you've been hankering for a Windows Mobile Treo.
Sprint
Sept. 2006
HP iPAQ hw6915 While the iPAQ hw6515 didn't meet our view of perfection, HP's new Windows Mobile 5 model, the hw6915 comes pretty close. This Pocket PC has a strong quad band GSM mobile phone, full PDA, WiFi, Bluetooth and a good GPS inside. No external antennas either, despite the 4 wireless radios inside. It runs on a 416MHz XScale processor, has 128 megs of flash ROM and a very good QWERTY thumb keyboard. Release date estimate: June 2006.
AT&T
May and Oct. 2006
i-mate JAMin This follow-up to the popular i-mate JAM keeps the super-compact design while offering many upgrades including a 2MP camera, more memory, Windows Mobile 5, WiFi and a quad band GSM radio with EDGE for data. That's a lot of features packed into one of the smallest Pocket PC phones on the market! It's sold unlocked for use with any GSM carrier in the world.
Unlocked GSM
May 2006
E-TEN G500Need a shot of triple convergence? The E-TEN G500 is a Pocket PC, quad band GSM phone and a GPS in one. This kissing cousin to the E-TEN M600 we reviewed a few months back, is compact yet it has a SiRF Star III GPS, 1.3MP camera, Bluetooth 2.0, a Mini SD slot and a 400Mhz processor with plenty of memory. Those of you who weren't wow-ed by the iPAQ 6515's lower resolution square screen and slower performance will find the G500 compelling. The G500 is sold unlocked for use with any carrier.
Unlocked GSM
April 2006
T-Mobile MDA Let the clone wars begin! The MDA is the latest HTC Wizard variant to hit the market, and was released in the US in Feb. 2006 a few days after the Cingular 8125. This device is both a Pocket PC PDA and a GSM quad band mobile phone. It has EDGE and GPRS for data, Bluetooth, WiFi and a 1.3MP camera. The side-sliding keyboard is its claim to fame and its compact design and excellent QVGA display are big selling points.
T-Mobile
Feb. 2006
Cingular 8125 This HTC Wizard variant is a winner with slick looks and an excellent slide-out thumb keyboard. The device sports WiFi, Bluetooth 1.2 and has EDGE and GPRS for data. It's a quad band world phone that works anywhere GSM service is available. The phone is compact, has a 1.3MP camera, a great QVGA display and good battery life.
AT&T
Feb. 2006
Verizon XV6700 A most capable yet compact Pocket PC phone with roomy thumb keyboard that slides out from the side. It's branded by UT Starcom and is actually made by ODM HTC (device codename Apache). The XV6700 is a close cousin to the Sprint PPC-6700, but is clad in matte black with contrasting silver accents. The device runs Windows Mobile 5.0 on a 416 MHz Intel XScale processor with 64 megs of RAM and 128 megs of flash ROM. It has EVDO for 3G data speeds along with WiFi and Bluetooth.
Verizon
Jan. 2006
Palm Treo 700w Palm's first Windows Mobile Pocket PC phone is a winner in terms of one-handedness, usability and ergonomics. It's offered by Verizon in the US and features a fast EVDO connection for data. It has a 312 MHz XScale processor, integrated thumb keyboard, 1.3MP camera and a 240 x 240 pixel color display.
Verizon
Jan. 2006
E-TEN
M600 A very compact Pocket PC phone running
Windows Mobile 5.0. It's a quad band phone that's unlocked
for use with any carrier and it has GPRS for data. The
device has it all: 1.3 megapixel camera with flash, Bluetooth
1.2, WiFi and an SD slot supporting SDIO. This 400 MHz
Pocket PC is one of the fastest Windows Mobile 5 devices
we've reviewed so far.
Unlocked GSM
Dec. 2005
i-mate
K-JAM This unlocked GSM Pocket PC phone runs
Windows Mobile 5.0 and has a slide-out thumb keyboard.
It's a quad band phone supporting all GSM networks in the
world and it has both GPRS and EDGE for data. It's also
got Bluetooth 1.2 and WiFi to keep you connected to most
anything, anywhere. Throw in a 1.3MP camera with LED flash
and you've got the K-JAM. This phone is sold unlocked for
use with any carrier. Also known by its code name, the
HTC Wizard.
Unlocked GSM
Nov. 2005
Audiovox
PPC-6700 from Sprint The first Windows Mobile
5.0 Pocket PC Phone Edition in the US. This device has
it all: 416 MHz processor, EVDO, Bluetooth, WiFi, 1.3MP
camera and an excellent slide-out thumb keyboard. This
CDMA all digital phone is offered by Sprint in the US. The design is courtesy of HTC, and the device codename is the HTC Apache.
Sprint
Oct. 2005
BenQ P50The P50 was billed as the "Treo killer" when BenQ first showed it off back in 2004. Though it took quite a long time to hit the market (too late to eclipse the Treo), this quad band GSM PPC phone has some strong points: front-facing QWERTY keyboard, WiFi, Bluetooth, a fast CPU and it's unlocked for use with any GSM carrier. It runs Windows Mobile 2003SE rather than the current Windows Mobile 5 operating system.
Unlocked GSM
July 2006 (released in 2005)
HP
iPAQ hw6515 The Pocket
PC phone that tries to do it all: it has a thumb keyboard,
1.3MP camera and a GPS. This GSM quad band world phone
has EDGE and GPRS for data, and is the first to sport a
smaller resolution 240 x 240 pixel display. It runs on
Windows Mobile 2003SE with a 312 MHz Intel XScale processor.
Currently available from Cingular in the US.
AT&T
Sept. 2005
Samsung
i730The fastest Windows
Mobile Pocket PC phone on the market, the i730 has a 520
MHz processor, 64 megs of RAM, 128 megs of ROM and runs
on Verizon's EVDO network for fast data. It's small by
Pocket PC standards and is similar in size to the Treo
650. Not only that, it has an excellent slide-out keyboard,
Bluetooth, WiFi and an AV remote. Definitely the Swiss
Army Knife of smartphones!
Verizon
July 2005
E-TEN
M500This compact Pocket
PC phone running Windows Mobile 2003SE really wowed us.
It competes with the i-mate JAM in size and features, and
just might win. It has a bright 2.8" transflective
display, 400 MHz processor, 135 megs of available memory,
Bluetooth and a 1.3 megapixel digital camera. It's both
a Pocket PC and a quad band GSM world phone with GPRS for
data. Though sold only by importers in the US, the M500
is reasonably priced and is sold unlocked for use with
any carrier.
Unlocked GSM
July 2005
i-mate
JAMWho says a Pocket
PC phone has to be huge? The JAM is the darling of many
thanks to its small size, elegant looks and strong feature
set. Similar in size to the very portable and popular Palm
OS Treo 650, the JAM has a 2.8" transflective display,
416 MHz Intel XScale processor, Bluetooth and a 1.3 megapixel
digital camera. It's a GSM phone with GPRS for data, and
we review the 850/1800/1900 MHz version which targets the
US. Though offered by importers rather than US carriers,
the phone is reasonably priced and worth a look!
Unlocked GSM
June 2005
Siemens
SX66Users outside the
US have had the pleasure of using GSM variants of the HTC
Blue Angel for many months. Now this powerful device has
made it to US shores and is offered by Cingular. This 400MHz
unit with 128 megs of RAM is both a Pocket PC and a cell
phone. It runs Windows Mobile 2003 SE, has WiFi, Bluetooth
and is a quad band GSM world phone with GPRS for data.
