Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini Pro

Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini Pro, the most notable thing about Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini Pro is its diminutive size. Unlike almost every other smartphone on the planet, you can hide it behind a credit card, and if you have especially large mitts, you might be able to close your hand completely around it. At 3.3 inches tall by 2 inches wide by 0.7 inches deep, Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini Pro is slightly taller and thicker than its X10 Mini counterpart, but we'll gladly take the added bulk for a full keyboard.

Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini Pro remains quite light (4.2 ounces), so you won't feel burdened carrying it around. The 2.5 inch display and Sony Ericsson's User Experience interface are unchanged from the other phone. As we said before, the display is fine for browsing through menus and most basic features, but it's too small for higher end functions. As with Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini Pro, some will appreciate the compact size, while others will want something beefier.

It's really up to you. Unfortunately, Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini Pro remains stuck on Android 1.6 even months after 2.0's release. Below the display you'll find the same physical controls for the home screen menu and the main menu, and for moving backwards through a menu. You must dial calls using the standard virtual keypad, though you can bang out messages and e-mails much faster using the physical keyboard. As you'd expect, the keyboard is fairly small, but the keys manage to have a relatively comfortable, spacious feel.

We could type quickly and we like the stiff feeling of the keys. You won't find any shortcut controls, and numbers share space with letters, but basic punctuation is surfaced on the keyboard. For other punctuation and symbols, you must access an onscreen virtual keyboard. The space bar is in a convenient location in the center of the bottom row. The slider mechanism is neither too sturdy nor too loose.

The camera lens and flash also rest on the middle of the back side with the microSD card slot behind the battery cover. The remaining exterior features differ somewhat from the X10. The power or screen lock switch and 3.5 mm headset jack sit on the phone's top end, the camera shutter and volume rocker are on the right spine, and the Micro-USB port for data syncing and charging rests on the left spine.

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HTC Evo 4G

HTC Evo 4G is Sprint's premier smartphone and you'll get a great device regardless of our quibbles. We just hope Sprint starts to light up those 4G markets faster, so everyone can take advantage of the 4G capabilities and get their money's worth. HTC Evo 4G will be available June 4 for $199.99 with a two year contract and the aforementioned data plans. Though Sprint requires a $100 mail-in rebate, Best Buy and Radio Shack do not, so you get the $200 price tag instantly. Cut from the same cloth as the HTC HD2, HTC Evo 4G isn't what you'd call a dainty phone.

It measures 4.8 inches tall by 2.6 inches wide by 0.5 inch thick and weighs 6 ounces, so you're dealing with a good chunk of hardware. It's right on the cusp of being too big, but HTC was able to keep HTC Evo 4G relatively thin, making it more manageable. Plus, you might be willing to overlook the large size once you get a glimpse of the smartphone's massive display. Like the HD2, HTC Evo 4G rocks a 4.3 inch capacitive touch screen that's downright mesmerizing. The extra screen real estate makes a huge difference when viewing Web pages and reading text, and HTC Evo 4G supports the pinch to zoom gesture in a number of apps.

The display shows vibrant colors and the sharp WVGA 800x480 pixel resolution makes everything look crisp. There is a built-in light sensor that will automatically adjust the backlight based on the ambient light we were able to read the screen in most environments, but it did wash out a bit in bright sunlight. Another benefit of the large display is a spacious keyboard that rivals the iPhone's in ease of use. Even in portrait mode, we were able to quickly punch out a message with both thumbs (none of that pecking at the keys with one finger) with minimal mistakes.

As you can imagine, the landscape keyboard is even roomier, but most times we found we could get away with just typing in portrait mode. Below the screen, you get four touch sensitive navigation controls : home, menu, back, and search. A long press of the home key will bring up a list of your most recently used apps. There's a volume rocker on the right side, and the top of the device features a power button and 3.5 mm headphone jack. On the bottom, you'll find a Micro-USB port and an HDMI port. Be aware that the latter is a Type D connector, so you'll have to get a compatible cable to hook the phone up to your TV.

Of course, you can watch video and view photos right from the phone, and there's a handy kickstand on back so you can prop the phone up on a desk. Though there will be purists who prefer the standard Android skin, in most cases, we'd choose a device running HTC Sense. Out of all our custom skins for Android (Motoblur, TouchWiz, etc.), Sense is our absolute favorite, as it gives Android a more user friendly interface. In many cases, it improves on the core functions by better integrating the features, which is why we're glad to see that Sprint had the sense (sorry) to go with Sense on HTC Evo 4G.

