A tour of today's cell-phone paradise—where an Apple is the only forbidden fruit
•^For 10 years
Motorola has defined cell-phone style, from the tiny StarTAC of the mid-1990s to the RAZR of the past few years. Now comes the KRZR, which takes cues from the RAZR but is slimmer and more colorful (pictured in Fire Red). SI00 with two-year Verizon contract.
T Last year's Motorola Q smartphone is still one of the leading lights of the market. The news here is how Amp'd Mobile overhauls the phone's interface for its customers, foregrounding the Q's multimedia capacities and Amp'd's impressive original music and video content. $200 with Amp'd contract.
In January a certain computer maker announced it was introducing a phone. Since then we've heard nothing but panting anticipation. But when it costs $600 with a two-year contract, we have trouble seeing the iPhone's allure. Sure, it's pretty, plays music and does other neat tricks, but so do all its competitors. Instead of carrying a phone that says "I have more money than sense," choose one of these to communicate style, sophistication and a refusal to follow.
? Nokia's N95 has some junk in its trunk but packs a five-megapixel camera, GPS, Wi-Fi and a slew of other techno treats. This thing is a Cadillac in every sense, including how it feels in your pocket. S500 to S600 with contract.
? We like our gadgets flexible, so we like Samsung's u740 a lot. It opens vertically for phone calls, but for web, video and texting it opens to the side, laptop-style (shown), offering a full QWERTY keypad in a slim form. $150 with two-year Verizon contract.
A Sony Ericsson's k790 focuses on an often shortchanged area of phones: the camera. The k790 packs a 3.2-megapixel sensor into a compact body and features the company's distinctive camera-like backside. $400, Cingular and T-Mobile.
•4 Last year Black-Berry's Pearl debuted an interface breakthrough: a trackball. Too bad it lacked the full keypad Black-Berry is known for. Now the 8800 is here, with full keyboard, trackball and all the smartphone trimmings. $300 with two-year Cingular contract.
•^ With its unique swiveling screen, the LG VX9400 was born to show you video. And since it's compatible with Verizon's impressive new MediaFLO video-streaming service, you'll be able to catch up on Laguna Beach while you're poolside with a pina colada. $150 with Verizon contract.
'¦'¦ -4 Helio's Heat is a sleek touch-sensitive Samsung slider tricked out with the company's Buddy Beacon so you can tell when friends are nearby. Plus you can blog and update your MySpace page right from the phone. $150.
WHERE AND HOW TO BUY ON PAGE 141.
