HP IPAQ Data Messenger

The Good :
Fast data connection
Call quality
Pics are good considering just 3.1MP camera

The Bad :
No front camera for video call
Ugly

Retro keypad
Out of date before it was even launched

Final Word
Fans of HP's iPAQs should appreciate the advent of a device with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. The D-pad is another stand-out feature. However, HP has missed some key tricks: the screen could use some more pixels; there's no front-facing camera for two-way video calls; we're not fans of micro-USB connectors; and a 3.5mm audio jack really is a must.

Nokia 8800 Carbon Arte

Key Features :
Yells expensive (and it does cost an arm and a leg)
Body made of the highest quality materials
2-inch 16M-color OLED display of QVGA resolution
3G support
3 megapixel camera with autofocus
Fingerprint resistant surface on the back
4GB internal memory
Series 40 5th edition user interface

Main Disadvantages :
Smallish display with poor sunlight legibility
Tri-band only
No memory expansion
Costs an arm and a leg
No video calls

Final Word :

You have probably made up your mind by now about buying the 8800 Carbon Arte or not, and there is little we can say to change it. One thing is for sure - budget and Nokia 8800 Carbon Arte just don't rhyme
The looks and the feel of this phone are awesome and you can bet attention has been paid to every detail. Even if you tried really hard there is barely a thing you can complain about as far as design and construction is concerned. We doubt it tech-freaks will get a kick of those sleek curves but they were never meant to be the target of Nokia 8800 Carbon Arte.
At this stage Nokia is the unchallenged sovereign of this niche. And they can do whatever they want as it seems - even if it's replicating the same design and swapping one piece of exotic material for the next. In the premium segment it's a different set of rules. We're talking a market where upgrading from Sirocco to Arte may as well be considered bad taste. Owning the complete set is more like it

Nokia N96

Key Features
2.8" 16M-color TFT LCD display of QVGA resolution
5 megapixel autofocus camera with dual-LED flash and AF assist light
Built-in DVB-H TV tuner
Symbian OS 9.3 with S60 3.2 UI
Dual ARM 9 264 MHz CPU and 128 MB of RAM
3G with HSDPA support
Quad-band GSM support
Wi-Fi with UPnP technology
Built-in GPS with A-GPS functionality and 3 months of free voice-guided navigation
Dual slide design with dedicated gaming/audio keys
Massive 16GB onboard storage
microSD card slot with microSDHC support
Built-in accelerometer for UI auto-rotation
3.5 mm audio jack
TV out
Stereo FM Radio with RDS
Car charger in the retail package
VGA video recording at 30fps
USB and Bluetooth v2.0
One free N-gage game and Transformers movie preloaded
Keypad locking slide key

Main disadvantages:
Inadequate battery life
No camera lens protection
No office document editing out of the box
Doesn't charge via the USB port
Dreadful camera key
Cheap looking keypad

Final Word
Maybe Nokia N96 wasn't really intended to take the market by storm and turn the world around. Maybe it was meant to quietly update the top multimedia gadget of the house and continue to cash in.
It just seems Nokia won't put all eggs in the same basket. And that makes us wondering. More high-end stuff will be available in affordable handsets, Arte will continue to define exquisite splendor, Eseries will go on blending exceptional skill with refined elegance and Touch UI will slowly be conquering the company portfolio. If all those assumptions are true, shall we fear the Nseries packed with features beyond belief but only getting uglier?
Tempted though we are to say that failure is looming over Nokia N96, we know better than that. There will be quite a lot of diehard Symbian fans (and even a few individuals that do actually need DVB-H support) that will go against their aesthetic sense and get the N96. And no, we don't think they will be disappointed or eager to agree with most of the things we said in this review.
As for the rest of the potential buyers - Nokia N96 is a great software package that comes in an utterly user-unfriendly shell. The ergonomics of the device are so poor (except for video watching) that operating it is a chore, rather than fun. Not to mention looks that are….oh well, controversial will have to do. It's just that when you dish out a healthy sum it's only fair to expect style and finesse. For all we know, style and finesse may have different meaning in the geek world and that's where the name of Nokia N96 sure rings a special bell.

T - Mobile G1

Key Features
Android OS
3.2" capacitive touchscreen display of HVGA resolution
Slide-out five-row full QWERTY keyboard
Qualcomm MSM 7201A 528 MHz CPU, 192 MB RAM
Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
3G with HSDPA 7.2 Mbps and HSUPA 2Mbps
3.15 megapixel autofocus camera
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g
GPS
Trackball
Accelerometer sensor
Digital compass

Main disadvantages:

Quite unassuming looks
Pretty bulky and heavy
The slider mechanism rattles
No secondary videocall camera
No video recording
No flash support in the web browser
No file transfers or A2DP over Bluetooth
No FM radio
No screen auto rotation
No smart dialing

Final Word :

There we are at the end of our very first Android-powered review. The T-Mobile G1 made quite a start and had us impressed on quite a few counts. It's far from the perfect package but it gets the things that mater done and gets them done right. The interface is not only up and running, it has purpose and direction.
It maybe a long journey but the first step is daring enough. Instead of trying to expand on an already existing platform Google decided to build a new one from scratch and the effort is well worth it.
The immaturity of the platform has its disadvantages too - the limited third party software and the lack of hardware choices. Those are being addressed as we speak of course and the Android Market will be brimming with software sooner rather than later, while new Android devices should be just around the corner set to launch in 2009.
But back to the small story in the Android history, T-Mobile G1 or its sibling HTC Dream is already standing taller than its actual height. What would've been another average smart QWERTY messenger is the herald of Google OS. Of course, the lack of Flash support in the browser, Bluetooth file transfer or even a proper file manager will be used against the G1 but it's not what it would be remembered by.
As to the iPhone, it doesn't necessarily need to feel threatened at this point, but at least Apple will know that changing the rules on the mobile phone market is not their exclusive territory.

