Compiled With Power Rankings The 10 Best Smart Phones
There We have it, next time you decide to buy one of these babies you will know where they rank amongst themselves
The Top 10 Smart Phones
If you're in the market for a cell phone that has QWERTY input and a whole lot more, consider one of these 10 smart phones.
The Top 10 Smart Phones
The Top 10 Smart Phones (© PC World)
The 10 Best Smart Phones
PC World Test Center reviews found that these 10 models are the best of the smart phones, also known as PDA phones. RIM's BlackBerry models dominate both ends of the Top 10 Cell Phone-PDAs chart.
1) RIM BlackBerry Curve 8320 -- PCW Rating: 88 (Very Good)
The RIM BlackBerry Curve 8320 from T-Mobile looks the same as the original BlackBerry Curve 8300, though it comes in two different colors, titanium gray or gold. The news is under the hood: The 8320 adds technology that lets you make voice calls over a Wi-Fi network.
2) T-Mobile Wing -- PCW Rating: 84 (Very Good)
The T-Mobile Wing is a reasonable value, given the phone's versatile functionality, stellar call quality and excellent battery life. However, its limited on-board storage and poorly constructed buttons might give you pause.
The upgrade to Windows Mobile 6 adds support for Microsoft's productivity applications to this already impressive phone.
4) Apple iPhone -- PCW Rating: 83 (Very Good)
The iPhone gives you plenty to love, and plenty to lament. The iPhone has a solid design and a beautiful, touch-sensitive 480-by-320-pixel screen you can control with multiple taps or pinches of your fingers. Its browser, while not as versatile as the one on your laptop, is impressive. And of course, it works fine as a cell phone. But activation requires a two-year service plan, which may outlast the sealed-in battery. And the iPhone doesn't work with AT&T's fastest (HSDPA) data network.
5) Motorola Q Global -- PCW Rating: 82 (Very Good)
Quad-band GSM voice and high-speed (HSDPA/UMTS) data support (the latter in the U.S. only, though) plus integrated GPS and a good keyboard make the Q Global worth considering for business travelers, but poor battery life and AT&T Wireless' pricey, limited overseas GPS and data services may disappoint.
6) Palm Centro -- PCW Rating: 81 (Very Good)
Palm OS aficionados in search of a more contemporary design than the aging Treo may applaud this sporty, petite handset -- especially given its attractive $100 price and support for Sprint's speedy EVDO data service. The keyboard, though small, is surprisingly typable, making poor battery life, lack of Wi-Fi or GPS (not surprising at this price) and a fragile-feeling plastic case the principal drawbacks.
7) Samsung BlackJack II -- PCW Rating: 80 (Very Good)
The successor to the popular BlackJack adds GPS support (but not Wi-Fi) to the quad-band AT&T GSM and 3G (HSDPA/UMTS) data support on the original. An improved keyboard and good battery life also impress, but there's still room for improvement with the sound quality and the fingerprint-magnet case -- and we miss the Picsel Viewer app for Office docs (now handled by Windows Mobile 6 Office applications).
8) T-Mobile Sidekick LX -- PCW Rating: 80 (Very Good)
As ever, the Sidekick's oversize swiveling screen and roomy keyboard will appeal most to people who use their handsets more for messaging, e-mail and snapping the odd still image than for voice calls (or video capture). Battery life is outstanding. But lack of Wi-Fi or 3G support on T-Mobile's network will discourage the Sidekick LX's use for Web browsing. Also, there is no GPS, the $350 price tag is high and in the era of the iPhone and any number of skinny clamshells, the LX looks rather bulky.
The BlackBerry 8700g is more consumer-friendly than other BlackBerry devices, but it still lacks a camera.
10) RIM BlackBerry 8820 -- PCW Rating: 78 (Good)
The RIM BlackBerry 8820 from AT&T can provide wireless voice and data access over both cellular and Wi-Fi networks. Other than that, it's almost identical to the BlackBerry 8800 (which the 8820 will replace in AT&T's lineup).
