Ronn's Cellular Obsession

These are a stream of consciousness, but given the high expectation level of the LG Voyager, immediate impressions are important: Beautiful front screen, clean icons...comfortable keyboard under the flip lid, yet takes getting used to, especially for those of us who love the BlackBerry Curve...hmm, a bit heavier than I expected...wow, excellent call quality...EV-DO better than EDGE, but Sprint EV-DO on Palm Centro seems noticeably faster accessing Web sites...

Tell me that outside touch screen doesn't taste iPhone-ish!

(Credit: LG)

...perfect, quick text messaging--I could become a teenager with this thing...hmph, no Wi-Fi...easy voice dialing...no flash, yet solid camera...I like the haptic feedback, a little like a game controller...I'm concerned it might be too easy to accidentally hit unlock icon--we'll see if I butt dial in the next few days...finally, before fully testing, I'd say if the iPhone had EV-DO, I'd take that over the Voyager. But it doesn't, so this LG VX 10000 is in the lead right now.

No need to rely on a touch screen with this guy.

(Credit: LG)

Now to use it for a few days to see if my first impressions last!

Rarely have I looked forward to trying a phone and had more disappointing results. I don't want to trash the Sidekick Slide; let's just say it's one I'll never carry after living with it a couple of days.

The Sidekick Slide is slimmer and has a screen that slides up instead of swiveling.

(Credit: T-Mobile)

With almost all new cell phones, thinner is a given and just happens with each new model. For whatever the reason, that's barely the case with the Slide. It's about 0.6 inch thick, which is about 25 percent thinner than the traditional Sidekick, but that was a brick! For comparison, 0.6 inch is about the thickness of a Treo 650/700. Not exactly wafer thin.

And the Slide just feels like a Toys R Us phone for your 10-year-old. In spite of the spacious keyboard, it doesn't seem weighted for an adult. You don't feel the stability you'd get from a BlackBerry Curve, for example. And it's a good thing if you don't need to use numbers; the standalone keys snuggle right up to the base and are uncomfortable to punch unless your fingers are small enough to have just finished fishing the toy surprise out of a box of cereal. (The electric blue and purple color choices don't do much to distance it from Barney either.)

Using the phone reminds you that calls are not why you get this device. Even with all the bars, it still sounded hollow and uneven at times. Far better, of course, is its IM capability; no complaints there. AOL, Yahoo and Windows IM clients are all built-in, as is POP3 and IMAP e-mail.

The music and camera features are a bit below average, but OK. But the big hitch is the lack of video playback--that makes the Slide seems dated already. And at $300 with activation, yikes!

Here's my overview: You'll like the Sidekick Slide--as long as you're not old enough to get a driver's license.

Part of my problem with the Nokia N95 is everyone who has one is in love with it. I like it, but not as much as my friends do.

This is minor, but know what drives me crazy? When you get a call, there's no finger bar to grip when you move the slider up like on the Motorola z3 or the Samsung G600. So, there's always a slight lag before I get it right. And as I wrote in the first part, the spring mechanism is on the soft side.

Although it feels great to hold while conversing, if you're looking to make a fashion statement, the N95 is lacking. It's chunky, though with all the features, it's amazing it isn't even bigger.

Yet rereading this, I realize this is coming off far more negative than it deserves.

Now that's navigation! With the keypad hidden, you might mistake the N95 for a PND device. Upper right is the low-res camera lens.

(Credit: Nokia)

The N95 is more than a smartphone. Its mediacentric applications are state of the art, and its cameras are at the core of that. There are two of them, including a basic 1-megapixel snapshot device on the front and the fabulous 5-megapixel camera on the back. It has an excellent auto focus and Carl Zeiss glass (is it really glass?). Still images come out at 2592x1944 size, and in video mode you'll get MPEG-4 files at 30 frames per second and close to DVD resolution. When you're done, there's integrated photo and video editing inside the N95. Bottom line: you may be done carrying your Nikon Coolpix when you travel!

Speaking of traveling, the N95's GPS technology provides onscreen nav second to no other phone I've used. When you're bored on that plane or train, the MP3/video player is equally superb. Speakers are OK but you'll really be blown away by the sound through headphones. It matches any MP3 player I've ever tried in terms of sound quality. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth only adds to the N95's attractiveness.

Bottom line is it's an 8 out of 10. So why I am I not over the top? At $699, it should be at least a 9 out of 10. Although the N95 could be the standard for the next full year, at its price point you have to love it--not just like it--to buy it. I just like it.

The N95 has a hidden set of media buttons if you slide its faceplate the other way.

(Credit: Nokia)

Second only to the iPhone in hype, the Nokia N95 has finally made it to the U.S. And like the iPhone, there's lots to like, some negatives, and the same qualified recommendation from me so far.

The mp3/video player is strong, the 5-megapixel camera is outstanding, the GPS is superb, call quality is perfect, the display is clear, the feel is balanced...so where's the downside?

For one, despite that balance, there's kind of a toy-like tactile build quality overall. I think I feel that way mostly because the slider(s) don't lock with the firmness I like. I say slider(s) because it has two of them--sort of. You slide the faceplate one way to expose the phone keypad. Slide the other way and you expose a set of buttons for media playback.