If that doesn't tempt you, the slide-out keyboard will.
This is the close cousin to the Audiovox PPC-6601 listed
below, but is GSM rather than CDMA and adds WiFi to the
feature set.
AT&T
March 2005
Audiovox
PPC-6601 How nice when
we in the US get the latest, greatest Pocket PC phone without
having to wait a year or resort to importers. The PPC-6601
is the CDMA cousin to the XDA III in Europe and Asia. This
unit builds on the remarkable XDA II design and adds a "slide
and hide" thumb keyboard. It runs on Sprint's network
in the US and supports high speed data. It's got a fast
processor, lots of memory and Bluetooth. A strong contender
in the Pocket PC phone marketplace!
Sprint
Nov. 2004
HP
iPAQ 6315The 6315 is a
quad band GSM device that's offered T-Mobile in the US.
This device is both a cell phone and a Pocket PC running
Windows Mobile 2003 Phone Edition. It packs a trio of wireless
with GSM, WiFi and Bluetooth, has a VGA camera and a removable
thumb keyboard. It works anywhere in the world GSM service
is available.
T-Mobile
Sept. 2004
E-TEN
P300BThis
Pocket PC Phone runs Windows Mobile 2003 Phone Edition
and is a GSM world phone that works on the 900/1800/1900MHz
bands. Though not offered by any US carrier, FutureCom
Global will begin selling it in the US for $499, unlocked
with no contract required. It's a bit smaller than other
Pocket PC phones since it has a 2.8" display rather
than the standard 3.5" display. The P300B has integrated
Bluetooth, a 200MHz processor and can display 4,096 colors.
Unlocked GSM
June 2004
Samsung
i700This 2nd generation
Pocket PC phone runs on the Verizon Wireless network in
the US. It's got a lovely transflective display, a 300
MHz XScale processor, 64 megs of RAM, a VGA camera and
an SD slot that supports SDIO. That's a lot of features!
It comes with Pocket PC 2002 Phone Edition OS and supports
Verizon's high speed 1xRTT Express Network for data speeds
averaging 60 - 70 Kbps, with bursts up to 144 kbps. Discontinued.
Verizon
March 2004
XDA
II Wow! The most powerful
Pocket PC phone currently on the market. This 400 MHz device
combines a GSM mobile phone with a Pocket PC and runs Windows
Mobile Phone Edition 2003. It has a whopping 128 megs of
RAM, Bluetooth, a VGA camera and an SD slot that supports
SDIO. Though no carrier in the US currently offers the
XDA II (also sold as the i-mate and MDA II overseas), it
is available from importers unlocked, and will run with
any GSM provider's SIM.
Unlocked GSM
March 2004
Hitachi
G1000 Pocket PC Phone EditionA
powerful Pocket PC phone with a 400 MHz XScale processor
and 32 megs of RAM. It runs on the Sprint PCS network in
the US and supports their high speed PCS Vision network.
Not only that, it has an integrated VGA digicam and a keyboard. Discontinued.
Sprint
Aug. 2003
T-Mobile Pocket PC
Phone Edition This highly successful
device has an attractive design, and is known as the O2 XDA
overseas. It's got 32 megs of RAM, a 206 MHz StrongArm processor
and and an SD expansion slot. It runs on the GSM network
and is offered by T-Mobile in the US. It also supports GPRS
for data. Est. $299- $499 depending on sales specials and
activation. This was the first Pocket PC phone and now is
the oldest.
T-Mobile
Summer 2002
Palm
OS Smartphone Models
Palm Centro (AT&T) The Centro is back, this time for AT&T Wireless. We reviewed the Centro on Sprint's network last Fall and now AT&T is offering the GSM version for the same low $99. This makes the Centro the most affordable touch screen PDA phone on AT&T's network, and like Sprint, they're hoping that first time smartphone buyers will be attracted by the price and hop looks. The Centro runs Palm OS and it has a QWERTY keyboard that's ready for texting and email, including push email. It has a 320 x 320 color display, Bluetooth, a 312MHz processor and a microSD card slot.
Feb. 2008
Palm Centro (Sprint)Palm and Sprint are trying to start a quiet revolution: the first PDA phone with a touch screen to launch at $99. The Centro can handle most tasks its big brother the Treo 755p can, but it's slimmed down and more plastic-y (we aren't complaining about the slimming). The QWERTY keyboard is miniscule yet surprisingly usable and the 320 x 320 2.2" display is easy to read. This Palm OS device has EVDO for fast data, Bluetooth and a 1.3MP phone. It targets first time smartphone buyers, so there's no GPS, WiFi-- just a strong core of basics including strong PIM apps, an HTML web browser, email and MS Office doc support. Not bad for the price.
Oct. 2007
Treo 755pThe Palm OS Treo from Sprint gets a makeover. Sporting the Treo 680 and Treo 750's new design, the smaller, curvier Treo 755p is a welcome update to the Treo 700p. The improvements are more than skin deep with stronger Bluetooth, improved voice quality and better pictures from the 1.3 megapixel camera. The Treo 755p runs Palm OS 5 (Garnet) and is a CDMA phone with EVDO for Sprint. It has a 320 x 320 pixel display, Bluetooth 1.2. MiniSD card slot and a higher capacity battery than the Treo 680 and 750.
May 2006
Palm Treo 680The "affordable" Treo sells for $199 through Cingular and $399 unlocked for use with any GSM carrier direct from Palm. The Treo 680 sports a sleeker, antenna-less design but inside closely resembles the Treo 650. It's a quad band GSM phone with full Palm PDA features. It has EDGE for data, an SD expansion slot, VGA camera and Bluetooth 1.2 with better range than the Treo 650.
Nov. 2006
Palm Treo 700pThis update to the super-popular Treo 650 is currently available from Sprint and Verizon in the US. It has an integrated QWERTY thumb keyboard, 320 x 320 display, EVDO for high speed data, 60 megs of available memory and a responsive 312MHz Intel XScale processor. It's got a 1.3MP camera, Bluetooth and the usual great Treo usability.
July 2006
Palm Treo
650The most popular
Palm OS smartphone just got better. The Treo 650 adds a slew
of improvements to the very popular Treo 600. It offers a
fast XScale processor, Bluetooth, a gorgeous 320 x 320 transflective
color display and great phone ergonomics. Let's not forget
that handy thumb keyboard, a sharper camera and Sprint's
fast data service. The device in both CDMA and GSM versions in
the US. Currently offered by Sprint, Cingular / AT&T
and Verizon Wireless in the US. An unlocked GSM version is also available
for use with any GSM carrier. Editor's Choice 2005
Dec. 2005 to May 2005
Palm Treo
600Those
of you who've been patiently waiting: the Treo 600 is here!
Available on the Sprint PCS and other carriers' GSM networks,
the Treo 600 is a feature-rich Palm OS smartphone with
an integrated VGA camera, thumb keyboard and a bright color
display. It runs Palm OS 5 and has a fast 144 MHz processor.
Oct. 2003
Kyocera
7135A Palm OS smartphone
with a sturdy and attractive clamshell design, excellent
color screen, 16 megs of RAM, MP3 player and an SD slot.