MacBook Pro

The Good :
excellent display color, brightness and clarity; won't fade over time.
2 GB of memory standard
excellent keyboard and trackpad
good expandability (FireWire 800, Express/34, 30" Display support)
very good battery life

The Bad :
noisy audio
won't run classic Mac OS software
hard drive inaccessible

Final Word :
Historically, Mac laptop performance has been irregular. The PowerBook 500 series offered nearly the performance of a Quadra, but its PowerBook 5300 successor was a dud. The PowerBook G3 "Wallstreet" and "Pismo" offered performance on par with their desktop G3 cousins. In recent years, G4-based PowerBook performance fell further and further behind G5 desktops. Apple tricked them out with illuminated keyboards, ambient light sensors, FireWire 800, and stunning industrial design, but they weren't really a viable desktop replacement for creative professionals.
The original MacBook Pro changed that, finally delivering high performance to match the marketing claims. Early models had problems (see our Laptop Reliability Report for more), but most were fixed by the October 2006 Core 2 Duo revision, which also added FireWire 800 for high-speed storage support.
The inexpensive, 13" MacBook is the Pro's main competition. The MacBook provides better bang-for-the-buck with surprisingly few performance limitations; the MacBook Pro justifies its price tag with a stunning display, better quality keyboard, sleeker industrial design and greater expandability.
The new Santa Rosa-based MacBook Pro shows only modest improvements over its immediate predecessor — anyone who bought a MacBook Pro last month needn't run to buy the new one — but it is a substantial improvement over the first MacBook Pro models, and very competitive with current Core 2 Duo iMac desktops. And if you own a PowerBook G4, now is the time to upgrade. With the Adobe Creative Suite 3 running fully native and Office 2008 on the horizon in the next few months, there's not much reason to wait.
With the early MacBook Pro problems resolved, we think the latest Core 2 Duo models are a grand slam. Better battery life, environmentally-friendly displays that won't fade over time, lots of RAM and hard drive capacity, and the fastest memory available to laptops make this portable Mac very compelling. Add a large 24-bit external display, and you'll have the best of both worlds: desktop power with portability.

Sony Ericsson HBH DS970

The Good :
The easy-to-use Sony Ericsson HBH-DS970 offers superior sound quality and an admirable feature set.

The Bad :
The Sony Ericsson HBH-DS970's wearing style is a bit clunky. Also, the multi-device function could perform better

Final Word :
Despite some design and performance complaints the Sony Ericsson HBH-DS970 delivers solid sound quality and generous features.

Listening
It's not the loudest we've heard, but the HBH-DS970 pumps out high quality sound from its comfortable and snug in-earpieces with impeccable performance across the range - including bass. Its range hovers decently around 4 meters, and as for for battery life,some might say 5,5 hours of use is on the short side for a headset - but remember, this is in stereo and quite a small package.

Wearing
Designed to be worn in a pendant fashion, the HBH-DS970 is suitably light at 27 g, yet has the unfortunate habit of bouncing around in a very annoying manner when walking as it lacks a clothes clip. This means skipping tracks with the otherwise easily distinguishable controls can only be done after getting a good grip on it, which is further adds to the hassle factor. Its LCD screen, however is very useful for informing users of battery life and music status.

Blackberry Pearl Flip 8820

The BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 is the first clamshell BlackBerry from RIM and it’s a sleek departure from the bulky business wide look of the BlackBerry lineup. It uses the Tron UI and the latest BlackBerry OS and although the screen is smaller and lacks the horsepower, the translation goes pretty well but marred with performance issues.
Features include OVGA 2.4 inch 320×240 screen supporting 65K colors, media capabilities, 2 megapixel camera and video recording, html rendering, stereo bluetooth support, external microSD memory card slot and full fledged BlackBerry apps such as email, Flickr and Facebook.
Connectivity support includes Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE/WiFi network as well as support for international roaming.

Hummer HT1

Key Features :

GSM(900/1800/1900 MHz) Network Support, GPRS/EDGE
2.2″ 260K QVGA Color TFT Touchscreen
MP3 Player
2 -megapixel digital camera
256 MB of memory
microSD memory card slot

Final Word :

We might get used seeing sports car manufacturers unearthing expensive limited edition phones (Ferrari Phone and Porsche Phone), but it is kind of feeling special seeing truck maker, Hummer releases its first cellular phone, Hummer HT1. The Hummer HT1 phone is made designed by French corporation, Modelabs and Hummer.
Just like Hummer trucks, the Hummer HT1 is strong and solid as it is water, dust and shock resistant. However, unlike Hummer truck which is huge, the Hummer HT1 cellular phone is small and light enough for you to carry around. It measures only 96×49×14.9mm and weights 100 grams.

Sony Ericsson W705

The Good :
Design is just the right side of bling; great sound quality; speedy Wi-Fi and HSPA connectivity; podcast support; FM radio

The Bad :
Proprietary headphone jack; teeny-tiny Walkman button; dull, confusing music transfer software

Final Word :
The W705 has great audio quality and looks, nailing that difficult classy bling look. But despite a wealth of useful features, such as Wi-Fi, it suffers from a handful of clangers: the Walkman button is tiny and hard to press, making shake control almost impossible; there's no standard 3.5mm headphone jack; and the music transfer software is awful.

Key Features :

Award-winning clear audio experience – listen to music as it was meant to be heard
Desktop direct search to online music – Go online for the best songs and most popular videos on YouTube™

Wi-Fi™ and DLNA certified™ – connect the way you want
PlayNow™ arena - a complete range of mobile entertainment
Shake control – switch tracks and control the volume with the flick of a wrist
SensMe™ - create playlists based on mood rather than artists or genres
Large 2.4” screen – view websites and emails with high clarity
Automatic rotation – switch from portrait to landscape with just a tilt of the phone
Google Maps™ for Mobile – never get lost again
3.2 megapixel camera – snap and share your favourite images via Bluetooth™
FM radio with TrackID™ - listen to the radio while on the move
4GB memory card – store up to 3900 songs

Sony Ericsson T700

Key features

Extra slim and solid, amazingly lightweight
Soft and responsive controls
Great aluminum finish
Quad-band GSM and EDGE, HSDPA, Bluetooth (with A2DP)
Media center
Access NetFront 3.4 with mouse pointer and in-page search
3.2 megapixel camera, photo LED, geotagging (via cell triangulation)
Fast photo browser
FM radio with RDS
Ships with a 512MB M2 card
Location services, Smart dialing, Manage messages
Reliable battery cover release mechanism
Finger print resistant covers

Main Disadvantages

Only 25 MB of inbuilt memory
No autofocus
Tin-can sound from the feeble and hollow loudspeaker
No office document viewer

Final Word :
It may look like Sony Ericsson are playing the cheap easy way with T700. All it takes is dress up a Walkman, take here, add there, now scramble and there you go – a new launch. Dodgy as it sounds, it works more than fine with the latest T-series handset if you are willing to forgive the loss of design inspiration or if it's your first Sony Ericsson bar.

The design team has done a great job in making the T700 an excellent bar true to the Sony Ericsson heritage. The only place they've failed is making it stand out among its own. When you set your eyes on it, you immediately recognize it as a Sony Ericsson handset. But guessing exactly which model, would be a difficult task for the not so keen eyed among us.