The Symbian OS still doesn't feel comfortable to me yet, and there seems to be a bit of lag-time switching applications. And overall the N95 is thick, like a deck of cards, and by my rough calculations, it's about 35 percent greater volume than an iPhone.

Side-by-side thickness of the iPhone (l.) and the N95 (r.) Big difference.

(Credit: Apple Inc. (l) and CNET Networks Inc. (r.))

And then, of course, there's the price. At $699 and so far not supported or subsidized by any U.S. carriers, huge expectations have to be met, including admiring looks and words from others--and that hasn't materialized yet for me.

But this is one that's going to need some more daily use before a final opinion. Give me a few more days and I'll have more to say.

The Palm Centro moves the bar lower, pricewise, for Palm-based smartphones.

(Credit: Palm Inc.)

In fact, I really like it. It's been a few days now and the more I use the Centro, the more impressed I am, especially for the money.

Let's get the bad out of the way: The keyboard really IS tiny. This is not the device you want for long e-mails. But if you want an inexpensive smartphone that delivers in many other ways--and don't mind running your fingers through a pencil sharpener now and then--you've got to check this one out.

Sprint's EV-DO network provides fast Internet connections. The Centro's media player is solid, with strong sound and video. Like the Treo, there are tons of apps you can add.

But this initial rave is based on the best voice-recognition system I've yet encountered. The Nuance Voice Control doesn't just dial your calls; it becomes your personal assistant. No need to worry about the small keyboard when all you need do to add an appointment is hold down a side button, name the appointment, and give the date and time. It's in your PDA. Done.

I'd score the Centro higher than the 7.0 given by CNET's editors and users. Granted, I'll probably find flaws and write about them as I live with it more, but at $99 (activated), this smartphone rocks!

Today I went to the San Francisco CTIA show, which makes the odd presumption that one show can be both an enterprise and entertainment showcase. I just went for the latest. Two cell phones immediately attracted my interest; Palm's Centro and Nokia's N95 8GB. I'll be testing them in the next week or two.

The Palm Centro doesn't look like a Treo. Much.

(Credit: Palm, Inc.)

The Palm Centro from Sprint has gotten so-so ratings (CNET gave it a 7.0). The most ubiquitous complaint has been the tiny keyboard. Certainly that's true, but perhaps it's diminished expectations: my first impression is quite positive. It has a comfortable feel, a packed menu, fine call quality, and produces pictures better than I was led to believe. At a low $99 price (with contract), we may have something here.

The N95 may be smartphone of the Year.

(Credit: Nokia, Inc.)

The Nokia N95 8GB has had very good early reviews, and it's easy to see why. It's light, yet includes a 5-megapixel Zeiss optics camera, GPS, a large screen, is HSDPA and Wi-Fi ready, and of course has incredible memory capacity; that's why the phrase "8GB" is in its name. It ain't cheap at $699, but on first impression it has me liking it even more than I thought I would--even more than the iPhone. Could this be smartphone of the year? Both look to draw attention; watch this space for more specifics.

The iPhone touch keyboard is a huge if.

(Credit: Gear Diary)

As stylish as the Prada phone is, the touch screen problem I wrote about earlier hasn't gotten better. It's often frustrating.

I say this because of all these great iPhone ads we're seeing on television. When I look at the keypad displayed, I wonder if it's all going to be as simple and perfect as they make it look.

I'm skeptical. It seems as if it would be very easy to overlap onto a different key. At least on the BlackBerry, you know when it happens. It's a matter of feel. You immediately know to look and double-check.

My question is whether the iPhone will require you to visually confirm every letter you type. If it does, I think a serious number of people will be less pleased than they expected.

The Helio Ocean mystifies me.

(Credit: Helio)

Ever have someone tell a joke and everyone but you laughs uproariously?

That's how I feel about the Helio Ocean. Seems like every reviewer in the U.S. has tripped over themselves with praise. Me? I don't get it. The top row of the keyboard is difficult and uncomfortable to use, and the learning curve for the Ocean's unique interface is only worth the trouble if you're determined to have it as your only device.

If you're a gadget addict like me, you carry a bag for all of your toys. So a big klutzy phone/PDA/MP3/video/messaging/makes-your-breakfast-and-everything-else-in-the-world gizmo doesn't do it--not when it does everything just sorta OK.

And if you're looking for one item to pop into your shirt pocket, better get two--or you'll tilt to one side.

The Curve keyboard is just a bit too tight.

(Credit: RIM, Inc.)

It seems almost treasonous to diss the BlackBerry 8300. It's thin. It's got style. And it does everything except make breakfast for you. It has a 2 megapixel camera, plays MP3s and videos, and you can pop in a microSD card. It's a decent phone. And of course, there's that superb push e-mail.

So, what could go wrong? Well, the keyboard.

If you liked the 8800, sell it on eBay and grab the 8300 fast. You'll love it. If anything, the tiny space between keys makes it even a bit easier to type. But after three days of solid usage, the part of my hand located between my thumb and index finger is aching.

Absent that, the Curve is great. But that insolvable problem that's causing my hand to hurt is sending me back to my 8703e.

Ah, comfort.