PhoneDog.com - Cell Phone Reviews

LG Lotus Elite

2/3/2010 10:19:00 AM

Overview The good: Sprint’s One Click interface gives you quick access to the tools and apps that you use the most; the new front panel touch screen allows you to access messages, photos, etc. without having to open up the phone.The bad: The keyboard is not the greatest, actually a step down from the previous Lotus, and the web browser needs improvement. Introduction With all the messaging phones out there it’s sometimes hard to differentiate one from the other. Well, the Lotus has never had that problem. Its unique form factor sets it apart while also adding some useful features. The QWERTY keyboard is wide and spacious, as is the main screen; however, because it’s a flip phone, it’s still relatively small in size and pocketable. The Elite was given a touch screen on the front panel, which adds functionality for viewing messages and watching TV. This is pretty much the only “improvement” though, and I can’t say I’m pleased since there... - read full review

Palm Pre Plus

2/1/2010 12:25:00 PM

Introduction The Palm Pre Plus has a few noteworthy upgrades over its predecessor the Palm Pre. First, it doubles its storage capacity from 8GB to 16GB. That’s plenty of room for music, pictures, and applications. The QWERTY keyboard got a bit of a facelift making it easier to use. It comes with the rubberized backing instead of the plastic backing found on the original Pre. Like its predecessor, it has WiFi. However, included on the cell phone is the ability to turn the Pre Plus into a Mobile HotSpot so you can share your data connection with up to 5 WiFi-enabled devices. A pretty neat trick, but it will cost an additional $40 a month. Overall, the updates and the latest version of the Palm webOS make the Pre Plus one user-friendly smartphone. Design & Features Look and feel: The first thing you’ll notice about the Palm Pre Plus is its display since it occupies just about the entire front of the cell phone. It also has rounded edges, and a black rubberized back that... - read full review

Palm Pixi Plus

1/29/2010 3:25:00 PM

Introduction If we had one disappointment with the Palm Pixi it was that it didn’t support WiFi. Not only does the Palm Pixi Plus support WiFi it also lets you turn the cell phone into a Mobile HotSpot so that you can share your data connection with up to 5 WiFi-enabled devices. A pretty neat trick, but it will cost an additional $40 a month. It also runs Palm’s latest webOS, has an 8GB internal hard drive, and the ability to have contact information from multiple accounts appear almost seamlessy in one contact window. All and all if you’re looking for a pocket friendly smartphone that’s easy to use, the Pixi Plus is worth consideration. Design & Features Look and feel: The first thing you’ll notice about the Palm Pixi Plus is its diminutive size. Combine that with its rounded edges, black rubberized back, and plastic keys and you might mistake it for a toy. While it’s fun to use, it’s definitely not a toy and it feels a lot sturdier when... - read full review

Motorola Barrage

1/29/2010 10:40:00 AM

Overview What's Good: Durable design makes it perfect for construction workers and people that are hard on phones; fantastic reception; nice external display. What's Bad: The Barrage is slightly bulky. Introduction The push-to-talk market seems to be an "on again, off again" thing (or so it seems) for most of the nationwide carriers. One day, you see a huge push, with television advertisements of how the service is drastically better than Nextel's Direct Connect option. Then the next day, they're gone, replaced by advertisements for a robot phone that eats your cattle, scares small children, and blows craters in your yard (insert creepy DROID noise here). Though the Motorola Barrage is clearly intended for a crowd that's harder on their wireless devices than most, the device is most certainly worth a second look. Design & Features The Motorola Barrage offers an industrial design, with a rubberized coating and a strong metal hinge. The left side of the device contains a... - read full review