Wow! It's a CDMA phone supporting high speed (1xRTT) data
connections for Internet access and is offered by Verizon
Wireless and Alltel in the US. List: $499 with a 2 year
contract, $529 with a one year contract. Discontinued.
May 2003
Samsung
SPH-i500Sprint PCS'
latest Palm OS smartphone offering, introduced in August
2003. It's currently the smallest smartphone, runs Palm
OS 4.1, has a 66 MHz Dragonball processor and a color display.
It's a triband phone that runs on the Sprint PCS network
in the US and supports high speed PCS Vision (1xRTT) data
services. List $599. Discontinued.
Aug. 2003
Samsung
I330Sporting an elegant
and ergonomic design, the I330 has a color display, 33
MHz Dragonball processor and great call quality. It runs
on the Sprint PCS network in the US and supports high speed
PCS Vision (1xRTT) data services. List $599. Discontinued.
April 2003
Palm Tungsten
WPalm's
latest wireless PDA that doubles as a mobile phone. High
res color display, 33 mhz Dragonball processor, 16 megs of
RAM, SD slot, and a built-in thumb keyboard. Service by AT&T
Wireless over the GSM network in the US. It also supports
GPRS for data. Est. $499 US. Discontinued.
March 2003
Handspring
Treo Communicator 270 and 300 A
great Palm OS smartphone with a 12 bit, 4,096 color display,
16 megs of RAM and a 33 mhz Dragonball processor, plus an
integrated cell phone. The 270 is a GSM model and the 300
is a CDMA model that works on the Sprint Network (supports
high speed 1xRTT data). Est. $499 US with activation. Discontinued.
May 2002
Windows Mobile Standard - Microsoft
Smartphone Models(these
are not Pocket PCs and don't have touch screens)
T-Mobile Dash 3G by HTCThe Dash was an exceptionally popular Windows Mobile smartphone thanks to good looks, great ergonomics and a reasonable price. Things just got better with the Dash 3G: it upgrades wireless data to 3G HSDPA, has a GPS with TeleNav that also works with Google Maps and other mapping applications, a YouTube player, plenty of IM clients and an improved version of Internet Explorer Mobile. And it has a great QWERTY keyboard too!
T-Mobile
July 2009
Samsung JackIf you don't know Jack, it's worth getting to know him if you're the card carrying QWERTY-bar messaging type. This affordably priced Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard smartphone brings a new BlackBerry-esque look to the BlackJack line with more curves and an improved keyboard. The Samsung Jack is offered by AT&T and It's got a 528MHz CPU, 3G HSDPA for the US and Europe, a 3 megapixel camera, WiFi, Bluetooth and a QVGA non-touchscreen display. This review includes a video review.
AT&T
June 2009
Pantech Matrix ProThe successor to the Pantech Duo shows a great deal of improvement. The smart cousin to the Pantech Matrix feature phone on AT&T, the Matrix Pro runs Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard Edition and offers more robust email, syncing, web browsing and 3rd party application expandability. This QVGA non-touch screen phone features a dual slider: one for the number pad and another for the full QWERTY keyboard. It has 3G, Bluetooth 2.0, a 2 megapixel camera and a good GPS.
AT&T
Feb. 2009
T-Mobile Shadow 2 T-Mobile simply calls this Windows Mobile 6.1 smartphone the "new Shadow". It's feature set is nearly identical to the original Shadow by HTC but the casing and design are all new. Also new is UMA WiFi calling for unlimited domestic calls over WiFi if you add T-Mobile @Home service. The Shadow 2 features a slide-down SureType 20 key keyboard with predictive text, a QVGA display, 2 megapixel camera, Bluetooth with A2DP stereo and WiFi. It's a quad band GSM world phone with EDGE for data and it's available exclusively on T-Mobile.
T-Mobile
Feb. 2009
HTC S740 / HTC S743This is a video review of HTC's sexy Windows Mobile 6.1 smartphone that takes the reigns from the HTC S710. It looks like a normal candybar phone, but it hides a roomy side-sliding full QWERTY keyboard. It resembles the overseas GSM HTC Touch Pro and HTC Fuze but it's much narrower, though taller. It's ripe with features including a 528MHz CPU, 3.2 megapixel camera, GPS, WiFi and Bluetooth 2.0 +EDR. The S740 has Euro 3G HSDPA while the HTC S743 has US 3G HSDPA on AT&T's bands. The S740 and S743 are unlocked GSM world phones.
Unlocked GSM
Dec. 2008
Motorola Q9cThe Moto Q9m is reborn on Verizon as the Motorola Q9c. The Q9c leaves out access to the Verizon music store, but adds a GPS that works with VZ Navigator. The Moto is a CDMA phone with EVDO rev. 0 for fast data and it runs Windows Mobile 6 Standard Edition. Other than the GPS, the Q9c is similar to the model it replaces: it has an excellent QWERTY keyboard, a MiniSD card slot, a 312MHz processor and a 1.3 megapixel camera.
Verizon
July 2008
Samsung Ace(SPH-i325) The Samsung BlackJack comes to Sprint as the Ace. This a both a Sprint CDMA phone and a GSM world phone. The GSM works only overseas, not on US bands, so get this phone if you're a Sprint customer with world roaming needs, not because you wish to use GSM in the US. The Ace is a super-slim Windows Mobile 6 Standard Edition smartphone with a front-facing QWERTY thumb keyboard and a landscape QVGA display. It runs on a responsive XScale 312MHz processor and has a microSD card slot for expansion. The Samsung Ace has a 1.3 megapixel camera that takes above average photos, EVDO for data and it supports Sprint TV. Sorry, no WiFi or GPS here.
Sprint
March 2008
Verizon SMT5800Verizon is the first US carrier to get HTC's candy bar side-slider Windows Mobile 6 smartphone with a full QWERTY keyboard. The SMT5800 is the CDMA cousin to the GSM HTC S710 and HTC S730, and it shares their good looks and quality build. The smartphone has EVDO rev.0 for fast data, a sharp QVGA display that works in both portrait and landscape modes and a slide-out QWERTY keyboard plus front number pad. Though not thin, the SMT5800 is both very compact and light-- worlds smaller than the Samsung i760 and XV6800 on Verizon.
Verizon
Jan. 2008
Pantech Duo The first 2-way slider Windows Mobile smartphone to hit the US, the Duo pays homage to its distant relative the Helio Ocean. The Duo is one of the smallest Windows Mobile 6 smartphones on the planet, if not the smallest. Though by no means thin, it's small in every other way and weighs only 3.9 ounces. AT&T offers the Duo which features HSDPA for the US, quad band GSM and support for CV streaming video, XM radio and MP3 playback. It's got a 1.3 megapixel camera, Bluetooth 1.2 and a 416MHz processor. With both QWERTY and number pad sliders, the Duo also has very good ergonomics.
AT&T
Jan. 2008
Samsung BlackJack II The follow-up to the extremely popular Samsung BlackJack for 2008 doesn't mess too much with a good thing. The II keeps the original version's excellent slim form factor and light weight while adding a GPS, more memory, a 2 megapixel camera that takes much better shots, Windows Mobile 6 and a wee bit larger display. The BlackJack II is offered by AT&T in the US and it's a quad band GSM phone with EDGE and triband 3G HSDPA. It has MS Direct Push email support, a microSD card slot that's compatible with high capacity cards and CV streaming video service along with XM Radio.
