For the past few years at the CTIA show, CNET has chosen our favorite products, and here in Orlando, Florida, we're glad to do it again. Products are selected on a variety of factors including design, features, and innovation in three main categories: best cell phone, best smart phone, and best cell phone accessory.
Sometimes our picks become big winners when they're introduced, and sometimes they don't live up to our full expectations, but our 2006 picks fared pretty well over the last year. And without further ado, we present CNET's Cream of the Crop for CTIA 2007:
Samsung Upstage phone side
(Credit: Samsung)
Samsung Upstage MP3 side
(Credit: Samsung)
Coolest cell phone: Samsung Upstage
Samsung and Sprint hit CTIA in full force when they announced the U.S. version of the Samsung Ultra Music the day before the show began. The Upstage earns points not only because it's completely innovative but also because it's actually a decent phone too. The unique dual-sided design successfully integrates a cell phone and an MP3 player into one device. You can listen to music, watch streaming video, take pictures, and yes, you can make calls too. It has its quirks to be sure and it's not for the gadget-phobic, but on the whole it's a sleek, satisfying device with admirable performance. Just be advised that during your first couple sessions, a dose of patience is needed. Again, it's not perfect, but it's a very positive step in a new direction. Indeed, it just makes us excited for the next-generation model. For a full report on the Upstage, read our review. We liked Sony Ericsson's slick new Walkman phone, the W580.
HTC Advantage
(Credit: HTC)
Coolest smart phone: HTC Advantage
To be perfectly honest, 3GSM World Congress stole a lot of thunder from CTIA 2007 when it came to introducing new smart phones. The event in Spain saw the debut of the HTC Vox, Motorola Q q9, three new Nokia E series phones, and much more. So what did that leave for CTIA? Well, not much. But that's not a bad thing since many of the companies announced plans to bring these models to the United States, including what we think was the coolest smart phone: the HTC Advantage. OK, we know the Advantage is more than just a smart phone, but we have to reward it for its innovation.The portable gadget features an 8GB hard drive, Windows Mobile 6 Professional Edition, a 5-inch VGA touch screen, and a magnetically connected full QWERTY keyboard. In addition, it's stacked with all the wireless connections you'd ever want (quad-band (GSM 850/900/1800/1900; GPRS/EDGE; 3G (UMTS/HSDPA), Bluetooth 2.0, and Wi-Fi. We're really looking forward to checking out this device when it's released in the summer. Also worth a mention is the much-coveted and now U.S.-bound Nokia N95.
Cardo S-800
(Credit: CNET)
Coolest cell phone accessory: Cardo S-800
The Cardo S-800 is our pick of favorite accessory due to one simple factor: it fits a lot of features in one tiny package. The lightweight 0.38-ounce Bluetooth headset is stylish and compact, with a lot of brainpower inside its petite form. Some of the more interesting features include a battery status indicator, a headset location buzzer, a missed call indicator, and even a "hot-dialing" button that lets you call up to three of your favorite contacts. As for sound quality, the S-800 also has a dual-microphone system that cancels out background noise. We look forward to reviewing the headset first-hand later this year.
Kyocera E5000
(Credit: CNET Networks)
Honorable Mention: Kyocera E5000
We have to admit we were impressed with Kyoccera's offerings this year.That's not to say the company hasn't done good work before, but at this year's CTIA it struck a brave new path. Of the five phones it introduced in Orlando, a couple featured completely new stylish designs that stood out from the cell phone crowd. And while some of the new handsets are indeed thin, Kyocera is not blindly chasing the thin phone crowd with another Razr look-alike. Instead, they're being a bit more creative, and that's why the Kyocera E5000 earns an honorable mention. Its stainless body and S-shaped hinge thin profile make it quite the looker, and it looked even better in Kyocera's fancy booth. The promised features aren't bad either, with a music player, a microSD card slot, a 1.3-megapixel camera, and stereo Bluetooth. We're a bit concerned about the usability of the flat keypad, and we don't know how well it will perform when it hits the streets, but we can say one thing: it sure is pretty,
Windows Live for Mobile
(Credit: Microsoft)We had a chance to sit down with the Windows Live for Mobile team this morning, and chat about life, love, and the pursuit of all things mobile. As you may remember, one of the new features of Windows Mobile 6 was the Windows Live integration, bringing with it improvements to contact synchronization, search, and instant messaging. And we should expect to see more integration of core applications in the near future, according to Matt Champagne, director of mobile product management for Microsoft. Already the team has released a local search client for the U.S. and U.K. markets so you can conduct searches for a variety of categories (hotels, restaurants, etc.) based on your location. From there, you can call directly to the business, view 2D and aerial maps, get driving directions, and view local traffic conditions. The company also has recommitted itself to the MSN Mobile portal and released a beta version featuring optimized pages with full graphics and deeper channel integration. While the new features are key, Champagne said it's just as important to bring these changes to the market faster, rather than keep it within Microsoft R&D department, and we couldn't agree more.