Samsung Mythic SGH-A897

1/27/2010 11:55:00 AM

Overview What's Good: TouchWiz 2.0 offers improvements over previous versions. What's Bad: Battery life not great, and coverage is spotty at times. Introduction Despite the smartphone push by carriers, featurephones remain an important element in the wireless industry. To that end, the Samsung Mythic is a great addition to the field, offering improvements in the TouchWiz user interface and an improved design that is similar to the Samsung Omnia II (without the added costs, I might add). Will the device deliver and provide a good user experience? Design & Features The Samsung Mythic ships with an AC adapter, a USB cable, an 8GB microSD card, and instruction manuals. Offering a 3.3-inch LCD display with 360 x 640 pixels, the device comes in at 4.49 inches tall by 2.06 inches wide by 0.5 inch thick. Weighing 3.8 ounces, the Mythic is thin and light enough to keep in the pocket without issue. The Mythic sports a clean design that is somewhat reminiscent of the Omnia II. The left... - read full review

Google Nexus One

1/26/2010 2:10:00 PM

Overview What's Good: Huge, beautiful 3.7" AMOLED touchscreen; Sleek, thin hardware with fast Snapdragon processor; Android 2.1 adds Voice Input and is most user-friendly Android release to date. What's Bad: 3G data only available on T-Mobile; Android UI still isn't as easy to use as iPhone and webOS; Android App Catalog is bigger than ever but still a mess to search Introduction Google's Nexus One is the best Android phone currently on sale anywhere. This is the sleekest, sexiest, most polished Android phone yet put on sale, and it runs the most advanced version of Google's mobile OS yet released. Nexus One lacks the hard keyboard found Motorola's Droid and a few other Android devices, and it lacks a slick custom UI like HTC's Sense or Motorola's MotoBlur. Furthermore, it only pulls 3G data in the U.S. from T-Mobile - not from the larger high-speed networks offered by T-Mo's bigger competitors. Despite all of that, Nexus One is still the Android phone to beat right now. Why?... - read full review

Nokia N900

1/21/2010 1:45:00 PM

Overview What's Good: Large 3.5-inch touchscreen, OS has a great deal of potential, good battery life for a smartphone. What's Bad: Earpiece volume is low and user interface needs work before it reaches mainstream appeal. Introduction Though not prevalent in the retail space just yet, Nokia's Maemo operating system has serious potential. Enter the Nokia N900, the first Maemo-powered cellular phone from the Finnish company. Featuring a large touchscreen, QWERTY keyboard, and a new OS, one would think that it's ready for mainstream use. I believe that the Nokia N900 is a great step forward for the company, but the device needs refinement before it could be considered a competitor in the marketplace of iPhone, Android, webOS, and BlackBerry. Design & Features The Nokia N900 ships with the device, battery, home charger, USB cable, stereo headphones, a cleaning cloth, video-out cables, and instruction manuals. Coming in at 4.37 inches long by 2.35 inches wide by 0.77 inch thick,... - read full review

Nokia Shade 2705

12/31/2009 12:35:00 PM

Overview What's Good: Small size, good reception. What's Bad: Battery cover is flimsy, and the Shade doesn't offer 3G connectivity. Introduction Despite the seemingly endless talk about smartphones, there's still a market for regular, reliable, entry-level cell phones. Quite frankly, I doubt that grandpa, the texting teenager, or those keeping a device for backup purposes want or need a fully equipped PDA. That being said, the Nokia Shade is a perfect entry-level smartphone for them to consider, despite a lack of 3G connectivity. But is it a device worthy of owning? I'll take a look at it below. Design & Features The left spine of the Shade contains a 2.5mm headphone jack, volume rocker, and a microUSB charging port. The right side sports a lanyard hole and a shortcut key to voice dialing. The front of the device the external display, the camera, and the external speaker. Overall, the device is relatively bland in appearance. Like most Nokia devices as of late, packaging is... - read full review