AT&T
Jan. 2008
T-Mobile ShadowThe Shadow is an attractive, slim slider phone with a friendly UI. Sounds like the latest feature phone, but inside you'll find a fully appointed Windows Mobile 6 Standard smartphone. The Shadow's slider reveals a SureType keyboard with two letters per key, like the BlackBerry Pearl. There's a 2 megapixel camera, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0, an SDHC microSD card slot on board along with ample memory to store and run programs. The Shadow takes aim at first time smartphone users with its improved usability and sexy design.
T-Mobile
Dec. 2007
Motorola Q9 Global Motorola's been working the smartphone thing for several years now, and we say that the Q Global, AT&T's version of the Motorola Q9h is finally a winner. The slim good looks wouldn't mean a thing without an excellent set of features that work well: fast HSDPA 3.5G for data, a quad band GSM radio with excellent voice quality and good reception, GPS and a decent 2.0 megapixel camera. The Q9 has a faster-than-average 325mHz CPU, 256 megs of flash ROM, 96 megs of RAM, a QVGA landscape display and it runs Windows Mobile 6 Standard.
AT&T
Nov. 2007
Motorola Q9mThe follow-up to the Motorola Q is a great improvement. We love the excellent build quality, good looks, stereo speakers and fantastic QWERTY thumb keyboard. Like the original, the Q9m runs on a 312MHz Intel XScale processor with 64 megs of RAM and 128 megs of flash memory and it sports the same ho-hum 1.3 megapixel camera. Why the Q9m didn't get the additional compliment of flash memory and better camera that its GSM sibling, the Q9h has, we don't know. The Motorola Q music 9m is a slim Windows Mobile 6 smartphone offered by Verizon with EVDO Rev. 0 for data. The Motorola Q9c is the Sprint version of this phone.
Verizon
Sept. 2007
HTC S630 The follow-up to the HTC S620 (aka T-Mobile Dash) looks quite similar but it adds 3G HSDPA, a 2 megapixel camera, doubles the clock speed and weighs less. This unlocked GSM Windows Mobile 6 Standard edition smartphone is sold by importers and online retailers rather than US carriers. It's a quad band GSM world phone with triband HSDPA 3G, so it will work anywhere in the world GSM service is available. Like the Dash, it's slim, sexy and sports a QWERTY thumb keyboard. In the US it offers competition for the Samsung BlackJack, various recent BlackBerry models and the Motorola Q9. It has a QVGA display, WiFi, Bluetooth and a 400MHz CPU.
unlocked
Sept. 2007
HTC S710 The first Windows Mobile 6 smartphone out the door from HTC is a winner. This phone is about the same size as the T-Mobile SDA yet it sports a side-sliding QWERTY keyboard like the HTC TyTN (Cingular 8525) and other popular Pocket PC phones. But this is a smartphone, running what's now called Windows Mobile Standard Edition. It has Bluetooth 2.0, WiFi 802.11b/g, a good 2MP camera and a QVGA display with LED backlighting that operates in both portrait and landscape modes. The S710, otherwise known by its codename, the Vox, is a quad band GSM phone with EDGE that's sold unlocked for use with any GSM carrier.
unlocked
April 2007
Samsung BlackJackThe 3rd Windows Mobile 5 Smartphone Edition with a QWERTY keyboard to hit the US market, the BlackJack SGH-i607 might just be the best. It's got great ergonomics (with a few caveats), a lovely display and best of all, really fast 3G data on Cingular's HSDPA network. The BlackJack is slim, sexy and weighs only 3.5 ounces yet it has a surprisingly roomy keyboard, a good 1.3MP camera and Bluetooth 2.0. It's a quad band GSM smartphone offered by Cingular in the US.
AT&T
Nov. 2006
T-Mobile Dash and HTC S620One of our favorite smartphones. The Dash and its unlocked near-twin the HTC S620 came out at the end of October. This super-slim and attractive quad band GSM Windows Mobile Smartphone has a very usable QWERTY keyboard and a landscape 320 x 240 pixel display that's just fantastic. It's got EDGE for data, WiFi 802.11b/g, Bluetooth 2.0 and a 1.3MP camera. Certainly one of this year's hot MS Smartphones. The Dash sells for a modest $199 with contract from T-Mobile and the S620 will set you back a few hundred more.
T-Mobile and unlocked
Nov. 2006
Cingular 3125 You're going to flip over this phone. Puns aside, this clamshell Windows Mobile Smartphone has brains, good looks and a low price tag. It's a member of the HTC STRTrk family but it improves on other variants by adding twice the flash memory, 50% more battery capacity and it has good reception as well. The quad band 3125 is offered by Cingular in the US and it has EDGE for data, Bluetooth and a 1.3MP camera. Editor's
Choice 2006
AT&T
Sept. 2006
Samsung i320This Motorola Q killer is smaller, sleeker and faster than the fabled Q. Alas it's not offered by US carriers but you can buy it from importers unlocked for use with any GSM carrier. This triband phone has EDGE, Bluetooth and a wickedly fast 416MHz Intel XScale processor. And let's not forget a small but very usable QWERTY keyboard and a decent 1.3 megapixel camera with flash.
unlocked
Sept. 2006
QTEK 8500This is one of several versions of the device code-named HTC STRTrk (Star Trek for those who like their vowels). It's one of the few clamshell MS Smartphones and it does bear a resemblance to its namesake, the Star Trek communicator. This is a Windows Mobile 5 quad band GSM phone with EDGE for data. It has a 1.3MP camera, Bluetooth and is sold unlocked by importers in the US. It's the kissing cousin to the i-mate Smartflip and Cingular 3125.
unlocked
Sept. 2006
Motorola QThe brainy RAZR we've all been waiting for is finally here! The Q in no way resembles Motorola's past smartphones (and that's a good thing). It sports fresh RAZR-esque looks, fast and reliable technology inside and a vivid landscape display. This smartphone is available on Verizon's network in the US and it offers EVDO for 3G data speeds, good voice quality, Bluetooth and a QWERTY keyboard. Its 312MHz Intel XScale processor keeps it humming along nicely and it has a miniSD slot to save the 1.3MP camera's photos as well as any data you wish.
Verizon, Sprint
June 2006
Cingular 2125Cingular's latest MS Smartphone runs Windows Mobile 5, and though it looks very much like the Audiovox SMT-5600 it replaces, a lot has changed under the hood. The 2125, which is a close cousin to the T-Mobile SDA features a 1.3MP camera, Bluetooth 1.2, a great 240 x 320 pixel display and easy syncing to Outlook on Windows desktops. This quad band GSM phone has both GPRS and EDGE for data, and has MS Office viewers and the usual Windows Mobile MP3 and video playback panache.
AT&T
April 2006
T-Mobile SDAThis is the US model, which is an HTC Tornado variant. It's a quad band world phone running Windows Mobile 5 on a zippy 195 MHz processor. Though compact it's loaded with a 1.3MP camera, Bluetooth, WiFi, a lovely 2.2" QVGA display and EDGE for fast data. It's dubbed the music phone thanks to its dedicated playback control buttons on the front face and MP3 playback capabilities thanks to the included Windows Media Player 10 Mobile (while Media Player isn't unique to the SDA, the dedicated buttons are unique to the HTC Tornado design and T-Mo in the US). it's basically the US version of the i-mate SP5m reviewed below. Editor's
Choice 2006
T-Mobile
Feb. 2006
Motorola i930This is Nextel's
first Microsoft Smartphone. It may be late to the party but
it offers the usual Nextel ruggedness, Push to Talk, good
performance and stability. This smartphone runs Windows Mobile
2003SE on a 200 MHz processor and has a split personality:
in the US it works on Nextel's iDen network while overseas
it works as a GSM phone thanks to a dual band GSM radio and
SIM slot.
