ProductCritic: Cell Phone Reviews

BlackBerry 8900 Curve (79)

An excellent phone for both businesses and consumers, although some will find the lack of 3G a concern.

Nokia E66 (80)

Classy design and build. High speed connectivity options. Easy email set. Impressive multimedia performance

Nokia 8600 LUNA (73)

In summary, we feel that this is an excellent alternative to the 8800 Sirocco phone - it costs about the same, and it's going to be just as exclusive. In many ways it's a better phone with an improved LCD screen, a better keypad and the benefit of quadband. On the negative side it lacks a memory card slot and is rather heavy (just like the Sirocco), but the Nokia 8-series phones are about looks and exclusivity first and the 8600 offers both of these.

HTC P4550 TyTN II (90)

For the business user, this is currently the best smartphone on the market

HTC TyTN (Cingular 8525) (84)

The funny name HTC TyTN belongs to (probably) the very best Pocket PC with an integrated cell phone you can get nowadays.

Samsung SGH-t729 Blast (65)

The sexy Samsung Blast SGH-T729 is a great messaging phone with good call quality, but we were hoping for a speedier data network as well.

Motorola RAZR2 V9m (77)

Call quality was excellent and both the internal volume and speakerphone was plenty loud for us. Talk time was above the rated time of approx. 3 hours, and instead around 4 hours.

BlackBerry 8820 (83)

With the 8820, RIM has essentially taken an already fantastic business tool and by adding Wi-Fi, made it even better. It's what the 8800 should have been from the start.

Nokia N76 (67)

We must not forget that this is a powerful 3G smartphone with a good music player. The camera seems shy of megapixels at only 2 megapixels. The 3.5mm jack problem we can live with but can imagine the type of posts this will feed on our 3G Forum.

BlackBerry 8300 Curve (82)

Overall, however, I found the Curve a seductive alternative to other candy-bar phones with wide-aspect-ratio screens, such as the Samsung Blackjack and the T-Mobile Dash. If AT&T's price is right, the Curve could well become the hot PDA/phone of the moment.

Nokia N95 (84)

Nokia N95 is a complex all-in-one device and performs well as such. The smartphone avails of fun options (including the good music player with powerful loudspeakers and a 3.5 mm jack and the best 5-megapixels camera on the market), as well as advanced options like the built-in GPS and WiFi. The most important thing is that all this is fitted in a comparatively small device, which has no compromises when it comes to conversation: good coverage and terrific sound!

Apple iPhone (83)

Apple's new iPhone is beautifully designed inside and out. The case and display are generally scratchproof, though the display does love to pull greasy from your fingers. With its large display and carefully thought out finger activated graphical user interface, it is generally a pleasure to use. The graphical keyboard takes some getting used to, but even it works well when you know a few secrets.

Motorola KRZR K1 (74)

Trendy phones hit the big time with the ubiquitous Motorola RZR which spawned so many versions that one in every two people seems to own one. Since then more and more manufacturers have been going down the fashion route with pink phones a plenty and Cath Kidson designed Nokias (whoever she is).

Sony Ericsson W880i (85)

Whoa! What have Sony Ericsson been up to? They've put their top-selling Walkman phone on a crash diet, given it a stainless steel casing and bundled in a 1 Gbyte memory card and a stereo headset. The Sony Ericsson W880i is a stunning phone that is a contender for the best Walkman phone so far. It's also the thinnest and lightest 3G phone released in the UK (just 9.4 mm thick and 71g in weight). Yet it's an incredibly well featured music phone. This phone is surely destined to be a winner!

Motorola RIZR Z3 (75)

Many phones are now three-in-one devices, but the well-thought-out design and easy handling of the Rizr Z3 as a phone, camera, and music player make it a multimedia device I'd be happy to put in my pocket.

BlackBerry 8800 (77)

In conclusion, the Blackberry 8800 is far and away the best Blackberry ever. The trivial shortcomings of this phone do little to detract from the overwhelming delightful experience it provides.

Nokia 5500 Sport (77)

The funny design and the hard keypad did not give me a good impression. But as time went by, the device started to grow on me. It is inappropriate to compare this with mainstream smartphones for the reason that this is a de facto sports and music handset, that is what it's built for, and it has already delivered what it promised in our tests if not more.

Sony Ericsson W710i (77)

The W710i is a highly recommended Walkman phone for anyone who will make use of its music and fitness applications.

Sony mylo (67)

Neither PDA, nor cell phone, nor dedicated music player, the mylo nevertheless encompasses many of the most compelling features of each of these devices: Skype VoIP calling, instant messaging galore, and versatile media playback on a crisp color screen.

Motorola A1200 Ming (79)

I personally think this is the best phone on the market. It's by far the smallest handheld I've seen, and most smartphones can't compare to the feature set. I've read much criticism of smartphones and how "Americans want cell phones that only do one thing -- make calls", but that's rubbish perpetuated by the ignorant and uninformed. Once you have a multi-feature handheld, you absolutely cannot go back.

