When Nokia announced the N81 and the N81 8GB some months ago, all I could think was that it was in some way Nokia’s way of trying to let the world know that, despite the rousing success of the iPhone, it was still in the game, and would continue to make compelling mobile devices. Hardware The N81 8GB is a near top-of-the line model from Nokia. Almost matching the N95 8GB feature for feature, this smartphone is featured as the music and gaming device du jour from Nokia, and comes loaded to the gills with 8 GB of internal space, GPS, a 2 megapixel digital...

The Samsung BlackJack II is a Windows Mobile 6 smartphone available now from AT&T. As its name suggests, this is an updated version of a model that debuted in late 2006. The new device has a number of improvements over its predecessor, including an upgraded operating system, more memory, and a GPS receiver. I’ve been using this device for only a short time, but I want to share my preliminary impressions of it. A full review will be available later. Hardware This smartphone uses a design that become fairly common: a slim tablet shape with a QVGA...

I’d like to start off this review with a brief warning: most of you probably don’t want to read any further. The Viewsonic v38r is very much unlike the consumer and light-business grade devices that we usually review here. Instead, it is a “ruggedized” device, sometimes referred to as an “industrial” device.Rather than an office or home, it’s designed to work in less technology-hospitable climates such as warehouses, delivery trucks, field operations — anywhere that a conventional handheld would risk damage. The...

While smartphones in general have been a very hot topic of late, smartphones that have a specialized focus in music or mapping seem to have garnered even more attention. GPS phones in particular are a growing segment because, besides getting us connected with people and places where we want to go, they help us during the journey. The recently-announced Pharos 600 GPS phone is impressive in this regard. Its fashionable design and sleek form factor are at home in your purse or pocket, but its ability to tell you where the next restaurant is makes putting it...

Nokia announced the N800, its second generation Internet Tablet. I was able to put this brand new device through its paces at the Consumer Electronics Show. My first impressions are fairly positive. It has some nice new features not included in its predecessor, the Nokia 770, like a built-in web camera, dual memory card slots, stereo speakers, and a stand. Hardware This model has approximately the same form-factor as the 770 but it’s not exactly identical. It felt very comfortable to hold. On its back, there’s a bulge across the top, where the...

This smartphone debuted a few months ago from Vodafone in several European countries, but tomorrow will be the first time it is available in the United States. It will cost $400 with two-year service agreement, after a $100 mail-in rebate. The Treo 750 will be available from Cingular’s web site and its retail stores. Palm’s web site will be another option. More About the Palm Treo 750 This model is the first Windows Mobile-based Treo to use the GSM cellular-wireless standard. The 750 greatly resembles previous smartphones from Palm, but, unlike...

HP’s newest Pocket PC phone, the iPAQ hw6900 series, comes in several different models. Foremost among these are the hw6920 and hw6925. While these are both Cingular-branded models, and locked to that carrier’s network, the difference between them is that the hw6925 has a camera, while the hw6920 does not. Related models include the hw6945 and hw6940, which are unlocked units usable with any carrier, again with and without the camera. The unit loaned to us for review was the hw6925, including the 1.3 megapixel camera. Physically almost identical...

The vast majority of Windows Mobile Smartphones have a tablet shape, but HTC makes one that stands out from the crowd. This model, code-named Star Trek, uses a clamshell design, but still manages to be slim enough to invite comparison to the very popular Motorola RAZR. This smartphone is currently being offered by several companies under different names, including the Cingular 3125 and the i-mate SmartFlip. Recently, a web site based in Russia, hpc.ru, claims to have obtained a copy of HTC’s product roadmap for 2007. Listed on this is a device that...

Palm Inc. introduced its latest smartphone, the Treo 680, just a month or so ago. At this point, only a few wireless carriers are offering it, so it’s not surprising that many people are eagerly looking for signs that this device will soon be available from their preferred carrier. This might be the reason why some have quickly leaped onto a hint that the Treo 680 will be coming to T-Mobile USA in the near future. Palm’s support site lists the contact information people need if they want help using various Treo models with a wide assortment of...

After pre-announcing its plans months ago, Sprint has just officially promised that it will begin offering the Motorola Q in the near future. Despite this, Sprint still hasn’t said exactly when it begin selling this Windows Mobile Smartphone. All it is promising at this point is that this device will be available later this month. It will intitially be sold through this carrier’s business sales channels and its web site. It won’t be in Sprint’s retail stores until mid-February. (view large image) Sprint also isn’t saying what...