‘Tis the season for smart phones

by Jonathan Sessions

November 3,2007

As end of year approaches, it's time to start investigating items that will be on this year's holiday (or budget surplus) wish list. If a mobile phone is on that list, I can help. Over the last too weeks, I have been able to get my hands on some of the hottest new phones being released just in time for the holidays.

Verizon
The first phones I looked at are from Verizon and have a strong consumer focus. The Juke and Chocolate v2 are, first and foremost, built for music. The interface resembles an MP3 player more than a mobile phone; each has a wheel, a feature that seems to be a requirement on any music player.

The Juke is the newest phone from Verizon, released in October. Made by Samsung, in form it is reminiscent of its smaller, flashed-based MP3 players—with one big difference: With a slight push on the side, the display flips out 180 degrees like a Swiss army knife. It is sleek and slim but a little thicker than I would prefer, and the ear buds leave much to be desired. I did manage to get it to work with both Windows and Mac OS, but it took some unfriendly system practices.

The Chocolate v2 is a great improvement over Verizon's first edition. From LG, it is slightly slimmer than its predecessor. The touch-sensitive circle has been replaced with the same wheel used on the Juke, and the touch buttons now provide feedback in the form of a subtle vibration. The slider now includes call and end buttons along with the keypad and a spring-loaded hold switch on the side. The hold switch and better touch sensitivity were necessary improvements on the first version, which had a knack for dialing numbers while sitting untouched.

AT&T
If you need a phone but are not looking for all the excess features of a smart phone, the Samsung a727 and a717 phones from AT&T are great phones with cool features under their hoods. These two phones (and several others from AT&T) offer video streaming. When making a call on a 3G network—which Columbia has—with a video-streaming-enabled phone, the user has the option to share video from the integrated 1.3-megapixel camera. The streaming works only in one direction at a time; it would be handy for any on-the-go business user needing to visually explain or demonstrate a concept or product remotely. A video can be saved (on the sending phone, not the receiving) and retrieved later via microSD card or Bluetooth to a computer.

If you need something more, the AT&T Tilt, a brand-new smart phone, has all the latest and greatest. The phone has two principal positions: vertical, utilizing the 2.8-inch touch screen, and basic, using the sliding QWERTY keyboard, with the display tilted up toward the user for easy view (get the name?). The phone has almost any feature an on-the-go professional might need. It runs Windows Mobile 6.0 and, therefore, a host of Microsoft applications: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, 3G and WiFi support, GPS, Bluetooth, Push to Talk, a three-megapixel camera, microSD expansion, and host of additional business and pleasure applications, including full Exchange support and video streaming.

While the phone is a borderline "mini laptop," all of these features come at the cost of size. The phone is extremely thick—thicker than any cell phone I have used, almost double the thickness of the iPhone, far too much to put in a pocket and quite a bit to have strapped to a waist. The physical keyboard is easy to use and responsive; however, it is so large that Blackberry and Treo users will miss the ability to type with a single thumb.

The phone also has awkward positioning for the stylus. Vertically, the stylus is on the bottom right, but with the keyboard out, the stylus ends up under the left thumb. Though with use it may become easier, it feels awkward to right-handed people.

My biggest complaint about the phone is really with Windows Mobile. The dialing function is software based; the number pad is on the screen. The buttons are far too small for easy dialing, and the delay in response from the system meant I often had to retype phone numbers. While I got better with time, I could not dial on it as easily as I can the iPhone (another software/touch screen keypad). Still, for a convergence device, it does everything decently enough to make it worth the price of admission for someone not needed or wanting to haul a laptop around. The device is convenient, versatile and reasonably well designed.

Voyager
Verizon's iPhone and Tilt competitor for this winter is major update to its enV phone, rebranded Voyager. The Voyager contains a large touch screen with an interface similar to iPhone's. One feature I enjoy about the touch screen is the vibration feedback it gives during interfacing. It is strong enough to be noticed but subtle enough not to distract from function. Unlike the iPhone, the Voyager opens like a book to reveal a wide screen underneath with full QWERTY keyboard.

The Voyager has many of the same features of the Tilt: Bluetooth, VZ Navigator (GPS of sorts), a calendar, and basic e-mail. The Voyager will even handle larger microSD cards (up to 8GBs). However, it is unable to handle enterprise e-mail and the office suite, which might be a deal breaker for some.

I did not get to handle the Voyager for long, but I was impressed by the capabilities of the one I got to use. It will probably not meet the needs of all business users, but it fills the void the iPhone has placed in competitors' product lines for Verizon. Look for it at Verizon in early November.

In addition to these phones are several recently updated business phones worth a look. All major carriers have the new slimmer Blackberry 8800, most have the 8300 media phone, and T-Mobile and AT&T have the smaller 8100. Most of the system features remain the same, but with a new form factor, some models are also equipped with GPS. T-Mobile recently updated its Sidekicks and has the Wing, its version of the Tilt (sliding keyboard but lacks the "tilt"). Also, later this month AT&T will release the Blackjack II, a slight upgrade from the original, and Verizon will carry the Pearl Nov. 8.

When looking for a new phone, it is important to realize that the most costly or the phone with the longest list of features might not be the right phone for you. Determine your needs, and then find the phone with those features. Ask your provider whether it offers a trial period; most do. At worst, they let you return the phone after 30 days for a small restocking fee. Make sure the phone works for you and not the other way around. Finally, if this is your first smart phone purchase, be prepared for all the new ways people will be able to contact you.

Popularity: 54% [?]