Samsung Ultra Smart F700
(Credit: CNET Networks)We were pretty stoked when Samsung told us they had a Samsung Ultra Smart F700 that we could actually touch and drool over, but the excitement was short-lived when we found out it wasn't a working model. Bummer. Still, we got some hands-on time with F700 and came away with a couple of thoughts. First, the VibeTonz technology is a little startling. This feature causes the phone to slightly vibrate when you slide up the cover or use the keyboard. Personally, I think this would get old after a while, but hopefully there's an option to turn it off. The keyboard buttons are springy and seems easy enough to use. Truth be told, for better or worse, some elements of the F700's design and overall feel reminded me of the Sony Mylo. Of course, the Mylo didn't have a touch screen like the F700, but it's not like we could test it. Samsung couldn't tell us whether the F700 would make its way to the States, but many have already compared it to the infamous Apple iPhone. Interestingly, I just got back from a panel discussion about cell phone design with representatives from Samsung and Motorola, among others, and they all agreed that by the time the iPhone is finally available in June, it'll have plenty of competition (more on this later), so perhaps that's a sign that the F700 is U.S. bound. Fingers crossed.
Palm Treo 750 + Windows Mobile 6: TLF
(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)Well, good on ya, Palm. Today, the company announced that it will offer Treo 750 owners an update to Windows Mobile 6 Professional Edition. Not only does this bring the new e-mail search functionality, Calendar Ribbon, and Windows Live for Mobile integration, but for Cingular/AT&T customers, it also adds support for the carrier's UMTS/HSDPA 3G network. Sweet. Palm said it will release the upgrade later this year, but we're trying to get a hard date--or at least a more specific time frame from the company, so check back for more details.
Nokia N95
(Credit: Nokia)Start saving your pennies, Cravers: the much-coveted Nokia N95 is coming to the United States. That's right, baby. Scheduled for a late spring release, the N95 brings an innovative two-way slider design, integrated GPS, Wi-Fi, and a 5-megapixel camera, just to name a few of the phone's goodies. Unfortunately, it looks like the HSDPA support will be stripped out of the U.S. version though. What the? Booooo! For now, the quad-band (GSM 850/900/1800/1900; EDGE) N95 won't be released with any carrier, so the good news is it's not tied down to one service provider. You can just plop in your T-Mobile or Cingular/AT&T SIM card, and start using the Symbian-based phone. The bad news is the gut-wrenching price; we're looking at $400 to $500 for an unlocked version, but we have to say, if you're willing to spend that much on a phone, it might as well be for the N95.
Nokia N76
(Credit: Nokia )Following the N95 will be the music-centric Nokia N76. This sleek and sexy flip Symbian handset will ship around early summer and also will be sold as an unlocked phone with pricing starting around $500. Highlights include a 2-megapixel camera, a built-in music player, an FM radio, external music controls, and a 3.5mm headset jack. Both the Nokia N95 and the Nokia N76 will be sold through major retailers, Nokia's Web site, and the company's flagship stores. Hang in there just a while longer, they're coming!
On Sale Now: $11.99
View the latest prices for Nokia N95 - black/silver (Unlocked)
On Sale Now: $449.99
View the latest prices for Nokia N76 - red (Unlocked)
Symbian
(Credit: Symbian)Symbian chose CTIA 2007 as its stage to unveil the latest version of its smart phone operating system, Symbian OS v9.5. The revamped OS brings a number of improvements to e-mail, multimedia, and performance. Notable enhancements include Exchange ActiveSync integration, automatic RAM defragmentation, 35 new camera features, and more support for GPS and location-based services. Symbian also claims that v9.5 will reduce battery, processor, and memory consumption, making it a more affordable solution and allowing more handset manufacturers to use the OS in midrange devices and not just high-end smart phones. Version 9.5 won't be available till later this year, and then it'll be up to the phone manufacturers to offer upgrades to current Symbian device owners. Also of importance, Symbian v9.5 will be backward compatible with all versions of Symbian OS 9. For more information, check out CNET News.com.
