1. Palm Pre
As the flagship webOS device, the Palm Pre is my top pick for the nation's third largest wireless carrier.  Offering revolutionary features such as "cards" for multitasking purposes, Synergy, and the Palm Profile, Palm's QWERTY touchscreen slider marks an entirely new direction for Palm.  Granted, battery life is absolutely terrible on the device, and the App Catalog is a bit small at the moment, but the device is a great entry into the smartphone arena.

2. BlackBerry Tour
Yep, it’s on the Sprint side too, and despite a few minor design modifications, is exactly the same as its Verizon counterpart.  Fast processor, gorgeous screen, 3.2-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, BlackBerry OS 4.7, and a Bold-esque QWERTY keyboard - yep, it's all there.  It's a bit pricey (prior to rebate), but well worth the cash.

3. HTC Touch Pro
As with many of the wireless carriers, the Touch Pro is the top dog when it comes to Windows Mobile devices on Sprint (until September 8th, that is).  Perfect for the traveling executive or the wireless journalist, the Touch Pro includes TouchFLO 3D, Wi-Fi, a 3-megapixel camera, Windows Mobile 6.1, and a sliding QWERTY keyboard.

4. LG Rumor 2
A great QWERTY dumbphone option, the Rumor 2 offers a better display and other features over the older version.  Other features include stereo Bluetooth, 1.3-megapixel camera, microSD card slot, and a rainbow of available colors.  The sliding keyboard makes it perfect for secret texting between class periods.  Just don't get caught - as Adriana said, high schools around the nation are cracking down on wireless use!

5. BlackBerry Curve 8550i (Nextel)
At this point, you may be looking at me and thinking "uh, what?"  But the latest Nextel BlackBerry is worth being on the list, for a number of reasons.  As the first smartphone to hit the aging iDEN network since the BlackBerry 7100i, it offers a full QWERTY keyboard, BlackBerry OS 4.6, a 2-megapixel camera, and Direct Connect, all in a sleek black housing.  In other words, it's up to date, and it's on Nextel - two phrases that aren't heard very often.

Honorable Mention: Samsung Reclaim, Samsung Rant, HTC Snap, LG LX370.

1. BlackBerry Tour
Given all of the phones in Verizon's lineup at present, the Tour is the first device I would choose to carry.  If this was going to press after the Touch Pro2 landed, it would be a tough call, but as of now, the Tour's 3.2-megapixel camera, gorgeous screen, BlackBerry OS 4.7, and good keyboard make it the best choice for now.  Throw in Wi-Fi, and it would be next to perfect.

2. HTC Touch Pro
Though the upgrade is right around the corner, the Touch Pro is a feature-rich Windows Mobile smartphone, worthy of consideration by anyone desiring a good PDA.  The Touch Pro offers a 2.8-inch display, QWERTY keyboard, Wi-Fi (b/g), 3.2-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, and a microSD card slot capable of supporting a 16 GB card.  With the recent price drop (most likely to make way for the Touch Pro2), it's earned a spot on the list.

3. BlackBerry Storm
Though I'm a die-hard BlackBerry fan, the Storm is not anywhere near my personal list of favorite devices.  That being said, I recognize the importance of this device in BlackBerry's lineup, and due to the popularity surrounding the media-centric 'Berry (or criticism, depending on who you talk to), I feel that it needs to be included.  Love it or hate it, with a large touchscreen, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and an emphasis on all things media, the Storm is Verizon's answer to the iPhone.

4. LG enV3
The LG enV3 is quite possibly the best dumbphone out there, in my opinion.  The device offers a full QWERTY keyboard, 3-megapixel camera, and a full HTML web browser.  Great for all customer demographics (hey, I recommended the device to my Grandmother and Mother, and they both purchased it), the enV3 packs a lot of features into a small device.  As long as you don't need a smartphone browsing experience or near-instant e-mail, it's a great companion.

