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Small wonders: Sleek and sexy smartphones with big brains

Bonnie Cha
Bonnie Cha, February 1, 2008

Smartphones--they're a great concept. Combined are the powers of a cell phone and a PDA in one unit, letting you make calls, send e-mail, and work on documents without myriad gadgets. In the past, smartphones typically have been clunky and heavy, making them unattractive substitutes for your primary cell phone. However, things are looking up as the device manufacturers are producing sleek handsets in a variety of designs. Take these six smartphones, which are compact and pocketable yet don't sacrifice important features such as wireless connectivity and PIM functionality. Read our reviews to see if one of these compact and light smartphones is right for you.

Product name
HTC SMT5800 (Verizon Wireless)
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HTC SMT5800 (Verizon Wireless)

RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8130 - silver (Verizon Wireless)
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RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8130 - silver (Verizon Wireless)

Palm Centro - red (Sprint)
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Palm Centro - red (Sprint)

Nokia N95 - brown/silver (North American Edition, Unlocked)
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Nokia N95 - brown/silver (North American Edition, Unlocked)

T-Mobile Shadow (copper)
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T-Mobile Shadow (copper)

Price Check Prices $49.99 $0.00 $370.95 to $474.99 $0.01 to $149.99 $79.99
CNET editors' rating
Average user rating
Review date January 31, 2008 November 30, 2007 October 11, 2007 September 24, 2007 October 28, 2007 October 22, 2007
The Bottom Line The Verizon Wireless SMT5800 is a sleek and powerful Windows Mobile smartphone for mobile professionals who want to mange their e-mail on the go. The RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8130 improves on an already-impressive smartphone with the addition of GPS, video recording, and 3G support. The Palm Centro isn't the innovative product we were looking for from the company, but with its slimmer size, ease of use, and affordable price tag, the Centro is a good option for those looking for their first smartphone. The North American Edition of the Nokia N95 brings some notable additions, including 3G support and better performance, to make this powerful smart phone even better. However, it'll still leave a deep gouge in your wallet. For the young professionals who have outgrown their cell phone but aren't quite ready for a business-centric device, the T-Mobile Shadow offers a nice compromise, as the entry-level smartphone brings the capabilities of a Windows Mobile smartphone into a fresh and affordable package. The HTC Touch cell phone for Sprint boasts an innovative touch screen, a sleek interface, and a nice set of features, but the lack of a sizable keyboard really limits the usability of this device.
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Features
Packaged contents Info unavailable USB sync cable
AC adpater
USB sync cable
AC charger
Info unavailable Carrying case
Hands-free headset
Info unavailable
RAM installed size Info unavailable 64 MB
128 MB
Info unavailable 64 MB
128 MB
Band / mode Info unavailable Dual-band CDMA2000 EvDO
Dual-band CDMA2000 EvDO
WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM 850/900/1800/1900
GSM 850/900/1800/1900 (Quadband)
Info unavailable
Cellular technology Info unavailable CDMA
CDMA
WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM
GSM
Info unavailable
OS provided Info unavailable BlackBerry Handheld Software
Palm OS 5.4.9
Info unavailable Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.0
Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.0 Professional
Talk time Info unavailable 220 min
210 min
Up to 205 min
Up to 300 min
Up to 240 min
Flash memory form factor Info unavailable Info unavailable Info unavailable microSD
Info unavailable MicroSD
Color support Info unavailable 16-bit (64K colors)
16-bit (64K colors)
Info unavailable 16-bit (64K colors)
16-bit (64K colors)
Clock speed Info unavailable Info unavailable 201 MHz
Info unavailable 200 MHz
201 MHz
Weight Info unavailable 3.4 oz
4.2 oz
4.2 oz
5.3 oz