Dell
Why lug around a laptop when you can put all of its features in your pocket? Today's smartphones are Swiss Army knives of productivity: business apps, corporate e-mail, Wi-Fi and other wireless connectivity options, and--yes--entertainment features such as MP3 and video players. What's more, next-gen smartphones are hitting stores by the day. Welcome to CNET's smartphone headquarters, the one place to get all the info on all the latest and greatest phones. Stay up to date on all the latest smartphones with our full reviews, blogs, news stories, photo galleries, videos, and shopping advice. We're talking BlackBerry, iPhone, Treo, Nokia N95, HTC phones, the AT&T Tilt, and everything in between.
Smartphone CNET editors' reviews
The good: The Apple iPhone 3G offers critical new features including support for high-speed 3G networks, third-party applications, and expanded e-mail. Its call quality is improved and it continues to deliver an excellent music and video experience.
The bad: The iPhone 3G continues to lack some basic features that are available on even the simplest cell phone. Battery life was uneven, and the 3G connection tended to be shaky. Also, the e-mail syncing is not without its faults.
The bottom line: The iPhone 3G delivers on its promises by adding critical features and sharper call quality. The iTunes App Store is pretty amazing, and the 3G support is more than welcome. Critical features still are missing, and the battery depletes quickly under heavy use, but the iPhone 3G is a big improvement over the original model.
The good: The T-Mobile Sidekick offers customizable shells for extra personalization. The phone also features stereo Bluetooth support and a 2-megapixel camera with video recording and playback. The handheld continues to offers strong messaging capabilities.
The bad: The inclusion of Wi-Fi or 3G support would have been nice. The phone's speaker was very soft, and the video recording and playback is limited.
The bottom line: With the new features, extra level of customization, and affordable price tag, the T-Mobile Sidekick is a good choice for the carrier's younger customers looking for an all-in-one communication device.
The good: The Palm Treo 800w brings the addition of Wi-Fi and GPS. The Windows Mobile 6.1 smartphone also offers EV-DO Rev. A support; a higher resolution touch screen; a slimmer design; and a 2-megapixel camera.
The bad: The Treo 800w can be sluggish at times and call quality could be better. The QWERTY keyboard may also give users some problems.
The bottom line: With the addition of Wi-Fi and GPS, the Palm Treo 800w finally catches up to some of its competition and even offers a better design. The Windows Mobile smartphone will be a good fit for Sprint's business customers, if the battery life can keep up.
The good: The Motorola Q Global ships with Windows Mobile 6.1 out of the box and offers HSDPA support, Bluetooth, and GPS.
The bad: The Moto Q Global lacks Wi-Fi and can be sluggish at times. The smartphone is also a tad bulky.
The bottom line: The Motorola Q Global brings an updated look and the latest Windows Mobile operating system to the messaging-centric smartphone.
The good: The HP iPaq 910c Business Messenger features Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, and 3G support. The Windows Mobile 6.1 smartphone also offers strong messaging capabilities with a full QWERTY keyboard, and a 3-megapixel camera.
The bad: The iPaq 910c is bulky and the screen size is a bit small. The smartphone is expensive and can be sluggish at times. The phone's speaker is also on the soft side.
The bottom line: The HP iPaq 910c offers mobile professionals a well-stocked, messaging-centric smartphone, but it faces stiff competition from the likes of HTC, Samsung, and Motorola.
The good: The HTC Touch Diamond has a cool 3D interface and a beautiful touch screen. The Windows Mobile 6.1 smartphone also offers Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and a 3.2-megapixel camera.
The bad: The Touch Diamond is sluggish and call quality is subpar. The TouchFLO interface has a bit of a learning curve, and there's no expansion slot.
The bottom line: The HTC Touch Diamond offers much in the way of sex appeal and flash, and it's certainly got a formidable feature set. However, we hope HTC resolves some of the performance issues we experienced before the smartphone is released in the States.