5. Samsung Alias 2
Featuring "E-ink technology" which customizes the keyboard depending on what you're doing on the device, the Alias 2 is a great phone, and represents a huge improvement over its predecessor.  It sports a 2.6-inch QVGA screen, 2-megapixel camera, stereo Bluetooth, Visual Voicemail, microSD card slot with support for up to 16 GB.  It's a great device, and as of now, can be had for under $100.

CONS
The battery life. That is the only thing I do not like! They need a better battery for this device it is a power-user!

SUMMARY
I am happy with the phone. Hope they come up with a solution to the short battery life.]]>http://www.phonedog.com/cell-phone-research/htc-touch-pro-cdma.aspx?utm_source=Rss&utm_medium=CellPhone_htc-touch-pro-cdma&utm_campaign=PhoneDog5/23/2009 10:06:13 AMforums, rumor has it that a slew of new phones will be arriving on U.S. Cellular in the coming months:

• The HTC Touch Pro will be the first to arrive, currently slated for an April 17th release.  Offering Windows Mobile 6.1, ? 2.8-inch touchscreen with VGA resolution, 3.2-megapixel camera, and a sliding QWERTY keyboard, the device will be a much needed replacement to the HTC Mogul.
• The Samsung Gloss U440 offers a design very similar to the LG Lotus.  Complete with a 1.3 megapixel camera, QWERTY keyboard, and stereo Bluetooth, it will be available in 'Chocolate' and 'White' colors at launch.
  
• The Samsung R311 is targeted for entry level users and will offer Bluetooth, along with a camera.  It is slated for a mid-May release.
• The LG UX840, which we presume is an upgrade from the UX830, has a 3-inch QVGA touchscreen, QWERTY keyboard, 3 megapixel camera, and a full HTML browser to boot.  The device is also slated for a June release.
• Finally, the BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8230, will arrive on the carrier in mid-June.  The CDMA variant of the 8220, the device will offer a 2 megapixel camera, stereo Bluetooth and a microSD card slot.  As the fourth BlackBerry to enter U.S. Cellular's lineup, we're sure it will be a welcome addition to the family.

CONS
Battery life, gets very hot, stylus compartment, battery life, Bluetooth, camera, battery life, locks up constantly

SUMMARY
This may be the worst smart phone I have ever seen, the full battery died twice the 2nd day I had it, it is really that bad, the phone gets hot for no reason at all. I had to remove the battery more than 5 times within the first 3 or 4 days I had the phone, I woke up twice to the phone being locked up and I had to remove the battery to restart it. My phone will not beam any files to any other phone via Bluetooth and the feature thats included that takes the phone off sleep mode when you remove the stylus stops working after the first week, all in all, I would give the phone less than 2 stars.]]>http://www.phonedog.com/cell-phone-research/htc-touch-pro-cdma.aspx?utm_source=Rss&utm_medium=CellPhone_htc-touch-pro-cdma&utm_campaign=PhoneDog1/25/2009 3:48:38 PMhttp://www.phonedog.com/cell-phone-videos/seeqpod-free-music-for-iphone-windows-mobile-and-browsers.aspx?utm_source=Rss&utm_medium=CellPhone_htc-touch-pro-cdma&utm_campaign=PhoneDog1/22/2009 7:35:00 PMPROSLooks Cool

CONS
* Horrible battery life and gets very hot.

* Screen is too small to use for WEB surfing, but you can zoom in.
* Very expensive for what you get.
* Not intuitive at all.
* Slow response, Windows 6.1 Mobile problem.

SUMMARY
* Not for business people that just want to get stuff done!

You will waste a lot of time screwing around with this thing just to get it to do what you want it to do.

I am returning this useless toy for either the Treo Palm 755p or a RIM Blackberry.]]>http://www.phonedog.com/cell-phone-research/htc-touch-pro-cdma.aspx?utm_source=Rss&utm_medium=CellPhone_htc-touch-pro-cdma&utm_campaign=PhoneDog12/30/2008 7:10:41 PMPros: Windows Mobile 6.1, MS Office mobile apps, GPS, EV-DO Rev A, 3.2 MP camera, wireless network printing, strap holder, push email, video out, expansion slot (1 GB micro SD memory included), physical QWERTY keyboard, rounded edges, beautiful screen, TouchFlo 3D, swipe function and accelerometer (when they work).

