Technknowledge

When the Verizon Wireless Blitz came out late last year, we were quite taken by the handset's cute and compact shape, even though some thought it looked a little fat and squat. So when we saw at CTIA that PCD, the maker of the Blitz, was coming out with similar models, we looked forward to it. Now it seems that one of the models, the PCD TXT8026, is available from regional carrier Cricket Communications and has been rebranded as the Cricket TXTM8 (pronounced "textmate"). It's not a really advanced phone, but we like the design, and simple features like a 1.3-megapixel camera and stereo Bluetooth are good enough for most people. The Cricket TXTM8 is available now for $159.99 without a contract.

Design
Like the Blitz, the Cricket TXTM8 is square and chubby. Measuring 3.75 inches long by 2.6 inches wide by 0.7 inch thick, the TXTM8 is rounded all around and has the appearance of a cute child's toy. It feels really comfortable in the hand, and is well-designed for texting. The slider mechanism feels sturdy as well.

The Cricket TXTM8 has a square yet attractive design.

On the front of it is a 2.2-inch display that supports 262,000 colors and 220x176 pixels. The colors are bright and the text is crisp, but the relatively low resolution does result in rather blocky images. The menu interface is easy to use and you can choose between grid and list type. You can adjust the backlight time, the size of the dialing font, the contrast, and the greeting banner text.

Along the left hand side of the home screen is a series of widgets customized by Cricket. As you scroll through the widget icons, a box pops up on the screen displaying the widget's properties. For example, if you scroll to the Weather widget, you'll see the current forecast for your area. Widgets included in the phone are the Cricket storefront, your daily horoscope, a shortcut to your Cricket account, Web links, breaking news headlines, sports scores, Mocospace, which is a free mobile chat service, and the weather forecast. You can have up to 10 widgets along the side, and you can add more by accessing Cricket's widget catalog.

Underneath the display is the navigation array which consists of two soft keys, a round toggle with a middle OK key, a speakerphone key, a Clear key, and the Send and End/Power keys on either side. In idle mode, the right direction of the toggle acts as a shortcut to the messaging menu, while the left direction leads to the Web browser. On the left side are a 2.5-millimeter headset jack and the volume rocker, while the right spine is home to the microSD card slot, a camera key, a voice command key, and the charger jack. On the back are a camera lens, a self-portrait mirror, and the external speaker grille.

The Cricket TXTM8 has a slide-out QWERTY keyboard for easy texting.

When you slide the phone open you'll reveal a full QWERTY keyboard. It's roomy, well-spaced, and the keys are raised above the surface, so it's easy to use as well. The number keys are specially marked in blue so they're easier to spot. Of course you also get special keys like a blue shift key, a Symbol key, a Caps Lock key, and a dedicated messaging key that leads to the messaging menu. We really like the keyboard on the whole and can see this as a great phone for messaging fans. Our only complaint is with a skinny raised bar in the middle of the keyboard that makes it a tiny bit harder to type the keys in the center.

Features
The Cricket TXTM8 has a 1,000-entry phone book with room in it for five numbers and two e-mail addresses. You can then organize the contacts into caller groups, pair them with a photo, and one of eight ringtones. Other basic features include a vibrate mode, a speakerphone, text and multimedia messaging, a calculator, a calendar, an alarm clock, a world clock, a notepad, and a stopwatch. More advanced users will like the voice memo recording feature, voice command, e-mail, A-GPS, stereo Bluetooth, and a wireless Web browser. We were a little disappointed to not see any instant messaging support.

When we saw the Samsung Messager earlier this year, we thought that it was an adequate messaging phone, but we were disappointed it didn't offer much else. Fortunately, Samsung took a little more care in designing the new Samsung Messager II. With a more appealing design and a stronger feature set, the Messager II, aka the SCH-r560, offers messaging and multimedia in one easy-to-use package. Call quality is decent and the photo quality is good. The Messager is available with both Metro PCS and Cricket Communications. We tested the former, but with the exception of some performance differences, the two handsets will be largely similar. Also, as neither carrier requires contracts you will have to shell out more for the Messager II than you would at a standard carrier. At MetroPCS the price is $149.99, while Cricket charges $129.

Design
The original Messager wasn't unattractive, but we couldn't get over the fact that we thought it looked like a toy. In contrast, the Messager II is larger with a sturdier feel. Its profile and blue-gray color scheme aren't particularly striking, but for what it lacks in pizazz, it makes up for with a bright display and well-designed controls.

