handsets

In the shotgun wedding between mobile phones and MP3 players, some handsets are trying to seize the upper hand by including larger speakers in their slender frames. The recently discovered "Super Audio Phone" from China, for example, has a speaker that makes it look something like an old-fashioned transistor radio.

Another model from Hong Kong is aiming to go a step further with several small built-in speakers to create 7.1 surround sound, according to Pocket-lint. Regardless of how well (or poorly) they perform, at least we know that they won't look as awkward as some snap-on … Read more

Crave generally tries to stay away from concept products and designs, as we have enough trouble as it is staying grounded in reality without them. But every once in awhile an idea comes along that we just can't pass up--and the "Radia Cell Phone" is one of them.

This handset, if it can be called that, has an outer rim of brushed aluminum encircling a large touch display but is still small enough to fit in your pocket, according to Yanko Design. Granted, it may not be the most practical design (we can't imagine using it … Read more

These three slick Windows Mobile handsets are the latest tasty offerings from Orange. Pictured left to right, there's the SPV M700, SPV E600 and the SPV E650. All of these handsets are rebranded HTC devices with some minor aesthetic changes.

The Orange SPV M700 (aka the HTC P3600) has a glossy black casing, and as with all of Orange's smart phones, comes with Orange's personal touch, which mainly involves putting its logo everywhere. It packs 3G, HSDPA and Wi-Fi connectivity, making it a good choice if you need to email at every possible moment.

Next up is … Read more

There's a funny thing about LG's new "banana phone." Unless we're mistaken, it doesn't have much in common with its namesake fruit.

For one thing, it's not yellow. In fact, the only color at all (other than white) seems to be a hint of orange. And even though it does have a slightly curved form, we highly doubt that you'd mistake it for a Chiquita if it were hanging around the produce section at Safeway. The LG-SV280 does make good on the other half of its name, however, in that it is … Read more

As mobile phones grapple with their identity crisis as MP3 players, handset makers have worked themselves into contortions trying to provide decent sound quality--creating some ugly accessories in the process.

The Chinese-made "Super Audio Phone" aims to change all that by building in a speaker that's much larger than today's standard sizes in the back of the handset, where a second, smaller LCD screen that provides song titles and other audio information, according to Slashphone. The front looks like a regular phone, with a larger display and buttons.

We have no idea how its music actually … Read more

LG's phone division appears to be going full-tilt into its metallic age, at least in South Korea. Two new models in its appropriately named "Shine" line have made appearances at the company's Digital Design Center in Seoul, according to Electronista.

The first version is a special gold edition of the slider handset destined for South Korea's CDMA networks. The second is the "Shine Folder," a clamshell alternative to the original that appears to resemble one we cited last month that some speculated was possibly headed for Verizon.

Unfortunately, neither of the models displayed … Read more

Now that the Mayo Clinic has settled the question of cell phone safety in hospitals, it's time to turn our attention to research that really matters: What colors do men and women like?

A study commissioned by phone retailer MPhone has surmised that both genders generally like the same models but want different colors. (Stop the presses!) The report also contained the blockbuster finding that "men were twice as likely to buy black phones," according to Gadgets Weblog.

And how reliable is this research? Consider this statement from an MPhone rep: "While we know who is … Read more

Claiming that you've got the world's thinnest phone is a boast that might last a day or two tops, even if it's true. But NEC may well have those bragging rights for a few hours, at least in the flip-phone category.

Its n703iu is just 0.45 inches thick when closed, Electronista says. Making it even more interesting is the outer shell, which features 49 LED lights that change patterns to indicate when calls, e-mail or other functions are at work. It also has the obligatory 1.3-megapixel camera and MP3 player.

The 3G handset will be … Read more

Probably owing to the sensory overload of the holidays, we at Crave feel compelled to repeat our mantra that less is more. Just after posting an item on an elegant special edition of LG's "Shine," we came across another example of a well-designed handset in the form of a VoIP phone.

What is most appealing about Lexon's "Lexphone" is the consistency with its surroundings. If you appreciate the clean lines of your MacBook or Sony Vaio, for example, the last thing you'd want to do is have some garish phone plugged into it, … Read more