Is there really such a thing as a Windows Mobile smartphone for everyone nowadays? Sindre Lia helps you through the jungle to find the goodies.
Microsoft gets a lot of heat for its Windows Mobile platform, and deservedly so. The Redmond camp regularly proclaims its importance to the mobile industry, and for millions of users it has now become of utter importance that Microsoft allocates more resources to the Windows Mobile platform to get things rolling faster.
A few minor platform updates are coming later this year though, such as a desktop-grade Windows Mobile browser and improved contact management. However, a key aspect such as installing third-party software is unfortunately still a process that reminds us of a higher-level do-it-yourself project, an experience we can only hope a 2009 release of Windows Mobile 7 will improve upon.
Still, if you're looking into buying a Windows Mobile smartphone, you may just as well pick a version 6 that's right for you now. A trained eye will quickly see that we have omitted a large part of the Windows Mobile smartphones out there for this guide; simply because we choose to focus on six recent ones that are pretty good.
Touchscreen-equipped Windows Mobile smartphones:
AT&T Tilt
 HTC's Tilt is the new mother of all Windows Mobile smartphones. It offers the latest and greatest in connectivity, such as 3.6 Mbps HSDPA providing up to 600 Kbps in real life speeds, as well as a solid QWERTY keypad. Its calling performance isn't superb, yet better than most phones we've used. For productivity and scheduling, the AT&T offers a very capable system, and it pairs nicely with your desktop PC. As an added bonus, the Tilt comes loaded with a well-integrated TeleNav application for GPS navigation. If you're looking for a top-performing business smartphone on AT&T's network, the $300 AT&T Tilt should be the one to consider.
Verizon Wireless XV6800
 Verizon Wireless has never been Windows Mobile's best friend, but the aging XV6700 got an anticipated upgrade late last year. The XV6800 gives you five hours of talk time with nice and clear sound, and offers a decent messaging and keypad experience. As for productivity, the XV6800 sticks to the basics, but acts like a great companion to your laptop with download speeds close to 500 Kbps on Verizon Wireless' network. If Verizon Wireless and Windows Mobile are among your preferences, the $350 Verizon Wireless XV6800 is the one to consider.
Windows Mobile smartphones sans touchscreen:
Motorola Q9h global
 Just when we thought Motorola had given up on Windows Mobile, the new Q9h global was dropped off at our test lab. At first sight, the Q9h global is a disappointing update to the original Q, however, new features such as global connectivity for usage abroad and a Opera browser have been included. In addition, you get DataViz' Documents To Go for handling heavy Office documents. It has also got a pleasant QWERTY keypad, and if you can excuse a few dropped calls here and there, it'll provide you with 7 hours of talk time. If you want a great software suite out-of-box and don't mind average data speeds on AT&T's network, the $200 Motorola Q9h global should be the one to consider.
Samsung BlackJack II
 AT&T has obviously been busy upgrading its smartphone line recently, and now they finally offer the latest and greatest budget smartphone around: the BlackJack II by Samsung. Calls on this smartphone sound great, and the QWERTY keypad offers a decent experience. We also averaged about 450 Kbps downloads on AT&T's network. If you're looking for a companion to hook up your laptop to AT&T's network, the $100 Samsung BlackJack II is the one to consider.
T-Mobile Shadow
 Sporting a new home screen called Neo and a decently performing SureType keypad, T-Mobile's Shadow scores pretty high considering it lacks both high-speed cellular connectivity and touch capabilities. The Shadow comes loaded with all the messaging capabilities Windows Mobile has to offer, and it also offers a better consumer focus than most Windows Mobile smartphones. If you are a consumer or a student looking for a cheap Windows Mobile smartphone without high data costs attached (rely on free Wi-Fi hotspots), the $150 T-Mobile Shadow is the one to consider.
Motorola Q9c
 The Q9c by Motorola comes with great call quality and a talk time of up to seven hours. Add a well-performing messaging suite to the picture, and it becomes evident that Motorola has gotten all the basics right here. It'll also hook up your laptop with Sprint's network at impressive speeds. If you don't care about Sprint's multimedia services (which didn't seem to like the Q9c) but are used to rely on Sprint's network anyway, the $150 Motorola Q9c is the one to consider.
Full reviews and video reviews of all six smartphones:
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