Just like the Droid Incredible and the HTC Legend, HTC Evo 4G runs the newer version of HTC Sense, which was announced at Mobile World Congress 2010. This includes a revamped mail widget that can take you to a list view of all your e-mail instead of just one message at a time. (This view, however, is only one of several choices.) Once in the mail app, there's a handy tabbed interface at the bottom that lets you view unread messages, attachments, meeting invites, and more with a simple touch.

The Agenda widget also now displays your whole agenda on the screen, and, like the latest HTC devices, you get an animated weather widget right on the home screen that automatically displays the current conditions based on your location. You also get a new Group Contacts widget, which lets you organize your contacts by groups. For example, you can set up one for work colleagues, another for friends, and another for just family whatever you please. The UI looks good, and it's simple to add contacts to a group, though removing them requires a few extra steps.

Sense also makes it easy to access as much information as possible within the contact management system. If any of your contacts have Facebook updates, it will display them right next to their pictures in the contact database. You can also see all your exchanges (text messages, call logs, etc.) with a single person from his or her contact card, and all your contacts are accessible within the phone app.

However, we still had multiple instances of duplicate contacts and had to go back and manually link them together. Another feature, called Friend Stream, provides a single place for all your social networking needs, piping in updates from Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr. Unlike Motoblur, it's not server based the phone connects to the sites and pulls information directly from there.

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Nokia E73

Nokia E73 Mode's design is quite similar to the E72, not that we have any complaints, since we loved the E72's form factor. Nokia E73 is incredibly sleek at 4.5 inches tall by 2.3 inches wide by 0.4 inch thick, making it easy to slip into a pants pocket and comfortable to hold as a phone and messaging device. It's relatively light at 4.5 ounces but it has a very solid construction and feels like a device worth more than $70. The smartphone's display measures 2.4 inches diagonally and supports 16 million colors with a 320x240 resolution.

The size is on par with the one on BlackBerry Bold 9700, but it's not quite as sharp (the Bold's screen is 480x360) so images and text don't look quite as smooth on Nokia E73 as the Bold. Still, it's clear and vibrant, but tends to wash out slightly in bright sunlight. Like a number of Nokia's latest smartphones, Nokia E73 Mode lets you switch your home screen between two modes: personal and work. You can customize each mode with which apps you want accessible from the home screen, with the idea that you'll have work apps front and center in work mode, and more fun apps, such as the music player and photo gallery, in personal mode, so you can better balance your life.

Whether one can really "turn off" work mode is probably up to the individual, but nice a sentiment by Nokia. As for the general user interface, the Symbian based Nokia E73 runs on the S60 platform so the experience is much like the E72. The UI isn't particularly pretty, looking rather old actually, and requires some extra steps when navigating within an app, but it's fairly intuitive. Below the screen, you get a number of navigation controls, including Talk and End keys, two soft buttons, four shortcuts (home, contacts, calendar, and messages), and a combination optical trackpad or D-pad that Nokia calls the Optical Navi key.

To close an app, you much choose Options and then Exit. Nokia E73 Mode's QWERTY keyboard is, in a word, excellent. The rectangular buttons are a good size and have a nice domed shape, making them easy to press. The numbers share space with the letter keys in the middle of the keyboard. Though Nokia chose to highlight them in black against a dark gray background, they're actually not that hard to see. It's really one of the best physical keyboards we've used in recent memory, as we were able to type messages quickly and with little error. On the left spine, there's a Micro-USB port and a microSD expansion slot, both protected by an attached cover.

Meanwhile, you will find a volume rocker and a voice command button on the right side, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack and power button on top. The camera and flash are, as usual, found on back. Nokia E73 also has a front facing camera, but don't think this is in response to the HTC Evo 4G and iPhone 4. Most Nokia smartphones have had front facing cameras and video conferencing capabilities long before these two phones put it on people's radars. Though the interest hasn't necessarily been there in the past, you can, in fact, make video calls with Nokia E73 with an app, such as Fring, which is available through the Nokia Ovi Store.