Smartphone features
CNET's quick guide to handheld operating systems
When shopping for a new PDA or smartphone, you probably weigh your decision based on factors such as the size of the device, its features, and its price. But what about the operating system? In this quick guide, we take a look at the four major OSs--Palm, Windows Mobile, BlackBerry, and Symbian--to see what they offer and how they compare to each other. Read our guide. Read more
March 16, 2007Cell phone buying guide
When you set out to buy a cell phone, it's important to get not only the best handset but also the carrier plan that's right for you. CNET's cell phone buying guide can help you land both. Read more
August 1, 2007Dialed In podcast
Whether it's for just making calls or for cramming your entire life into one device, the ubiquitous cell phone continues to evolve. Each week cell phone editors Kent German, Bonnie Cha and Nicole Lee meet to discuss the latest cell phone news and answer your questions. Join us to find out what's in, what's out and what's coming next. Read more
October 4, 2007Cell phone buying guide
When you set out to buy a cell phone, it's important to get not only the best handset but also the carrier plan that's right for you. CNET's cell phone buying guide can help you land both. Read more
August 1, 2007Smartphones for first-time users
In this roundup, CNET editors recommend the best smartphones for first-time users. Models include the T-Mobile Sidekick II, T-Mobile SDA, RIM BlackBerry 7130e, and Palm Treo 650. Read more
April 26, 2007Smartphones for business users
CNET editors round up business-friendly smartphones offering productivity and connectivity tools for working on the road. Models include the AT&T Tilt, Sprint Mogul, Samsung BlackJack, and BlackBerry 8830. Read more
October 8, 2007Readers' favorite smartphones
CNET readers rank their favorite smartphones. Models include the T-Mobile Dash, Samsung BlackJack, BlackBerry Pearl, and Nokia N95. Read more
July 18, 2007Apple iPhone reviews, news, photos, video, and more
Complete coverage from all of CNET on the smartphone that changed the game for cell phones. Read more
November 20, 2006Smartphone news
For handset makers, it's all about location
The young market for so-called location-based services may have just found a shortcut to mainstream adoption. Read more
October 2, 2007Bringing smartphones to the masses
Smartphones, or phones that enable Web access and e-mail, are heading for the mass market. Read more
September 28, 2007Intel has ARM in its crosshairs
Intel could not have signaled its target for the next five years any more clearly than it did at last week's Intel Developer Forum. Read more
September 26, 2007Coming to grips with the iPhone's design
Is one hand better than two? For years, smartphone designers have built products around the premise that people should only have to use one hand to control a cell phone. Apple, as it is wont to do, headed in the other direction. Read more
August 27, 2007Google bets on mobile market
Search giant Google is setting the stage for its biggest push yet into the U.S. mobile market, in a strategy that delicately straddles the line between partnering and competing with the major cell phone operators. Read more
July 31, 2007
Smartphone tips and tricks
Cool tricks with your cell phone
Your phone can do more than just make phone calls. Learn six killer services that will turn your phone into the productivity tool you've always hoped it could be. Read more
Google Maps on your phone
With a cell phone and an Internet connection, you can access street maps using Google Maps, get directions, and even view satellite imagery. We'll teach you everything you need to start using this valuable feature. Read more
Using a cell phone overseas
Cell phones are great for anytime-anywhere voice calls and text messaging but, as many a traveler has painfully discovered, they often don't work internationally. How can you tell if yours will? Check out this quick primer to find out everything you need to know. Read more
Send e-mail from your smartphone
Just because you leave the office doesn't mean you have to leave your e-mail behind. Armed with a smartphone and a little know-how, you can take your e-mail on the road. This course will teach you how, plus how to use SMS and instant messages to communicate without taking a call. Read more
Add Bluetooth
Hands-free, in-car phones are certainly less distracting, but they have the huge disadvantage of not being portable. Bluetooth changes all of that by providing the safety and convenience of a hands-free, in-car phone while still keeping the flexibility a cell phone provides. Read more
Choosing between CDMA and GSM
GSM and CDMA are the two main digital technologies that cell phone carriers in the United States use to transmit calls. Since GSM and CDMA transmit calls using different methods, they are incompatible, so a phone used on one network cannot be used on another. And while there are some complex variations, on a more surface level, each technology offers distinct advantages to consumers. Read more
Learn about smartphones
Once thought of as just a business person's tool, smartphones are quickly taking off among professionals and consumers alike and with good reason. Smartphones combine the smarts of a PDA and cell phone into one gadget, allowing you to stay connected to you contacts, organize your appointments, work on office documents, and more. It's a great solution for people who are constantly on the go and/or want to minimize their tech setup.
There are various types of smartphones on the market today. You'll find some models that are more phone-centric while others focus more on messaging capabilities. This will often influence the design of a smartphone, as they can range from the sleek to the bulky. There are also varying operating systems--Palm, Windows Mobile, Symbian, BlackBerry, and Apple--each with its pros and cons. For more detailed information, please see our cell phone buying guide and quick guide to handheld operating systems, and be sure to check out all our latest smartphone reviews.
Smartphone pictures
Today's latest and greatest smartphones
Smartphones are growing in popularity, and we're not surprised. These devices combine the power of a cell phone and a PDA into one unit, letting you make calls, send e-mails, and work on documents without having myriad gadgets. Here we've rounded up some of the latest and greatest smartphones on the market today.
CTIA 2007 smartphone line show
HTC shows us a gallery of new smartphones at CTIA. We also saw new versions of the Motorola Q and a new model from Samsung.
Nokia N series slide show
See all of Nokia's new N series and Xpress Music in our photo gallery.
Smartphone videos
AT&T Tilt
The AT&T Tilt promises to be the carrier's most powerful smartphone for business users with its full range of wireless options, Windows Mobile 6, and an innovative tilt screen.
Nokia N95 (North American edition)
The North American edition of the Nokia N95 brings some notable additions, including 3G support and better performance, to make this powerful smartphone even better.
Apple iPhone (8GB)
Kent German's and Donald Bell's first tour of the phone it seemed everybody was waiting for.
RIM BlackBerry Curve - pale gold (T-Mobile)
The RIM BlackBerry Curve for T-Mobile is the best BlackBerry we've seen to date. It offers Wi-Fi, a best-of-breed design, and excellent performance.
Motorola Q9m (Verizon Wireless)
The Motorola Q9m brings some nice design upgrades and a more consumer-focused experience with enhanced multimedia capabilities, but behind all the sexy packaging, the smartphone still feels underpowered.
HTC Mogul PPC-6800 (Sprint)
The Sprint Mogul by HTC brings some needed design and feature updates to its predecessor and refreshes the carrier's staid lineup of smartphones. It has some performance issues, but it's worth the upgrade.
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