prizefight

No one enjoys being locked down to a carrier contract, but it's often a necessary evil to get discounted prices on handsets. However, if you refuse to be tied down and can afford to get an unlocked phone, two of the top devices that money can buy are the Nexus One and the HTC HD2.

Both smartphones offer high-end features, such as luxurious touch screens, 1GHz processors, and advanced cameras, so, naturally, we had to throw the two into the Prizefight ring. See who comes out swinging in our Nexus One versus HTC HD2 prizefight.

Bose has built quite the reputation for its entire audio line, so it's no surprise that the company's portable headphones, the On-Ear, have a tidy little following. These cushy, earpad-style cans distinguish themselves from their brethren by removing Bose's signature noise-canceling functionality in favor of offering a slightly deflated price tag. But don't fret: the On-Ear headphones still present a sleek design that's understated and compact without feeling flimsy. It's no wonder the Bose name springs easily to the lips whenever headphones are mentioned, and why plenty of competitors want a piece of that … Read more

Greetings, sports fans. We're proud to present another cell phone Prizefight. This time we threw the iPhone 3GS into the ring with the new kid on the smartphone block, the Google Android-equipped Nexus One from HTC.

It goes without saying that each of these handsets packs a powerful punch. The iPhone excels at multimedia and is compatible with thousands of apps, but the Nexus One counters with a fast processor and multitasking. And just this week the Nexus One gained multitouch support in a software update.

We promise you: this is an epic battle. So, to see it for … Read more

With four Android phones in its stable, T-Mobile remains the Google Android leader. Its latest model is the Samsung Behold II, which offers a brilliant display and one of the best media players we've seen on an Android phone so far.

But just a week earlier, and the same day it introduced its Motorola Droid, Verizon Wireless unveiled the HTC Droid Eris. Also a touch-screen phone without a physical keyboard, the Droid Eris offers all the features you'd expect from an Android phone, while adding full multitouch and deeper levels of customization with the HTC Sense interface.

The … Read more

For many smartphone manufacturers and carriers, the Apple iPhone is the great, white elephant in the room. Though they might not want to acknowledge it, the iPhone has certainly changed the game and for better or worse, it's become the gold standard to which a lot of people compare other touch-screen phones.

While most of the competition might be content to let their products speak for themselves, Verizon has made a bold move by single-handedly calling out the iPhone and AT&T in its iDon't and "There's a map for that" TV commercials. The … Read more

You like high-profile cage matches? It doesn't get more intense than the operating system that encompasses Microsoft's hopes and dreams, Windows 7, going processor-to-processor against a refreshed and re-invigorated Snow Leopard from Apple. Can Windows 7 move past the failures of its predecessor Vista, or will Snow Leopard turn this into a one-cat fight? See what three CNET editors think of Windows 7 versus Snow Leopard in our latest Prizefight. You better believe it's subjective.

Jasmine's back, and she and Donald tackle the Android-based Archos 5 Internet Media Tablet that just landed in the office--with plenty of unboxing goodness. Also, a new Cowon player is teased in Asia, and Jasmine rants uncontrollably about the sweet new Japan-only Walkmans that she's dying to get her hands on. Finally, no MP3 Insider would be complete without a sojourn into iPod Touch/Zune HD territory, which is exactly where the updated CNET Prizefight comes into play.

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The CNET Prizefight you've been waiting for is here: Zune HD vs. iPod Touch. Just like the Thunderdome (minus Tina Turner and the post-apocalyptic wasteland), two portable media players will enter the ring, but only one may leave.

And for the first time, dear CNET readers, our Prizefight page has been redesigned to allow comments. That's right, now all your catty flames, insightful objections, or outright whining can be preserved forever, right on the Prizefight page. Another upshot of the page redesign: it looks soooo much better than the old version.

So head on over to the iPod Touch vs. Zune HD Prizefight … Read more

If you're shopping for a high-end portable media player, but the iPod just isn't your cup of tea, the Sony X-Series Walkman and the Cowon S9 are two of the best options around.

But aside from the fact that both players include beautiful OLED touch screens, they couldn't be more different. The X-Series comes with a Web browser, noise-canceling headphones, and lacks Bluetooth, while the S9 includes Bluetooth, standard earbuds, and wants nothing to do with the Internet.

To see which iPod Touch alternative offers the most bang for your buck, we've handed the S9 and … Read more