Motorola Droid

12/21/2009 10:26:00 AM

Overview What's Good: Gorgeous 3.7-inch display and Android 2.0. What's Bad: Battery life is quite poor, and physical keyboard needs improvement. Introduction Despite being a die-hard BlackBerry user, the Motorola DROID excites me. With a large screen, Android 2.0, and a durable form factor, it seems to be a good option, and a welcome addition to Verizon's somewhat ho-hum device lineup. Combine that with an expensive marketing campaign on Verizon's behalf, and it seems to be the gadget of the year (actually, it was, according to Time Magazine). The question remains, however: does the DROID live up to its name? Design & Features The DROID that I tested came directly from Motorola, so accessories may differ from those offered by Verizon. My DROID came with the device, battery, home charger, USB cable, car charger, and 16 GB microSD card (installed in the phone). Coming in at 4.55 inches long by 2.35 inches wide by 0.55 inch thick, the DROID weighs 5.99 ounces, making it... - read full review

Palm Pixi

12/16/2009 11:45:00 AM

Overview What's Good: Thin form factor is incredibly appealing. The Pixi holds a slight battery advantage to the Pre, and the keyboard is a bit more tactile. What's Bad: The Pixi's screen real estate is smaller, and the lag is greater than the Pre's. Introduction Six months ago, Palm launched the Pre, the first device running webOS. Offering the manufacturer's revolutionary webOS, it has been touted in several publications as the best user interface available on the market. The Pixi entered the retail scene on November 15th, becoming the manufacturer's second webOS device. Though less powerful than the Pre on many fronts, it was clear that the device was intended for a specific demographic. The challenge lies in price. With the Pre available for under $100 at several online outlets, and the Pixi's price hovering between $25 and $100, deciding between the two can be tough. Design & Features Much like the Palm Pre, the Pixi's packaging is small, offering the device, battery, USB... - read full review

HTC Droid Eris

12/14/2009 3:05:00 PM

Overview What's Good: Sense UI, great reception, and responsive touchscreen. What's Bad: Laggy performance at times, and battery life could be better. Introduction Google's Android OS has made significant progress since the days of the G1. Thanks to the rapid adoption of the OS, Android has morphed into a consumer-friendly option. The HTC Droid Eris runs on Android v1.5, and features HTC's popular Sense UI. That being said, the Droid Eris has a bit of lag, and it can get frustrating after extended use. Is the Droid Eris an option for die-hard smartphone users, or is it for the consumer crowd? Design & Features In regards to exterior buttons, the Droid Eris is incredibly bare. The left side of the device contains a volume rocker, while the 3.5mm headphone jack and the charging port can be found on the top and bottom of the device, respectively. The front of the device contains a physical send key, an end key, and a trackball. Additionally, four touch buttons can be found below the... - read full review

PCD Razzle

12/9/2009 3:00:00 PM

Overview What's Good: Battery life; keyboard is relatively easy to type on. What's Bad: No 3G; 2.5mm headphone jack. Introduction Though most wireless manufacturers prefer to stay within set design boundaries, it's nice to see a different phone every now and again. That being said, the PCD Razzle (branded as the Verizon Wireless Razzle) fits the mold. Offering a unique swiveling bottom that rotates 180 degrees to offer a full QWERTY keyboard, the Razzle is clearly marketed toward the heavy messaging crowd. With the lack of 3G connectivity, it's not going to win the hearts of data-centric users, but for those who are looking for a decent entry-level handset, the Razzle may be just what the doctor ordered. Design & Features The left spine of the Razzle contains the microUSB charging port, volume rocker, and a microSD card slot. The right side sports a lanyard hole, camera button, and a mobile web/screen lock key. The front of the device sports two shortcut buttons, a... - read full review