Nextel
Dec. 2005
i-mate
SP5mOne of the first
Windows Mobile 5 Smartphones to hit the market, the SP5m
is available overseas and through importers in the US.
It has a quad band GSM radio that will work anywhere GSM
service is available, EDGE, GPRS, WiFi, a 1.3MP camera
and front buttons that make MP3 playback a natural.
unlocked
Nov. 2005
Audiovox
SMT5600Known
by many names, this device is made by HTC and is code named
Typhoon. You'll find it overseas as the Orange C500 and i-mate
SP3. Here in the US, it's offered by AT&T Wireless and
by Cingular as the SMT5600. This absolutely wonderful
GSM MS Smartphone is extremely compact, has a large and lovely
display, Bluetooth, a VGA camera and runs the latest Windows
Mobile 2003 Second Edition for Smartphones. Editor's
Choice 2004
AT&T
Nov. 2004
Motorola
MPx220The new MS Smartphone on
the block packs an amazing number of features into a small
package. This trim clamshell phone runs MS Smartphone 2003
SE, has a fast processor, Bluetooth, a 1MP camera, an expansion
slot and MP3 stereo playback. It's a GSM world phone offered
by Cingular in the US. Update June 2005: Cingular no longer
seems to offer this phone.
AT&T
Nov. 2004
Sierra
Wireless VoqPerhaps
the perfect companion for business users with serious mobile
email needs who don't want a full-sized Pocket PC phone.
The Voq is the only Windows Mobile Smartphone with an integrated
thumb keyboard. While it's larger than other MS Smartphones,
it's still smaller than Pocket PC phones. VoqMail is included
and the unit has a 200MHz XScale processor that's a great
performer. Discontinued.
unlocked
Nov. 2004
Motorola
MPx200 This and the
Samsung i600 offered by Verizon are the first Microsoft
Smartphone 2002 devices to hit the market. The MPx200 runs
on GSM networks and is currently offered by AT&T Wireless.
It's the size of an average mobile phone but packs more
of a punch offering strong Microsoft PIM apps, a web browser
and multimedia player plus good desktop syncing. Discontinued.
AT&T
Feb. 2004
Orange
SPV E200 This 2nd generation
MS Smartphone runs the new 2003 operating system. It's
sold by carriers in Europe and other countries overseas,
but not in the US. You can buy it from several importers
in the US, and it works fine on US GSM networks. This is
a candy bar phone with a VGA camera, Bluetooth and a wonderful
display. If you're looking for a camera, BT or the latest
OS, check this out! It's also sold as the i-mate Smartphone
2 and the XPhone.
unlocked
May 2004
Samsung
i600 This and the Motorola
MPx200 offered by AT&T Wireless were the first Microsoft
Smartphone 2002 devices to hit the market. The i600 has
now been updated with the 2003 OS and it runs on CDMA networks.
It's currently offered by Verizon Wireless and Sprint in
the US. It's a compact unit that makes no concessions as
a phone while offering basic PDA functions. Syncing is
a snap, and the phone offers MP3 playback and video playback
too. It has a fantastic color screen, 200 MHz processor
and an SD slot that supports SDIO.Discontinued.
Sprint, Verizon
April 2004
RIM
BlackBerry
BlackBerry Curve 8900 Somehow, RIM almost always finds a way to pluck our heartstrings with tweaks and improvements that keep the BlackBerry line exciting and competitive. The BlackBerry 8900, the newest entry in the Curve line (some folks call it the "Curve 2") remakes the Curve into an attractive and full-featured smartphone. We call it Bold Junior since it sports similar looks and features like GPS, WiFi, a high resolution display along with RIM's signature QWERTY keyboard. The Curve 8900 is smaller than the Bold and is currently offered by T-Mobile in the US. Other features include UMA WiFi calling and a 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera.
T-Mobile
Feb. 2009
BlackBerry StormAfter months of hype and teasing, the first touch screen BlackBerry smartphone is finally here. Exclusive to Verizon, the Storm features a unique moving touch screen that clicks when you press down to provide tactile feedback when typing, clicking web links, selecting icons and more. The Storm is a CDMA phone with EVDO rev. A for fast data and it has a GSM SIM card slot for overseas travel. The BlackBerry features a wonderful 480 x 360 display, an accelerometer, GPS with VZ Navigator, Bluetooth 2.0 with stereo support and a 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera.
Verizon
Nov. 2008
BlackBerry Bold RIM's top of the line traditional BlackBerry has a fantastic 480 x 320 pixel color display that looks so good it's unreal. We call the Bold 9000 for AT&T "traditional" because it keeps the standard QWERTY hardware keyboard and non-touch screen display that the upcoming BlackBerry Storm on Verizon sets aside. The Bold is the first 3G HSDPA BlackBerry, and it has WiFi, Bluetooth and a GPS too. Throw in Bluetooth stereo A2DP, a 3.5mm stereo headset jack, 2MP camera, and a great media player and an SDHC microSD card slot and you've got some serious entertainment possibilities as well. A beautiful phone, though somewhat large and particularly wide; the Bold is nonetheless a looker. Editor's
Choice 2008
AT&T
Nov. 2008
BlackBerry Curve 8330The CDMA version of the Curve is finally here for both Sprint and Verizon. We cover both versions in this review, but there's no hardware difference other than color. The only differentiator is the software each carrier adds. The Curve 8330 has a built-in GPS, 2 megapixel camera with flash (improved over the GSM Curve) and it can shoot video too. The Sprint version has BlackBerry Maps and Sprint TV (Sprint Navigation is there too), while the Verizon version has VZ Navigator but no V Cast or BlackBerry Maps. Both feature that lovable BlackBerry QWERTY keyboard and excellent push email plus a music player with stereo Bluetooth A2DP support and a video player for locally stored clips.
Verizon and Sprint
May 2008
BlackBerry Pearl 8120Think of it as "Pearl 2.0". The new Pearl is small, super-light and sexy just like the original Pearl. The 8120, available on AT&T and T-Mobile adds several tweaks and improvements including WiFi, an easily accessible microSD card that's compatible with SDHC cards, a 2 megapixel camera that takes video and still shots, improved text prediction and a better web browser. Like all BlackBerry smartphones, the pearl 8120 does push email with aplomb and it features a SureType keyboard where two letters share a key. It's a quad band world GSM world phone with EDGE for data. The T-Mobile version supports their HotSpot @Home service.
AT&T and T-Mobile
March 2008
BlackBerry Curve 8320 Yes, T-Mobile now has the ever-popular Curve, with a wonderful addition: WiFi. Not just WiFi for web browsing and email but for voice calls over WiFi. T-Mobile's Hotspot@Home service makes its appearance on the 8320 and for $10/month at current pricing, you can make unlimited domestic calls over WiFi without using your plan minutes or using a separate application on the phone-- nice! The BlackBerry 8320 features RIM's easy to use QWERTY keyboard, quad band EDGE, Bluetooth with support for stereo Bluetooth headsets and it has a capable media player for music and video. The 2MP camera takes decent shots but the real stars are excellent voice quality, the usual BlackBerry push email experience and UMA (voice calls over WiFi using your cell number).
