Samsung UpStage
The Samsung UpStage from Sprint is undeniably thin, and the design is intriguing, but we wonder if the constant flipping would get annoying. The music player is the same old thing we've seen on all of Sprint's phones, which is really unfortunate, as a new music player interface would be required for the phone to seriously compete in the crowded music phone market. By offering song downloads at $0.99 from Sprint's music store, however, the UpStage could still have a decent chance when it gets available in late April.
» Samsung UpStage image gallery
» Samsung UpStage video preview
Motorola MOTOROKR Z6m
Perhaps Motorola should not have dropped the name RIZR from this slider for the name ROKR, which carrier so much baggage. Unlike the first ROKR, the ROKR Z6m supports Windows Media 11, not iTunes. The phone has a nice looking display, with a menu structure that is different from your standard Motorola phone. The icons were cleaner, more modern looking. Motorola tells us the phone is based on the new Motorola OS, which we presume is the Linux-based system. The phone looks a lot like the RIZR, but the shell works better as a slider than a clamshell, so it is an appealing phone. No word on carrier or available yet.
» Motorola MOTOROKR Z6m image gallery
Sony Ericsson W660i
The Sony Ericsson W660i fits snuggly beneath the W880i in the Walkman family, and represents more of a compromise than a step down from that phone. For a discount, you get a lot of the same styling cues as the W880i, even though the keypad is not much roomier on the larger W660i. You get an identical Walkman music player, on a very sharp, colorful screen. The phone is stylish, yet cool, without looking as "young" as the Nokia XpressMusic series of phones. We would have liked larger keys, as long as the phone itself is a bit larger than its expensive sibling, but since the phone lacks U.S. 3G capabilities, we won't lament the loss of the front-facing camera.
» Sony Ericsson W660i image gallery
Sony Ericsson W580i
The W580i is a flashy design from Sony Ericsson, literally. When you open it, LED lights just under the surface light up and glow brightly. Otherwise, the phone is a nice Walkman phone, with the standard Walkman music player that we like. It also comes with some fitness options, like a pedometer and calorie counter. Overall, it may be too flashy for some, especially with the attention-grabbing lightshow, but the design definitely draws from the familiar Walkman family. Hopefully someone will come up with some cool synchronization options for the lights and music together. Until then, the phone seems otherwise nice, but nothing phenomenal.
» Sony Ericsson W580i image gallery
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