BlackBerry Curve 8530 Black

12/4/2009 1:55:00 PM

Overview What's Good: Optical trackpad; 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity What's Bad: 3G cuts down on battery life; build quality difference between high-end BlackBerry Introduction Much like the Curve 8520, the BlackBerry Curve 8530 is the "BudgetBerry" of the group. Sporting a few design changes, 3G connectivity and OS 5.0, it represents a continued push by RIM to appeal to first-time smartphone buyers. There's a marked difference in build quality versus other BlackBerry models like the Storm2 and the Bold 9700. Other features include a full QWERTY keyboard, Wi-Fi, a 2-megapixel camera, and RIM's new trackpad. It's relatively inexpensive and more durable than the other models on the market (thanks to the plastic build), but with that in mind, will the 8530 deliver and provide the ever-so-popular BlackBerry experience? Design & Features Most of the design features of the GSM Curve 8520 carried over to the CDMA Curve 8530. Sporting a black housing, the lack of chrome, which many... - read full review

Palm Pixi

12/2/2009 10:55:00 AM

Introduction The Palm Pixi sports many of the features found on its predecessor the Palm Pre including Palm’s latest webOS, 8GB internal hard drive, and access to many of Sprint’s premium services. The Palm Pixi also has an updated version of the webOS and a slightly easier to use QWERTY keyboard all in a slimmer package. The only shortcomings are that it’s not quite as speedy as the Palm Pre and it lacks WiFi. Design & Features Look and feel: The first thing you’ll notice about the Palm Pixi is its diminutive size. Combine that with its rounded edges, black rubberized back, and plastic keys you might mistake it for a toy. While it’s fun to use, it’s not a toy and it feels a lot sturdier when held in the hand. Read: The Palm Pixi is durable. Compared to its predecessor, the Palm Pre, the Pixi is slimmer and bit longer. It can easily get lost in a dark purse or pocket. You might even want to get a different back so it’s easier to find. The... - read full review

LG Chocolate Touch

11/26/2009 12:13:00 PM

Overview What's Good: Great music device; decent touchscreen. What's Bad: Battery life slightly lower than expectations. Introduction As the fourth family member to the Chocolate line, the Chocolate Touch VX8575 shifts to a Dare-like form factor. Those familiar with the situation are aware that LG released two versions of the Chocolate; the BL40 for Europe and Asia, and the VX8575 for the United States. As a phone nerd, I would have preferred the BL40, but thanks to a Verizon focus group (or so the rumor goes), we have the VX8575 instead. At any rate, the Chocolate Touch performs incredibly well in the music category. Is the Verizon version a worthy contender to the carrier's lineup? Design & Features The left spine of the Chocolate Touch houses the microUSB charging port, volume rocker, and a speakerphone button. The right side sports a lanyard hole, lock button, music player shortcut key, and a camera key. The front of the device sports a proximity sensor and three... - read full review

Motorola Droid

11/25/2009 4:26:00 PM

Overview What's good: Android 2.0 with Google Navigation; 3.7" WVGA capacitive display at 480 X 854 is visually stunning and sensitive to the touch; 5 MP cam has dual LED flash; 3.5 mm audio jack; browser handles HTML5 and ships ready for Flash 10.1.What's bad: Physical keyboard is difficult to use; sliding mechanism not spring-loaded; because it's the first Android with this screen resolution, customization apps don't always work properly, so you're kind of stuck with vanilla Android. That said, Android 2.0 is very nice. Introduction So, this is it. This is the phone that caused the Android community to gather together and vote... to nominate the Motorola Droid as the official mainstream ambassador for all Android phones. Well, not exactly, but the end result is the same. Verizon's gung-ho media assault has included: taking over digital signs in Times Square so they can be used by consumers to display the results of their voice-controlled searches; bashing the iPhone with a... - read full review

BlackBerry Storm2 9550

11/13/2009 12:22:00 PM

Overview What's Good: Screen is far easier to use thanks to the addition of electronic sensors; OS 5.0 improves overall device functions dramatically. What's Bad: Despite improvements, SurePress is still harder to use than similar industry competitors. Additionally, the browser still needs work. Introduction Almost one full year later, RIM and Verizon Wireless are at it again with the BlackBerry Storm2, their second attempt at a full touchscreen BlackBerry device. Despite the relatively strong sales numbers, reports of build quality problems, typing issues, and the like surfaced on the internet within moments of the device launching. Months and numerous software revisions later, the world (and more specifically, the BlackBerry community) is well aware of the original Storm frustrations. The Storm2 is on the scene, and with it comes several notable improvements such as Wi-Fi, a revamped SurePress display, and OS 5.0. Will the phone outshine its predecessor to become a... - read full review