T-Mobile
Oct. 2007
BlackBerry Curve 8300As the name suggests, the Curve isn't an angular beast like the 8800. It feels great in the hand, and has a more traditional BlackBerry keyboard with rounded keys that have plenty of separation. The 8300 is available on AT&T in the US, and it features a full QWERTY keyboard, a bright and colorful QVGA display, 2 megapixel camera, Bluetooth and the usual push email goodness along with a good web browser.
AT&T
June 2007
BlackBerry 8830Now Verizon Wireless and Sprint customers can take their love affair with push email overseas. The BlackBerry 8830 works on Verizon's CDMA network in the US (on Sprint's network for the Sprint version) and in Europe and Asia on GSM networks for both voice and data. Just add Verizon's Global service, insert their SIM and hit the runway. For the Sprint use any GSM SIM. The 8830, looks feels and sounds much like its GSM-only near twin, the BlackBerry 8800. It has a large landscape color display, full QWERTY keyboard, Bluetooth 2.0 and a MicroSD card slot. Like recent hip BBs, the 8830 even has a music and video player, though no camera, so it's corporate-safe.
Verizon and Sprint
May 2007
BlackBerry 8800The wide brother to the sexy and successful BlackBerry Pearl sports the same great looks and slim goodness in a wider package that accommodates a full QWERTY keyboard rather than the Pearl's share-a-key design. Like the Pearl it has a vibrant display, newfound multimedia capabilities (it plays music and video), a trackball, Bluetooth and EDGE. The 8800 has an internal GPS and it's a quad band GSM world phone that's currently offered by AT &T (Cingular) in the US.
T-Mobile and AT&T
March 2007
BlackBerry PearlWant BlackBerry push email but hate the looks and bulk? Well, RIM now offers one of the smallest and sexiest phones on the market: the Pearl 8100. This phone aims to compete feature-wise with MS Smartphone, Palm and Nokia offerings as it brings multimedia to the BlackBerry platform. And it competes with the sleekest of fashion phones in the looks department. The Pearl does email alright, but it also has a 1.3MP camera, MP3 player, video player and more.
All US carriers
Oct. 2006
BlackBerry 7130eThose of you who like the BlackBerry 7100 series more phone-like design will be happy to hear it's now available with 3G speeds on Sprint's EVDO network. The 7130e has RIM's usual excellent push email, Bluetooth, tethering support over USB, a bright color display and the SureType thumb keyboard which combines two letters on a key.
July 2006
BlackBerry 8700gThe latest BlackBerry sports a pleasant and more natural color display than the 7290, and is the first to run on an Intel XScale processor which really gives this messaging device a shot in the arm. It has EDGE for fast data connections, the usual excellent BlackBerry thumb keyboard and Bluetooth 2.0 so you need not hold this relatively blocky device to your head when making calls.
June 2006
BlackBerry
7290 The quintessential
messaging machine with both PDA and
phone features gets Bluetooth and a quad band GSM radio
for 2005. The Blackberry has a 240 x 160 color display,
integrated thumb keyboard and best of all, you need not
hold it to your head to have a conversation thanks to integrated
Bluetooth. Both Cingular and T-Mobile offer the 7290 in
the US, and it works on all GSM bands
used across the world.
Sept. 2005
BlackBerry
7280 The BlackBerry
is the epitome of wireless messaging thanks to its rich
messaging tools and excellent thumb keyboard. Not only
that, current BlackBerry models are also mobile phones
that allow you to pay for one plan that covers both voice
and data. The 7200 series is available from a variety of
US GMS providers, and we take a look at the 7280 which
runs on the AT&T Wireless network. The 7200 series
features a color display, GSM/GPRS connectivity, push email
and PIM applications. A CDMA version is forthcoming.
April 2004
Nokia Communicators (Series 80 and S60)
Nokia E90 The rebirth of the Communicator! Now running S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 1 instead of Series 80, the widescreen E90 has every feature in the book. This quad band unlocked GSM phone has EDGE and Euro-only HSDPA, a 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus lens, GPS, WiFi 802.11b/g and Bluetooth 2.0. It's got the best web browser on the market (like the iPhone it's Safari inside), support for push email and good PIM applications and an Office suite. The E90 Communicator is sold by importers in the US. It's expensive, but it's a powerful, well built machine that does double-duty as a large candy bar phone and a mini notebook with a flip of the clamshell lid.
Aug. 2007
Nokia 9300An
ergonomic delight as a phone and PDA. Closed it looks like
a large candy bar phone, open it's like a mini notebook. This
triband GSM phone runs Symbian Series 80 and has full support
for PIM, Office, web and email. It has GPRS and EDGE for
data and a sharp wide screen color display. it's offered by Cingular in the US.
Sept. 2005 and March 2006
Nokia 9500This giant among phones looks like a candy bar phone until you flip open the lid and transform it into a micro notebook with QWERTY keyboard. It's a GSM triband phone that supports the 900/1800/1900Mhz bands and it has GPRS and EDGE for data. If that's not interesting enough, it has WiFi, a lovely 640 x 200 transflective display, Bluetooth and runs the Symbian OS with Nokia's Series 80 user interface.
March 2006
Nokia Communicator
9290 If you're a Psion fan, take
a look at this phone which has been very popular in Europe
since it's intro in 2001. It runs Symbian OS, has a 640
pixel x 200 pixel color display and a built-in keyboard.
It comes with a great deal of useful software, including
a package that allows you to work with MS Office docs. It
runs on the GSM network and is offered by T-Mobile in the
US (it should also work with Cingular). It does not support
GPRS. Replaced by the Nokia 9300 and 9500 above. Discontinued.
Jan. 2003
Symbian, Series 60, S60 and UIQ Models
Nokia N97 Nokia's new flagship smartphone has every feature currently available on a high end phone, and it's the second touch screen S60 phone from Nokia. We take a look at the N97 NAM, the US edition with 3G on AT&T's bands and a US warranty. The N97 is sold unlocked without contract for use on any GSM network and it has WiFi and Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR as well. This Nokia features a widget-based home screen with weather, Facebook, email and other goodies running on the 360 x 640 pixel touch screen. The slide-out QWERTY keyboard takes the pain out of messaging and the 5 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss lens can shoot widescreen video at 30fps. There's a GPS with compass, FM radio and more.
June 2009
Nokia E75Nokia's side-slider QWERTY looks like a standard candybar phone, and it's as thin as a non-slider. Sexy, solid and chic, this high-end E Series S60 3rd Edition smartphone is available unlocked and ready for your GSM SIM card. We look at the US version which has quad band GSM and EDGE along with 3G HSDPA on AT&T's bands. The phone has business and pleasure covered with an Office suite, Nokia's new email client with Exchange support and more. But there's room for fun thanks to the 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera that can shoot VGA video, Flash Lite and N-Gage gaming.
June 2009
Nokia E71xAT&T's version of the Nokia E71 keeps the charm alive.This super-slim and attractive metal-clad smartphone features a very good QWERTY keyboard, 3G HSDPA, WiFi, Bluetooth and a QVGA color non-touchscreen display. The E71x runs Symbian OS with S60 3rd Edition and it has a webkit-based web browser, email client and IM. For fun there's Flash Lite, Real Player, a music player and CV streaming video. Top that off with a GPS and AT&T Navigator and you've got a well-rounded smartphone. At $99 with contract, the E71x is a bargain.
