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.

Even with the constant flow of cell phones that the company produces, the Samsung Flight is rather unique. It's not a smartphone, but it has a touch screen and a full QWERTY keyboard. And while it may look powerful, features are pretty standard; it has Bluetooth, a 2-megapixel camera, GPS, a media player, and support for AT&T's 3G network. The result is a phone that's a little schizophrenic. The unique design is sturdy and easy to use, but performance wasn't quite up to par. The Flight, aka the SGH-A797, is $99 with a two-year contract and after a $50 mail-in rebate.

Design
In a way, you could say that the Flight suffers from multiple personality disorder. Though you'd think that its QWERTY keyboard positions it as a solid messaging phone, the touch screen adds an additional way to interface with the handset. Similarly, while the touch screen makes us think of a multimedia device, the display's small size limits its usability. So where does that leave the Flight? The truth is that we're not really sure. Though some users will happily engage with the keyboard, others may skip straight to the touch screen. Yes, it can be a bit confusing, but we also think that the crazy combination works. Plus, we're never against having too many choices.

The Flight is 4.17 inches by 2.2 inches by 0.5 inch, so it's a little bigger than most phones in its class. It's also a bit heavy at 4.8 ounces, but it remains relatively portable. The handset has a solid construction and the slider mechanism is sturdy; we liked how the Flight fits squarely in the hand. The Flight comes in red and gray; we reviewed the red version, but the features are the same on both handsets.

The touch screen measures 2.8 inches. That would be much too small on a normal touch-screen phone, so Samsung appears to have kept this in mind. There's no virtual keyboard (you have physical keys instead), the browser is Opera Mini rather than full HTML, and the Flight lacks Samsung's TouchWiz interface. Without those options, you only use the touch-screen for selecting icons and list options and for plunking at a virtual numeric keypad. For either of those uses, the touch screen is adequate.

The display supports 262,000 colors and 320x240 pixels. Though handsets with 16 million-color displays are increasing in number, the Flight's screen is vibrant with bright colors and sharp graphics. You can adjust the brightness, backlight time, and font type. The touch interface is quite responsive, both when you're selecting icons and scrolling through a long list. You can adjust the display calibration and the intensity of the vibrating feedback.

Though the Flight doesn't have a TouchWiz shortcut bar, there are three touch icons that give access to the messaging folder, the favorite contacts list, and a user-programmable shortcut menu. Below them are touch controls for the main menu, the main contacts list, and the recent calls feature. The latter is rather redundant given the presence of the physical Talk button.

Below the display are a back key and the Talk and End/power buttons. The controls are flush but their large size makes them easy to use. On the left spine you'll find a volume rocker, a second onscreen shortcut menu, and the Micro-USB/charger port. Over on the right spine are a display lock switch and a camera shutter. The camera lens and small speaker sit on the rear side. Vanity shots are possible with the mirrored border that surrounds the lens. The microSD card is located behind the battery cover.

The Flight's keyboard is well-designed.

The physical keyboard is reasonably spacious and user-friendly. There are four rows of keys with the top row set far enough from the bottom of the slider. Letters share space with symbols and numbers with numbers marked by red circles. You'll also find directional arrow keys, a messaging shortcut control, a dedicated ".com" button, and the standard array of other keyboard controls (Delete, Shift, Function, etc.). The space bar is a bit small, but it's located conveniently in the center of the bottom row. We could type messages quickly and comfortably without making many mistakes.

Beyond the keyboard you also can use the Flight's handwriting recognition feature. It works pretty well with a firm press, but the display is too small to fully support it. What's more, it takes too much time to write letters one by one. You can use the virtual numeric keypad as well, but that means multiple taps with the T9 software.

Features
The Flight's phone book holds 2,000 contacts with room in each entry for five phone numbers, an e-mail address, a URL, a nickname, a company and job title, a birthday, and notes. You can save callers to groups and pair them with photos, ringtones, and alert tones. The SIM card holds an additional 250 names.

