cell phone reviews

Though Chinese manufacturer ZTE has grown by leaps and bounds over the last couple of years, it still has a small presence in the United States. Its phones are available only at regional carrier MetroPCS, and even then you’re limited to relatively low-end models. In the last year, we’ve reviewed the ZTE C79 and the C88 and we now turn our attention to C78. Sporting a candy-bar design in a unique purple hue (purple phones are in, by the way), the C78 offers mid-range features with decent call quality. … Continue Reading

Unless you’re a MetroPCS customer, it’s likely you haven’t yet heard of ZTE in the United States. Until the Chinese manufacturer launched the ZTE Salute with Verizon Wireless, it had never cracked the U.S. market with a top-tier carrier. The basic tools and lackluster display won’t make the entry-level Salute a memorable debut effort, but the slider phone’s interesting design details and budget price make it a redeeming value. If you’re entering a new two-year agreement, you can pick it up for $19.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate either … Continue Reading

Pros: Truly the most beautiful cellphone ever. Makes the Vertu and Arte look dowdy. Easy to use, comfortable to hold, brilliant design.

Cons: Odds are you can walk into any T-Mo, Sprint, ATT or Verizon store and pick a phone with better features…and it would be free with a two year commitment.

Motorola thumbed its nose at the shaky economy Tuesday when it introduced a high-end luxury cell phone called the Aura. Sporting a swivel design reminiscent of the Motorola V70 (now there’s a blast from the past), the Aura features a … Continue Reading

One of the more popular smartphones of 2007 was the Samsung BlackJack, and it’s not hard to see why. It offered solid messaging capabilities, 3G support, and good call quality, all wrapped up into one attractive and sleek package. However, the love affair was ruined for some after numerous battery drain issues, which subsequently led to Samsung shipping the BlackJack with an extended battery. Well, now the BlackJack’s successor is out, and it takes care of that issue and then some.

The Samsung BlackJack II not only features … Continue Reading

When we first learned of the Samsung Haven for Verizon Wireless, we thought it was a thick, boxy brick of a senior phone. Since then, we’ve come to better appreciate its usability charms. In the spectrum of cell phones geared toward the silver-haired set, the Haven sits right in the middle. It neither resembles a telephonic calculator like the Just5 J509, nor is it as tech savvy as the PCD CDM8635, with its 1.3-megapixel camera and hearing assistance features.

The Samsung Haven forgoes a camera–not necessarily a detriment–and focuses instead … Continue Reading

As an entry-level metallic-gray-and-black flip phone, the Samsung Gusto is the spitting image of the Samsung Smooth, though its feature set and design slightly differ. Although there are some nice features inside, phone’s build and call quality are pretty unremarkable. The price, however, is very low–free from Verizon.com after an online discount and a new two-year contract, and $19.99 with a new contract after a $50 mail-in rebate, if you pick it up in retail stores.

Design

Though one on hand the gray-and-black Samsung Gusto is a decently attractive flip phone, … Continue Reading

As Samsung’s Galaxy S devices have hit T-Mobile, AT&T, and Sprint, Verizon Wireless customers have had to stand idly by waiting for their turn at the company’s new Android phones. That time has finally come. The Samsung Fascinate will be available online starting September 8 and in stores September 9 for $199.99 with a two-year contract and after a $100 mail-in rebate. Like the others, the Fascinate offers a gorgeous Super AMOLED touch screen, a great multimedia experience, and smooth performance. It’s a great addition to Verizon’s lineup to … Continue Reading

When AT&T Mobile TV launched two years ago, the LG Vu was one of AT&T ’s launch devices for the live mobile TV service. The Vu had a lovely 3-inch display, and it even had a pull-out antenna to further amplify its television reception. Still, the design was getting long in the tooth, and we’re glad to see LG and AT&T finally come out with its successor, the LG Vu Plus. The Vu Plus still offers AT&T Mobile TV, but gone is the antenna, and in comes … Continue Reading

As strange as it may seem, LG has never had a phone on T-Mobile, at least until the summer of 2010. Indeed, the Sentio marks LG’s first handset in T-Mobile’s stable. Aside from that accolade, don’t expect anything groundbreaking–the Sentio is strictly in midrange feature-phone territory. However, we like its smooth and svelte design, and its multimedia features work well–for the most part. Perhaps the most attractive part of the phone is that it’s very affordable–it’s only $69.99 with a new two-year contract with T-Mobile.

Design

The LG Sentio is remarkably … Continue Reading

We used to recommend the Samsung Jitterbug J as one of the best senior-friendly phones out there due to its ease of use and the fact that it comes with an array of operator services. However, the biggest complaint about the Jitterbug is the price: the phone is $147 up front and the service isn’t cheap. Consumer Cellular, an MVNO that operates on the AT&T network, and which happens to be the exclusive wireless carrier for the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) has offered a more … Continue Reading