Cons: Bulky handset, sluggish operation (especially if a lot of programs are running), user has to press hard on the screen, no 3.5 mm headphone jack (USB stereo headset), no dedicated camera key, keys are stiff and flat, accelerometer is finicky, Sprint TV stalled the phone a lot, stylus

I've been playing with Sprint's HTC Touch Pro for the past few days, and in truth, I have a love/hate relationship with this device. It does everything I want a smartphone to do, but not always very well.

Case in point: I was at a cheese shop on Bedford Ave in Williamsburg, Brooklyn last week, waiting for my turn at the counter, when a guy came up to me and asked about the phone in my hand.

    "Is that a Touch Pro? I was thinking about getting one of those. How do you like it?"
    "It's not bad. Having a slide-out QWERTY board rocks, but the screen's kind of tough to press."
    "Doesn't it have a stylus?"
    "Yep, right here." Sure enough, I dropped the stylus while trying to pull it out of the built-in holster. "I hate these things."
    He started laughing. "I know what you mean. But I've had a Palm for like 7 years, so I'm used to it."
    "I keep losing it all around my apartment."
    "Me too. But you learn to buy them in multi-packs."

My new friend asked to check out the device, and I let him. I watched as he turned it over and over in his hand.

    "Fat, huh?"
    "Yeah. It's like .7 mm. Doesn't sound like much, but when I stash it in my pocket, I get self-conscious. Like someone's going to say, 'Is that a phone in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?'"
    "Ha! Well, that wouldn't bother me. I'm packin' a Palm, a cell and a laptop all the time. My contract's up soon, so I'm ready to stop schlepping everything around." He poked around and accidentally hit the Calendar function on the homescreen. "How do I shut this off?" He started randomly touching things. That was right before the phone froze. He looked horrified.
    "Oh my God, I broke it."
    "Nah. It's fine. It's done this before."

And that sums up my initial two days with the Touch Pro. I usually try out a new gadget without the manual at first, to see how intuitive everything is. In this case, I ended up freezing this device no less than 3 times. And more than once, I'd exit a screen only to find later that the program was still running in the background. Do this a few times, and all the apps that are still running concurrently can crash the phone. To add insult to injury, even when it was working properly, I still had trouble finding or operating simple things, like SMS text. I finally gave in and read the manual on the third day.

When I finally knew what I was doing, I learned how to text like a champ, switch between different types of on-screen keyboards and even print to my wireless printer. And I love being able to edit docs on the go. As an iPhone user, I never realized how much I missed cutting and pasting text. Frankly, this function blew me away.

So there's a lot of good that comes with the Touch Pro, and if I were a Sprint business user, I'd probably be in love. This smartphone takes all the good stuff from the previous Touch Diamond, like WinMo 6.1, the full Office mobile suite, push e-mail, Wifi, Bluetooth and GPS, and adds a physical QWERTY keyboard and a memory expansion slot to the mix. Although the system can be kind of laggy, people who want something close to a palmtop computer in a high-class gadget will still appreciate all the productivity tools and executive styling.

The screen is gorgeous, as is the sleek black top, brushed metal backing and shiny silver accent. It feels good in the hand, with the rounded corners and substantial-but-not-too-heavy weight. The biggest downside is the bulk, which my new friend pointed out. Yeah, I get that it takes room to include the slide-out keyboard, but it's too thick to fit comfortably in my pants pocket or clutch bag. Given that I'll be carrying this phone in my hand a lot, however, it is nice that it includes a notched strap holder so I won't drop it.

It comes loaded with multimedia programs for enjoying MP3s and videos, and also features Sprint TV, which may not offer the best quality for a mobile broadcasting network, but some people would rather have it than not. Personally, I prefer the VCast network on Verizon Wireless (though not the fees), but that's a carrier issue, not a problem with the device. The Touch Pro itself displays video beautifully and takes very decent shots for a phone camera, which, by the way, has 3.2 MP and a flash. The camcorder's not bad either. It won't turn you into Martin Scorsese or anything, but it will capture that sudden celebrity sighting at the mall with decent enough clarity.