Motorola Q q9h: U.S.-bound
(Credit: Motorola )
Motorola Q GSM: not so much
(Credit: Motorola)We stopped by Motorola's booth today at CTIA 2007 and among other things, got an update on the whereabouts of the Motorola Q GSM and Motorola Q q9. Apparently, the GSM Moto Q won't be coming to the States because there isn't much interest. Ohhhh, really? I would have thought otherwise based on the number of reader e-mails I get about this device. Then again, we can understand how interest for the GSM Q would wane in the shadow of the faster, more powerful Motorola Q q9, which, by the way, has been renamed the Motorola Q q9h. (Yeah, I still don't get it.)
Just as a bit of a refresher, the q9h features improvements inside and out. Cosmetically, it has a redesigned body with more rounded edges and an "ergonomically optimized" keyboard. In addition, the display has a light sensor to automatically adjust the backlighting based on your environment. Inside, the Moto Q q9h runs Windows Mobile 6 Standard Edition and has a faster processor, HSDPA support, and is compatible with Windows Mobile PlaysForSure content, which you can access over the air or via files stored on either the device's 256MB internal memory or a microSD card. I got some brief hands-on time with the device today, and the keyboard is definitely better and the phone is still lightweight, but I'm not 100 percent sold on the new design. It seems wider and thicker to me. However, I did notice that it was much faster to perform tasks than the original Moto Q--thank goodness. Motorola said the q9h is expected to ship sometime in Q3, but was mum on pricing and carrier (**cough, Cingular/AT&T, cough cough**).
Last night at Pepcom in Orlando, Nokia demoed Real's recently-released version of Rhapsody for the N800 Internet Tablet. Or at least that was the plan: as I'm not actually at CTIA, I can't confirm that the demo ever really happened. What is certain, however, is that N800 owners who also subscribe to Rhapsody will now have direct access to the music service on their tablets (as long as there is a Wi-Fi connection available at the time). Users can search the entire Rhapsody catalog, browse their libraries, listen to playlists and Channels, and read editorial commentary--pretty much everything you can do from home. If you own an N800, the update should be available through the Tableteer menu on the device. The overall setup looks pretty sweet to me, but it begs the question: how many people own an N800 and subscribe to Rhapsody? I imagine that number isn't terribly high.
The N800's large screen allows for a nice-looking, easy-to-use Rhapsody interface.
Inrix shows traffic info on any Windows Mobile device.
(Credit: Inrix)At CTIA, Inrix announced its new traffic service, downloadable to Windows Mobile devices, which can even tell you what the traffic will be like in the future. We, having recently been stuck in a traffic jam and unable to find any information about it on the radio, will be quite happy with the service's reporting on current conditions. The app, called Inrix Traffic, shows real-time traffic flow and traffic incidents, such as accidents or construction, so you can get a good idea why you're going 5mph in a 65mph zone.
But Inrix has developed a substantial database of historical traffic conditions, and uses that to predict what traffic will be like in the future. So, for example, you can plan a trip to the airport for next week, and take traffic into consideration for what time you'll need to leave. More importantly, Inrix developed its traffic data by partnering with companies putting GPS-enabled fleets on the roads, so it has traffic data for areas that have no local traffic monitoring. For areas with good traffic monitoring, such as the San Francisco bay area, Inrix covers roads that aren't monitored by the local authorities. It should be noted that Inrix Traffic isn't a navigation device--you need to know what road you are on, so you can look at the app and see what traffic is like on that road.
Inrix is offering the application, which comes in at less than a megabyte, for download at Handango. But getting your local maps will require additional downloads. The service itself runs a very reasonable $39.95 a year. Inrix has already proven its pedigree somewhat by getting picked up, with its partner Clear Channel, as the traffic provider for BMW and Mini navigation systems.
Mercora has beefed up its streaming music service for smart phones, called M, and has snagged a deal with Microsoft to promote the service on its Windows Mobile site.
(Credit:
Mercora)
The service still offers more than 100,000 channels of music for streaming directly to any Windows Mobile 5 or 6 phone, but has added more than 7,000 podcast channels, CEO Srivats Sampath said.
Mercora will also be getting a temporary plug from Microsoft: Starting Tuesday, Microsoft will offer M as a free six-month subscription to all Windows Mobile users. The application can be downloaded from the Windows Mobile site directly to phones. After six months users will be subject to the service's standard $49.99 per year price tag.
The subscription-based music service initially launched in October. He wouldn't reveal specific numbers, but Sampath says the service now has subscribers numbering in the "multiple thousands."
Mercora is also one of thousands of companies offering Web-based radio service that would be affected by new rules assessing a higher minimum per-channel royalty payment, but Sampath rejected any assertions that his business would suffer.
That's because he's seen it happen before, he said. "The court will rule on a particular pricing. Everyone will squeal, then everyone goes back to the table again to figure out a price acceptable to everyone.
"We're not upset," Sampath said. "We know logic will prevail."