BlackBerry Bold 9700

11/12/2009 3:39:00 PM

Overview What's Good: Significantly improved design over the original Bold, fantastic keyboard, great battery life, and admirable call quality. What's Bad: The web browser, though improved, is still no comparison to competing smartphones on the market. Introduction Yes, it's a love or hate characteristic, but RIM is a historically conservative company when it comes to design changes, and the Bold 9700 is no exception. As a replacement to the aging BlackBerry Bold 9000, the Bold 9700 (also referred to as "the Bold") ushers in new design cues, and adds notable improvements such as the trackpad, Wi-Fi, a 3.2-megapixel camera, and OS 5.0.0.330. Marking the first T-Mobile 3G BlackBerry, their version supports UMA support for Wi-Fi calls through the carrier's Hotspot@Home service. As much as I loved the original Bold's design, I love the Bold 9700's even more, as it fits in my hand with the smoothness of the Curve, but offers the premium features expected from the Bold product line.... - read full review

LG Glance

10/30/2009 12:34:00 PM

Overview What's Good: Durable device with good call quality and strong battery life. What's Bad: No 3G; gold battery cover may be a bit of an overkill. Introduction What happened to candybar devices? We've seen twisting devices, sliding QWERTY keyboards, flip phones, and more, but the age-old bar phone seemed to fade into the sunset. Not so with the LG Glance, as the company has brought the form factor back, and breathed new life into it. Appealing to the entry-level wireless crowd, the Glance packs a reasonable amount of features into a compact design. We just wish it had 3G, and perhaps a more neutral battery cover. Design & Features The left side of the Glance houses the volume rocker, a 2.5mm headphone jack, a speakerphone button, while the right side sports a microUSB charging port and a camera key. The front of the device sports a joystick for navigational purposes, two touch sensitive buttons, a send key, clear/voice command key, end/power key, and a standard numeric... - read full review

Samsung Omnia HD i8910

10/30/2009 11:22:00 AM

Overview What's good: the 3.7" AMOLED touch-screen at 360 x 640 pixels looks fantastic; the 8 MP cam is probably the best I've used on a phone - for still photos and video, which are easily shared; 3.5mm audio jack doubles as TV-out; comes with 8 or 16 GB of internal storage and supports microSD up to 32 GB; 1500 mAh battery and good sleep implementation mean it can go a very long while without recharging; TouchWiz makes Symbian much more usable.What's bad: Symbian problems turn up at unfortunate times; simple actions take far too many taps; keyboard leaves much to be desired; I wish it had a Xenon flash, but LED is O.K.. Introduction This GSM unlocked quad-band device turned heads from its first hands-on appearances in tradeshow videos from Barcelona last winter. And it was all about the screen, up front. The Omina HD's AMOLED display is gorgeous, and thankfully, capacitive. The next bullet point (arguably of only two) is the stellar camera that meets the latest MP standard for... - read full review

Motorola Clutch i465

10/21/2009 2:20:00 PM

Overview What's Good: Call quality; fantastic speakerphone. What's Bad: Battery life; somewhat cramped keyboard. Introduction There's no doubt that Sprint's Nextel brand and the accompanying iDEN technology has been behind when it comes to new industry concepts. While CDMA and GSM companies have been enjoying feature-rich devices, iDEN users were stuck with drab, boring handsets. Though it's nothing revolutionary in regards to the user interface, the Motorola i465 enters the lineup as the first device with a QWERTY keyboard. For Nextel and Boost Mobile subscribers, is It a welcome addition to the family? Design & Features The left spine of the i465 houses the volume rocker and Direct Connect button, along with a 2.5mm headphone jack and microUSB charging port (both of which are housed under a protective flap). The right side sports a lanyard hole. The front of the device sports the QWERTY keyboard, a navigational pad, three buttons to the right of the display (write a message,... - read full review

