The Good: The RIM BlackBerry Curve boasts a sexy and slim design with an improved full QWERTY keyboard. The smart phone also has a 2-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, and a media player. There’s a new spell-checker for e-mail and memos, and audio technology that automatically adjusts call volume in noisy environments.
The Bad: Unfortunately, the BlackBerry Curve doesn’t have integrated Wi-Fi or 3G support. The device’s camera still doesn’t have video-recording capabilities, and call quality sounded a bit hollow.
The Bottom Line: Though it doesn’t bring Wi-Fi or 3G support, the BlackBerry Curve offers a best-of-breed design and a well-rounded set of features to make it an attractive device for consumers and mobile professionals alike.
The Good: The Cingular 8100 series features a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, Windows Mobile 5, and four forms of wireless (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, EDGE, and infrared). The phone is also quad-band (GSM 850/900/1800/1900) so users can make calls almost anywhere in the world.
The Bad: Unfortunately, the Cingular 8100 series is clunky and heavy, and it suffers from sub par call quality.
The Bottom Line: Although we weren’t terribly impressed by the call quality or the form factor, the Cingular 8100 series provides powerful tools to the mobile professional enabling them to get work done on the go.
The new law passed by the Illinois House will permit users of defective handsets to break their wireless service contracts without paying termination fees, which typically run $175. Phones that need repair three or more times because of manufacturing or mechanical issues will qualify as defective. The law also grants subscribers the option to upgrade or downgrade their phone at promotional rates. The law has yet to be passed by the Illinois State Senate.
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The Good: The Nokia 6102i adds Bluetooth to the Nokia 6102. Simple and efficient, is what this phone is all about. The phone has a stylish design; solid battery life; speakerphone and a 1.3 mega pixel camera.
The Bad: The exterior finish feels cheap and light and is easily scratched, which is a major problem because the exterior finish makes the phone quite slippery.
The Bottom Line: The Nokia 6102i offers solid performance but is definitely not for neat freaks since the phone attracts a lot of unwanted marks.
