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Over the past few years, Nokia's N Series has blossomed into a diverse line of multimedia-focused smartphones. For example, the top-quality Nokia N95 8GB is a dual-slider with extra media controls, while the N82 sticks to a basic candy-bar form factor while packing in one of the best phone cameras on the market. The midrange N78 is a little bit different. It trades in all the extra controls and looks like, well, a plain old phone—though a particularly stylish one. It includes Assisted GPS (A-GPS) for faster position locating, image geotagging, and a robust music player. It's also 3G and Wi-Fi capable.
- Price as Tested:
- Service Provider: AT&T, T-Mobile
- Operating System: Symbian OS
- Screen Size: 2.4 inches
- Screen Details: 320x240, QVGA, 16 million colors
- Camera: Yes
- Megapixels: 3.2 MP
- 802.11x: Yes
- Bluetooth: Yes
- Web Browser: Yes
- Network: GSM, UMTS
- Bands: 850, 900, 1800, 1900, 2100
- High-Speed Data: EDGE, UMTS, HSDPA
- Special Features: Music
The fashionable Nokia 5310 XpressMusic ($49.99 with contract) is an inexpensive and attractive music phone that's guaranteed to put smiles on the faces of T-Mobile users looking for a relatively basic handset that also handles music and some messaging.
- Price as Tested: $49.99 - $199.99 List
- Service Provider: AT&T, T-Mobile
- Screen Size: 2 inches
- Screen Details: 2" 320x240 16 million-color display
- Camera: Yes
- Megapixels: 2 MP
- 802.11x: No
- Bluetooth: Yes
- Web Browser: No
- Network: GSM
- Bands: 850, 1800, 1900
- Special Features: Music
The Nokia 6301 is T-Mobile's best Wi-Fi voice phone so far, and an elegant alternative to the Samsung Katalyst. While there are better overall voice phones on T-Mobile, none of them offer unlimited calling with perfect reception over Wi-Fi—and that's a compelling deal.
- Price as Tested: $79.99 - $179.99
- Service Provider: T-Mobile
- Screen Size: 2.2 inches
- Screen Details: 2.2", 320x240, 16-million-color TFT LCD screen
- Camera: Yes
- Megapixels: 2 MP
- 802.11x: Yes
- Bluetooth: Yes
- Web Browser: No
- Network: GSM
- Bands: 850, 900, 1800, 1900
- High-Speed Data: GPRS, EDGE
The Nokia 6205, which comes in a Dark Knight edition emblazoned with a Batman logo and preloaded with Bat-related ringtones and wallpapers, is a decent midrange Verizon Wireless phone, but we think that both Bruce Wayne and his alter ego would pick a more exciting device.
- Price as Tested: $69.99 - $269.99 List
- Service Provider: Verizon Wireless
- Screen Size: 2 inches
- Screen Details: 2", 176x220, 262k-color TFT LCD main screen; 1.3", 128x128, 65k-color CSTN external screen
- Camera: Yes
- Megapixels: 1.3 MP
- 802.11x: No
- Bluetooth: Yes
- Web Browser: No
- Network: CDMA
- Bands: 850, 1900
- High-Speed Data: EVDO Rev A
After its last release, the buggy BlackBerry Storm 9530, RIM's got its groove back. The new BlackBerry Curve 8900 juices up the already-excellent Curve form factor with a sharper screen, faster processor, and better camera, letting it jump through new multimedia hoops while still helping you get your work done. If you need to stay connected, this Curve is the simplest and most stylish way to do it on T-Mobile.
- Price as Tested: $199.99 - $349.99 List
- Service Provider: T-Mobile
- Operating System: BlackBerry OS
- Screen Size: 2.5 inches
- Screen Details: 480x360, 65k-color transmissive TFT LCD display
- Camera: Yes
- Megapixels: 3.2 MP
- 802.11x: Yes
- Bluetooth: Yes
- Web Browser: Yes
- Network: GSM
- Bands: 850, 900, 1800, 1900, 1700
- High-Speed Data: GPRS, EDGE
- Processor Speed: 512 GHz
The Sony Ericsson Z520a is one jazzy little number. It has a lively design, packs some cool features, and works especially well with Macs. Older models do have a bug in the firmware, but as long as you get the latest update, this is a great midrange cell phone.
