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| Pharos GPS Phone 600 |
| Full review » Features » Gallery » |
 The Pharos GPS Phone 600 is an advanced, expensive, touch-screen phone running a pared down version of a popular OS. iPhone comparisons may be premature, but considering the phone suffers from some user interface issues that could have been helped by a keyboard, this device may serve as a caveat to touch-screen phone makers about the pitfalls of keyless hardware. It benefits from all the saving graces of Windows Mobile, but can't take advantage of all that the Pocket PC Edition has to offer, especially in terms of messaging and office applications, due to its lack of keyboard. The phone's on-board GPS radio is among the sharpest we've used, but a confusing interface left us stranded on major highways. Overall, the device has more potential than phones with a GPS tracker slapped in haphazardly, and may be less expensive than purchasing a smartphone and a GPS device separately, but still falls short of expectations thanks to problems with usability. Release: February 2007. Price: $700.
Pros: Best GPS tracking we've seen on a phone. Loads of features, like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, FM radio.
Cons: GPS interface is difficult to use, requires a learning curve. Lack of keyboard hurts productivity and messaging applications.
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50%
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| Samsung Behold II |
| Full review » Scoreboard » Features » Gallery » |
 With the Samsung Behold II, Samsung tries to make Android better by using the TouchWIZ interface, but in stead the phone's performance takes an obvious hit compared to other Android devices we've reviewed. Samsung has also redesigned many of the system menus and apps on the phone, but we think the original Android approach is better. We had hoped to see improved multimedia and video playback on the Behold II, but yet again we've seen standard Android phones performing better. All that said, if you're looking for a mix of great battery life, call quality, camera, GPS navigation and Web browsing in an all-touch phone, the Samsung Behold II will not let you down. But beware that obvious "multimedia cell phone" footprint, as there's little here that deals with the latest trends in social network integration or the latest and greatest in messaging trends. Release: November 2009. Price: $230.
Pros: High-quality OLED screen looks great.
Cons: Samsung's TouchWIZ interface hurts Android experience. Keyboard is cramped and difficult.
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70%
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| LG Chocolate Touch |
| Full review » Scoreboard » Features » Gallery » |
 The LG Chocolate Touch is a fun, high quality phone for making calls and listening to music. If LG had simply stopped there and not tried to do so much with their first tablet-style Chocolate phone, we'd probably be much happier with it. Call quality was solid, and battery life was great, without resorting to a massive, heavy power cell. Music sounded great on the LG Chocolate Touch, which gets an audio boost from Dolby Labs, and there were even some gimmicky, fun features that let you play along with your favorite tunes. Sure, we wish there was better sync software for media, and the menu system seems like a halfhearted attempt at emulating a smartphone OS, but if you don't mind using Windows Media Player to sync, and if you weren't looking for a real smartphone anyway, the LG Chocolate Touch isn't a bad choice. If any other feature is important to you, though, from social networking to Web browsing to e-mail for both business and pleasure, you'll want to avoid this phone like a spastic dancer with two left feet. The onscreen keyboard is completely unusable, and the other features are so undercooked, they're raw. Video playback didn't work; messaging was confusing, difficult and buggy; and many extra features were buried under Verizon Wireless' disorganized, lingering interface. If you like the style and music is your life, the LG Chocolate Touch wouldn't be a bad choice, but if you want anything more from your phone, go for something smarter. Release: November 2009. Price: $80.
Pros: Great music playback with some fun additional features. Solid call quality with better battery life than we expected.
Cons: Lousy, unresponsive touchscreen hurts many features, especially messaging. Besides music and calling, little to recommend on this phone.
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61%
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| HTC Droid Eris |
| Full review » Scoreboard » Features » Gallery » |
 There's no doubt about it, the HTC Droid Eris is one of the best smartphones we've used. Like the nearly identical Sprint HTC Hero, it represents a serious step forward in smartphone design, and if you're a smartphone user looking to step up to something better, the HTC Droid Eris does a great job at nearly everything it can do. Ironically, comparisons to the Apple iPhone 3GS don't quite pan out, because everything Apple's phone does well, the Droid Eris doesn't, and vice versa. From advanced calling features to deep social networking integration to wide customization options with active, useful widgets on the desktop, the HTC Droid Eris on Verizon Wireless bests Apple's device, and even comes in ahead of the slightly faster, much larger Motorola Droid. But where the Apple iPhone 3GS excels, in ease of use, multimedia features and the deep App Store library, loaded with high-end games and apps, the HTC Droid Eris, like all Android phones, falls flat. We'd also like to see a much better camera tacked on this phone, and Verizon would be wise to patch up some holes in the feature set with VZ Navigator and tethered modem support. Still, the Droid Eris isn't just effective, it's delightful, and though new smartphone buyers might be intimidated by the complex system, time spent learning the ins and outs of the device will be rewarded handsomely. Release: November 2009. Price: $100.
Pros: Best interface on a mobile device. Social networks integrate neatly with online contacts and calendars. Detailed and useful information presented during calls.
Cons: Interface may be too complicated for new users. Lacks GPS turn-by-turn navigation. Camera is horrible.
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81%
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Excellent |
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| Samsung Instinct HD |
| Full review » Scoreboard » Features » Gallery » |
 The Samsung Instinct HD is like the coolest kid you knew in the 8th grade. Fun at parties, and at one point it seemed like all the tricks and bells and whistles would measure up against the serious competitors, but as the market grows up, the Samsung Instinct HD lags behind, except for a couple neat tricks left up its sleeve. In fact, the Samsung Instinct HD is the best phone on the market for shooting video, with high definition movies recorded at 720p resolution and even a video output port (cable sold separately) to let you play your movies on a real HDTV. The Samsung Instinct HD has learned how to dress a little nicer, though the look hasn't quite grown up like the rest of the smartphone market. It's also caught onto the latest fads, like Twitter and Facebook, though it hasn't quite gotten the hang of these, and the dedicated apps lacked great features and behaved poorly. For navigation, it's not a very good driver, and it's taste in music is still immature, though for movies it does a bang-up job and can quote from your favorites like a trained actor. All the big kids know their way around the Web, and while the Samsung Instinct HD can take you to all your favorite sites, it just isn't mature enough to comfortably fit in, and sometimes network and reception problems held the phone back. Release: October 2009. Price: $250.
Pros: Great camera with top-notch, high definition video recording. Feature-packed alternative to smartphones. Quality screen does a nice job playing movies.
Cons: Interface a bit basic and unresponsive. Menus are poorly organized and bloated with less important features. Some apps buggy, underpowered compared to smarter versions.
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68%
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Excellent |
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