LG LX290

10/20/2009 11:50:00 AM

Overview What's Good: Build quality; fantastic reception; battery life is respectable.What's Bad: No EVDO; picture quality is poor; font size may be too small for some. Introduction Despite the seemingly endless talk about smartphones, there's still a market for regular, reliable cell phones. Quite frankly, we doubt that grandma (most, at least), the ten year old, and those using it as a backup device want or need a fully equipped PDA. That being said, the LG LX290 is a perfect entry-level smartphone for them to consider. Despite a lack of EVDO and a meager 1.3-megapixel camera, is it a device worthy of owning? Design & Features The left side of the LX290 houses the volume rocker, microUSB charging port, and a 2.5mm headphone jack, while the right side sports a shortcut to voice dialing and the camera. The front of the device sports a navigational pad with five buttons: two shortcut keys, send, back, and end. Slide the device to reveal the numeric keypad, along with four... - read full review

Nokia Twist 7705

10/19/2009 4:35:00 PM

Overview What's Good: Unique design; phenomenal QWERTY keyboard. What's Bad: Battery life could be better; potential long-term build quality concerns. Introduction In today's wireless market, phones seem to be standard when it comes to design. There's the candybar design, the ever-popular flip phone, and the sliding form factor, but the Nokia 7705 brings an entirely new design to market in the form of a twisting device (hence the "Twist" moniker). Despite the strange assumptions that most have when thinking of a twisting phone, the 7705 actually pulls off the design well. It's certainly a love or hate thing, but we give it creativity points for bringing a different form factor to light. Still, the question remains: despite a decent feature set, will it sell? Design & Features When in the open position, the left side of the device houses the volume rocker and a microUSB charging port, while the right side sports a 2.5mm headphone jack and a microSD card slot (with support for... - read full review

HTC Hero CDMA

10/16/2009 10:33:00 AM

Overview What's good: same beautiful display found on G1 and myTouch; optimized version of HTC's Sense improves performance over earlier version; possibly the best virtual keyboard design currently available (though it will require more powerful hardware to surpass iPhone keyboard performance); 5 MP cam with elegant custom interface; 3.5mm audio jack (!!!); brilliant use of the Android notification system; ability to save homescreen profiles as Scenes; killer widgets; comes bundled with cool apps from Sprint like SprintTV and Visual Voicemail; Flash Lite support.What's bad: RAM/processor duo are a bit tired in tomorrow's market, though not as bad as many claim; keyboard performance seems to break down long before other apps show signs of distress, and the keyboard should be prioritized; ability to multi-task and load the homescreens with all sorts of customizations can bring Hero to its knees, and the possibilities are incredibly tempting; music player behavior is a bit unpredictable... - read full review

Samsung Highlight T749 Fire

10/3/2009 10:44:00 AM

Introduction The Samsung Highlight is a slim touch screen cell phone that has a lot going for it: 3G connectivity with T-Mobile’s Web2Go interface, 3-megapixel camera, solid battery life, and impressive call quality. Plus the cell phone even comes with included headphones that work with the Samsung proprietary headset jack. In short, if you want a cell phone that offers impressive call quality, a speedy web experience, in a size that’s easy to transport in a shirt pocket, the Highlight is worth consideration. Design & Features Look and feel:This Samsung cell phone is more on the minimalistic side – read: it’s not littered with too many buttons. In fact, the front of the cell phone only has three keys: Talk, Back, and End/Power. On the Highlight’s side spines you’ll find volume keys, dedicated camera key, and a lock key. About that Lock Key, this replaces the lock function found on the display of most touch screen cell phones. When you want to... - read full review