No matter how you feel about the design reused over and over again, the manufacturer seems to have a point. The T700 styling seems capable of inspiring a more mature and sophisticated demand than the thin Walkman W890, which means a firmer foot in the midrange for the company. Being part of the T-series is an honor that comes with obligations and the T700 is up to the task. The exceptionally friendly handling and probably the best feature phone interface give it a definite edge.

Nokia 810 Internet Tablet

Specifications

400MHz processor; 4.13in display; 800x480 resolution; Active Matrix LCD; 128MB DDR-SDRAM (DDRRAM); Audio - Line Out (3.5mm; Mini); Bluetooth; USB 2.0; SD Card slot; Built-In Speakers; Built-In Webcam; GPS; Microphone; 4 hour(s) claimed battery life; Keyboard, touchscreen; included network card: Wireless Ethernet - 11 Mbps IEEE802.11b; Wireless Ethernet - 54 Mbps IEEE802.11g; 2GB hard drive; 0.2kg; 14x127x72mm.

final word :
Nokia's latest product in its line of internet devices is more appealing than earlier models, but it's expensive.

The Nokia N810 Internet Tablet is a noteworthy improvement over its predecessor in terms of design, internal storage, and processor speed. Functionality, however, has remained mostly unchanged. The N800 doesn't have an integrated GPS receiver or a hardware keyboard, but its extra expansion card slot and the fact that OS2008 is available as an update makes upgrading to the N810 more of a superfluous option than a necessity.
Even so, the N810 is still an incredibly versatile, capable, and impressive mobile device.

Nokia 770 Internet Tablet

Final Word :
The reasonably priced Nokia 770 is a neat idea and a slick device, but slow performance and a few missing features keep it from realizing its potential.

The Good :
The Nokia 770 boasts a gorgeous, high-resolution screen that makes stunning Web pages. It has a full-featured Web browser and an e-mail client, plus it supports Internet radio and RSS newsfeeds. The 770 is attractive, easy to use, and great at detecting Wi-Fi hot spots.

The Bad :
The Nokia 770 suffers from extremely sluggish operation, with most movies and Flash animations too slow to be useful, and it relies only on Bluetooth and Wi-Fi for connectivity. Unfortunately, VoIP and instant-messaging features have not yet been implemented, and the device accepts only RS-MMC memory cards.

Key Features :
OS provided Internet Tablet OS 2006
Memory Installed RAM 64Mb
RAM technology DDR SDRAM
Installed ROM 128 MB Flash
Flash memory form factor RS-MMC
Flash memory installed 64 MB
Processor Texas Instruments OMAP1710
Input device type Stylus , Touch-screen
Digital audio standards supported AAC , AMR , MP2 , MP3 , WAV , Real Audio
Modem None
Display type 4.13 in TFT active matrix
Max resolution 800 x 480
Wireless connectivity Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g
Expansion slot(s) total (free) 1 RS-MMC

Sony Ericsson MBW-100

The MBW-100 Bluetooth watch, which shares much with its sister Fossil Caller ID watch, allows its wearer to control a number of different aspects of a compatible Bluetooth mobile phone.

The watch includes an analog face for keeping track of the time as well as a blue OLED display and a few controls for dealing with more complicated tasks when used with a compatible Bluetooth phone.
The MBW-100 has one other trick: If your phone's Sony Walkman music player is playing, pressing the otherwise-useless dial on the watch will pause it. Holding down the dial will skip to the next track. The watch doesn't show track information, though.

The complete list of notifications done by the MBW-100 is:
Notify when receiving a message by displaying an envelope icon in the status field and vibrate.
Notify of incoming calls. Name of the caller will be displayed in the watch status field if the caller has an entry in the phone contact list. The caller name is not stored in the watch, but is transferred from the phone during the incoming call. Incoming calls can be muted or rejected by pressing one of the watch keys. If you want to talk to the caller, you will have to pick up the phone of course.
Notify when connection to phone is lost. Again, display an icon and vibrate.

Sony Ericsson MBW-150

The promise of Bluetooth was that one day we'd carry around digital devices that were all in communication with each other. The Sony Ericsson MBW-150 Music Edition is a rather clever watch that tries to deliver on this promise.
With support for the Bluetooth Audio/Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP), the watch lets you control the music player on your phone. This is highly convenient especially when you are, say, on the treadmill because you won’t have to fiddle around with the controls on the phone with your sweaty hands.

You also get all sorts of notifications right on the watch: when you receive a text message, when someone calls you (it even displays the caller’s name, if the person is in your address book - else it will show the phone number).

Final Word :

The MBW-150 isn't exactly a must have gadget and its controls can be problematic to use, but for the most part it does what it says on the tin and looks reasonably stylish. If you need a new watch and have a Sony Ericsson handset, at £200 it may be worth looking at.

Apple MacBook Air

The Good :

Bright, clear display with wide viewing angle
Backlit, full-size keyboard
Multi-touch trackpad
Weighs only three pounds
Stunning design

The Bad

Battery can't be swapped and battery life doesn't match claims
Slow, small hard drive

External SuperDrive and USB-Ethernet adapter cost extra; each takes the only USB port and is incompatible with other Macs

Non-standard video port requires special adapters (included)

Final Word
MacBook Air is a pleasure both to behold and use. It's quick enough for web, email, office applications, watching movies, and wasting time on YouTube. It slows down if you push memory usage past its 2 GB of built-in RAM, when slow virtual memory on disk comes into play, and launching applications takes longer than on a MacBook or MacBook Pro with its slow disk. The Air will run Aperture, but without a full-strength graphics controller or a faster drive, MacBook Air lacks the horsepower needed for applications such as Final Cut Studio.
MacBook Air is neither a speedy, expandable "pro" laptop, nor an inexpensive, rugged "consumer" laptop. In light of the traditional Jobs product matrix, it's not entirely clear who the target buyer is, but we expect the Air to appeal to two groups of customers.
Business users who travel frequently will find the MacBook Air's three-pound weight and slim profile highly appealing. Its video port easily drives a projector; its spacious keyboard makes note-taking a breeze; and its bright, clear screen is highly usable. Saving two and a half pounds of weight over a 15" MacBook Pro may not sound like much, but if you carry a laptop everywhere, it's a noticeable difference. We think the MacBook Air will find a home as an "accessory" Mac in the business market, with an iMac on the desk and the MacBook Air in the bag. But MacBook Air's non-swappable battery is a gross oversight that may limit its appeal to frequent fliers.
We also expect the MacBook Air to appeal to well-heeled consumers who don't need stellar performance but who do value style (not to mention Air's superior display). Just $300 separates the black MacBook from the sleek MacBook Air.
Those who bought the 12" PowerBook a few years ago might consider the MacBook Air, if their storage and performance requirements are limited.
Although the MacBook Air has much to criticize — battery and hard drive foremost — its benefits are compelling. A bright, clear, full-size display and backlit keys make it .
usable without the squinting and crunched fingers that characterize most ultralights. It's so thin, and so light, that it slides into a bag and makes hardly a bulge; even with its power brick and video and USB-Ethernet adapters, it seems hardly to add any weight to the load.
And MacBook Air's industrial design is a stunning union of form and function. The curved bevels make it look even slimmer than it is, yet create a super-stiff chassis, which doesn't flex or bend, and make it easy to pick the computer up off a table one-handed. Its wedge profile makes typing easy, and it settles into the lap comfortably.
And the Air is lighter than any Mac laptop ever made before, including the legendary PowerBook Duo. Not since the black PowerBook G3 series have we used such a tactile machine; not since the PowerBook 500 series has an Apple laptop so enthralled us.
At the end of the day, the MacBook Air isn't about speed, features, or bang-for-the-buck. Its value is simply this: it's both beautiful and a pleasure to use.