May 2009
Nokia 5800 XpressMusicNokia's first S60 touch screen smartphone has made it to the US. The Nokia 5800 NAM is the US edition with HSDPA on AT&T's 3G bands. This quad band unlocked GSM world phone is sold without contract at a relatively reasonable price and it packs a lot of features including WiFi, Bluetooth with A2DP, stereo speakers, AV-out to TV, Flash video playback, Webkit browser, a strong GPS with Nokia Maps, FM radio, 3.5mm stereo jack and more. But its real claim to fame is its 3.2" widescreen 640 x 360 pixel touch screen and Nokia S60 5th Edition-- the touch version of S60. Nokia has done a good job of making S60 touch-friendly and you won't need a stylus with this smartphone.
April 2009
Nokia E63 In our review we take a look at the US version, the Nokia E63 NAM. The E63 is the budget version of the Nokia E71 unlocked Symbian S60 smartphone. It sports the same shape, similar dimensions and the same excellent keyboard as the E71 but it sells for only $279. This is an unlocked GSM quad band world phone that requires no contract and it has a QVGA display, Bluetooth with A2DP, a 2 megapixel camera, WiFi and Flash Lite 3.0. It has 3G WCDMA on the AT&T bands and EDGE for T-Mobile.
April 2009
Roundup Review: Nokia N96, N85 and N79 US models In this detailed review, we take a look at the latest trio of US Nokia Nseries smartphones. The N96-3, N85-3 and N79-3 GSM quad band unlocked phones have US 3G on the AT&T bands and carry US warranties. The phones feature a 5 megapixel camera with a Carl Zeiss autofocus lens and dual LED flash that can shoot video at 30fps. Also on board: a QVGA display, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0 +EDR with stereo A2DP, SDHC microSD card slot and aGPS with Nokia Maps. Nokia adds variety in the details: the N96 has 16 gigs of flash storage, the N85 has a vivid OLED display and the N79 features Xpress-on active covers with a microchip that tells the phone to switch its display theme to match the cover color.
Feb. 2009
Nokia E71Stunningly good looking and impossibly thin: two things we don't often say about a smartphone. The E71 puts the once solid Nokia E61 to shame: it's smaller, much thinner, yet fits more inside: GPS, US 3G HSDPA, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0 +EDR and a 3 megapixel camera with autofocus lens. It's got a great QWERTY keyboard and push email support, but it also handles music playback, video and even streaming YouTube well. The E71 is an unlocked GSM world phone that's sold without contract in the US.
August 2008
Nokia E66We take a long, hard look at the US version of the E66, to be released this summer as an unlocked phone with US 3G HSDPA support. The E66 is a business slider with weekender good looks and portability. And it's got every feature commonly found on a high end phone: GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0, and business email support. There's plenty of fun too with a video player, YouTube support, 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus lens and an FM radio. The E66 runs S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 1 and has a few new tricks up its sleeve, including automatic screen rotation.
June 2008
Nokia N78We take a look at the Nokia N78, otherwise known as the N78-3 and N78 NAM edition for the US. The N78 is a mid-tier NSeries smartphone with an impressive feature set including the latest S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 2 system software, GPS, 3 megapixel camera with autofocus Carl Zeiss lens, WiFi and US 3G. The successor to the wildly successful N73 has a lot more to offer, yet manages to keep the same size. We like the flush QVGA display and minimalist clean looks, but this gloss phone won't stay clean without a cloth.
June 2008
Nokia E51This ESeries business smartphone looks more like a sexy feature phone. It's sold unlocked in the US by major retailers and is a quad band GSM world phone with non-US 3G. It's super-thin with a 2" QVGA display, 2 megapixel camera and Bluetooth 2.0 +EDR. There's WiFi for fast data, and support for most popular personal and corporate email including BlackBerry Connect. This affordable S60 phone dishes out some fun too with a capable music player, A2DP, RealPlayer and an FM radio.
May 2008
Nokia N95 8 Gig (N95-4)The fourth time around, the Nokia N95 is still looking good! When the original N95 came out a year ago it wowed pretty much everyone with its huge laundry list of cutting edge features, topped with a 5 megapixel autofocus camera. Flash forward to today and we've had the US N95-3, the Euro 8 gig model and now the US 8 gig N95 with US 3G HSDPA and a US warranty. The phone loses the microSD card slot and replaces it with 8 gigs of flash storage and has the latest firmware with a faster camera and other tweaks. The display size is upped to 2.8" and the phone has the usual N95 goodness: GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth, FM radio, 2-way slider, music player and more.
April 2008
Nokia 6120 Classic Who says a Nokia S60 3rd Edition smartphone has to be expensive and large? The 6120 Classic is an unlocked quad band GSM phone that's very small, quite attractive and sells for less than $300 from online importers (no contract required). The 6120 has EDGE, dual band 850/2100MHz 3G, a 2 megapixel camera, sharp 2" QVGA display and Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP stereo headset support. Not bad and worth a look if you want a small smartphone and don't need the pricey bells and whistles like WiFi, a high end camera or GPS.
Oct. 2007
Nokia N95-3This charmingly named smartphone is the new and improved US version of the N95 that's now called N95-1. Nokia didn't just re-package the N95 for the US and add the US 3G bands, they re-worked the phone, tweaking the original N95's few shortcomings away. The N95-3 is designed for the US market and is currently available at the NY and Chicago Nokia Flagship stores and online from a few retailers. It supports US HSDPA for fast wireless data, improves the GPS, quadruples available RAM, increases battery capacity and adds a soft-touch finish. The N95-3 remains one of the most capable GSM smartphones on the market with a 5MP autofocus camera, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0 +EDR, GPS and an FM radio.
Oct. 2007
Nokia N75The first Nokia S60 smartphone with US 3G. This quad band GSM clamshell phone is offered by Cingular in the US and it has UMTS 3G on the US bands. S60 flip phones are relatively uncommon but we love 'em in the US, so Nokia cooked up the N75 which features a fantastic main display, a capable music player with external controls, Bluetooth 2.0, Cingular Video, an FM radio and a 2 megapixel camera with LED flash. It has a best of breed web browser and it syncs easily to Outlook.
May 2007
Nokia N95This smartphone has every feature in the book, but its claim to fame is its 5 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss autofocus lens. If you thought the N73 was good, imagine a phone that takes better photos than the N73 and videos on par with the Nokia N93. That's just the start: this unlocked quad band GSM phone has a stunning QVGA display, two-way slider design, WiFi 802.11b/g, Bluetooth 2.0 +EDR, integrated GPS, strong multimedia features and it's both compact and attractive. It syncs with Windows and Macs, has full PIM apps and Office viewers. The N95 has Euro-3G (not compatible with US 3G) and EDGE for data. It's sold unlocked directly by Nokia USA as well as importers.
April 2007
Nokia E62The US sibling of the Nokia E61 we reviewed and loved in August. This slim and attractive phone wants to be your PDA too. Its metal sleek silver casing has that thin is in look but with all the power you'd expect from a smartphone. It has strong PIM applications with Outlook syncing, an Office suite, a fantastic web browser, and support for several push email solutions including BlackBerry Connect. This quad band GSM world phone has EDGE for data, Bluetooth 2.0, a really sharp landscape QVGA display, excellent battery life and a QWERTY keyboard. It's offered by Cingular in the US for a modest $149.