Basic features include text and multimedia messaging, an alarm clock, a calendar, a memo pad, a stopwatch, a timer, a world clock, a calculator, a task list, a currency and unit converter, and a tip calculator. Additional features are pretty standard. You'll find a sketchpad, a file manager, voice dialing, stereo Bluetooth, PC syncing, a voice recorder, and USB mass storage. E-mail is limited to an AT&T Mobile Email app, which offers access to POP3 services like AIM, Gmail, Windows Live, AOL, and Yahoo. Given the clunky Web-based interface, we wouldn't want to use it extensively.

The debut of the Palm Pre got the tech world and gadget enthusiasts excited about Palm once again. Long considered dead in the water, Palm's innovative WebOS operating system buoyed it back into the spotlight, and the Pre was certainly a boon for the company as well as Sprint. While not a complete savior, the two are hoping to create some more magic with the new Palm Pixi.

A smaller, cheaper version of the Pre, the Pixi is aimed at a younger audience and to those who put a precedent on messaging or are making the jump from a feature phone to a smartphone. You can think of the Pixi as the replacement to the Palm Centro. Since it is a more entry-level smartphone, you sacrifice some features, such as Wi-Fi and a better camera. In addition, the Pixi feels underpowered compared to the Pre. However, what you do get is an incredibly sleek smartphone with an improved keyboard and enhanced contact management and messaging features. Plus, you still get 3G support, Bluetooth, GPS, and the great multitasking abilities of WebOS. For first-time smartphone buyers and casual users, the Palm Pixi is enough, but power users and tech enthusiasts should go with the Pre.

The Pixi goes on sale November 15 as a Sprint exclusive for $99.99 with a two-year contract (it requires one of the carrier's unlimited data plans, such as Simply Everything or Everything Data) and after a $100 mail-in rebate. The price is OK, and Sprint offers some of the better-valued voice and data plans. That said, to make the Pixi a real enticing package, it'd be great to see Sprint shave off even $10 on the price, considering that the Pre is only $50 more and you can get HTC Droid Eris from Verizon for the same price with Wi-Fi.

Design
While the Pixi name won't appeal to some people (read: men), we can certainly see where the inspiration comes from, as the smartphone is downright petite and dare we say, cute? The Pixi is Palm's thinnest device to date and measures a slight 4.37 inches by 2.17 inches wide by 0.43 inch thick and weighs 3.26 ounces. It easily slips into a pants pocket and is incredibly light in the hand without feeling fragile. The back of the phone has a nice soft-touch finish so it doesn't feel as plasticky or slick as the Pre. Plus, it has a more solid construction without any moving parts that come with a slider design.

The Palm Pixi is incredibly thin and compact. While the name doesn't impress, the phone's design certainly does.

Of course, with the compact size and slate form factor, there are some trade-offs, most notably, screen size. The Palm Pixi features a 2.63-inch capacitive touch screen with a 320x400 resolution, so it's a bit of adjustment coming from the Pre's 3.1-inch, 320x480 HVGA display, particularly when viewing Web pages and videos. The app panels can also feel a bit cramped when you've got the quick-launch bar or an e-mail preview occupying the bottom of the screen.

That said, the screen is still bright and sharp. We used multiple applications, including apps previously downloaded from the App Catalog for the Pre such as Yelp, Tweed, and Pandora, and all played well with the screen's resolution. The capacitive touch screen is responsive, though the screen transitions aren't always swift or smooth (see Performance for more).

Like the Pre, the Pixi has multitouch capabilities so you can use the pinch gesture to zoom in and out of Web pages, photos, and maps. In addition, there's a built-in accelerometer as well as a proximity sensor so the display will automatically turn off when you're on a call in order to prevent any accidental mispresses when holding the phone up to your ear.

Below the display is a gesture area that's not visible to the naked eye. However, once you touch it, you'll see a single line in the center light up. This replaces the physical center button found the Pre and when touched, it brings you back to the deck of card view if you're working in an application. Swiping your finger right to left will also return you to the previous screen and dragging your finger from the gesture area up to the screen will bring up the launcher bar, just like the Pre.

For more information about the gestures, as well as the Pixi's user interface, setup process, and multitasking abilities, please read our full review of the Palm Pre.

While having smaller buttons, the Pixi's QWERTY keyboard was much easier to use than the Pre's.

