How to Become the Ultimate Road Warrior

Sep 19, 2005

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This chapter is from the book 

Leo Laporte's 2006 Gadget Guide

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Cell Phones

Motorola Razr V3

With the current trend in cell phones being bigger and bulkier with more and more useless features, it's nice to find a stylish phone in an ultra-small form factor—which precisely describes this season's hottest model, Motorola's Razr V3.

First off, there's no denying the visual appeal of this slick little phone—it's small and thin and light and very sexy. At just a half-inch thick, it's small enough to fit in any pocket, including one in a tight pair of jeans. And the anodized aluminum case and cool-blue touch keypad are the height of 21st-century high-tech.

What's really amazing is how much technology Motorola crammed into this little gizmo. You get Bluetooth wireless connectivity, MPEG4 video playback, a VGA-quality digital camera, and a built-in speakerphone. The color display is an ample 2.2'' diagonal, big enough for watching those videos or playing downloaded games. (Did I mention you can download and play 3D Java games? The Razr has 5MB of memory you can fill up with useless stuff like this.)

Of course, the Razr has all the expected cell phone functions, including MP3 ringtones, 1,000-entry phone book, VibraCall alert, and MMS/SMS messaging. It also has basic PIM functionality, along with a calendar and alarm clock. And, surprisingly, battery life isn't bad, with up to 430 minutes of talk time.

You don't buy a phone like this for its features, however—no matter how useful those features might be. You buy it because it looks cool, and when it comes to cell-phone cool, there's nothing out there that beats the Razr V3. All the trendsetters have one!

Model: Razr V3 Manufacturer: Motorola (http://www.motorola.com) Display: 176 x 200 (internal), 96 x 80 (external) Cellular service: 850/900/1800/1900 GSM/GPRS Dimensions: 3.86'' (h) x 2.08'' (w) x 0.54'' (d) Specs: 3.35 oz. Price: $599.99

Sony Ericsson S710a

Not all phones have to flip open; some swivel. My favorite swivel phone is the Sony Ericsson S710z, which hides its keypad until you swivel it open. The display (visible all the time) is an oversized 2.3'' diagonal with 240 x 320 resolution. You also get a built-in digital camera, unique five-way directional button to control the phone's operations, slot for Memory Stick DUO flash memory, and Bluetooth wireless connectivity. Lots of features, unique design—definitely high on the gadget cool factor.

Model: S710a Manufacturer: Sony Ericsson (http://www.sonyericsson.com) Display: 240 x 320 Cellular service: 850/1800/1900Mhz GSM/GPRS/EDGE Dimensions: 4.23'' (h) x 1.93'' (w) x 0.96'' (d) Weight: 4.83 oz. Price: $499.99

Sanyo MM-5600

Sanyo's MM-5600 is a good choice for a compact camera phone. It features a 1.3 megapixel digital camera, built-in speakerphone, and 2.1'' color display, and supports Sprint's Ready Link walkie-talkie service. You even get an internal voice recorder with 60 minutes of record time—great for recording important conversations and interviews.

Model: MM-5600 Manufacturer: Sanyo (http://www.sanyo.com) Display: 240 x 320 (internal), 72 x 96 (external) Cellular service: 800/1900MHz GSM Dimensions: 3.66'' (h) x 1.91'' (w) x 1.04'' (d) Weight: 4.52 oz. Price: $429.99

Nokia N90

Nokia's N90 is another swivel phone, but this one swivels in a much different fashion. The top portion of the clamshell twists and turns to turn the phone into a digital camera or camcorder-like device. (It also has an extra-sharp 352 x 416 color display.) The N90 features a 2 megapixel digital camera with Carl Zeiss lens and integrated flash, 352 x 288 pixel video camera, Bluetooth wireless, and (surprise!) a USB connection. It's a little bigger than the average phone, but look at everything it packs in!

Model: N90 Manufacturer: Nokia (http://www.nokia.com) Display: 352 x 416 Cellular service: 900/1800/1900 GSM/GPRS/EDGE Dimensions: 4.4'' (h) x 2.0'' (w) x 0.9'' (d) Weight: 6.1 oz. Price: $249.95

Siemens S66

The Siemens S66 (not to be confused with the SX66 smartphone) is a good-looking candy bar phone with strong multimedia features. You get a 1.3 megapixel digital camera, integrated video recorder, video player, and digital music player—all in a compact package. Phone-wise, there's Bluetooth wireless connectivity, MMS and text messaging, and—believe it or not—a built-in calculator and currency converter (!). Quite a performer—and quite stylish, as well.

Model: S66 Manufacturer: Siemens (http://www.siemens-mobile.com) Cellular service: 850/1800/1900MHz GSM Dimensions: 4.3'' (h) x 1.9'' (w) x 0.7'' (d) Weight: 3.45 oz. Price: $299.99

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