HP Ipaq 910 Business Messenger

Key Features :

Processor Marvell PXA270 processor 416 MHz

Memory 128 MB SDRAM and 256 MB Flash ROM

Navigation Button Eight buttons with Nav Direction button

Input Method Qwerty Keypad, Touchscreen

Connectivity 802.11b/g with WPA2 security; Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR; Tri-band UMTS/HSDPA;

Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE; GPS Receiver

Wireless LAN Yes, 802.11b/g with WPA2 security

Integrated Bluetooth Yes, Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR

Integrated GSM/GPRS Tri-band UMTS/HSDPA; Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE

Display 2.46-inch Transflective color TFT 320 x 240 pixel touch screen with LED backlight

Multimedia Integrated microphone, receiver, speaker, mini-USB for stereo headset, 3 Megapixel,
CMOS sensor, auto focus, 4X digital zoom

Expansion Slots 1 microSD

Operating System Microsoft® Windows Mobile® 6.1 Professional Office Mobile

The Good :

Sleek and elegant design
Affordable price
Unlocked quadband GSM and triband UMTS
WiFi/HSDPA/aGPS

The Bad :

Buggy
Inadequate battery life
Screen is not flush
Lacks essential accessories
Cannot change screen orientation
Lacks FM Radio
Lack of UI enhancements

Final Word :

Cons aside, the design simply falls under what I would call a nice looking piece of hardware. I simply can't avoid people staring at it and asking me where they can buy one. HP does need to go back to the drawing board immediately and fix the bugs to make this a true competitor. My overall impression in the end is that once these issues are solved, the device, with some additional third party app's can become a winner. The only problem is, the clock is ticking, and fall's new line up of competition does require HP to move fast.

HP Ipaq 610 Business Navigator

Key Features :

Cellular enhancement protocol GSM , HSDPA , GPRS , EDGE

OS provided Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.0 Professional

Digital audio standards supported WAV , AAC , MIDI , WMA , MP3 , AAC +

Color support 16-bit (64K colors)

Max resolution 240 x 320

Wireless connectivity Bluetooth 2.0 EDR , IEEE 802.11g , IEEE 802.11b

Final Word :

The HP iPAQ 610 and 614 Business Navigator is a two-in-one 3G technology mobile phone with GPS navigation and personal organizer that will help you run your business single handedly. You can make calls and access the Internet globally via 3G and Quad-band wireless technology. Use HP iPAQ Device Connect to take your notebook or PC online over the high-speed HSDPA data network.1,2 GPS.

With the iPAQ, you are complete with its Mobile Office Outlook that includes Calendar, Contacts, Email, and Tasks. Its camera won't let you down as it sports the integrated 3 Megapixel camera. You can also use Media Player and watch videos and read ebooks with Windows Media Player 10 Mobile.

A powerful mobile solution goes beyond the device. Whether you’re an IT manager or a mobile professional, you work in a complex environment. Your world—spanning countries and continents, an array of wireless technologies and networks, and powerful applications and communication tools—has a singular purpose: to drive business results.

HP Ipaq 210

Specifications :

Processor: 624 MHz Marvell XScale PXA310 with hardware video decoding

Operating System: Windows Mobile 6 Classic (Pocket PC)

Display: 4.0 inch, 640 x 480 touchscreen LCD

Memory: 128 MB RAM; 256 MB flash (185 MB available)

Size and Weight: 5.0 inches long x 3.0 inches wide x 0.63 inches wide; 6.8 ounces

Expansion: CompactFlash slot; SD slot with SDHC and SDIO support

Docking: 24-pin iPAQ connector; Mini-USB connector

Communication: 802.11b/g Wi-Fi (supports WPA2); Bluetooth 2.0/EDR

Audio: Internal microphone and speaker; secondary VoIP speaker; 3.5mm headphone jack

Input: Touchscreen; 5-way directional pad; 3 remappable application buttons

The Good :

Large, excellent screen
Ample memory
Combination 24-pin connector and mini-USB
Long battery life
Extensive expansion options

The Bad :

Slow startup when Wi-Fi enabled
Anemic speaker
Digitizer less sensitive

Final Word :

It's not perfect, but for those who are looking for either a solid device that combines Internet mini-tablet, video player, and mobile office, or who seek a high-end enterprise device, the iPAQ 210 is hard to beat. It's got great specifications, a beautiful screen, and the biggest standard battery you can find anywhere, giving you a lot of options for whatever you want to do with it. A few of the design choices leave me vexed, but none of these are what I would call a deal killer.

With a suggested retail price of $450, and street price currently around $390, this device isn't cheap. There are even sub-notebooks like the Asus Eee available for under its price. But what you can't do with those is slip them in your pocket. The iPAQ 210 provides more power and flexibility than pretty much anything else its size, and it does so with style.

Motorola Aura

Key Features :

General 2G Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900

Display Type TFT, 16M colors , Size 480 pixels diameter, 1.55 inches

Alert types Vibration; Downloadable polyphonic, MP3 ringtones

Memory Internal 2 GB , Card slot No

Data GPRS Class 12 (4+1/3+2/2+3/1+4 slots), 32 - 48 kbps

HSCSD Yes

EDGE Class 12

Bluetooth Yes, v2.0 with A2DP

Camera Primary 2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels

Java Yes, MIDP 2.0

Final Word :

This is undoubtedly Motorola’s most unique and striking design since the RAZR and its hard not to marvel at the Aura’s attention to detail and intricate craftsmanship. However its woefully basic feature set just makes this premium phone’s outrageous price tag even more exorbitant. File under niche appeal.