Pressing on (get it?) to the Pixi's QWERTY keyboard, it is still small and in fact, the buttons are narrower than the ones on the Pre, but it's way more comfortable and easier to use. How could that be? Well, for one thing, the keys are raised higher and you don't have to deal with maneuvering around the edges of the phone caused by the slider design or having your thumb bump up against the bottom of the screen. Also, the Pixi's buttons provide more of a clicky feedback and don't feel as sticky or gummy to press, so it's a much a better experience. There will certainly be some adjustment since the keys are small, but we found typing on the Pixi to be much more comfortable than the Pre and made less mistakes. An official virtual keyboard by Palm, however, has yet to be seen.

Rounding out the Palm Pixi's design features is a power button and a 3.5mm headphone jack on top, while the silent ringer switch, volume rocker, and microUSB port are on the right side. The latter is protected by attached cover and while a little tricky to pry open, it's much less cumbersome than the one found on the Pre. As usual, the camera and flash are located on the back.

The Palm Pixi comes packaged with an AC adapter, a micro USB cable, and reference material. A Touchstone Kit will also be available for the Pixi for $79.99, which includes the dock and inductive back cover. In addition, you can spruce up your Pixi with one of six limited edition back covers from the Palm Pixi Artist Series. The designs by Michelle White, Jeremy Fish, and Cole Gerst will be available at launch, while those by Sheri Bodell, Melissa Hutton will ship in early December. Each cover costs $49.99 and work with the Touchstone dock. For more add ons, please check our cell phone accessories, ring tones, and help page.

Features
As we mentioned earlier, the Palm Pixi is meant to be more of an entry-level device so it doesn't have all the capabilities of the Pre. The biggest difference is that the Pixi lacks Wi-Fi and also gets a lesser 2-megapixel camera, which we'll talk about later in this section. However, the Pixi still offers plenty for the first-time smartphone buyer and even includes some functionality not found on the Pre (yet).

At launch, the Palm Pixi will actually ship with Palm WebOS 1.2.9 out of the box but, an over-the-air update to 1.3.1 should be available to most customers on the Pixi's November 15 release date. However, Palm sends out its updates in batches so there may be some who won't get theirs right off the bat, but the company has said 1.3.1 will be available to customers within that week. For any curious Pre owners, Palm has not announced an official release date for WebOS 1.3.1 for your device, but we suspect it won't be much later after the Pixi's launch.

So what's new in WebOS 1.3.1? The most notable addition is the Yahoo integration with Palm's Synergy feature. This means that in addition to your Outlook Exchange ActiveSync, Facebook, Google, and LinkedIn information, you can now incorporate your Yahoo contacts, calendar, and messenger data into the Pixi's address book. Like the other accounts, you simply enter your e-mail address and password, and Synergy will do the rest, merging any duplicate entries into one contact sheet. Just remember, the more contacts you have, the longer it will take the phone to get all the data, so be patient.

Once done, an individual's contact page will show all his or her e-mail addresses, phone numbers, images. If they're an IM buddy, a dot next to their name will show their current status (green for online, orange for idle/busy, or blank for offline). While we absolutely love Synergy for simplifying the contact management system, we do wish there was a way to choice to sync all your Facebook contacts or just those who are already in your contacts database like on the Motorola Droid.

We were able to sync our Yahoo account with the Pixi but after initial set up, we were asked several times to re-enter our password, despite the fact that we got the message that synchronization was complete the first time we entered it. Despite this small oddity, we received our Yahoo mail as it arrived to our in-box, and all contacts were integrated into the universal address book. Our Yahoo IM buddies transferred over to the unified Messaging app, though there's no distinction between the different IM clients.

While we're on the subject of messaging, there are some new enhancements. First and foremost, you can finally forward text messages. You can do so by simply tapping on the message as well as copy a single message rather than an entire thread. You can do both by simply tapping on the message, which will bring up a menu with those options. In addition, there are new shortcuts in the e-mail app that allow you to flag messages, mark as unread or move to a folder. To find these options, open a message and press the E-mail drop-down menu in the upper left-hand corner. WebOS 1.3.1 also improves e-mail formatting when you forward or reply to messages.