Did I say I loved the physical QWERTY keyboard? Well, it bears repeating. They did a great job with the slide-out design. My only qualms with it were that the keys were a bit flat (beveling would've been nice, to boost the tactility of the buttons) and a little stiff to press. Maybe the spring action would loosen up a bit over time, but it didn't in the week I had to test it. Still, I liked that it slid out from the side, which gave it plenty of room for typing comfortably on the generously sized keys.

As I said before, I'm not wild about the stylus. Thankfully, the TouchFlo 3D interface worked without it, but I had to really press my finger or nail into it, which was annoying, and the swiping with my fingertip didn't always work. (It always worked with the stylus, though.) The accelerometer also went haywire a couple of times, like it wasn't certain whether I was holding it in landscape or portrait mode. It jarringly flipped back and forth as if a demon had possessed it.

In general, there are really only three things I want from a cell phone: Ease of use, cool, well thought-out features and a nice-looking, compact handset. So really, I was only halfway thrilled on each count. While the features really impressed me, the user experience didn't. In my opinion, a few fixes would take this smartphone from good to great: Improved stability, a slimmer profile, greater sensitivity on the touchscreen and a more tactile keyboard. And since I don't dig reading manuals, having a smaller learning curve would be great too.

Verdict: Thumbs half up
]]>http://www.phonedog.com/cell-phone-research/blog/second-look-htc-touch-pro-sprint.aspx?utm_source=Rss&utm_medium=CellPhone_htc-touch-pro-cdma&utm_campaign=PhoneDog11/26/2008 5:00:00 PMhttp://www.phonedog.com/cell-phone-research/htc-touch-pro-cdma.aspx#comments?utm_source=Rss&utm_medium=CellPhone_htc-touch-pro-cdma&utm_campaign=PhoneDog11/16/2008 5:39:30 PMPros: Brilliant VGA touchscreen; TouchFlo 3D UI; Full QWERTY board with good response; 3G and WiFi; Opera Mobile 9.5 Web browser
Cons: Very thick and bulky; Single mini-USB port for charging and headphones; I still don't like Windows Mobile

Sprint's Touch Pro is a little longer and wider, but also a little bit thinner than AT&T's version ("Fuze").  Sprint also eschew's the original Touch Pro's all black & faceted back design for a silver on grey color scheme and a rounded back panel.

Otherwise, it's Touch Pro in all of its WinMo 6.1 Pro, TouchFlo 3D, VGA touchscreen and slide-out QWERTY board glory.  The phone tends to run a bit hot to the touch under heavy stress, and nobody would ever call it "thin," but it's a total beast that Sprint spiced up with their own mobile TV and Music Store offerings.

In my own side-by-side tests at the PhoneDog West offices, Sprint's Touch Pro grabbed data slightly faster than AT&T's Fuze, as well.  So if you're planning on a lot of 3G Web surfing in the Berkeley, CA area, you might look to Sprint before AT&T for your Touch Pro fix.

Verdict: Thumbs Up]]>http://www.phonedog.com/cell-phone-research/blog/mini-review-htc-touch-pro-sprint.aspx?utm_source=Rss&utm_medium=CellPhone_htc-touch-pro-cdma&utm_campaign=PhoneDog11/14/2008 2:25:00 PMhttp://www.phonedog.com/cell-phone-videos/htc-fuze-at-t-vs-touch-pro-sprint-part-2.aspx?utm_source=Rss&utm_medium=CellPhone_htc-touch-pro-cdma&utm_campaign=PhoneDog11/12/2008 5:30:00 PMhttp://www.phonedog.com/cell-phone-videos/htc-fuze-at-t-vs-touch-pro-sprint-part-1.aspx?utm_source=Rss&utm_medium=CellPhone_htc-touch-pro-cdma&utm_campaign=PhoneDog11/11/2008 12:00:00 PMhttp://www.phonedog.com/cell-phone-videos/bold-vs-touch-pro-vs-g1-live-on-phonedog-tv-episode-1.aspx?utm_source=Rss&utm_medium=CellPhone_htc-touch-pro-cdma&utm_campaign=PhoneDog11/9/2008 6:30:00 PMhttp://www.phonedog.com/cell-phone-videos/htc-touch-pro-sprint-unboxing-and-hands-on.aspx?utm_source=Rss&utm_medium=CellPhone_htc-touch-pro-cdma&utm_campaign=PhoneDog11/3/2008 5:00:00 PM 

