Q. Judie,

Hope this note finds you well. I need some gadget advice, if you have the time.  I have a birthday coming up in two weeks, and my wife wants a suggestion from me for a present. I am thinking about a new phone.  I have a Samsung Blackjack for work which runs Mobile 5.0 and I like it a lot.  Works very well with our Outlook Exchange server.  I also have a Motorola RAZR2 for weekends, which I also like, but I’d like a weekend phone that has a little more functionality.

I have looked at the N95, but if I am going to put that kind of dent in my wallet, I wanted to see if you have a favorite fun phone that you like and would recommend for a GSM system (I am AT&T).  Anything that really makes you smile?

Thanks for your time!!

Bill

A. Hi Bill,

I took a bit longer to answer your email than I had meant to, so let me start by telling you HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Let me go find my party hat…

[For those who haven't been privy to Bill's and my emails since, he told me that he still hasn't purchased a new phone, so at least my reply will still be relevant.]

Let’s dive in!

Alison (from Astraware) and I have been talking about a new Nokia that you might be interested in. Don’t get me wrong – I really like the N95, and if I were splurging I might even go for the N95 8GB, but take a look at the Nokia N82. She just got hers, and she loves it! Conveniently enough, Astraware is now producing games for the S60 platform, too. And we all know that Astraware games are a perfect weekend diversion.

According to Alison, this phone took everything about the N95 that was good, but made it better; looking at the spec sheet, I would have to agree. But bets of all, I think you might even be able to buy one for less than the N95. The black looks especially nice, but it is not as easy to find.

photo courtesy of Symbian Addict

As far as other phones that make me smile right now? Here are four more…

1. What better weekend phone is there than the iPhone? It’s got a fun interface, a fabulous browser, a passable camera, and is so insanely popular that just about any accessory you could imagine or want for it is available. If you don’t mind waiting a few more months, then the 3G model we keep hearing about should be here.

Now obviously people who live in the middle of nowhere (like me!) might not necessarily need (or want) to wait, but I bet there will be some other tweaks that might make it worthwhile. Maybe more memory, maybe true GPS, maybe…I dunno! But it’s fun to speculate, isn’t it?

2. The Sony Xperia X1 is a phone I have been drooling over since pictures first started emerging. Dieter, over at WM Experts got some face time with one, and I have to say that it looks pretty impressive. He lists its specifications as:

• HSDPA/HSUPA (Quad Band, too)
• WiFi and Bluetooth
• aGPS
• 3.2 Megapixel Camera
• 110 x 53 x 16.7 mm
• 145 grams
• 1500 mAH Battery
• Qualcomm’s MSM7200A CPU, 528Mhz (confirmed)
• 800×480 resolution Touchscreen (flush)
• MicroSD for expansion
• MiniUSB for data and chargin
• 3.5mm headset jack for music

I totally agree with him when he says that “they are, in short, nothing less than top of the line.”

And for those who think it’s going to be a chunky monkey, take a look at this picture Dieter snapped of the Xperia next to a Samsung Blackjack II. Most of us have seen those, and we know they aren’t that big; yet it manages to make the X1 look tiny. Me likey.

I know this isn’t really a “weekend” phone, but the X1 looks like a phone that you could use during the week, but that you could still enjoy on the weekend! So whatever it’s going to cost, it’s a bargain if you look at it like that…right?

That’s how I am going to justify it when it comes out, anyway. 

3. The HTC Touch Dual is about to show up stateside, possibly only on T-Mobile, possibly unlocked from BestBuy Mobile, I’m really not sure yet. You may recall that I took a look at both the HTC Touch and the Touch Dual back in December, and I absolutely loved the way the Dual felt in my hand. I did miss having a full keyboard for texting, but that’s not going to be a hang-up for everyone. If you want a more powerful than average “weekend” phone, then look no further. The cool thing is that the US version will be running the slick new WM 6.1, too.

As I said back in December, “now that it is available, I think that the Touch Dual is going to be even better received [than the Touch] – except by those who object to its slightly thicker body. In my opinion, the only thing that might have improved the Touch Dual’s form factor would have been if it could have somehow had a full QWERTY keyboard without sacrificing thickness or adding much more width. If I had to choose one over the other [Touch Dual vs. Touch], this would definitely be it. Add GPS and WiFi, and I think a lot of people would consider the Touch Dual a nearly perfect mobile phone.”

4. Last but not least, don’t forget the Google phone! HTC is coming out with a device running Android, and by all accounts it will be called the “Dream”. Vincent at Phone Magazine found and posted a video of an early prototype running Android; he says “The HTC Dream will include many of the iPhone features, such as the full touch screen interface and keyboard. It is expected to measure 5-inch long and 3-inch wide. According to AllHeadLineNews, there will be a keyboard below the screen.”

Vincent also says that “the HTC Dream may or may not resemble [the device in the video]; it’s hard to say. I’m willing to be the farm that it’ll be pretty darn close.” I welcome the opportunity to try a new type of device on a brand new platform; I can’t wait to try it.

Okay, there’s five phones that I think are cool right now. Can you all think of any that are worth a mention?

J


If you have a question that you would like Judie (or another member of the team) to answer in the Dear Gear Diary format, then send your questions to deargeardiary@geardiary.com.