PhoneDog.com - Top smartphones/pda's

BlackBerry RIM Curve 8330 Silver

6/23/2008

Though you'll probably want to wait another month or so for the new BlackBerry Bold to hit the stores, the Curve is still the best all-around smartphone for use here in the US. With BlackBerry's legendary QWERTY board and push Email service, and a media player backed by a real headphone jack, you can work and play on your Curve. The VZW version offers 3G data, while the T-Mobile Curve has WiFi for data and UMA calling. And, of course, there's always the Pearl for those of you who prefer good things in smaller packages.

HTC Tilt

6/23/2008

Like Curve, the Tilt will soon give way to the new Touch Diamond/Pro at the top of HTC's smartphone lineup. But for now the Tilt offers everything you could want from a Windows Mobile phone, including touchscreen and QWERTY, 3G and WiFi, and a 3.2MP camera. Just beware the well-documented issues with the phone's video drivers.

Nokia E71

6/23/2008

Nokia's smartphones run on the Symbian-based S60 platform, which isn't exactly commonplace in the States. But that doesn't mean it's not a full-fledged powerhouse of a smartphone OS. The new E71 offers a full QWERTY board and dazzling array of multimedia features in a 10mm-thin candybar form factor. Some of you might prefer the N95 North American Version, as it packs a 5MP camera with full VGA video capture, and AT&T-compatible 3G and WiFi into a dual-slider body ... but I'll take the E71 with its QWERTY and half-as-thin body.

Nokia N95

6/23/2008

Nokia previewed the N95's successor - the N96 - at trade shows this Winter, but until it's released the N95 is still their flagship "multimedia computer." With a 5MP camera with VGA video recording, GPS, WiFi, 3G data, and the power of the Symbian S60 smartphone platform, this sliderphone can just about do it all. While the N95 is kind of chunky, it boasts separate dialing and media keypads (no QWERTY, though), and the newer 8GB model has a larger display and 8 gigs of integrated flash memory. If you plan to use the N95 on AT&T in the US, make sure you pick up the North American version for full 3G compatibility.

HTC Touch Diamond

6/23/2008

HTC upped the ante on Windows Mobile devices with their new Touch Diamond smartphone. This touchscreen slider phone runs the company's new TouchFlo 3D user interface, which offers the slickest, most user-friendly WinMo experience I've yet to see. Of course, you're still running WinMo underneath all that eye candy, but some people have no choice (or actually, gulp, like it). The forthcoming Touch Pro will add a slide-out QWERTY board to the package.

Apple iPhone

8/15/2007

On the one hand it lacks 3G so streaming video over cellular lines is a bit sub-par. And there's no support for stereo Bluetooth. And the recessed headphone jack doesn't actually work with most headphones. On the other hand iPhone literally amazing when it comes to anything else having to do with media. The multitouch interface, amazing high-res screen, and and up to 8GB of storage make this the most advanced iPod ever. Add a YouTube player and Wi-Fi connectivity to the mix, and you've got the phone that might just change the face of cell phones as we know them.

LG Muziq LX570

8/15/2007

UpStage was something of a flop, but Sprint got it right with the successor to the underrated LG Fusic. Muziq features external media controls with haptic feedback, 3G connectivity for access to streaming/downloadable media, and a slimmer, better looking clamshell housing. Add to that reasonable pricing and Sprint's 99-cents-per-track Music Store, and you've got yourself one of the best buys available in a mediaphone.

HTC Mogul

8/15/2007

What? A Windows Mobile 6 device on the mediaphone list? Mogul earns it's spot by adding a 2MP camera, stereo Bluetooth, and Sprint Music Store support to Windows Media Player 10 Mobile's native support for audio/video playback. Add to that an HTML browser, Java Support, and both EV-DO and WiFI connectivity, and you've got yourself a powerhouse device for play .... and work. Mogul suffers from some performance lag at times, but it's still the premier smartphone on the US's premier carrier for broadband media.

BlackBerry Curve 8300

8/15/2007

What? A BlackBerry on the mediaphone list? Believe it. BlackBerry's started adding cameras and media players to their legendary eMail-centric handsets, and the reviews have been positive. Curve packs a 2MP camera and media player with standard 3.5mm headphone jack, which might be bad for productivity but has garnered accolades like, "Best BlackBerry Ever!" all over the press. The 8300 is lacking 3G or WiFi, but AT&T's EDGE network makes for reasonable Email speeds. If you're tied to BlackBerry for corporate email reasons, Curve might just be your next phone.

Nokia E61

11/22/2006

Something's happened to me in the past few months: I've become a Nokia fanboy once more. Nokia's high-end Symbian smartphones are a joy to use, and come in almost as many varieties as there are smartphone users. If you want a "BlackBerry style" PDA phone with a big QWERTY board, WiFi, and EDGE support, skip Cingular's E61 and get the unbranded E62 instead. If you want a smaller (if much thicker) phone with a unique fold-out keyboard design and 2MP camera, opt for the E70. Either way, you'll have to add some third-party apps to get the most out of the Symbian 9.1 OS, but it'll be well worth your while.

HTC 8525

11/22/2006

If you don't mind it's somewhat thick body, the TyTN/8525 packs everything and the kitchen sink into a very well designed smartphone. Picking up where the popular MDA/8125 left off, this device packs a faster processor, upgraded 2MP camera, stereo Bluetooth, and Pearl-esque trackball navigation into a touchscreen-based Windows Mobile smartphone. Cingular users get the added benefit of HSDPA support for zippy 3G data services when you're not in range of a WiFi network.

HTC Dash

11/22/2006

The Dash is the best carrier-supported smartphone currently available in America. Too bad it's not on the best network. Verizon's Motorola Q is backed by a high-speed EV-DO data network, but it suffers from sluggish performance and a weak battery. T-Mobile's Dash suffers from being tethered to a slower EDGE data network, but its keyboard, ergonomics, and OS performance bests the Q.

Treo by Palm 700w

11/22/2006

The Treo is no longer the king of the PDA phone jungle, but that doesn't mean the new 700 series isn't worth a look. Though its been outpaced by more feature-packed smartphones from other manufacturers, the Treo still has a healthy user base. The 700p supports the once-mighty Palm OS, while the 700w marks Palm's first Windows Mobile-powered device.

Sony Ericsson P990i

11/22/2006

I have somewhat mixed feelings about SE's flagship mobile phone, but love the UIQ 3.0 user interface so much I had to include the p990i. Sporting a 2 megapixel camera, a touchscreen and flip-down QWERTY board, and WiFi connectivity all running on Symbian 9.1, the P990i is like a digital Swiss Army Knife. But its 3G radio isn't compatible with high-speed networks in the US, its design is a bit odd, and its price is sky-high. Still, to use UIQ is to love UIQ, and if the m600i doesn't do enough for you, the P990i is the only viable option.