The Good :

Awesome build quality
Precision engineering
Stunning 300dpi-quality display
Slick swivel action

The Bad :

Expensive asking price
Basic feature set
Limited memory
3G No
WLAN No

ASUS P565

The Good :

Great professional design
Leather finish is a great touch. It gives it a premium device feeling for sure
Flushed screen
Responsive screen
Speedy processor (Intel PXA930 800MHz)
Auto-Focus 3MP camera takes decent pictures
Quite light at 120gm
Nice included case

The Bad :
Glide interface requires a lot of work to be done
It may be the fastest Windows Mobile, but no way the fastest PDA-phone.
Micro-SD slot not easily accessible
Only 56MB of free RAM after bootup out of total 128MB RAM
5MP cameras are on the rage right now although the 3MP camera in it performs quite nicely
No 3.5mm headphone jack

Final Word :

The ASUS P565 is finally something, which promises to give some strong competition to the HTC’s offerings. It’s great build-quality are appreciated. Leather back gives it a touch of class. With the most powerful mobile processor under it’s hood, you surely can enjoy the feeling of having the fastest Windows Mobile phone in hand. The screen is great, but the glide interface leaves a lot to be desired. It is not on par with the excellent HTC’s TouchFlo3D interface. ASUS is right on path to give HTC some real tough competition, if they do the marketing right.

Sony Ericsson W995

Key Features :

Brushed metal body parts

Quad-band GSM, dual-band HSDPA

2.6" 256K-color TFT display of QVGA resolution

8.1 megapixel camera with autofocus, LED flash, geo-tagging, face detection

WQVGA video recording at 30fps

Built-in GPS with A-GPS functionality

Wi-Fi with DLNA support

Bluetooth (with A2DP) and USB v2.0

Accelerometer sensor

118MB of internal memory and M2 memory expansion (8GB card included)

Stereo speakers

3.5 mm audio jack

Kickstand

Walkman 4.0 music player with Shake control and SensMe

FM radio with RDS

Multi-tasking support

Smart dialing

Comfortable keypad, nice sliding mechanism

Main disadvantages :

Video recording limited to WQVGA
No lens protection
No DivX/XviD video support (though it's touted as a video-centric phone)
Kickstand construction could've been more reliable
No office document viewer

Final Word :
Sony Ericsson W995 is the company's top-ranking Walkman and its spec sheet is clearly set to justify this label. The Flash-based user interface, which we've praised repeatedly, seems to be only getting better. There are no gaps in the connectivity set and the 3.5 mm audio jack is a long-awaited blessing.

Sony Ericsson W995 not only spares users the agonizing choice between Walkman and Cyber-shot. It has simply harvested all the high-end goodies and leaves nothing else to want. And all that skill is packed in a compact, solid and stylish body.

Now, it's not hard to believe it was all too easy for Sony Ericsson to get carried away. Amid the first ever and best ever hype they somehow overlooked video. Just like Sony Ericsson by the way, and it wouldn't have been a big deal if they didn't make a big deal of it themselves. Why bother put a kickstand when the commitment to great video was never taken seriously? No kickstand can make up for the lack of codec support, inadequate screen resolution and no widescreen aspect ratio.

And still, the poor video is the only major grudge with W995. We just hope it doesn't need to be reminded that the devil's in the details. In all fairness, video should not be make or break for the majority of users, especially when all the rest is up to scratch. It's just that Sony Ericsson W995 will be held to a higher standard. It can't help it, just like it can't help the heavy smartphone fire on the high end of premium all-in-ones.

HTC S 740

Key Features :

Phone Network EDGE, GPRS, GSM, HSDPA (3G)

Service 850, 900, 1800, 1900, 2100

Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP

Wi-Fi (WLAN) Yes

Color display 65.000 colors Dimensions 2.4"

Resolution 240x320 pixels

Internal memory 512MB

External memory Yes Storage types MicroSD

Ringtones MP3, Polyfone

Camera Megapixels 3.2 megapixels

Java Yes

Final Word :

The most pressing question here is what a dual-keypad device like the S740 can offer that its competitors can't. The answer is really up to the individual. During our review, we ended up using the numeric keypad most of the time because the width of the keyboard made it tiring to type for extended periods. The S740 may be a decent upgrade from the previous model, but with the number of QWERTY smart phones now available in the market, alternative choices are aplenty. Plus the price of the S740 isn't a deal breaker, either.

Sony Ericsson W902

Key Features :

Quad-band GSM and 3G with HSDPA support

2.2" 256K-color vibrant TFT display of QVGA resolution

5 megapixel auto-focus camera with LED flash and cell ID geotagging

Dedicated external music keys

Bluetooth (with A2DP) and USB v2.0

Accelerometer sensor for display auto-rotate

25MB of internal memory and M2 memory card slot (8GB card included)

Walkman 3.0 music player with Shake control and SenseMe

FM radio with RDS

Multi-tasking support

Smart dialing

Comfortable keypad

Main Disadvantages :

Smallish screen
Images suffer excessive sharpening and purple fringing
Poor video recording capabilities
No lens cover
No office document viewer
Shaky battery cover
Walkman button and Shake control implementation not user friendly

Final Word :

Sony Ericsson W902 is a neat and attractive mobile phone, with solid multimedia and imaging skills. It's got an excellent music player, a bright and lively display and, most of all, it's the first Walkman to take 5 megapixels photos. The relatively slim design and the 8 gigs worth of storage are a welcome bonus.

Unfortunately, the Sony Ericsson W902 has a rather small screen, while the mediocre camera quality and poor video recording are not quite in line with the high asking price. Plus, it risks getting outshined by upcoming Walkmans that feature GPS and Wi-Fi, like Sony Ericsson W715.
The Walkman branding and features may entice enough people to spend their buck but hardly justify the 100 euro premium over the almost identical Sony Ericsson C902.

Our overall impression of Sony Ericsson W902 remains positive and we enjoyed the time we had with it. But we can't ignore the obvious: it's anything but competitive with that 300+ euro price tag. We hate to say it but instead of making the best of the unique Cyber-shot Walkman blend, the W902 will be hoping for a late comeback as a reasonably priced and reasonably dated all-rounder.

