Alltel takes a Hint
The Moto Hint has a full keyboard.
(Credit: Motorola)Over the past two months, it has become hip to be square in cell phone land. Three messaging phones introduced during the fall season--the LG Lotus, the Pantech Slate, and the Samsung Propel--all have square designs in varying forms. Now Motorola is getting in on the game with the Motorola Hint for Alltel.
Also called the QA30, the boxy Hint has a slider design that hides a full QWERTY keyboard. Features include support for Alltel's 3G EV-DO network, stereo Bluetooth, a 3.5mm headset jack, a 2.5-inch display, USB connectivity, PC syncing, a music player, a microSD card slot, personal organizer options, a speakerphone, and a 2-megapixel camera. And of course, the Hint will bring text and multimedia messaging, instant messaging, and e-mail. You can get it for $99.99 with service starting November 28.
Kent German is a senior editor for cell phone reviews at CNET. When he's not testing the newest handsets on the market, he's blogging about cell phone news for Crave. In his On Call column, he answers reader questions and gives his take on the rapidly changing mobile industry. E-mail Kent. 
I've had a Treo 700w for 3 years and just got a BlackBerry 8830 (unlimited data, Navigation, etc) for work. My 8830 is slick b/c I get my work e-mail along with my Yahoo & Hotmail messages. Now I really don't need my Treo for much (phone & texting). The Hint seems simple enough to keep in a pocket instead being clipped to my hip and has the QUERTY keyboard. I likes a lot.