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Home / Cell phones / Consumer messaging phones Best consumer QWERTY phones of the year By Sindre Lia, 31 December 2007 A new breed of consumer QWERTY phones priced between $50 and $300 has taken a significant portion of the mobile market this year. RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8130 (Verizon Wireless)    Similar models » Score: 73% When: November 2007 Worth: $170 Carrier: Verizon Wireless Verizon Wireless' Pearl has VZ Navigator and 3G networking, but no music store? Is this the Pearl to beat, or just another on the string? Read »   Watch »   Features »   Side-by-side » RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8130 (Sprint)    Similar models » Score: 70% When: November 2007 Worth: $200 Carrier: Sprint We take a look at Sprint's new Pearl, with navigation courtesy of TeleNav and Sprint's music store. Is this high-speed Pearl the one to buy? Read »   Watch »   Features »   Side-by-side » LG Voyager    Similar models » Score: 70% When: November 2007 Worth: $300 Carrier: Verizon Wireless We crack open the ultimate Mobile TV phone, the LG Voyager, with a touch screen and haptic feedback. Is it just an updated enV, or a multimedia powerhouse? Read »   Watch »   Features »   Side-by-side » T-Mobile Wing    Similar models » Score: 67% When: May 2007 Worth: $350 Carrier: T-Mobile Designed with consumers in mind, T-Mobile's new Windows Mobile 6 smartphone features MyFaves and Wi-Fi. Will it inspire a whole new crowd of smartphone fans? Read »   Features »   Side-by-side » Palm Centro    Similar models » Score: 64% When: October 2007 Worth: $150 Carrier: Sprint We get our hands on Palm's newest smartphone, and they claim it isn't a Treo. Does this slick little phone have us fooled? Philip Berne has our full review. Read »   Watch »   Features »   Side-by-side » RIM Blackberry Curve    Similar models » Score: 64% When: May 2007 Worth: $200 Carrier: AT&T Stereo Bluetooth and a real headphone jack make this the best BlackBerry yet for music, but will it convert consumers to the push e-mail cause? Read »   Watch »   Features »   Side-by-side » Motorola Q9m (Verizon Wireless)    Similar models » Score: 58% When: September 2007 Worth: $130 Carrier: Verizon Wireless The original populist smartphone, the Moto Q, gets a musical update with a media-focused menu screen and V Cast access. Is it the sequel we've been waiting for all summer? Read »   Watch »   Features »   Side-by-side » Samsung Blast    Similar models » Score: 56% When: August 2007 Worth: $100 Carrier: T-Mobile T-Mobile's latest messaging slider features a SureType keypad for QWERTY-like typing. Did it keep up with our furious fingers? Read »   Watch »   Features »   Side-by-side » RIM BlackBerry Pearl    Similar models » Score: 56% When: September 2006 Worth: $80 - $150 Carrier: T-Mobile With more multimedia, a camera and a new trackball, the Pearl is poised to attract new users to the BlackBerry platform. Will it leave RIM veterans wishing for days past? Read »   Features »   Side-by-side » Samsung SCH-u740    Similar models » Score: 54% When: February 2007 Worth: $100 - $190 Carrier: Verizon Wireless With a full QWERTY keyboard and a unique design, the U740 sends messages on Verizon Wireless' V Cast network. Can it compete with larger QWERTY messagers? Read »   Watch »   Features »   Side-by-side » T-Mobile Sidekick iD    Similar models » Score: 50% When: April 2007 Worth: $50 Carrier: T-Mobile With the familiar flip-up screen and customizable bumpers, the Sidekick iD also lacks some of the Sidekick 3's advanced features. For $100 price cut, will you miss them? Read »   Watch »   Features »   Side-by-side » LG VX9900    Similar models » Score: 50% When: November 2006 Worth: $200 Carrier: Verizon Wireless Verizon's strange new clamshell is loaded with media and made for messaging. Will your friends turn green-eyed with envy when they see it? Read »   Features »   Side-by-side » T-Mobile Sidekick LX    Similar models » Score: 43% When: October 2007 Worth: $300 Carrier: T-Mobile We snap open the lid on the new Sidekick LX, a slim update to the Sidekick 3 that improves on some key areas. So why did we leave wanting more? Read »   Watch »   Features »   Side-by-side » T-Mobile Sidekick Slide    Similar models » Score: 43% When: October 2007 Worth: $250 Carrier: T-Mobile Philip Berne snaps up T-Mobile's new Sidekick Slide, which slims down and loses the flip for a slider form. Read »   Watch »   Features »   Side-by-side » LG Rumor    Similar models » Score: 42% When: October 2007 Worth: $100 Carrier: Sprint The LG Rumor has us telling tales about messaging and navigation. Does it live up to what you've heard? Check out our review. Read »   Watch »   Features »   Side-by-side » Best Consumer QWERTY phones Name Score Price Carrier C RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8130 (Verizon Wireless) 73% $170 Verizon Wireless RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8130 (Sprint) 70% $200 Sprint LG Voyager 70% $300 Verizon Wireless RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8120 (T-Mobile) 67% $200 T-Mobile RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8110 (AT&T) 66% $150 AT&T T-Mobile Shadow 65% $200 T-Mobile Palm Centro 64% $150 Sprint Palm Centro (AT&T) 64% $200 AT&T LG enV2 58% $100 Verizon Wireless Samsung Blast 56% $100 T-Mobile Click here to see full and advanced chart »     RECOMMENDED 3G BlackBerry Bold hands-on and video   Hot new all-touch phones   Bold vs. Xperia X1 vs. Glyde vs. Touch Pro TOP STORIES Blackberry Bold vs. Nokia E71 vs. HP iPAQ 900   What's the best smartphones for handling e-mail attachments?   Top 15 Wi-Fi smartphones Hottest smartphones and cell phones coming in July   Twelve new cell phones and smartphones are now shipping   Top 15 phones of the week CELL PHONE RESOURCE CENTER Best phones   Expert guides   Ask the Editors » Top 15 QWERTY phones   All-touch phones   Touchscreen phones Business phones   Multimedia phones   Concept phones 3+ inch screen phones   Wi-Fi phones   More... » Search (New!) 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