Nokia 5800 Xpress Music

Key Features :

3.2" 16M-color TFT LCD 16:9 touchscreen display (360 x 640 pixels)

Symbian S60 5th edition

ARM 11 369 MHz CPU, 128 MB of SDRAM memory

3.2 megapixel autofocus camera with dual-LED flash

VGA video recording at 30fps

Dual-band 3G with HSDPA support

Quad-band GSM support

Wi-Fi

Capable GPS receiver and Nokia Maps 2.0 Touch

microSD card memory expansion, ships with an 8GB card

TV Out

FM Radios with RDS

Bluetooth and USB v2.0

3.5mm standard audio jack

Excellent audio quality

Landscape on-screen virtual QWERTY keyboard

Proximity sensor for screen auto turn-off

Accelerometer sensor for automatic UI rotation and motion-based gaming

Rich retail package

Affordable price

Office document viewer

OVI and MySpace integration (direct image and video uploads)

Main Disadvantages :

Limited 3rd party software availability
UI is still immature with somewhat dodgy user experience
Touchscreen sensitivity not the best in the class
No smart dialing
Poor image quality and no GPS geotagging (geotagging is now added via firmware update)
Touch web browser not quite polished
No voice-guided navigation license
No office document editing out-of-the-box
Doesn't charge off microUSB

Final Word :

OK then, what we have here is two newbies in the touchscreen league. A fact's a fact, but it's not exactly the kind of newbies everyone will look down at. Market leaders Nokia and the top selling smartphone platform must be ready to take a few beatings at the start of season but will hardly settle in for a long losing streak.

The competition is already in their second or third generation of touchscreen devices so the battle will be tough. Apple, WinMo, Samsung and LG have statistics in their favor. What's more, the number two manufacturer, Samsung, is also into S60 so Nokia may as well be taking due precautions against getting beaten in their own game.

That said, introducing a mid-range handset to debut the touch-enabled S60 sure looks a smart move. It lowers the expectations (flaws are less of an issue) and makes sure the platform sells well so that it can build up a wider user and developer base. And once it has enough reach - and testing time - the real flagship descends to reap the benefits.

For an even more effective camouflage, there goes the XpressMusic branding. And Nokia have done well to eclipse potential touch UI glitches with the best audio quality the house has pulled off to date. Not least, the Comes with Music service does get a boost too.
Anyway, at the end of this review we still feel Nokia 5800 is a worthy deal. Sure you get an interface that's immature, inconsistent and quite clumsy but the package you get for that kind of cash is a bargain and even Nokia's sworn enemies admit that.

The full house retail box and the highly competitive sub-300 euro price against most of the touchscreen competition should be enough of a motivation. It's also likely for third party applications to grow at a frantic rate over the next couple of months, as the market for them gets larger and larger.

And you can bet that there's a bargain at the other end too. Nokia's gain is feedback on its new Touch UI. We just hope that feedback gets smartly used.

Nokia E75

Key Features :

Full Slide Out QWERTY Keyboard

Symbian 9.3 Operating System with Series S60 3rd Edition Software

2.4 Inch QVGA 16 Million Colour Screen with 2 Customisable Home Screen Modes

WLAN Wi-Fi Technology

HTML, XHTML, MP, WML & CSS Internet Browser

Voice Over IP Internet Call

A GPS Navigation System with Nokia Maps Application

Instant Messaging

Email with Attachment

50 Mbytes Memory plus MicroSD™ Memory Card support up to 16 Gbytes

270 Hours WCDMA Standby Time

3.2 Megapixel Camera with 8 x Digital Zoom

Music Player (MP3, WMA, AAC, AAC+ & eAAC+)

Nokia E55

Key Features :

2G Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900

3G Network HSDPA 900 / 1900 / 2100

Dimensions116 x 49 x 9.9 mm, 54 cc

Display: Type TFT, 16M colors

Size 240 x 320 pixels, 2.4 inches

Half-QWERTY keyboard

Alert types Vibration; Downloadable polyphonic, MP3 ringtones

3.5 mm audio jack

Memory : Internal 60 MB

Card slot microSD (TransFlash), up to 16GB, 2GB included

Data :

EDGE Class 32, 296 / 178.8 kbits
3G HSDPA, 10.2 Mbps; HSUPA, 2 Mbps
WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, UPnP technology

Bluetooth Yes, v2.0 with A2DP

Camera Primary 3.2 MP, 2048x1536 pixels, enhanced fixed focus, LED flash

Secondary VGA videocall camera

OS Symbian OS, S60 rel. 3.2

CPU ARM 11 600 MHz CPU

Browser WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML

GPS Yes, with A-GPS support; Nokia Maps 3.

Java Yes, MIDP 2.1

Final Word :

What we will say is the Nokia E55 looks stylish and has been built for business or personal use depending on the users individual needs but we feel this is more geared towards the business minded alike. The E55 does look like an updated Nokia E71 handset but Nokia claim the E55 is the smallest Nokia emailing device.

Sony Ericsson C903

Key Features :

Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE and dual-band HSDPA/ tri-band HSDPA in US version

5 MP AF camera with dual LED flash, geo-tagging, face and smile detection, active lens cover
Built-in GPS with A-GPS support, Wayfinder Navigator software, geotagging
Dedicated camera mode switch and gallery keys

Scratch resistant 2.4" 256K-color TFT display

Backlit D-pad shortcuts in camera mode

Accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate

Bluetooth (with A2DP), USB v2.0

FM radio with RDS and enhanced TrackID, YouTube client

Threaded conversations in messaging

Smart dialing

Main disadvantages :

Video recording limited to QVGA resolution at 15fps

M2 card slot under the battery cover

Camera key has almost no feedback at full press

The glossy surface is a fingerprint nightmare

No cover for the USB port

No office document viewer

Final Word :

Sony Ericsson C903 is a cameraphone but it also likes to come off as a genuine all-rounder. Our traditional competition comparing has moved to the conclusion, bit it's still as relevant as possible.
All that being said, we come to rounding up our impressions. As we type our final words on the Sony Ericsson C903 review, we are left with nothing but good feelings about this phone. Its story has some ups and downs, but - on the whole - this sweet phone is definitely a positive and pleasing step forward.

One could grumble about the lack of Wi-Fi, but you cannot expect Sony Ericsson or any other company to incorporate it into every hi-end feature phone.

Our only wish would be to see the superb imaging quality from the camera of the C905 on this baby. It has the same camera quality as on the C902, and that's definitely in need of some improvements.

Generally, the materials, phone design, usability and new UI features leave us very satisfied with the Sony Ericsson C903. We cannot comment on the retail price of the phone, but we think it will be almost the same as the Sony Ericsson C902.