After unboxing the three phones on camera and spending the briefest amount of time with them, I can safely say I'm psyched for all three of 'em but perhaps most curious about the Bold.  Why?  On paper, Bold is everything I've been wanting in an iPhone-replacement.  QWERTY, 3G, WiFi, 3.5mm headphone jack, camera w/flash, and true HTML browser ... it's all there.  And a quick look at the browser impressed me: The PhoneDog home page rendered true (if a bit slowly), which is always a good sign.

Meanwhile, the Touch Pro is nothing to sneeze at.  It's more of a known quantity since I spent quite a bit of time with both the Sprint and unlocked GSM versons of the Touch Diamond, but the addition of a slide-out QWERTY board should address one of my main concerns with the device, though it also adds some bulk.  Touchscreens are fun, but QWERTYs are much more conducive to happy messaging and efficient productivity, so hopefully Touch Pro's combination of thumbboard and TouchFlo 3D-enhanced touchscreen should provide the best of all worlds.

And don't forget about the ZN5, the first 5MP cameraphone to get picked up by a US carrier.  Lots of folks think that 2009 will be the year that American consumers start to consider cameraphones as viable stand-ins for digital cameras.  The ZN5 is out of the gate and leading the charge a few months before '09 even begins, with its Kodak camera technology and Xenon flash.  I'm looking forward to getting a photographer friend of mine to put the ZN5 through its picture-taking paces ... just in time, most likely, for T-Mo's SECOND 5MP cameraphone, the Samsung Behold T919, to hit the streets.

The HTC Touch Pro is priced at $299.99 with a two-year subscriber agreement, after a $100 mail-in-rebate and a $25-or-higher data add-on or Everything plan with data. Customers will be able to purchase the device in select national retailers beginning the week of Oct. 26 and in all Sprint sales channels, including online at Sprint, or 1-800-SPRINT1 and Sprint Stores, on Nov. 2.

"People have already shown a tremendous initial response to the HTC Touch Diamond for Sprint, and we are pleased to also offer the HTC Touch Pro as another choice to customers," said Jason Mackenzie, vice president for HTC America. "The HTC Touch Pro is the perfect device for those who demand the ease of use of TouchFLO 3D and the styling of the HTC Touch Diamond but also crave a more powerful mobile business experience."

The HTC Touch Pro is a professional workhorse that allows people to balance their professional and personal lives in ways that matter most to them. Building on the strong feature set found on the HTC Touch Diamond, the HTC Touch Pro adds a five-row, slide-out QWERTY keyboard for easy data entry, expandable storage capabilities with a microSD card slot (1 GB card included) and a business card scanner application to automatically capture and convert business card information to the contact list using the built-in 3.2 MP camera/camcorder. Additionally, with Windows Mobile 6.1, users have access to security and device management capabilities demanded by many business customers.

"The HTC Touch Pro marks the addition of yet another robust Windows Mobile device for our portfolio and demonstrates our commitment to delivering the best wireless technology today," said Kevin Packingham, Sprint senior vice president of Product and Technology Development. "Combined with worry-free pricing and exclusive Sprint content, the HTC Touch Pro delivers an unparalleled user experience all on Sprint's Now Network."

Sprint customers will have direct animated access to arrange their favorite contacts, photos, weather and music by using HTC's intuitive TouchFLO 3D interface.  By combining a rich, dynamic presentation with integrated multi-media features, people have the ability to graphically personalize their device with 3D animated transitions.

