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| LG Chocolate 3 |
| Full review » Scoreboard » Features » Gallery » |
 The transition from the LG VX8550 Chocolate 2 to the LG Chocolate 3 is kind of like moving from middle school to high school. It's time to be a little less goofy and rambunctious, and instead get serious. In some ways, especially in terms of the music features like the 1GB of onboard memory and the FM transmitter, we like the more grown-up Chocolate. But we miss the dancing lights and fun interface of the original phone, even if it was a bit harder to use and less organized. In making the leap, the phone has settled nicely into the mid-range of 3G multimedia phones, but it has lost a lot of personality in the process. Still, this is Verizon Wireless' most capable mass market phone to date, and perhaps even the best mass market phone in general to be had right now. Release: July 2008. Price: $80.
Pros: Great new music features, including 1GB of onboard memory, FM transmitter and a real headphone jack. Navigation worked well. No more touch sensitive buttons to deal with.
Cons: Not as fun as the last version. Messaging and Web browsing unimproved in the last year. Interface better organized, but less flashy and fun.
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69%
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| RIM BlackBerry Curve 8330 (Verizon Wireless) |
| Full review » Scoreboard » Features » Gallery » |
_it00.jpg) Without improving much, RIM has managed to maintain the BlackBerry Curve's status as a compelling device. The interface on Verizon Wireless BlackBerry Curve 8330 is more polished and clean looking than the original model, and the menus are a bit shorter and less daunting. The calendar has been cleaned up, and the media interface has been slightly improved. Otherwise, the Curve 8330 on Verizon packs all the standard BlackBerry features, which is a good thing, but we'd still like to see more. Other carriers, especially Sprint, are more likely to pack extra IM clients onto their BlackBerry devices, and we'd like to see an improved Web browser, like the Opera browser, make it's way to this device. But for calling features, battery life and even navigation, this phone is hard to beat. Release: May 2008. Price: $50.
Pros: Best looking BlackBerry yet, with a polished interface. Excellent battery life. Sharp navigation sensor.
Cons: Keyboard kind of small. Call quality could be better. Web browser renders messy pages. Camera horrendous.
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69%
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| RIM BlackBerry 8830 |
| Full review » Scoreboard » Features » Gallery » |
 In many ways, Verizon Wireless has users backed into a corner with the BlackBerry 8830. For world travelers who need a 3G BlackBerry at home and e-mail abroad, the 8830 is the only option on any network. Business users won't be disappointed by the device's e-mail and scheduling prowess, it is a BlackBerry, after all, but considering this phone represents the current pinnacle of BlackBerry devices, we expected more. Besides our old complaints about the BlackBerry interface, we would have liked better battery life, some useful productivity apps, and a better Web browsing experience. The lack of GPS is disappointing, and we think business travelers would have appreciated a better music experience. If you are deciding between the 8800 and this phone, we think the 8830's better tethered modem support and faster Web browsing, on Opera perhaps, makes it the better choice. Still, it's a close call, and GPS fans might prefer the 8800, even with slower EDGE networking, to the 8830. Release: May 2007. Price: $50.
Pros: 3G networking for tethered modem support. Global calling and e-mail. Trackball makes navigating easier.
Cons: Interface needs polishing. Battery life suffers with 3G. Multimedia experience is poor. No GPS.
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58%
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| Samsung SCH-U540 |
| Full review » Video » Features » Gallery » |
 The Samsung SCH-U540 would be a low-end phone, if it weren't for the vast range of services that V Cast brings to the table. It would be hard to describe a phone with streaming, full screen video, GPS navigation and an over-the-air music store as being low-end, but the U540 handles none of these features exceedingly well, and no differently than every other Verizon Wireless V Cast phone. Messaging was a nice surprise, with some good text options and a full plate of pre-loaded settings for popular messaging services. Still, otherwise this phone seems very mid-range, neither exceptional nor terrible in any way. Price: $50.
Pros: Attractive looks. Large keypad makes for easy typing. Landscape mode for full screen video.
Cons: Middling call quality. Poor Web browsing. Mediocre music player. Poor video playback, compared to mobile TV. No accessories.
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| Nokia 2366i |
| Full review » Gallery » |
 If all you care about is making calls, tapping out the occasional text message -- all without signing a contract -- the pre-paid Nokia 2366i makes for a solid choice. Arriving with a comfortable keypad, Bluetooth, a speakerphone, conference calling and voice tagging, the 2366i boasts impressive call quality and stellar talk time. However, the phone's low-resolution internal display looks surprisingly primitive, and the lack of a mobile Web browser will be a turnoff for on-the-go surfing fans. Release: November 2006. Price: $10.
Pros: Lots of calling features such as Bluetooth, a speakerphone and conference calling; messaging interface fits a surprising amount of characters; solid talk time.
Cons: Shifty reception; call and message options require a lot of menu drilling; no dedicated back key; poor displays; no WAP browser.
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50%
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