The 2.2-inch display supports 262,000 colors. Its graphics and photos are more than presentable, and its colors are bright. It lacks the impact of the some of the higher-resolution displays, but it's a good match on a phone of this caliber. The menus are easy to use as well, and we like the shortcut icons on the standby display. However, we'd prefer to have more controls over which icons we'd like to appear. Also, though you can change the backlighting time, no other display options are customizable.

The Messager II's nifty navigation array is one of its biggest draws. The circular control functions as both a four-way toggle and a scrollwheel. Indeed, we could move our finger all the way around when navigating menus. The control in the middle of the toggle opens the menu when in standby mode and functions as an OK key when inside menu pages. Its remaining controls are spacious and tactile. You'll also find two soft keys, a speakerphone shortcut, a clear button, and the Talk and End/power controls.

Below the phone controls is the standard numeric keypad. The keys are flush, but you have enough space for dialing and even texting. The individual buttons are also separated from each other, though the numbers on the keys are somewhat small. Users with visual impairments should test the phone before buying it.

A volume rocker and the microSD card slot are on the left spine, while the camera shutter and the Micro-USB port are on the right spine. The latter is used to connect a USB data cable and the charger. On the top of the phone is the 3.5-millimeter headset jack--that's a nice touch on a music phone. The camera lens and speaker sit on the back of the handset. The Messager II lacks a flash and a self-portrait mirror.

The Messager II has a spacious, comfortable keyboard.

To find the Messager II's keyboard, just tip the phone to the left and slide up the top face. The slider mechanism is neither too stiff nor too loose--you can open and close it with one hand and it clicks into place at either end. The display will rotate to landscape mode when opening the keyboard, though the Messager II doesn't have an accelerometer. The keys are flat, but the keyboard's spacious layout makes it easy to use and comfortable. What's more, the top row of keys is not too close to the bottom of the sliding face.

The large space bar is conveniently positioned in the center of the bottom row. On its left side, you'll find the messaging shortcut and the shift and function keys. On its right side are the arrow directional buttons. As on many messaging handsets, the numbers share space with letters and symbols. We didn't like that the soft keys are at either end of the bottom row. Though they're a different color, they are a long way from the corresponding commands on the display. Also, though the buttons are backlit, they numbers are difficult to see on the sliver keys.

Features
The Messager II has a 1,000-contact phone book with room in each entry for five phone numbers and an e-mail address. You can save callers to groups and you can pair them with a photos and one of 13 polyphonic ringtones. Other essentials include a vibrate mode, text and multimedia messaging, an alarm clock, a calculator, a calendar, a tip calculator, a voice recorder, a world clock, a stop watch, a unit and currency converter, and a notepad.

Most of Nokia's recent cell phones for the U.S. market haven't been too exciting. Sure, the company gave us the odd Nokia Twist last month, but we're more likely to see functional handsets like AT&T's Nokia Mural 6750. Verizon's new Nokia Shade 2705 certainly is part of that majority. Its thin design doesn't call attention to itself, and its feature set centers on basic communication. Performance is satisfactory, but the Shade feels a bit too fragile in our hands. It's just $29.99 with service.

Design
Even on relatively simple phones, you can count on Nokia to add a bit of style to the design. The trim Shade is no exception to this rule--when it's open, it forms a clean curve without a protruding hinge. It's a Nokia trend that we first saw in Verizon's Nokia 2605 Mirage. Some might find that the shallow curve doesn't fully cradle your head, but we think that it gives the phone a unique design aesthetic. The Shade is black with a sliver trim, but you can mix it up with changeable covers in blue, red, and green. The covers are sold separately for $19.99 each.

At 3.32 inches by 1.70 inches by 0.64 inch and 2.6 ounces, the Shade is quite small and light. Though it's eminently portable, it also has a wispy, almost toylike feel in the hand. If you're careful with your phone, this shouldn't be a problem, but we're not confident that the plastic skin would withstand any rough treatment.

The postage stamp external display is full color (262,144 colors; 160x128 pixels). Besides showing photo caller ID, it also supports photo caller ID and doubles as a viewfinder for self-portraits. The camera lens sits just above, next to a small speaker--there is no camera flash. Other external features include a volume rocker on the left spine and a voice dialing control on the right spine. Both keys are flush and difficult to find when you're on a call. Also on the right spine are a Micro-USB port, which accommodates the USB cable, and a 2.5mm headset jack.