Palm Treo Pro

Key Features :

Network GSM 850/900/1800/1900 umts 850/2100

Connectivity Bluetooth,3G,HSDPA

Data Service GPRS,EDGE,HSDPA

USB Connectivity Yes

Display :
Main Display Screen resolution 320 x 320 pixel
Main Display Colours 65K
Video Player Yes

Games Yes

Music Player Yes

Input Method QWERTY keyboard,Touchscreen

Voice Recorder Yes

Java Yes

Operating System Windows Mobile

Supported audio file formats AAC, AAC+, MP3, WMA

Supported video file formats MWV

Supported picture file formats JPG

Other supported file formats JPG, PPT, DOC, XLS, PDF


Final word :

Those looking for a full-featured Windows Mobile smartphone should consider the Treo Pro. It may not have the snazzy interface designs of the competition, but this means it performs better in most areas.

The Good :
Excellent performance
Sleek,Iphone-esque design
Superior coverage for regional areas
HSDPA, Wi-Fi abd GPS

The Bad :
Tiny QWERTY keypad
Avarage battery life
More expensive than comparable phones
Needs better navigation software

LG KF900 Prada

Key features :

3-inch 262K-color capacitive touchscreen display of WQVGA resolution

Comfortable QWERTY keyboard

5 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash

D1 (720x480) resolution video recording at 30fps

Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support

Dual band 3G with HSDPA support

Wi-Fi

Responsive Flash-based interface with multi-touch support

Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP and USB v2.0

Stylish and generous retail package

microSD memory card slot (verified to work with 16GB cards)

FM radio with RDS

Accelerometer sensor for screen auto rotate

TV-out

Office document viewer

DivX video support

Fashion-related content preloaded

Main Disadvantages :

Two-year old design
The large waistline doesn't match the fashionable image (but is OK for a QWERTY messenger)
Plastic build
No GPS (LG Renoir has it)
No XviD video support (LG Renoir has it)
Multi-touch has rather limited use
No Flash support in the web browser
Video recording is a letdown
High cost-to-features ratio (but OK for a premium fashion handset)

Final Word :

The LG KF900 Prada will try to do everything for you and hey - it will come out right for the most part. To begin with, it's one of the most uncompromising all-inclusive upgrades we've seen in quite a while. The original Prada phone is improved down to the last bit of specs. A fluid and responsive touch interface, 5 MP camera, high-res video recording, lightning fast data transfers and Wi-Fi are a great treat, no doubt about that.

But if you bought the first Prada, it was hardly the specs you were after. And it's probably not the performance you'd be keen to upgrade but looks.

No, our problem is not that the design is 2 years old already. The new Prada stays reverently true to the original styling and we guess it tries to connect with the original following. On the other hand, the feature set implies a totally new target audience and it's exactly this inconsistency that questions the LG Prada's success.

After all if performance is what you need - the LG KC910 Renoir goes even further and costs much less. Not to mention a few smart messengers that make the new Prada look like a damsel in distress, only without the happy end.

Sony Ericsson C905

Key Features :

8.1 Mp autofocus camera with Xenon flash and active lens cover

Dedicated camera mode switch,two camera/gaming keys over the display

Face and smile detection, smart contrast, image stabilizer, geotagging,red-eye reduction

Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE and HSDPA (3.6Mb)

Scratch resistant mineral glass 2.4" TFT 256K-color display

Built-in GPS with A-GPS function, Wayfinder Navigator software

Wi-fi b/g with DLNA and Sip Voip support, Bluetooth (with A2DP), USB v2.0

Enhanced user interface with basic multi-tasking

Media Center, Smart search, Manage Messages, extended Track ID
FM radio with RDS and TrackID

160 Mb built-in memory, M2 card support, 2 Gb included

Main Disadvantages :

Display is relatives small for a high-end device
Video recording limited to QVGA resolution at 30fps
No front facing video call camera
No office document viewer
Sliding lens cover of questionable durability
Exposed connectivity port
Fiddly battery cover

Final Word :

Well, there's a beast of a Cyber-shot at large, so you'd better watch out. Sony Ericsson C905 is already in the hands of the first users and for all we know they sould be quite happy.
The nice camera-centric styling and solid interface are the right place to start exploring
and enjoying a wealth of talent. Indeed, it's a feature set that built-in GPS and Wi-fi make realyy hard to resist.

The outstanding camera performance gives the C905 all the reasons and inadequate video recording seem easily outweighed.

Now, all of that is more than reassuring if you look at the latest Cyber-shot on its own. But it may get well painfull in that small but steep 8Mp food chain.

Samsung i8910 Omnia HD

• General : GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS 900/1900/2100MHz, GPRS/EDGE class 12, HSDPA 7.2 Mbps, HSUPA 5.76 Mbps

• Form factor: Touchscreen bar

• Dimensions: 123 x 58 x 12.9 mm

• Display: 3.7-inch 16M color OLED touchscreen, 640 x 360 pixels

• Memory: 8/16GB integrated memory, non-hot-swappable microSD card slot (up to 16GB)

• OS: Symbian S60 5th edition

• Camera: 8 megapixel auto focus camera with LED flash, geo-tagging, Face detection, Smile Shot, Wide Dynamic Range (WDR) and HD video recording at 24 fps

• Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, standard microUSB port, GPS receiver with A-GPS and optional Samsung Mobile Navigator by Route66, HDMI (dongle needed)

• Misc: Accelerometer for screen auto rotate, Proximity sensor for auto screen turn-off, FM radio with RDS, DivX/XviD video support

• Battery: 1500 mAh battery

Final Word :

Samsung i8910 Omnia HD is a remarkable device and it might just have the potential to become the N95 of touchscreen. If we look at it in pure upgrade terms, it outdoes its predecessor by such a sweeping margin that's rarely seen in the mobile world - the massive OLED screen and HD videos are more than enough.
Of course it is not all sunshine and roses for the new Omnia. The Symbian S60 5th edition is certainly maturing with time but it will be a while until it can compete with the established operating systems. The improved homescreen is a start but there are still a lot of issues that need fixing like the scrolling and that annoying one-click-two-click mismatch.
Nonetheless the Samsung i8910 managed to impress us and left us eagerly wanting more.