Sept. 2006
Nokia N91This convergence device wants to be your phone, PDA and iPod. It features a 4 gig hard drive which can hold approximately 1,000 tunes, great playback quality and a standard 3.5mm headphone jack so you can use your favorite headphones. If that isn't enough, it's a powerful smartphone running Symbian OS 9.1 and Nokia's S60 3rd Edition software, has a 2 megapixel camera, Bluetooth, WiFi and a slick stainless steel finish. It's a GSM triband phone with EDGE and Euro 3G that's sold unlocked by Nokia and importers.
Sept. 2006
Nokia N73 This smartphone is a photographer's dream. Now there's no tradeoff between a savvy business phone and one that can take simply excellent photos and videos. The N73 features a 3.2MP camera with Carl Zeiss autofocus lens and it can take some of the best photos among any high end camera phone on the market. Though the phone also plays MP3s, has an FM radio and does a great job playing video on its stunning 240 x 320 display, it's not just about multimedia. It runs Symbian OS 9.1 with Nokia S60 3rd Edition and has capable PIM applications, MS Office and PDF viewers and more. It's a GSM quad band world phone with EDGE and Euro 3G that's sold unlocked for use with any GSM carrier in the US.
Aug. 2006
Nokia E61Brains and good looks: what a combination. The Nokia E61 proves that business phones can be beautiful. Its metal, sleek silver casing has that thin is in look which helps the Moto Q thrive, but the Nokia adds WiFi and BlackBerry Connect support. This quad band GSM world phone has EDGE and Euro 3G for data, Bluetooth, a really sharp landscape QVGA display, good battery life and a QWERTY keyboard. It's not offered by any US carrier, but importers in the US offer it at surprisingly reasonable prices unlocked. Definitely worth a look if you want more style and multimedia capability than BlackBerry offers and you feel that Palm OS is a bit too dusty.
Aug. 2006
Nokia N80Who says good looks and great photos aren't for smartphone users? One of Nokia's flagship smartphones in their Nseries, the N80 boasts a good 3MP camera with flash, really great looks and a small size with a slider design. The phone runs S60 3rd Edition on Symbian OS 9.1 with powerful PIM applications, syncing, Office viewers and a host of multimedia goodness. The Nokia has an FM radio, video playback, PictBridge support, Bluetooth, WiFi and an amazing 352 x 416 pixel display with 262K colors. It's a quad band GSM phone with EDGE and Euro-3G that's sold by importers in the US.
Aug. 2006
Nokia N90Thanks to Nokia, if you want a smartphone that can take a darned impressive photo, you can have it. While most smartphones and PDA phones have rudimentary cameras, the N90, released fall 2005, has one of the best 2MP cameras on the market. It takes sharp, colorful photos and smooth video. It's a Symbian OS phone running S60 2nd Edition and it has full syncing capabilities, email, web and PIM applications. Though this triband phone isn't officially offered by any US carrier, some dealers sell it with a T-Mobile contract at a hefty discount. It's sold unlocked for use with any carrier.
April 2006
Nokia 6682Nokia's
Fall 2005 Series 60 (now called S60) smartphone for the US.
It's a triband GSM phone supporting the 850/1800/1900 MHz
bands with GPRS and EDGE for data. Offered unlocked through
Nokia and resellers, and for a short time by Cingular, the
phone has a dual voltage RS-MMC card slot, a great 1.3MP
camera and Bluetooth. It syncs to Outlook on the desktop
via the included USB cable or Bluetooth.
Nov. 2005
Nokia 7710The
first and last Symbian Series 90 smartphone is both a PDA
and a phone. Not only that, it claims to be a multimedia
powerhouse. This triband GSM device is available only through
importers in the US and supports both GPRS and EDGE for data.
It has a 3.5" 640 x 320 touch screen, lots of memory,
Bluetooth, an MMC slot and a suite of Office, PIM and Internet
applications.
July 2005
Nokia N-Gage
QDThis unique device is a GSM
mobile phone, smartphone with PIM apps and application expandability
and most interestingly, a handheld gaming device. It's compact
enough to carry with you, and works surprisingly well as
a phone while offering excellent gaming ergonomics. And it's
a smart fella, running the Symbian Series 60 OS. Add Bluetooth
and a hot swappable MMC slot for games and expansion and
you've got the QD, head and shoulders above the original
N-Gage. Not bad for $199 or less!
Feb. 2005
Nokia 7610
SmartphoneThis Symbian
Series 60 phone sports a lovely design, has good ergonomics
and a very impressive 1 megapixel digital camera. Add in
the usual Nokia Series 60 features like Bluetooth, great
reception and reliable operation and you've got a winner.
This phone has been out in Europe for several months and
is now reaching US shores where Cingular is offering it.
Nov. 2004
Siemens SX1Here's
a rare find: a Symbian Series 60 phone that's not made by
Nokia. Since it runs Series 60, it qualifies as a smartphone,
offering PIM apps, MP3 playback, bluetooth and more. It's
a GSM tri-band world phone with GPRS for data. Add to that
a VGA camera and one of the oddest designs you'll find in
a production phone and you've got the SX1.
July 2004
Sony
Ericsson P900The
successor to the P800 offers just about every feature you
could want in a smartphone: GSM/GPRS world phone service,
Internet browsing, email, full featured PIM apps, Bluetooth
and a VGA camera. It runs Symbian OS 7 and UIQ 2.1. The
keypad flips open to reveal a large touch screen color
display.
March 2004
Nokia 3650
SmartphoneThis is Nokia's
latest 60 series Symbian OS Smartphone that offers many
PDA functions. It has a large color display, a unique circular
dial pad and a built-in VGA camera that takes 640 x 480
pictures! It's a triband GSM world phone that supports
GPRS for data, web and email.
June 2003
Sony
Ericsson P800This
much anticipated smartphone runs Symbian OS 7, has a touch
screen display, an integrated VGA camera and runs on GSM
networks anywhere in the world. The dial pad flips open
to reveal a large color display suitable for web browsing,
email and more. Discontinued.
June 2003
CF, PCMCIA and USB cards for PDAs and Notebooks that run off of Mobile
Phone Networks
Sierra Wireless Aircard 595U a USB 2.0 wireless modem that supports EVDO, including Rev. A. Offered by Sprint and Verizon, we look at the Sprint version. Works with Windows and Mac OS X.
Sept. 2007
Enfora
GSM/GPRS CF CardThis
quad band Compact Flash card turns your Pocket PC with
CF slot and notebook PC into a phone. Not only that, but
you'll have Internet access anywhere GPRS is available.
Feb. 2005
Sprint
PCS CF2031This CF type
II card works with Pocket PC and Pocket PC 2002 PDAs that
have a CF type II slot and Windows notebooks. It works
on the high speed PCS Vision mobile phone network (1xRTT
/ 2.5G). Supports data and voice. (discontinued)
May 2003
Verizon Sierra
Wireless AirCard 555 The PCMCIA
card comes with drivers for Windows notebooks and the iPAQ
(which you can use in conjunction with the PC Card Sleeve).
It's a CDMA card that works on Verizon's high speed Express
Network (1xRTT / 2.5G) as well as the 14.4 QNC network. Supports
data and voice. (discontinued)