Samsung SGH-A707 Sync (77)

In addition to the how well it handles standard tasks, especially browsing, it also performs well on advanced 3G applications like streaming video. Sadly, it falls short on many tasks like music playback, photography and Java performance when compared to many 2G phones, let alone 3G ones.

Sony Ericsson K600i (77)

Would I recommend the K600i? Most certainly – despite lacking a memory slot, the K600i is a pretty well-featured 3G phone at a very reasonable price compared to its rivals. The only major negative point is that the buttons do take some getting used to, but in the end, you can get used to them.

Motorola SLVR L2 (67)

Teenagers and multimedia fans look elsewhere, but for those looking for a good inexpensive non-camera phone (rather a niche area these days) the L2 is a good choice. A comparable phone is the Nokia 6030, although the Nokia has more bulk and is only dual band.

Samsung SGH-t809 (73)

The SGH-T809 is a top-of-the-line phone with all the bells and whistles. Its four bands of radio are ideal for globetrotters. It has Bluetooth, MP3 capability, a slot for a memory card, and a slick screen that slides up to expose the key pad. At 0.58 inches think, it's just a hair thicker than Motorola's (MOT) iconic Razr, but weighs in at the same 3.35 ounces. Sometimes, when it hid in the same pocket with my wallet, I forgot I was carrying it.

Nokia 7390 (84)

Functionality-wise the 7390 performs well, but should you be aiming at using the handset to its fullest, be ready to buy up extra accessories like memory card, 3.5 mm audio adapter and data cable (any miniUSB will do). However the target audience frequently doesn’t bother about functionality much (at least a half of the audience for sure), that’s why the gloss is what everything is going to be about.

Nokia N80 (79)

An ambitious smartphone that lives up to its feature set; everything works well— from smartphone features, to imaging, WiFi, Bluetooth and a very good camera. Even more unique is that the N80 is quite compact and very stylish, two things that can't be said of many smartphones.

LG VX8600 (71)

The LG VX8600 is a stylish successor to the LG VX8500 Chocolate, and, dare we say, a lot nicer in terms of navigation and feel. If you're wary of the Chocolate's quirky touchpad but still want a Chocolate-like phone in a clamshell design, you could do well to give the VX8600 a try.

LG VX8500 Chocolate (75)

The LG Chocolate is a serious fashion phone with great music capabilities. It’s not a smartphone but it does a great deal more than some other fashion and feature phones such as the Motorola RAZR. Its smooth look and the innovative touch-sensitive controls should earn LG some credit on design and the ability to take a chance at doing something new and different.

Samsung SGH-t619 (63)

Those looking for a lightweight, no-nonsense phone that is simple to handle but won't break the bank should give the T619 a serious look.

Motorola Q (77)

While the Q marketing materials are targeted to the business, RIM Blackberry-type user, I think it will do well with the younger text messaging and multimedia crowd as well, and will have to stress the syncing options without AKU-2 to sell to the enterprise.

Samsung SGH-t309 (62)

Despite having great call quality, the Samsung SGH-T309's ordinary flip phone design and poor battery life give it scant appeal for the consumer who wants more than a clear call.

Motorola V220 (65)

Should satisfy both demanding users and bargain seekers. Power users should look for the v400 or v600.

Motorola i710 (33)

The phone is packed with high-tech features to streamline your business, from Java-technology business applications to Motorola's iDEN push-to-talk system and even GPS features.

Motorola i850 (70)

If I didn’t already own the i580, and if I hadn’t become so accustomed to having an MP3 player on my phone, I’d probably give serious thought to getting an i850. The overall sound quality and tonal balance (and lesser amount of hiss than the i580) make it the perfect iDEN phone for someone looking for a non-ruggedized model that doesn’t have a bunch of bells and whistles.

Motorola V360 (80)

I really like the Motorola V360. Apart from its slow messaging interface, there is nothing much to complain about. The camera leaves a lot to be desired, but if you look at its vast feature set - Bluetooth connectivity, EDGE support, and expandable memory - the V360 is a very worthy contender in the mid-range market.

Sony Ericsson Z520a (80)

As far as mid-level GSM handsets go, there is nothing in my mind that tops the Z520. In fact, if it had EDGE data support, I'd have nothing to complain about at all. The Bluetooth system works well, the light effects are very cool, and it is a nice compact handset. In short, it is just great all around.

LG KG800 Chocolate (66)

With the KG800 “Chocolate”, LG are really punching above their weight. The fit and finish of this handset and the accessories around it is simply sublime.

Motorola i580 (77)

This is Nextel to the max: The most features, the most durability, and the best performance, with a price to match.

LG CU500 (76)

The LG CU500 is one of the fastest phones we've ever tried, with swift downloads and impressive video streaming speeds. The feature set is impressive; the picture and audio quality are great; and the slim, attractive design is a bonus.