- Price as Tested: $99.99 - $199.99 Direct
- Megapixels: .3 MP
- Bluetooth: Yes
- 802.11x: No
- Bands: 850, 900, 1800, 1900
- Camera: Yes
- High-Speed Data: GPRS
- Network: GSM
- Service Provider: AT&T
- Web Browser: No
- Screen Size: 1.8 inches
The best phone of 2005 still shines in 2006. The Sony Ericsson W810i Walkman phone is a minor update to the all-around excellent W800i Walkman, and unlike its predecessor, it will be offered directly by a U.S. carrier. The W810i does everything very well, if not perfectly: calling, gaming, photos, and music. But without an easy connection to PC music jukeboxes, it's still not quite a "Walkman."
- Price as Tested: $499.99 List
- Megapixels: 2 MP
- Bluetooth: Yes
- 802.11x: No
- Bands: 850, 900, 1800, 1900
- Camera: Yes
- High-Speed Data: GPRS, EDGE
- Network: GSM
- Service Provider: AT&T, T-Mobile
- Web Browser: No
- Screen Size: 2 inches
- Special Features: Music
We're prepared to dub the Samsung Memoir SGH-T929 "The Best Camera Phone in the United States;" in fact, it could even be the handset that gets you to leave your digital camera at home. This 8-megapixel shooter is full of surprises, including support for two decent Web browsers, a fun widget-based interface, and 640-by-480 video recording. At $299, though, the Memoir is expensive compared to other feature and camera phones in T-Mobile's lineup—but if price is no object the Memoir can't be beat.
- Price as Tested: $299.00 - $449.00 List
- Service Provider: T-Mobile
- Operating System: Other
- Screen Size: 3 inches
- Screen Details: 3", 240x400, 262k-color TFT LCD touch screen
- Camera: Yes
- Megapixels: 8 MP
- 802.11x: No
- Bluetooth: Yes
- Web Browser: Yes
- Network: GSM, UMTS
- Bands: 850, 900, 1800, 1900, 2100, 1700
- High-Speed Data: GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, HSDPA
Nextel subscribers looking for a Direct Connect–compatible smartphone finally have a real BlackBerry option: the Curve 8350i. While it lacks the speedy data transfer of, say, the Sprint BlackBerry Curve 8330, the 8350i makes up for it with a Wi-Fi radio that's compatible with 802.11b/g networks. Use of BlackBerry OS 4.6 gives the 8350i the latest document-editing software and a new menu system. The device also partakes of the Curves' slick design—well, almost. Despite a few small gaffes, the 8350i is a genuine BlackBerry that should satisfy fans of Nextel's iDEN network.
- Price as Tested: $149.00 Direct
- Service Provider: Nextel
- Operating System: BlackBerry OS
- Screen Size: 2.4 inches
- Screen Details: 320x240-pixel TFT, 65K colors
- Camera: Yes
- Megapixels: 2.4 MP
- 802.11x: Yes
- Bluetooth: Yes
- Web Browser: Yes
- Network: iDen
- Bands: 800
- Processor Speed: 312 MHz
- Special Features: Music
The LG Versa VX9600 is the touch-screen phone for people who hate touch screens (like me): With a unique detachable QWERTY keyboard, it easily swings between key-tapping and touch-screen-only modes. The Versa is a terrific texting phone, but the software's rough edges prevent it from being an all-around winner.
- Price as Tested: $249.00 - $449.00 List
- Service Provider: Verizon Wireless
- Operating System: Other
- Screen Size: 3 inches
- Screen Details: 3", 240x480, 262k-color TFT LCD
- Camera: Yes
- Megapixels: 2 MP
- 802.11x: No
- Bluetooth: Yes
- Web Browser: Yes
- Network: CDMA
- Bands: 850, 1900
- High-Speed Data: 1xRTT, EVDO Rev 0, EVDO Rev A
