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| HTC Touch Dual (SureType) |
| Full review » Video » Scoreboard » Features » Gallery » |
_it00.jpg) The HTC Touch Dual with the SureType keyboard is the best version of this phone we've seen, and we've seen quite a few, but now we're ready for what's next. We liked the SureType keyboard plenty, and it definitely improved not only the messaging experience on this phone, but it also improved simpler tasks like entering new appointments and Web addresses. Still, the TouchFLO interface was great the day before the Apple iPhone was introduced, but it hasn't been competitive with that touchscreen phone ever since, and at such a high price for an unlocked model, we're wondering if it really makes Windows Mobile that much more bearable. The answer is yes, it does, but we're still not going to shell out the cash. Release: June 2008. Price: $550.
Pros: Best HTC Touch we've seen, with SureType keyboard. Easy tethered modem support. Calls sound good, nice address book features.
Cons: Keys a bit rickety. Lacks IM clients. Still not as slick or responsive as the iPhone.
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61%
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| Asus P527 |
| Full review » Video » Scoreboard » Features » Gallery » |
 If anything, the Asus P527 has us more interested in Asus' next phones for the U.S. market. The phone shows a lot of potential, especially in the top-notch navigation software, and the attention to battery life. Unfortunately, the phone borders on being unusable after only a brief period awake, as open apps pile up and crash the Windows Mobile interface. Even without all the open programs, the phone is so underpowered, with a slow processor and a dearth of RAM, that the best of Asus' custom apps won't even load reliably. Still, with all this potential, we're curious about what's next out of Asus' stable, including the upcoming Lamborghini phone. That one has to be faster, no? Release: March 2008. Price: $550.
Pros: Excellent navigation software. Nice feature set, with some good extra apps thrown in. Light phone. Great battery life.
Cons: Terribly underpowered. Can hardly run included software. Dedicated buttons aren't intuitive, don't open some necessary apps.
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68%
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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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| HTC Touch Dual |
| Full review » Video » Scoreboard » Features » Gallery » |
 Editor's note: Check out our review of the North American version here.
The most significant improvement in the HTC Touch Dual is surprisingly not the hardware keyboard. Perhaps we would have found it more useful if we had tested the SureType version instead of the numeric keys on our review unit, but to us, the best improvement was in the responsiveness of the phone and the TouchFLO interface. This Touch seemed to work much better than the other two we'd tried, and made the phone much more usable and likable. It still won't match a full-QWERTY phone for productivity, but Windows Mobile fans looking for a mostly-touch device will be happy with the improvments HTC has made. Release: May 2008. Price: $550.
Pros: Fast networking on European HSDPA networks. TouchFLO interface seems to be more responsive.
Cons: Still not as agile as other touchscreen devices. No U.S. 3G support. SureType version more interesting than 12-key numeric.
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60%
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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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