 |
||||||
 |
||||||
| ||||||
|
||||||
|
||||||
| ||||||
Why lug around a laptop when you can put all of its features in your pocket? Today's smartphones are Swiss Army knives of productivity: business apps, corporate e-mail, Wi-Fi and other wireless connectivity options, and--yes--entertainment features such as MP3 and video players. What's more, next-gen smartphones are hitting stores by the day. Welcome to CNET's smartphone headquarters, the one place to get all the info on all the latest and greatest phones. Stay up to date on all the latest smartphones with our full reviews, blogs, news stories, photo galleries, videos, and shopping advice. We're talking BlackBerry, iPhone, Treo, Nokia N95, HTC phones, the AT&T Tilt, and everything in between.
The good: The AT&T Tilt features a slide-out full QWERTY keyboard and a tilting screen. The Windows Mobile 6 smart phone also offers the full gamut of wireless options, including 3G and GPS, push e-mail, a 3-megapixel camera, and support for AT&TMusic and Video.
The bad: Speakerphone quality wasn't the greatest, and talk-time battery life was on the shorter side. The Tilt was sluggish at times, and picture quality was subpar. We also had problems acquiring a GPS fix.
The bottom line: The AT&T Tilt promises to be the carrier's most powerful smart phone for business users with its full range of wireless options, Windows Mobile 6, and innovative tilt screen.
The good: The Nokia N95 North American Edition adds 3G support and longer battery life. The Symbian smart phone also continues to offer a 5-megapixel camera and integrated GPS, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth.
The bad: Without the back of a U.S. carrier, the Nokia N95 is expensive and the hardware feels a bit plasticky. Speakerphone quality wasn't the greatest.
The bottom line: The North American Edition of the Nokia N95 brings some notable additions, including 3G support and better performance, to make this powerful smart phone even better. However, it'll still leave a deep gouge in your wallet.
The good: The Apple iPhone has a stunning display, a sleek design, and an innovative multitouch user interface. Its Safari browser makes for a superb Web surfing experience, and it offers easy-to-use apps. As an iPod, it shines.
The bad: The Apple iPhone has variable call quality and lacks some basic features found in many cell phones, including stereo Bluetooth support and 3G compatibility. Integrated memory is stingy for an iPod, and you have to sync the iPhone to manage music content.
The bottom line: Despite some important missing features, a slow data network, and call quality that doesn't always deliver, the Apple iPhone sets a new benchmark for an integrated cell phone and MP3 player.
The good: The RIM BlackBerry 8320 offers integrated Wi-Fi and works with T-Mobile's HotSpot@Home service so you can make calls via Wi-Fi. The smart phone also features a nice, sleek design; a spacious QWERTY keyboard; a 2-megapixel camera; popular IM clients; and good call quality.
The bad: The Curve's camera can't record videos, and there's no 3G support. The BlackBerry Web browser isn't quite as sophisticated as those on competing smart phones.
The bottom line: The RIM BlackBerry Curve (aka BlackBerry 8320) for T-Mobile is the best BlackBerry we've seen to date as it offers Wi-Fi, best-of-breed design, and excellent performance.
The good: The Motorola Q9m boasts an attractive design with an excellent full QWERTY keyboard. The smart phone now runs Windows Mobile 6, has integrated Bluetooth with A2DP support as well as EV-DO, and works with Verizon's V Cast Music Store. It offers clear call quality and solid multimedia performance.
The bad: The Q9m's performance can be sluggish at times, and it lacks integrated Wi-Fi. We also wish Motorola had upgraded the camera to a 2-megapixel shooter, and there's no support for V Cast videos at this time. The smart phone is slightly bigger and heavier, and the screen holds a lot of smudges and fingerprints. Windows Live and Live Messenger are stripped out of the smart phone.
The bottom line: The Motorola Q9m brings some nice design and operating system upgrades as well as a more consumer-focused experience with enhanced multimedia capabilities. However, behind all the sexy packaging, the smart phone still feels underpowered. Business users should look elsewhere for a smart phone.
The good: The Sprint Mogul by HTC runs the latest Windows Mobile 6, has more memory included, and has a thinner design. It also boasts Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and EV-DO support as well as a 2-megapixel camera. Sprint will also offer an over-the-air update post-launch that gives you access to the Sprint Music Store.
The bad: Some elements of the Mogul's hardware as well as speakerphone volume and quality is sub-par. A slower processor and limited program memory can sometimes slow down performance.
The bottom line: The Sprint Mogul by HTC brings some needed design and feature updates to its predecessor, and refreshes the carrier's staid lineup of smartphones. It has some performance issues, but is worth the upgrade.
