Welcome to Unlocked Phones, a part of infoSync Reviews. Here you'll find in-depth reviews of unlocked phones by HTC, Samsung, LG, Nokia, Sony Ericsson, HP, Palm and Asus. If you don't find the unlocked phone you're looking for here, please check out the following resources: Resource Center for Cell Phones, Ask The Editors and Expert Guides.
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| Nokia N86 |
| Full review » Scoreboard » Features » Gallery » |
 The Nokia N86 offers some subtle but meaningful improvements over the Nokia N85, and it's quickly become our favorite of Nokia's Nseries devices and the one we'd recommend first, even over the mighty Nokia N97. The Nokia N86 packs all our favorite features, including one of the best cell phone cameras on the market, even better than the Sony Ericsson C905 on AT&T that we recently crowned our favorite. The N86 8MP also has solid music and multimedia playback features and even app downloads in Nokia's upstart Ovi Store. Still, for all its impressive stats, and they are impressive, in the end the improvements over the Nokia N85 weren't features we were clamoring for, and the most egregious problems with Nokia's Symbian interface and half-hearted U.S. market support haven't improved, while the competition is lapping Nokia in terms of interface design and social networking integration. We're still impressed with the dazzling OLED screen, though it isn't quite as unique as it once was, and we like the design improvements that make this a more sleek, yet usable phone. Plus, it has the smartest kickstand we've ever seen. But the aging menus and the lagging OS performance means we're less impressed with the same old stuff we've already seen. Release: September 2009. Price: $500.
Pros: Great OLED display. Takes great pictures. Packed with features, including surprises like FM transmitter and intelligent kickstand. Design, especially keypad, improved over Nokia N85.
Cons: Symbian OS isn't getting any younger. Camera interface was unimpressive. Lacks some features out of the box that U.S. buyers expect, like IM support.
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| Sony Ericsson W995 |
| Full review » Scoreboard » Features » Gallery » |
 The Sony Ericsson W995 gets things right in a few key ways that its primary competitors miss. As an unlocked multimedia super-phone, the real competition for the Sony Ericsson W995 is Nokia's Nseries, and in terms of the Walkman music player with the Media Go software, the W995 proves itself a capable Walkman (to check out recent Sony Ericsson Walkman phones, click here). Since it isn't a smartphone, Sony Ericsson can keep a clean menu design in a way that Nokia cannot. In addition to the music features, the phone also gets Web browsing and Wi-Fi, but though the speeds are impressive, the Access Netfront browser found in this phone isn't. We think the 8.1-megapixel camera is overkill though, and image quality can't compete with Nokia's best offerings, like the Nokia N85. Release: July 2009. Price: $500.
Pros: Great music features, with an improved interface and management software. Surprisingly robust GPS features.
Cons: Doesn't quite measure up to similarly-equipped smartphones. Camera and Web browsing features come up short. Call quality and battery life disappoint.
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| Nokia N97 |
| Full review » Scoreboard » Features » Gallery » |
 The Nokia N97 wouldn't be such a disappointing device if it weren't supposed to be the flagship multimedia smartphone for the largest handset manufacturer in the world. It has some great specs, including that impressive 32GB of storage (expandable to 48GB), a solid, smart design, and hefty battery power. However, the touchscreen interface seems more like a few touch controls laid atop a standard Symbian S60 interface. When the Nokia N97 gets things right, they are right indeed. We thought the build quality, especially the hinge mechanism, was superlative, and most of the external design was spot-on. The keyboard was cozy, even with its unique layout, and our biggest problem was the lack of onboard apps to support the messaging features. In the end, we'd recommend a Nokia Eseries for serious messaging and business users, and a Nokia N85 for camera and multimedia enthusiasts. For true touchscreen fans, we'd look somewhere else. Release: June 2009. Price: $650.
Pros: Great hardware. Superior specs, including massive storage and great connectivity. Good keyboard. Long battery life.
Cons: Mediocre touch interface design. Apps not optimized well for touch. Camera, media playback features underpowered.
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| Nokia E75 |
| Full review » Scoreboard » Features » Gallery » |
 The Nokia E75 is more than a slider version of the Nokia E71 (or Nokia E71x on AT&T). Many of the problems we had with the latter phone have been worked out, leaving us with a more polished and pleasant device. In fact, the Nokia E75 is our new favorite among Nokia's Eseries business phones, and it's one of the best business-focused phones on the market. For features and productivity software, the E75 can't be beat, with advanced Office editing tools that beat similar Windows Mobile devices, and a better Web browser, camera and multimedia kit than most BlackBerry phones. The design is slim and solid, and we think it will appeal to buyers who don't want an obtrusive QWERTY slab up front, but would rather have a stylish phone with a hidden, sliding keyboard. Plus, the keyboard itself is wide and comfortable to use. The aging Symbian S60 interface drags the phone down a bit, and some of the signature features, like the Business / Personal switch, didn't live up to our expectations. Still, we think this phone should have appeal beyond the unlocked market, and serious business users tired of the same old touchscreen tablet or QWERTY slab would do well to give this phone a look. Release: May 2009. Price: $380.
Pros: Sleek, slim design with a full QWERTY keyboard and solid materials. Loaded with great features for business and personal use.
Cons: Symbian OS is ugly and not intuitive. Interface in every app could use polish and modern look. Camera lags behind better Nokia phones.
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| HTC Touch Diamond 2 |
| Full review » Scoreboard » Features » Gallery » |
 Thanks to its dazzling, responsive interface that almost completely hides Windows Mobile 6.1 from view (the worst parts of it, anyway), the HTC Touch Diamond 2 has sprung to the top of the pack as our favorite Windows Mobile touchscreen phone on the market. The phone isn't just superfast, it's also packed with intelligent new features, like the great calling features that aggregate useful information to make business conversations more informed. There is still room for improvement. Multimedia was a mess, a real shame on a phone with a hi-res screen like this one. Also, some apps we might expect from a U.S. carrier phone, like turn-by-turn navigation and a proper IM client, were missing on this unlocked, import version. Still, we had fun with the camera features, found Opera Mobile to be a capable, speedy browser, even over the slower network connection (here in the States, at least), and overall enjoyed our time with the HTC Touch Diamond 2. Release: April 2009. Price: $575.
Pros: Fast, responsive interface and hi-res touchscreen. Great calling features put useful info at fingertips. Solid camera and Web browsing features.
Cons: Multimedia functions were buggy, underpowered. Onscreen keyboard a bit small, though smart. Lacks some apps a U.S. carrier would include.
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