Quantcast
Subscribe to magazine

Top 10 Smart Phones

Need a break from your laptop? These productivity phones offer a lot more than the ability to make calls. Here are the 10 best smart phones available today, according to PC World Test Center reviews.

By Liane Cassavoy

Compare ProductsCheck boxes to

PCW Rating: 86.8PCW Rating: 86.8PCW Rating: 86.8

Last Rated: November 07, 2008

 BEST BUY!

1. RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8120

Design: Candy bar, Carrier: Carrier:AT&T, OS Supported: OS:Proprietary, Battery Life Average (hh:mm): 9:43,

Bottom Line: E-mail-friendly handset boasts strong multimedia features, including a camera and media player.

Full Review • Test Report • Check latest prices 		Price When Reviewed: $250 Check Latest Prices

PCW Rating: 86.4PCW Rating: 86.4PCW Rating: 86.4

Last Rated: November 07, 2008

2. RIM BlackBerry Curve 8320

Design: Candy bar, Carrier: Carrier:T-Mobile, OS Supported: OS:Proprietary, Battery Life Average (hh:mm): 10:00,

Bottom Line: Voice-over-Wi-Fi feature makes an excellent phone even better.

Full Review • Test Report • Check latest prices 		Price When Reviewed: $250 Check Latest Prices

PCW Rating: 84.1PCW Rating: 84.1PCW Rating: 84.1

Last Rated: November 07, 2008

3. T-Mobile G1

Design: Candy bar, Carrier: Carrier:T-Mobile, Battery Life Average (hh:mm): 5:51,

Bottom Line: The G1 has great call quality and does a good job of melding hardware with the Android operating system.

Full Review • Test Report 		Price When Reviewed: $179 Check Latest Prices

PCW Rating: 82.7PCW Rating: 82.7PCW Rating: 82.7

Last Rated: November 07, 2008

4. RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8100

Design: Candy bar, Carrier: Carrier:T-Mobile, OS Supported: OS:J2ME, Battery Life Average (hh:mm): 8:34,

Bottom Line: This sleek cell phone adds a serviceable camera and multimedia features to BlackBerry's already terrific e-mail capabilities.

Full Review • Test Report • Check latest prices 		Price When Reviewed: $150 Check Latest Prices

PCW Rating: 82.5PCW Rating: 82.5PCW Rating: 82.5

Last Rated: November 07, 2008

5. Apple iPhone 3G

Design: Candy bar, Carrier: Carrier:AT&T, Battery Life Average (hh:mm): 5:38,

Bottom Line: With a lower price, 3G radio, and GPS, this smart phone is in a class by itself.

Full Review • Test Report 		Price When Reviewed: $199 Check Latest Prices

PCW Rating: 82.4PCW Rating: 82.4PCW Rating: 82.4

Last Rated: November 07, 2008

6. RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8120 (T-Mobile)

Design: Candy bar, Carrier: Carrier:T-Mobile, OS Supported: OS:Proprietary, Battery Life Average (hh:mm): 10:00,

Bottom Line: Sleek Pearl lets consumers use Wi-Fi to boost call quality where cell signals falter.

Full Review • Test Report • Check latest prices 		Price When Reviewed: $200 Check Latest Prices

PCW Rating: 82.3PCW Rating: 82.3PCW Rating: 82.3

Last Rated: November 07, 2008

7. RIM BlackBerry Bold

Design: Candy bar, Carrier: Carrier:AT&T, OS Supported: OS:Proprietary, Battery Life Average (hh:mm): 7:56,

Bottom Line: The BlackBerry Bold almost lives up to its name with a stunning design, but its mediocre call quality and camera hold it back

Full Review • Test Report • Check latest prices 		Price When Reviewed: $300 Check Latest Prices

PCW Rating: 81.8PCW Rating: 81.8PCW Rating: 81.8

Last Rated: November 07, 2008

8. T-Mobile Shadow

Design: Slide, Carrier: Carrier:T-Mobile, OS Supported: OS:Windows Mobile, Battery Life Average (hh:mm): 10:00,

Bottom Line: With the Shadow, T-Mobile delivers a smart phone smarter than most; its tinny call quality may be a concern.

Full Review • Test Report • Check latest prices 		Price When Reviewed: $100 Check Latest Prices

PCW Rating: 81.6PCW Rating: 81.6PCW Rating: 81.6

Last Rated: November 07, 2008

9. T-Mobile Sidekick 2008

Design: Swivel, Carrier: Carrier:T-Mobile, OS Supported: OS:DangerOS, Battery Life Average (hh:mm): 8:57,

Bottom Line: A slimmer, sexier take on the Sidekick, but it's so narrowly-focused that it's only meant for kids.

Full Review • Test Report 		Price When Reviewed: $200 Check Latest Prices

PCW Rating: 81.6PCW Rating: 81.6PCW Rating: 81.6

Last Rated: January 11, 2008

10. Palm Centro

Design: Candy bar, Carrier: Carrier:Sprint, OS Supported: OS:Palm, Battery Life Average (hh:mm): 4:19,

Bottom Line: A sporty counterpart to the aging Treo gives you EvDO and the Palm OS, too.

Full Review • Test Report • Check latest prices 		Price When Reviewed: $100 Check Latest Prices
Compare ProductsCheck boxes to
  • Recommend this story?
  • 0 Yes
    0 No

Today's Special Offers

Name City
Address 1 State Zip
Address 2 E-mail (optional)