Nokia bills the E73 Mode as a mobile to balance work and life, and the smartphone has a pretty well rounded feature set, though we'd say it skews a little more to mobile professionals than consumers, particularly with the messaging capabilities. The smartphone offers Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync support (e-mail, contacts, calendar, and tasks) as well as IBM Lotus Notes and comes with a mobile VPN client if you need to tap into your company's intranet. The Nokia Messaging app can also handle as many as 10 personal accounts, including POP3, IMAP4, and SMTP, and comes with push deliver, an attachment viewer, search, filters, and HTML support. In addition to e-mail, T-Mobile bundles the E73 with a handful of instant messaging clients and social networking apps, such as Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace.

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Palm Pixi Plus (Verizon)

Palm Pixi Plus (Verizon) is nearly identical in design to the Sprint Palm Pixi, sharing the same dimensions, 2.63 inch multi touch screen, and full QWERTY keyboard. Verizon also packages Palm Pixi Plus (Verizon) with the same accessories, which include a travel charger, a USB cable, and reference material. However, in addition to the limited edition artist series back plates, you can also choose from one of five new colored back covers, available in blue, green, orange, pink, or black.

Each costs US$ 29.99 (the artists series cost US$ 49.99 each) and all are compatible with the Touchstone charging dock. For more details about the smartphone's user interface and look and feel, please read our full review of Palm Pixi Plus (Verizon) for Sprint. For more add-ons, please check our cell phone accessories, ringtones, and help page.

Features
Obviously, the big news here is the addition of Wi-Fi. Though more of an entry level device and with 3G support, some might argue that Wi-Fi isn't a necessity, but we'd have to disagree. With all the data intensive apps on smartphones these days, it's good to have another means of connectivity. Wi-Fi can provide faster speeds for Web browsing, streaming media, or downloads, especially when a carrier's 3G network is overloaded by users; it provides another method for getting online when you're out of a 3G coverage area.

In the case of Palm Pixi Plus (Verizon), you also get the benefit of using the smartphone as a mobile Wi-Fi router. How? Glad you asked. At launch, you will be able to download a program called Palm Mobile Hotspot from the App catalog that lets you turn your Palm Pixi Plus (Verizon) into a mobile hot spot or Wi-Fi router and tether up to five devices to share a mobile broadband connection using Verizon's EV-DO Rev. A network. This feature is exclusive to the Verizon Pixi Plus and Pre Plus but we should note, it also comes with a price.

You will need to sign up for a Verizon 3G hot spot plan, which costs US$ 40 per month and comes with a 5GB data cap. If you go over the monthly allowance, you will be charged an additional five cents per MB. For comparison, the mobile broadband plans for the Sprint and Verizon MiFi's cost US$ 60 per month with the same 5GB data cap and overage fees. Aside from Wi-Fi and 3G, Palm Pixi Plus (Verizon) also offers Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP stereo Bluetooth support and built-in GPS.

As with other WebOS devices, the smartphone comes preloaded with Google Maps, which offers maps with satellite view, real time positioning, business searches, traffic data, and simple text based instructions. However, if you're after voice guided turn by turn directions, you'll have to subscribe to Verizon's location based service, VZ Navigator.

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Motorola Brute i680

Motorola Brute i680 should be able to withstand just about anything you can throw at it. It's large (3.92 inches tall by 2.09 inches wide by 1 inch deep), heavy (5.63 ounces), and is covered in a tough plastic and rubber skin. Indeed, the handset feels very solid in the hand and the sturdy hinge ensures that it opens and shuts with authority. We dropped the handset onto a concrete floor and even threw it across the room onto carpet. Both times, there wasn't a scratch and the phone kept on ticking.

Sure, the black and gray color scheme screams industrial, but this a device built for brawn over beauty. The external display is a bit bigger than a postage stamp, but it supports 65.000 colors (160x120 pixels). It supports photo caller ID, displays your recently called phone numbers, and doubles as a viewfinder for the camera. Speaking of which, the lens sits just above next to the flash. We'd prefer to have a camera shutter control on the phone's exterior, but one is not available.

On the top of the phone you'll find a speakerphone control and the standard Nextel button for accessing your recent calls list. Between them is a headset jack, which, unfortunately, is 2.5 mm (we prefer a standard 3.5mm jack). On the left spine are the volume rocker and push to talk (PTT) control. Both are large and easy to find by feel. We were glad to see that Moto included a Micro-USB port for both the charger and a USB cable. You'll find it on the right spine behind a secure rubber flap. Motorola Brute i680 is water resistant so the rear battery cover is secured by a locking mechanism.

