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| LG Lotus |
| Full review » Scoreboard » Features » Gallery » |
 The LG Lotus is about as smart as a phone gets before we call it a smartphone, thanks mostly to Sprint's excellent new One Touch menu application. Despite its haunting resemblance to a compact makeup mirror, we even like the form factor, as it provides a nice, comfortable QWERTY keyboard and keeps a classy look. The external screen is unfortunately an afterthought, even with the dedicated music keys, and call quality could have been much better. But for dedicated messaging fans, even those with corporate e-mail to read, this phone provides an interesting alternative to the more complicated smartphone set. Plus, with access to Google Docs, a capable (though not desktop-grade) Web browser and tethered modem support, maybe this phone is even smarter than we thought. Knock $100 off the price, and we'll take two. Release: October 2008. Price: $100.
Pros: One Touch is great looking and convenient. Keyboard is tall and comfortable. Capable Web browser. Surprisingly good (and corporate) messaging options.
Cons: Call quality isn't great. Interface could react more quickly to navigation. Camera is lousy. Phone is pricey.
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Mediocre |
69%
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| Sanyo Katana Eclipse |
| Full review » Video » Scoreboard » Features » Gallery » |
 The Sanyo Katana Eclipse is the Katana series finally honed to pleasing, unique multimedia phone, and unique is probably the key word. No longer in the RAZR's shadow, the Katana has the cool customizable color-changing LEDs that we liked, and a bevy of great multimedia features. Unfortunately, not all of these worked so well, especially if network reception was an issue, but Sanyo has the basics covered. The phone makes great calls, comes packed with easy-to-use calling features, and includes some surprisingly good messaging tools. Is this phone better than the new Motorola RAZR VE20? They're an equal match, so if you like the flashing lights, stick with this phone, but if you need larger screens and a more polished interface, check out the latest competitor. Release: August 2008. Price: $50.
Pros: Cool design, with flashy, color-changing LED lights. Solid interface, if a little blocky. Calls sounded great; with a load of good calling features as well.
Cons: 3G features, like music, video and location-based search, underperformed. Reception problems hurt data services. Mediocre camera. Cramped keyboard.
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63%
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| Motorola RAZR VE20 |
| Full review » Scoreboard » Features » Gallery » |
 The Motorola RAZR VE20 is the best RAZR on the market right now. We've been uttering that phrase about once a year for the last four years or so, and it's no less true now. The RAZR VE20 is a fine phone. It doesn't break any new ground, except for its sleek, polished interface, but it gets a lot of things right. Making phone calls, for one thing, is a good experience on the MOTORAZR VE20. GPS navigation works well; there's plenty of messaging options; and music isn't bad either, despite the lack of equipment. So what if it's a RAZR, let Motorola worry about that. It's a fine feature phone, and it isn't a bad choice for someone looking for a flashy phone with plenty under the hood. Release: August 2008. Price: $100.
Pros: Curvy, feminine new design for RAZR family. Polished user interface and menu screens. Loads of multimedia features.
Cons: There's nothing wrong with being a RAZR. MicroSD card slot buried under battery. We'd like to have more memory. Web browser lousy and dated. Streaming services can't keep up with downloads.
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64%
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| Sanyo Pro 700 |
| Full review » Scoreboard » Features » Gallery » |
 If you're looking for a walkie-talkie phone, the Sanyo Pro 700 is the one to buy. It's plenty rugged and it packs all of the Nextel Direct Connect features you need, but best of all it brings the Nextel lineup into the modern age with a polished interface and some great modern features. GPS is a nice addition, and we were happy that the rugged shell didn't interfere with navigation (though cell phone reception was a different issue). A wealth of messaging options and a quick, though basic Web browser were also surprising finds. We definitely prefer this phone to its recently-released sibling, the Sanyo Pro 200, and on such a rugged device we're willing to forgive the bulldog face. Release: June 2008. Price: $90.
Pros: Rugged on the outside, refined on the inside. Loads of features, including GPS and lots of messaging options.
Cons: When reception dips, so does call quality. Direct Connect doesn't work outside of EV-DO Rev. A coverage.
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Mediocre |
54%
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Excellent |
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| Sanyo Pro 200 |
| Full review » Scoreboard » Features » Gallery » |
 The Sanyo Pro 200 (and its rugged sibling) could redefine the Direct Connect market, if enough potential customers find themselves within the coverage area. The interface and feature set blow away previous Nextel phones, and we were just as happy with the phone's battery life and voice quality, so long as we had plenty of bars of reception. GPS is a great idea for Direct Connect customers, and the messaging features were surprisingly robust. We're not sure we'd pick the Sanyo Pro 200 over the rugged, military-spec Sanyo Pro 700, which doesn't cost much more, but even by itself the Pro 200 makes a great addition to the Direct Connect lineup. Release: June 2008. Price: $40.
Pros: Nice feature set for a Direct Connect phone. Pretty interface on a bright, colorful screen. Navigation worked well.
Cons: Call quality suffered in bad reception. Direct Connect drops out altogether without EV-DO Rev. A coverage. Phone is kind of ugly, too.
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Mediocre |
52%
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Excellent |
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