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Best cell phones of 2009 (photos)

CNET rounds up the best cell phones of 2009.

Kent German
Kent was a senior managing editor at CNET News. A veteran of CNET since 2003, he reviewed the first iPhone and worked in both the London and San Francisco offices. When not working, he's planning his next vacation, walking his dog or watching planes land at the airport (yes, really).
Kent German
1 of 11 Corinne Schulze/CNET

Samsung Impression

The Samsung Impression isn't perfect, but it ranks high on our list as a messaging and multimedia phone.
2 of 11 Corinne Schulze/CNET

LG enV Touch

The LG enV Touch's combination of great design and top-notch features makes it one of the best Verizon Wireless phones we've ever seen. It won CNET's Editors Choice' award.
3 of 11 Corinne Schulze/CNET

Sony Ericsson C905a

If you want a high-quality camera phone from AT&T, you can't go wrong with the Sony Ericsson Cyber-shot C905a.
4 of 11 Corinne Schulze/CNET

Samsung Rogue

The Samsung Rogue is a great multimedia touch-screen messaging phone for Verizon Wireless customers. It also won CNET's Editors' Choice award.
5 of 11 Corinne Schulze/CNET

Samsung Memoir

If you don't mind the price, the Samsung Memoir lives up to its promise as a top-notch camera phone.
6 of 11

LG VX8360

Though it remains a midtier offering, the LG VX8360 is still a great multimedia phone with excellent audio performance.
7 of 11

Samsung Alias 2

The Samsung Alias 2 is an inventive update to Samsung's previous messaging phone. Provided you can afford it, and learn how to use it, it's a powerful messaging device with reliable performance.
8 of 11 Josh Miller/CNET

Sony Ericsson Aino

The Sony Ericsson Aino's luscious display and multimedia offerings make it one of the better unlocked phones we've seen this year.
9 of 11 Corinne Schulze/CNET

Casio Exilim C721

If you don't mind its cost, the Casio Exilim C721 is a sleek yet durable phone with a great megapixel camera and plenty of high-end features.
10 of 11 Josh Miller/CNET

Samsung Instinct HD

The Samsung Instinct HD packs a lot of features and decent performance into an appealing design. But even with all it has to offer, we'd prefer to pay less and get a full smartphone.
11 of 11 Josh Miller/CNET

Motorola Cliq

With its excellent design, user interface improvements, and admirable feature set, the Motorola Cliq gives a big boost to the Android operating system. We had some performance quibbles with the device, and the MotoBlur interface can be a bit much, but the phone has a lot to like.

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