You'll also need to remove it to access the microSD card slot. Moto doesn't include an unlocking tool in the box, but you should be able to use your fingernail. The Brute also is certified to the standard military specifications for elements like dust, shock and vibration, high and low temperature, and salt fog. The internal display measures 2.2 inches and supports 65.000 colors (220x176 pixels). Though its resolution isn't exactly eye popping, it's perfectly suitable for this caliber of phone.

Colors were bright and graphics and photos show up well. You can change the text size and the backlight time. We were glad that unlike many previous Nextel phones, Motorola Brute i680 offers a one page menu interface in a list or icon style. The spacious navigation is extremely user friendly with all controls raised above the surface of the phone. There are four directional controls with a central OK button, a dedicated menu key, two soft keys, a camera shortcut and the Talk and End or power keys.

The only thing missing is a dedicated back button. In standby mode, the up and down directional buttons open the settings menu and the recent calls list respectively; the side buttons let you cycle through the shortcut icons that sit on the display. They keypad buttons are spacious and tactile. We could text and dial quickly and we appreciate the large backlit numbers on the buttons.

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LG Neon GT365

LG Neon GT365 provides tri-band GSM coverage (850/1800/1900 MHz) for voice as well as GPRS or EDGE connectivity for receiving data. AT&T's EDGE network offers availability in more than 13.000 US cities and along some 40.000 miles of major highways. Providing average data speeds between 75-135Kbps, it's fast enough to support a wide range of advanced data services, including full picture messaging, high speed color Internet access, and email on the go.

The phone has a built-in web browser for MEdia Net downloads and mobile web browsing. AT&T's MEdia Net service enables you to receive and send emails, read news headlines, get weather updates, download games and ringtones, and more. You'll be able to access the AT&T Mobile Music services, which enables you to access the Napster and eMusic subscription music services, stream music video, discover what's playing with Music ID song recognition software, and find out what's hot with The Buzz music news portal.

LG Neon GT365 Features
LG Neon GT365 has a 2.4 inch LCD with a 240 x 400 pixel resolution and support for 262K colors, and it also has an accelerometer for auto rotation of the screen when you turn it from portrait to landscape view. Below the screen you'll find a colorfully organized four button navigator that's complemented by send or end keys and two soft navigation keys. When you press the dialer button at the bottom left corner of the LG Neon GT365's navigation area, you'll be able to quickly dial numbers using the touchscreen dialer.

All other functions are accessed via the physical navigation keys. The Home screen menu from LG Neon GT365's Flash user interface (UI) provides quick access to your calendar, alarm clock and digital audio player, and it provides an intuitive tab-based layout for accessing phone, multimedia and other tools. LG Neon GT365 also offers a three row full QWERTY keyboard that smoothly slides out from the left side of the phone (when viewed in tall portrait mode). LG Neon GT365 comes with a small 14 MB internal memory, which is expandable via optional microSD memory cards (up to 4 GB in size).

The internal phonebook can store up to 1000 contacts, with each entry providing space for up to four phone numbers, one email address, and a picture ID. The phone also includes nine speed dial options (eight entries plus one voicemail) and support for caller groups as well as designating a specific ringtone to a contact. Hands free communication is easy thanks to the integrated speakerphone. This phone also provides Bluetooth wireless connectivity (version 2.0), and includes profiles for communication headset, hands free car kits, and file transfer.

With the A2DP Bluetooth profile, you can stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones. You can also wirelessly send contacts, calendar events, notes and pictures. LG Neon GT365 can save up to 20 Bluetooth pairings. The digital audio player is compatible with MP3, AAC/AAC+, and WMA files, and it allows you to create and manage playlists directly on LG Neon GT365. Other features include a customizable equalizer and visualization, the ability to multitask in other phone applications while still playing music, and easy transfer of files from your PC via USB (optional cable available separately).

LG Neon GT365 also includes a flight mode, which allows you to continue playing music while turning off the cellular radio. The 2 megapixel camera offers four resolution modes (1600 x 1200, 1280 x 960, 640 x 480, and 320 x 240 pixels) and it has up to a 4x digital zoom (depending on resolution selection). It also features white balance and brightness controls, multi shot capabilities, night mode for enhanced imagery in low light conditions, multiple quality options, and your choice of shutter tones (including silent). Additionally, this phone can capture video clips with audio in either 320 x 240 or 176 x 144 pixel resolutions with up to a 2x digital zoom. You can record clips up to 32 seconds for sending via MMS messaging or up to 60 minutes for saving to your PC.

