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| Samsung Sway |
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 The Samsung Sway continues Samsung's newest tradition of stealing phone designs from LG. The phone looks decidedly like the LG Shine, especially the slider version on AT&T. If you like the look of this phone, more power to you, because its shiny, brushed metal look and thin shell are this phone's upside. What really disappointed us, however, was an inefficient menu structure and less than great call quality. Furthermore, the phone didn't allow us to multi-task at all, denying us access to for instance text messaging while listening to music. The camera and Verizon Wireless' GPS navigation showed some signs of decent performance at advanced tasks, but with the lack of high-speed networking there are no other multimedia features of significance to be found, other than a mobile browser. Release: October 2008. Price: $70.
Pros: Nice design. Slim, tight slider shell. Camera was better than we expected.
Cons: Call quality suffered. Inefficient menu structure.
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49%
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| Samsung Giorgio Armani Phone |
| Full review » Scoreboard » Features » Gallery » |
 There are two types of people who will spend almost $600 on a phone. There are those who want an Apple iPhone, a piece of hardware that works like a desktop PC and is styled like a flying car from the future. Then, there are those who want their phone to say Giorgio Armani, just like their clothes and their furniture. The Samsung P520 Armani phone isn't an utter failure, but it definitely stresses form over function. The polished interface and sleek design sits atop hardware that can't keep up and the feature set belies some design flaws that make the most advanced functions difficult to use. For the style conscious, this phone might seem like a fleeting accessory, but for the technorati, the high price doesn't make this the best of the best. Release: December 2007. Price: $580.
Pros: Very stylish design. Calls sounded good. Synchronizes with Outlook contacts and calendar. Did we mention it's Armani?
Cons: Classic case of style over function. Screen is not responsive enough. Doesn't work on U.S. 3G networks. Low-quality camera.
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51%
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| Samsung Slash |
| Full review » Scoreboard » Features » Gallery » |
 If there is an audience that was clamoring for a slider phone on Virgin Mobile's prepaid network, here it is, and it's just about everything we've come to expect from a Virgin Mobile phone, which isn't much. The Samsung Slash does make calls that sound good, and that might be the most important thing for its audience. But it also lacks more features than it packs, and many of the included functions, like the Web browser and the e-mail client, were so below par that they were unusable. We like that Samsung kept the phone small, and it is a compact slider, but it has a cheap feel to it overall. There are definitely better choices for buyers willing to sign a contract, but in the tight market for prepaid phones, this one still manages to stand out. Release: May 2008. Price: $80.
Pros: Good call quality. No contract required. Nice keys for texting.
Cons: No support for a variety of IM and e-mail services. Web browser is poor. Lacks many features.
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35%
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| Samsung Ace |
| Full review » Video » Scoreboard » Features » Gallery » |
 The Samsung Ace does an excellent job with tethered modem support. And, if you are a Sprint fan who travels abroad, this is one of your few options. But otherwise, the Samsung Ace falls well short of the competition, and perhaps even its own family members. The lack of software we usually consider a given on smartphones, like an Office Suite and IM client, is troubling. Though the phone is an obvious relative of the BlackJack, it doesn't get the improvements we enjoyed in the BlackJack II, like the improved battery life, GPS and better (debatable) navigation. For the $200 price tag, there are certainly better options, even for a dual-mode device. Release: February 2008. Price: $200.
Pros: Dual-mode support means Sprint users can bring phone's abroad. Great tethered modem connectivity.
Cons: No IM client, no Mobile Office. Keys are different, but not better, than BlackJack. Seems more like BlackJack I than BlackJack II.
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59%
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| Samsung SGH-a717 |
| Full review » Video » Features » Gallery » |
 Welcome to the bottom of the line of the future. The SGH-A717 has all the bare minimum features to reach the summit of what we can call a 3G phone. It has streaming video, advanced music options, stereo Bluetooth and a camera. Still, all of these features come up short. Way short, compared to some of the recent entrants into the multimedia phone market. At $80, it may be an affordable way into the feature phone club, but only users who will appreciate the novelty of the 3G functions will want to sign up. For the rest of us, the experience may wear thin. Release: June 2007. Price: $60.
Pros: Not much. A few basic features, better keys than many flat phones. Good contact list. Long list of preset e-mail accounts.
Cons: Overall very average phone. Poor video experience, below-average music features. Unusable Web browser. No GPS. No music accessories.
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52%
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