Lightning Fast Connectivity
The HTC Touch Pro for Sprint provides a mobile Internet experience that uses the Sprint Mobile Broadband Network. With EV-DO Rev. A technology access, the HTC Touch Pro provides customers with blazing fast speeds that reach more than 253 million people, 16,986 cities and 1,625 airports and brings customers instant gratification so they stay connected to life and work fast and on-the-go. With EV-DO Rev. A, peak download data rates increase to 3.1 Mbps and peak upload data rates increase to 1.8 Mbps; average download speeds improve to 600 Kbps to 1.4 Mbps and average uplink speeds increase to 350 Kbps to 500 Kbps.

Beyond this lightning-fast connectivity, customers can also interact with their device in new ways. With the new HTC Touch Pro for Sprint, users can zoom and pan Web sites and automatically view optimized content that has been specially created to fit the display. Using gravity-sensor technology, turning the device sideways automatically rotates the Web page view from a portrait to landscape view.

In addition to game-changing Web browsing, the HTC Touch Pro offers direct access to exclusive Sprint content, including live and on-demand programming from Sprint TV® as well as over-the-air song downloads from the Sprint Music StoreSM and even a custom YouTube application for watching a variety of user-generated video content. 

Unmatched Style With Complete Productivity
Like the HTC Touch Diamond, the HTC Touch Pro is crafted with precision to fit comfortably in a user's hand and brings together elegant touch screen response with the direct precision of HTC's distinctive sliding keyboard design. A new five-row QWERTY keyboard layout makes typing-intensive tasks like composing email or working on Microsoft Office® documents quick and easy. Built-in TV-out functionality means users can deliver the perfect PowerPoint® presentation from the Touch Pro.

Bursting with Innovation
The Touch Pro delivers an unrivalled combination of features and functionality. The 2.8 inch display provides near-print quality viewing that enables beautiful Web browsing and viewing of photographs. The built-in camera includes an optical auto-focus lens that ensures the photos you take will be clear and consistent. Advanced wireless and auto sensor screen pivoting are just a few of the features that make the Touch Pro experience stand out.

Unmatched Customer Experience
Customers purchasing devices at Sprint retail locations can get the most out of their phone by having it personalized just for them before they leave the store. With Ready Now, Sprint retail associates work with new or existing customers to explain, set up and demonstrate the features and applications of their new phone.

Sprint's Ready Now program is a first in the industry no other wireless company offers a similar customer experience. The service is available whenever the customer wants it during business hours; however, only existing Sprint customers have the option to schedule an appointment online by visiting ReadyNow. 

To take advantage of all the great features on these new phones without having to worry about additional monthly charges, Sprint customers can sign up for the $99.99 Simply EverythingSM plan, which includes unlimited domestic calling, messaging, email, Web surfing, GPS navigation, Sprint Music Premier, Sprint TV® Premier, NFL Mobile Live, NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile, Direct Connect and Group Connect on compatible phones. The Simply Everything plan is available to current customers without renewing their contract.  New lines of service require a two-year agreement.

Key HTC Touch Pro Specifications

• Size: 4.17 (L) x 2.05(W) x 0.70 (D)
• Weight: 5.3 ounces
• Connectivity: CDMA 2000 1X/EVDO Rev.A/1xRTT and IS-95A/B voice or data. Dual band (800 and 1900 MHz)
• Operating system: Windows Mobile® 6.1 Professional
• Display: 2.8-inch VGA touch screen
• Camera: 3.2MP, with autofocus, flash and video calling
• Internal memory: 512 MB flash, 288 MB RAM
• Expansion slot: microSD™ memory card (SD 2.0 compatible); supports up to 16 GB
• Keyboard:  Slide-out five-row QWERTY keyboard
• Bluetooth: v2.0 with A2DP support (Stereo Bluetooth)
• Wireless: Wi-Fi 802.11b/g
• GPS: GPS/AGPS
• Interface: HTC ExtUSBä (mini-USB and audio jack in one; USB 2.0 High-Speed)
• Battery: 1340 mAh
• Talk time: 250 minutes
• Chipset: QualcommÒ MSM 7201Aä 528MHz