PRODUCT SHOWCASE: Device Smarts

Smartphones come in many shapes and sizes. And while PDAs and Pocket PCs provide much of the same functionality as a smartphone, what sets the latter apart is its ability to be optimized for voice as well as data. These sleek devices sport a more traditional phone-like look, feel and capability, along with a full QWERTY keyboard and the horsepower to handle office applications, thanks to its recognizable operating system.

The BlackBerry Pearl

Manufacturer and OS: Research in Motion Ltd. (RIM), BlackBerry OS
Carrier Availability: Cingular Wireless LLC, T-Mobile USA Inc.
Suggested retail: $349, but at press time, Cingular’s price was $199 with a two-year contract and mail-in rebate, and T-Mobile’s was $199 with online discount and mail-in rebate.
Functionality Notes: The first BlackBerry with a name (its official number is the 8100) features a camera, MP3 player and a memory expansion slot. Application support includes e-mail, push-to-talk and more. At 0.6 inches thick, it’s thinner and lighter than other BlackBerries.

The Samsung BlackJack

Manufacturer and OS: Samsung, Windows Mobile 5.0
Carrier Availability: Cingular Wireless LLC
List Price: $449, but available for $199 with two-year contract and mail-in rebate.
Functionality Notes: This thin device offers a camera, media player, full Microsoft Office synchronization and Bluetooth support.

The Motorola Q

Manufacturer and OS: Motorola Inc., Windows Mobile 5.0
Carrier Availability: Verizon Wireless
List Price: $299.99, but it’s available at $199.99 after discounts and rebates, with a two-year contract.
Functionality Notes: Fifty percent thinner than its top competitors, the Motorola Q features electro-luminescent keys, QWERTY keyboard, thumbwheel for singlehanded control, a camera, video and MP3 capabilities, and Bluetooth support. The device is optimized for Microsoft Exchange 2003 and a variety of third-party e-mail solutions.

The Treo 700p

Manufacturer and OS: Palm Inc., Palm OS
Carrier Availability: Sprint Nextel Corp., Verizon Wireless
List Price: $649, but Sprint offers it online at $299.99, and Verizon at $249, after discounts and mail-in rebates.
Functionality Notes: The Treo 700p offers a camera, MP3 player, a full suite of application support for businesses, Bluetooth support and the ability to plug in as a wireless broadband modem for laptops.

The Nokia E62

Nokia E62

Nokia E61

Manufacturer and OS: Nokia, Symbian OS
Carrier Availability: Cingular Wireless LLC
List Price: $149
Functionality Notes: Support for popular e-mail solutions from BlackBerry, Microsoft Corp., Good Mobile and others are built into the application stack, along with native support for Microsoft Office documents and PDFs. The E62 contains an intuitive user interface, developed by Nokia based on open standards, that allows users to access full Web pages, not just WAP sites. It also features the capability to store 25 music downloads and a QWERTY keyboard, but offers no camera nor support for 3G or Wi-Fi. Its sister device, the E61 (pictured here as well), adds back in the 3G and Wi-Fi support but so far has no carrier partner in the United States as of press time.

The BlackBerry 7130c

Manufacturer and OS: Research in Motion Ltd. (RIM), BlackBerry OS
Carrier Availability: Cingular Wireless LLC
List Price: $399, but available at $199 with a twoyear contract and mail-in rebate.
FunctionalityNotes: The EDGE-enabled BlackBerry 7130c has a slimmer, narrower phone-like design with improved SureType QWERTY keyboard. It offers Bluetooth capability and integrated speakerphone, supports corporate and personal e-mail access, and includes intelligent light-sensing technology that auto-adjusts the screen and keyboard lighting.