LG VX8300 (83)

The downside of this phone is that most of the video and MP3 features require subscription and/or cost money to download files. Otherwise, this is a great phone with solid performance.

Nokia 5300 (82)

However, with its thick design and dodgy management software, the 5300 isn't quite ready to replace your iPod nano, and we wouldn't mind some improvements in the phone's sketchy voice-calling capabilities.

Nokia N73 (78)

Falling only marginally short of the image quality produced by its gargantuan N93 sibling, Nokia's N73 is a superb choice for shutterbugs with its excellent picture taking skills, a multitude of sharing options and compact size - but for some strange reason it skimps on memory. The basics have also been looked well after with first-rate calling and solid messaging capabilities under the hood alongside a raft of multimedia and productivity options; whether for pleasure or business, this one's ...

Palm Treo 680 (72)

The Treo 680 brings a much needed slimmer look and feel to the Treo line at a very nice price point. While still not the flashiest or thinnest smartphone out there, the Treo 680 still demonstrates why the Treo leads with its ease of use, large software library and powerful functionality.

Nokia 6682 (83)

If running off of an enterprise server, stick with a BlackBerry for a more office oriented device. However, with expandability options the 6682 is still a great phone for a business user who does not require extensive messaging options or a user friendly QWERTY keypad.

T-Mobile MDA Smartphone (72)

The MDA felt great throughout the testing process. It didn’t take long to get used to the size, especially considering that it’s smaller than most PDA phones.

BlackBerry 8700g (75)

Aside from a wobbly keypad and a few other minor inconveniences like having to copy your contacts over from your SIM card, this is a flawless device.

Sony Ericsson W300i (79)

Overall the W300i is a good all-round phone with exceptional music capabilities for the price.

LG ENV (VX9900) (81)

Overall we would recommend this phone for people who take a lot of photos, heavy email users, music listeners, and “computer geeks”.

Samsung SCH-a930 (73)

For consumers who want a dedicated music phone, there are better devices on the market. But for users who want a well-rounded package with a trend-breaking sleek design, the A930 is an excellent choice.

Samsung SGH-d807 (80)

Good phone but a little bit short compared to the D606 for it’s screen or A2DP or W810 for the Email client, Easy install of java games and generally better implemented T9 and menu systems.The W810 brings more features for the price point. This is clearly is evident. However, the D807 brings the aesthetic style and Voicesignal to the table which is invaluable if you’re a BT headset / car kit user. And really want a handsfree approach.

Motorola SLVR L7 (73)

Functionality of the SLVR is greater than the RAZR, in fact it almost matches the performance of the more expensive V3i.

Samsung SGH-i607 BlackJack (74)

The Samsung BlackJack i607 simply looks and feels fantastic. While several phones have been billed as potential Q-killers this year, the Samsung BlackJack is the only one that actually is a Q killer.

Sony Ericsson K790 (86)

The K790/K800 is truly one of the best phones when it comes to elegance, style and features. The K790/K800 packs all the greatest and latest technologies that consumers are looking for in a phone.

Nokia 8801 (63)

For a phone that’s clearly in its own class, and being Nokia’s best premium phone so far, I suppose the bigger-than-expected price tag would be well worth it. Remember, you’re not buying technology – but also Nokia’s latest piece of fine art.

Motorola KRZR K1/K1m (75)

The KRZR K1m combines its glossy, skinny self with standard high-end features to create a tantalizing new cell phone package.

Motorola V276 (77)

While the Motorola V267 may be a no frills phone; it is one of the best standard phones on the market. While some users may be put off by the V267's lack of some technologies like MP3 ring tones and low battery talk time; other users will appreciate the camera timer and currency exchange feature.

Samsung ZX20 (72)

We finish by believing the Samsung SGH-ZX20 to be a fantastic cell phone and we greatly encourage it to our readers!

Samsung SGH-t629 (75)

When it comes to performance the t629 is a solid offering, improving on the t809's battery life but also taking an ever so small step backwards from the t809 in terms of overall design.

Sony Ericsson W810i (87)

The Sony Ericsson W810 is simply one fantastic handset. While I found the speakerphone to be weak, and was disappointed by the lack of stereo Bluetooth support, it simply does everything else exquisitely well.

BlackBerry 8100 Pearl (83)

If you need to stay in touch constantly but want to stay stylish too, the Blackberry Pearl is the only option

Motorola RAZR V3 (81)

I love this phone. Its thin, its light, its feature-full, and does its primary job better than my previous phone – the XDA II. The battery life seems good. Reception is great. The UI is great in most areas. The LCD screen on both the inside and outside is fantastic.

Sony Ericsson K800i (87)

This is the best snapper-phone we’ve seen so far – perfect for capturing those boozy moments. When you add the fact that it’s also an unusually stylish 3Ger and a Shuffle-trouncing MP3 player, you have a great all-round gadget.