The interior display measures 2 inches and supports 262,144 colors (220x176 pixels). It's not the most vibrant display we've ever seen, but it's suitable for this type of phone. Colors were bright and graphics and photos were relatively sharp. The Shade's menu still shows some aspects of Verizon's standardized menu interface, but that's getting better. You can change the backlight time and the font size and color.

The Shade's navigation array is spacious and mostly easy to use. There's a four-way toggle with a central OK button, two soft keys, a speakerphone button, and a camera shutter. The keys are flush, but we were able to navigate accurately. The toggle doubles as a shortcut to four user-defined shortcuts. The keypad buttons left us divided, however. Though they're spacious, they're flush and have a plastic feel. We could dial and text without many problems, but dialing by feel is difficult, and we'd be worried about long-term use for a heavy texter. On the other hand, the keys are backlit for dialing in the dark.

Features
The Shade has a 1,000-contact phone book with room in each entry for four phone numbers and two e-mail addresses. You can assign callers to groups and can pair them with a photo and one of 12 polyphonic ringtones. Other essentials include a vibrate mode, text and multimedia messaging, a calculator, a calendar, an alarm lock, a stopwatch, a world clock, and a note pad.

Nokia fans in the United States don't get many breaks. Few of the company's phones make it to U.S. carriers and the models that land here tend to be basic handsets for making calls. The Nokia 3711 for T-Mobile is one such phone. Simple in form and function, the 3711 is built mainly for communication with a couple of extra features thrown in. Call quality is good, and it takes admirable photos, but the flip phone design feels a bit flimsy and the external display isn't very useful. The 3711 is $69 with an Even More service contract and $159 with a no-contract Even More Plus plan.

Design
With the 3711, Nokia continues a signature design trend that began with the Nokia 2605 and continued with the 7205 and the 2705. When you open the phone it forms the same smooth curve that gently cradles your head. We like the thin profile and clean lines, but we'd understand if others wanted something that cast a bigger shadow. Also, it's worth noting that the phone doesn't rest flat on a table when open. You can spin it like a top, but it wobbles if you try to text.

At 3.5 by 1.85 by 0.59 inches and 3.31 ounces, the 3711 is relatively compact and lightweight. The hinge is sturdy enough, but we couldn't help but notice a wispy feeling in the hand. It's sturdier then both the 2605 and the 2705, but it's still not a model that we'd want to bang around. We like the ribbed battery cover, but could take or leave the sable (aka brown) color scheme. According to Nokia, the 3711 is made from 8 percent recycled material.

Most of the front cover is black plastic. Behind the central panel is a hidden external display that disappears when the backlighting is off. While that's not an issue, the display only shows the time in large block numbers. Yes, knowing the time is useful, but we'd also like to see the battery life, signal strength, and even the date. Similarly, though it shows numeric caller ID, the monochrome won't display picture caller ID.

Completing the exterior of the phone are a volume rocker and 2.5mm headset jack on the left spine and a Micro-USB port on the right spine. The latter accommodates a USB cable and the charger. The camera lens sits at the top of the phone's back side. Make sure you finger is out of the way before you snap a photo.

The internal display measures 2.2 inches. It supports 16.7 million colors and has a 320x240-pixel resolution; it's quite bright and vibrant with bold colors and sharp graphics. The Nokia Series 40 menu interface is easy enough to use, but we'd like to have a couple of other design options beyond the icons. On the other hand, you can alter the wallpaper, display theme, and font size. And, of course, you can add shortcut options to the home screen.

The navigation array and keypad buttons are flat with the surface of the phone, but they make up for it with a spacious design. You'll find a square toggle with a central OK button, two soft keys, Talk and End/power control, and dedicated keys for the Web browser and camera. You also can program the toggle and left soft key with shortcuts. The keypad buttons are a tad slick, but we didn't have any problems dialing or testing. It is difficult to dial by feel, but the numbers on the keys are large.

Features
The 3711 has a 2,000-contact phone book with room in each entry for five phone numbers, a URL, an e-mail address, a street address, a formal name and nickname, a company name and job title, and a birthday. You can assign callers to groups and you can pair them with a photo or a video and one of 21 polyphonic ringtones. Just keep in mind that photos and videos won't show up on the external display.

Essential features include text and multimedia messaging, a to-do list, a calculator, a currency and unit converter, a countdown timer, a calendar, an alarm lock, a stopwatch, a world clock, and a note pad. You'll also find voice dialing, a voice recorder, stereo Bluetooth, USB mass storage, and PC syncing. Thanks to the 3711's Assisted-GPS, you also get access to Nokia Maps and Telenav GPS Navigator.