Cell Phones

RIM BlackBerry 7290 Phone (T-Mobile)

This update to the tried and true BlackBerry 7200 series adds support for Bluetooth, a brighter display, quad-band GSM and 32 MB of internal memory. This integrated phone, email client (with support for corporate email servers), organizer and web browser is the ultimate weapon for mobile professionals.

  Design
The 7290 follows the standard BlackBerry form factor-- a large 240 x 160 color screen placed above a QWERTY thumb-pad. The screen offers plenty of real estate to view your emails, web browser content, messaging sessions and attachments. The popular BlackBerry user interface is here, too, which makes it easy to navigate the phone's functions. A jog dial is located on the right side of the unit for quick scrolling through menus and emails. There's also a standard 2.5mm headset jack that can be used with the included headset. And because the 7290 is Bluetooth enabled, you can connect a wide range of wireless Bluetooth headsets. A removable lithium-ion battery is housed in the rear of the unit.

Motorola RAZR V3 Phone (T-Mobile)

Thin is definitely in. At just over a half-inch thick, the Motorola RAZR V3 is the perfect combination of sleek design and powerful features. With long-range Bluetooth, support for video playback, a VGA (640 x 480) camera and (unlike other phones from T-mobile) a gorgeous color screen, the RAZR V3 is everything you're looking for in a stylish mobile companion. Get the most out of your T-Mobile service with this impressive quad-band phone.

 

palmOne Treo 650 PDA Phone (Verizon Wireless)

The PalmOne Treo 650 boasts all the legendary features of the venerable Treo 600, plus a whole lot more. Now with Bluetooth, a higher resolution screen, a removable battery, and an improved keyboard, the Treo 650 is once again on the cutting edge of Smartphone technology. It offers all the functionality of a high-end Palm OS-powered PDA, a cell phone and a VGA camera. Simply put, it's the ultimate mobile office companion.

 

Motorola StarTAC ST7797 Phone (AT&T)

Simply pick up the Motorola StarTAC ST7797 phone, and you'll sense its quality. Use it, and you'll find a host of features and conveniences, including dual-band TDMA support, smart-button navigation, short  message capabilities, and solid battery performance. While it lacks Web-browser support, if you're looking for a dependable, competent phone, you've found it here.

At 5.1 by 1.75 by 0.8 inches and weighing only 4.3 ounces with battery, the ST7797's case is hardy and well suited for the rigors of travel. In contrast to some other Motorola flip phones, the ST7797 doesn't feel top heavy, and the keypad is conveniently laid out. The keys and controls are raised just enough, and we could easily place a call with just one hand. And while the screen itself is relatively small, the clear, backlit LCD is easily legible and gives you a full range of phone- and network-status indicators.

The Smart Button and directional buttons on the left-hand side provide quick phone-book access and volume adjustment, and numeric keys also allow you to instantly access the menu, check battery life, mute a call, set the phone to vibrate, or lock the phone. Many of the ST7797's features are intuitive enough to operate without cracking the manual, something you won't experience with every Motorola model.