BlackBerry Bold

• 2G Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
• 3G Network HSDPA 850 / 1900 / 2100
• Size Dimensions 114 x 66 x 14 mm
• Weight 133 gr
• Display Type 65K colors
• Size 480 x 320 pixels
• Full QWERTY keyboard
• Trackball navigation
• Wallpapers
• Sound Alert types Vibration; Downloadable polyphonic, MP3 ringtones
  3.5 mm stereo headset jack
• Memory Internal1 GB storage, 128 MB RAM
  Card slot microSD (TransFlash), microSDHC, up to 8 GB
• Data GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps
• EDGE Class 10, 236.8 kbps
• 3G HSDPA, 3.6 Mbps
• WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g
• Bluetooth Yes, v2.0 with A2DP
• Camera Primary 2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels, LED flash
• Features OS BlackBerry OS
• CPU 624 MHz CPU
• Java Yes
  - BlackBerry maps
  - Document editor (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF)
  - Media player MP3/WMA/AAC+
  - Video player DivX/WMV/XviD/3gp
  - Organizer
  - Voice dial
  - Voice memo
  GPS Yes
  Browser HTML
  
  Final Word :
  
• So what's the final word? How has it faired? Well this is RIM's most consumer BlackBerry to date making the smaller BlackBerry Curve look decidedly antiquated in comparison.
  
  The killer areas here are that it is feature-packed and looks good.
  
  As an emailing device you can't ask for much more with plenty of features on offer and plenty of chance to customise.
  
  It's RIM doing what it does best.
  
  As for the multimedia elements again there is enough here for the business person to dabble without getting bogged down and the iTunes sync tool, which you can download for free, is genius as it will allow you to sync your non DRM-tracks and content with the BlackBerry Bold at the press of button (however be warned we had immense trouble getting the file from RIM's website).
  
  Where does it let the side down therefore?
  
  The browser and the size. The large form factor is likely to put non-business types off and anyone looking to take advantage of that 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity to do some browsing is likely to be disappointed.
  
  We downloaded Opera Mini onto the Bold, which did make the experience slightly better, but the amount of scrolling with the trackball makes things labour intensive.
  
  If you are a BlackBerry user looking to upgrade and want the keyboard this won't do you wrong.
  
  If you want the BlackBerry interface with a better web experience it might be worth waiting to see how the Thunder performs before upgrading just yet.
  
  Whatever you decide, as a business smartphone, this is one of the best out there at the moment

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1

Key features:

• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support plus HSDPA 7.2Mbps

• 3-inch 65K-color WVGA touchscreen

• Qualcomm MSM7200 528 Mhz CPU and 256 MB DDR SDRAM

• 3.15 MP auto focus camera with VGA video recording

• Four-row full QWERTY slide-out keyboard

• Wi-Fi and built-in GPS receiver with A-GPS

• X-Panels interface

• Optical trackpad

• Exquisite and solid metallic body

• Standard miniUSB port and Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP

• microSD memory expansion

• FM radio with RDS

• 3.5mm standard audio jack

• MS Office Mobile document editor

• Opera 9.5 web browser

• Excellent video playback performance

• Superb audio quality

Main disadvantages :

• Body is a bit on the bulky side
• User interface is hardly thumb-optimized
• Mediocre camera performance
• No built-in accelerometer
• Poor display sunlight legibility
• Records low quality VGA@30fps video in 3GP format
• No TV-out port
• No full Flash support for the browser (hence no full-featured YouTube)

Final words :

Looking back at Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 we think there's one major question to answer. Now, no need to get defensive - the X1 sure is impressive. It goes even further to outperform its main rival - the HTC Touch Pro - in a number of areas and even offers slightly larger display and higher resolution.

However since the QWERTY keyboard is one of the key selling point and the Touch Pro has such great advantage there the choice between the two is really hard. And with the two month advantage that the HTC had we are quite confident that most users have already sealed a deal.
Still the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 is a really good device, the purchase of which you are unlikely to regret. It is unable to solve all the usability issues of the underlying Windows OS but if modding and tweaking is your thing, you can achieve quite good results.

And the thumb-optimized X-Panels are quite a treat adding the essential fun element to the XPERIA user experience. We wouldn't by any means strongly recommend the X1 to non-Windows fans but they might still check it out - steps in the right direction are being taken.

HTC Touch Diamond

Key features :

• 2.8" 65K-color VGA display

• TouchFLO 3D Home screen and gesture controls

• 4 GB of internal storage

• Wi-Fi

• Qualcomm MSM7201A 528 Mhz CPU and 192 MB DDR SDRAM

• Dedicated graphics chip (64MB RAM reserved for graphics)

• HSDPA 7.2Mbps

• Built-in GPS receiver

• Standout design

• Compact and lightweight

• Stereo FM radio with RDS

• 3.15 MP auto focus camera

• Active magnetic stylus

• Touch-sensitive scroll wheel

• MS Office Mobile document editor

• Opera 9.5 web browser

• Standard miniUSB slot and Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP

• Comes with the amusing Teeter game

• YouTube client

• Excellent video playback performance

Main disadvantages :

• Poor battery life
• Fingerprint nightmare
• Average sunlight legibility
• No memory card slot
• Questionable build quality
• Tri-band GSM support only
• No TV out port
• No standard 3.5mm audio jack
• Back panel design has negative impact on usability and camera image quality
• Back panel finish started to wear off in a few weeks of usage
• Limited scroll wheel usage

Final words :

Well, even the best diamond specimens have imperfections, whether they are visible to the naked eye or less so. Yet, last time we checked they were still quite worth it. The situation is a bit similar with HTC's own precious stone.

The Touch Diamond has revolutionary size and design, topped with unsurpassed touch functionality among Windows Mobile devices. The VGA display, the rich communications package and the excellent software bundle make the Touch Diamond a real gem. The unique magnetic stylus and the generous 4GB of built-in storage do add to the allure of this compact fella.

But we already warned you the Diamond we're dealing with is not perfect. We expected better sunlight legibility of the VGA display. The edges of the impractical back panel started to wear off in two weeks or so. And finally, the lack of a memory card simply takes the allure away. We would have gladly traded the 4 gigs worth of storage for a simple hot-swappable microSD card slot.

A 3.5 mm audio jack would have also been welcome, as the supplied stereo headset simply doesn't cut it for music on-the-go. The camera also suffers from the back panel design, which ruins sharpness, contrast and resolution.

As you see, in diamond terms this handset is a delicate balance of high carat and imperfections. The Touch Diamond is a crossover product that will most probably convert new believers to Windows Mobile, but would probably fail to raise itself in the demanding eyes of hard-core PocketPC devotees. Most of them will probably go for the HTC Touch Pro, for its hardware five-row QWERTY keyboard, TV-out port, beefier battery and, of course, a microSD card slot.

To wrap up, HTC Touch Diamond is far from the uber device but it managed to win our hearts with its slick exterior and sufficient skill. There must be enough people out there to believe diamonds are forever and the HTC Touch Diamond delivers pretty much all there is to deliver.