When shopping for a new PDA or smartphone, you probably weigh your decision based on factors such as the size of the device, its features, and its price. But what about the operating system? In this quick guide, we take a look at the four major OSs--Palm, Windows Mobile, BlackBerry, and Symbian--to see what they offer and how they compare to each other. Read our guide. Read more
March 16, 2007When you set out to buy a cell phone, it's important to get not only the best handset but also the carrier plan that's right for you. CNET's cell phone buying guide can help you land both. Read more
August 1, 2007Whether it's for just making calls or for cramming your entire life into one device, the ubiquitous cell phone continues to evolve. Each week cell phone editors Kent German, Bonnie Cha and Nicole Lee meet to discuss the latest cell phone news and answer your questions. Join us to find out what's in, what's out and what's coming next. Read more
October 4, 2007When you set out to buy a cell phone, it's important to get not only the best handset but also the carrier plan that's right for you. CNET's cell phone buying guide can help you land both. Read more
August 1, 2007In this roundup, CNET editors recommend the best smartphones for first-time users. Models include the T-Mobile Sidekick II, T-Mobile SDA, RIM BlackBerry 7130e, and Palm Treo 650. Read more
April 26, 2007CNET editors round up business-friendly smartphones offering productivity and connectivity tools for working on the road. Models include the AT&T Tilt, Sprint Mogul, Samsung BlackJack, and BlackBerry 8830. Read more
October 8, 2007CNET readers rank their favorite smartphones. Models include the T-Mobile Dash, Samsung BlackJack, BlackBerry Pearl, and Nokia N95. Read more
July 18, 2007Complete coverage from all of CNET on the smartphone that changed the game for cell phones. Read more
November 20, 2006The young market for so-called location-based services may have just found a shortcut to mainstream adoption. Read more
October 2, 2007Smartphones, or phones that enable Web access and e-mail, are heading for the mass market. Read more
September 28, 2007Intel could not have signaled its target for the next five years any more clearly than it did at last week's Intel Developer Forum. Read more
September 26, 2007Is one hand better than two? For years, smartphone designers have built products around the premise that people should only have to use one hand to control a cell phone. Apple, as it is wont to do, headed in the other direction. Read more
August 27, 2007Search giant Google is setting the stage for its biggest push yet into the U.S. mobile market, in a strategy that delicately straddles the line between partnering and competing with the major cell phone operators. Read more
July 31, 2007Your phone can do more than just make phone calls. Learn six killer services that will turn your phone into the productivity tool you've always hoped it could be. Read more
With a cell phone and an Internet connection, you can access street maps using Google Maps, get directions, and even view satellite imagery. We'll teach you everything you need to start using this valuable feature. Read more
Cell phones are great for anytime-anywhere voice calls and text messaging but, as many a traveler has painfully discovered, they often don't work internationally. How can you tell if yours will? Check out this quick primer to find out everything you need to know. Read more
Just because you leave the office doesn't mean you have to leave your e-mail behind. Armed with a smartphone and a little know-how, you can take your e-mail on the road. This course will teach you how, plus how to use SMS and instant messages to communicate without taking a call. Read more
Hands-free, in-car phones are certainly less distracting, but they have the huge disadvantage of not being portable. Bluetooth changes all of that by providing the safety and convenience of a hands-free, in-car phone while still keeping the flexibility a cell phone provides. Read more
GSM and CDMA are the two main digital technologies that cell phone carriers in the United States use to transmit calls. Since GSM and CDMA transmit calls using different methods, they are incompatible, so a phone used on one network cannot be used on another. And while there are some complex variations, on a more surface level, each technology offers distinct advantages to consumers. Read more
Once thought of as just a business person's tool, smartphones are quickly taking off among professionals and consumers alike and with good reason. Smartphones combine the smarts of a PDA and cell phone into one gadget, allowing you to stay connected to you contacts, organize your appointments, work on office documents, and more. It's a great solution for people who are constantly on the go and/or want to minimize their tech setup.
There are various types of smartphones on the market today. You'll find some models that are more phone-centric while others focus more on messaging capabilities. This will often influence the design of a smartphone, as they can range from the sleek to the bulky. There are also varying operating systems--Palm, Windows Mobile, Symbian, BlackBerry, and Apple--each with its pros and cons. For more detailed information, please see our cell phone buying guide and quick guide to handheld operating systems, and be sure to check out all our latest smartphone reviews.
Smartphones are growing in popularity, and we're not surprised. These devices combine the power of a cell phone and a PDA into one unit, letting you make calls, send e-mails, and work on documents without having myriad gadgets. Here we've rounded up some of the latest and greatest smartphones on the market today.
HTC shows us a gallery of new smartphones at CTIA. We also saw new versions of the Motorola Q and a new model from Samsung.
See all of Nokia's new N series and Xpress Music in our photo gallery.
The AT&T Tilt promises to be the carrier's most powerful smartphone for business users with its full range of wireless options, Windows Mobile 6, and an innovative tilt screen.
The North American edition of the Nokia N95 brings some notable additions, including 3G support and better performance, to make this powerful smartphone even better.
Kent German's and Donald Bell's first tour of the phone it seemed everybody was waiting for.
The RIM BlackBerry Curve for T-Mobile is the best BlackBerry we've seen to date. It offers Wi-Fi, a best-of-breed design, and excellent performance.
The Motorola Q9m brings some nice design upgrades and a more consumer-focused experience with enhanced multimedia capabilities, but behind all the sexy packaging, the smartphone still feels underpowered.
The Sprint Mogul by HTC brings some needed design and feature updates to its predecessor and refreshes the carrier's staid lineup of smartphones. It has some performance issues, but it's worth the upgrade.
| contact us | advertise | privacy policy | customer service | work for us | newsletters | magazine archive Copyright © sx2 media labs, llc. all rights reserved | about sx2 media labs |
Save on Monitors at TigerDirect.com
See all videos