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LG Xenon GR500

LG Xenon GR500 can quickly download video, music and more over AT&T's lightning quick HSPDA 3G network. Additionally, with AT&T's 3G network, you can listen to a conference call on a headset while sending and receiving e-mail attachments, picture messages or Web pages at the same time. This GPS enabled phone can access the AT&T Navigator service for turn by turn directions as well as its Video Share serve, which enables you to send video of yourself to another compatible phone while making a voice call.

LG Xenon GR500's large touchscreen with vibration feedback and enhanced user interface make menus, shortcuts, and contacts available right at your fingertips. And with its compact, slideout QWERTY keyboard, you can quickly send text messages and emails. Other features include a 2 megapixel camera or camcorder, Bluetooth for handsfree devices and stereo music streaming, MicroSD memory expansion (up to 16 GB), organizer tools, access to mobile email and instant messaging, and up to 4 hours of talk time.

AT&T Service
This AT&T phone can handle high speed data connectivity via AT&T's 3G mobile broadband data network, which is available in most major metropolitan areas. The AT&T 3G network uses the dual band 850 and 1900 MHz 3G network (UMTS/HSDPA), which provides download speeds ranging from 700 Kbps to 1.7 Mbps, and upload speeds ranging from 500 Kbps to 1.2 Mbps. This makes it possible to enjoy a variety of feature rich wireless multimedia services, and it gives you the advantage of offering simultaneous voice and data services.

In areas where the 3G network is not available, you'll continue to receive service on the AT&T EDGE network, which offers availability in more than 13.000 US cities and along some 40.000 miles of major highways. Providing average data speeds between 75-135Kbps, the Xenon is fast enough to support a wide range of advanced data services, including video and music clips, full picture and video messaging, high speed color Internet access, and email on the go. You'll also enjoy quad-band GSM connectivity, which allows you to make calls in more than 190 countries and access data applications in the more than 135 countries where AT&T offers international data roaming.

With 3G connectivity, you'll be able to access AT&T's Video Share service, which enables you to send a live, one way video stream to another compatible phone during a standard voice call. The service also allows you to switch the direction of the video stream during the same phone call. (Customers must be in an area served by the company's 3G network and have a Video Share enabled phone.) While using Video Share with family and friends is a fun way to communicate, it's also very useful for business.

For example, a majority of users in the architecture, engineering and construction industries rated the ability to share live video through Video Share highly, according to research commissioned by AT&T. Video Share lets you see progress on a job site or review the day's work without having to drive from an office or other site to do so. You can take advantage of the AT&T Navigator GPS software and service, a full featured premium navigation application that includes audible turn by turn directions, real time traffic updates and re-routing options, and 3D moving maps (additional charges applicable).

AT&T Navigator offers several other features to make your commute more enjoyable and reliable, including mobile access to Yellowpages.com. Additionally, AT&T Navigator is the only mobile phone-based GPS service that provides integrated speech recognition for address entry and points of interest search. With 3G connectivity, you'll be able to access AT&T's Cellular Video (CV) service and the Internet while on the go. Cellular Video features content from CNN, The Weather Channel, iFilm, Comedy Central and exclusive premium content from HBO and much more.

And you get access to AT&T Mobile Music, which enables you to buy tracks while on the, access the Napster and eMusic subscription music services, stream music video, discover what's playing with Music ID song recognition software, and find out what's hot with The Buzz music news portal. LG Xenon GR500 has a built-in web browser for MEdia Net downloads and mobile web browsing. AT&T's MEdia Net service enables you to receive and send emails, read news headlines, get weather updates, download games and ringtones, and more. LG Xenon GR500's also pre-loaded with AT&T's Mobile Banking application, which is compatible with accounts from banks including Wachovia, SunTrust, Synovus, and BancorpSouth.

Mobile Banking from AT&T affords you the flexibility to stay on top of your banking needs while you're on the move, enabling you to check your account balance, securely transfer funds between your eligible accounts, view and pay bills, and review your transaction history. AT&T customers pay no additional fee to access mobile banking and, because the application resides on the handset, the service is optimized to reduce the number of new page views necessary to complete a transaction. Minimal data usage charges apply and vary based on individual use.

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