Smartphones Reviews

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Smartphones Reviews Reviewed
Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Smartphones Ratings Comments on Reviews
1. CNet.com	Best Smartphones Bonnie Cha and Editors of Cnet.com As of Feb. 2008		CNet maintains a running list of its highest-rated smartphones. While products are reviewed individually, frequent comparisons are made and each model is rated, so readers can tell which models score highest. Smartphones that get "excellent" ratings include the AT&T Tilt, RIM BlackBerry Curve 8320, Samsung SCH-i760, and Nokia N95 (unlocked). In other reviews on the site, the Apple iPhone 3G also receives an excellent rating. It is called a "big improvement over the original model," though reviewers Kent German and Donald Bell still have a few issues with it. The Palm Centro doesn't rate as highly, but it's called a "good option for those looking for their first smartphone."
2. Laptop Magazine >> Details/Subscribe	10 Recommended Smart Phones Editors of Laptop magazine As of July 2008		Laptop magazine also reviews lots of smartphones, and names its top smartphone picks in this listing. Though all earn good grades, only three rise to the level required to be named Editors' Choice award winners, including the Apple iPhone 3G. In addition to this guide, Laptop magazine also publishes numerous single-phone reviews and multi-phone comparisons, assigning numerical ratings to each smartphone, so it's easy to see how they compare to one another.
3. PC Magazine >> Details/Subscribe	Cell Phone Reviews Editors of PC Magazine As of July 2008		PC Magazine's editors regularly review smartphones in single-product reports and multi-phone roundups. The ratings are summarized in this listing, so it's easy to see which phones score highest. The very best are further identified as Editors' Choice winners. One negative is that discontinued smartphones remain on the list for a long time. Also, the list intermingles smartphones with less capable cell phones and differently capable multimedia phones. Among recent reviews, the Apple iPhone 3G gets an Editors' Choice award despite some shortfalls and hiccups thanks to its improved call quality, use of the 3G network for data and GPS functionality. A couple of BlackBerry phones also earn Editors' Choice honors.
4. Money Magazine >> Details/Subscribe	Genius Phones Kate Ashford Feb. 2008		Money Magazine's Kate Ashford rates five smartphones on criteria such as messaging and web, music and video, and ease of use. The Sprint Touch gets the highest grade for its "big touchscreen, solid multimedia capability and great basics." The original Apple iPhone lands in second place for its solid design and extremely fun features. The only drawbacks, notes Ashford, are that there's no direct music or video download and that the battery is not user replaceable.
5. Popular Mechanics >> Details/Subscribe	Smartphone Lab Test: iPhone vs. 7 Top Wireless Wonders Glenn Derene Oct. 2007		This review uses seven testers with little or no experience with smartphones, along with Popular Mechanics' more experienced experts, to analyze eight smartphones. Features such as photos and e-mail were tested for speed and clarity. Phones are given grades ranging from A to F. In the end, testers like the Samsung Blackjack (results showed it didn't excel at any one task but only costs $200) and original Apple iPhone (the fun factor won out, though e-mail functionality is limited). The Palm Treo 755 (judged as a "solid phone and data device") and the Blackberry 8830 (deemed best for corporate e-mail users) got the next best scores. The best part of the review is that all the features are given grades too.
6. Kiplinger.com >> Details/Subscribe	The iPhone Challengers Jeff Bertloucci Jan. 2008		The iPhone's huge success and admiring reviews have spawned more smartphone challengers, says contributing writer Jeff Bertloucci. In this round-up, he reviews new smartphones: Nokia N95, AT&T Tilt, HTC Touch and BlackBerry Curve. The upshot is that each phone has its pluses and minuses, as manufacturers try to cram more features into a small, compact device to compete with the iPhone's multimedia features. For starters, there's a $350 range

Smartphones Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Smartphones Ratings Comments on Reviews

7. PC World >> Details/Subscribe	Top 10 Cell Phone-PDAs Greg Adler and Editors of PC World Jan. 30, 2008		PC World tests and reviews smartphones, placing the highest rated models on this list. The BlackBerry Curve 8320 (T-Mobile) is the highest rated phone and a best buy. PC World adds that the ability to make calls at Wi-Fi hot spots "makes an excellent phone even better." The T-Mobile Dash (Windows Mobile 6 version) and T-Mobile Wing also score highly. AT&T subscribers are directed toward the Samsung Blackjack. The Palm Centro is the top rated Sprint smartphone. Verizon subscribers are left to fend for themselves.
8. Consumer Reports >> Details/Subscribe	Smart phone ratings Editors of Consumer Reports Dec. 2007		The article rates 19 smartphones altogether. While the testing done meets Consumer Reports' typical rigorous standards, only recommended models get any discussion, and even that's limited to just a few lines.

Smartphones Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Smartphones Ratings Comments on Reviews

9. The New York Times	For iPhone, the ‘New' Is Relative David Pogue July 9, 2008		New York Times technology columnist David Pogue reports on the new Apple iPhone 3G. Though impressed with some of the improvements, he sees few compelling reasons for owners of the original to switch. Indeed, he says the biggest improvement is the upgraded iPhone 2.0 software, which is available for free to owners of the original iPhone. Otherwise, call quality is improved and net browsing is speedier.
10. The New York Times	Reaching for Apple, Falling Short David Pogue Nov. 8, 2007		According to David Pogue, the T-Mobile Shadow is "one of the least expensive smartphones on the market, loaded with features, feeling luxurious and looking stunning in your hand." The smartphone even has Wi-Fi for surfing at decent speeds. That said, Pogue does fault the software that runs the Shadow -- Windows Mobile 6 -- calling it a "mess." He adds, "Apparently the Windows Mobile 6 team learned absolutely nothing from Windows Mobile 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5."
11. The Wall Street Journal	Newer, Faster, Cheaper iPhone 3G Walter S. Mossberg July 8, 2008		Walter S. Mossberg spends two weeks with the Apple iPhone 3G prior to its general release and says that "it mostly keeps its promises." However, he also notes that though the phone itself costs less, the monthly fees are much higher. Additionally, battery drain is higher, and since the battery is not user replaceable, you can't just plug in a spare.
12. The New York Times	(Mostly) Good Things in a Small Package David Pogue Oct. 11, 2007		In this review, The New York Times' resident tech guru David Pogue discusses Palm's recent keyboard-equipped smartphone, the Centro. At $100, Pogue says the Centro is the "least expensive smartphone in history." For that low price, consumers get a phone that's loaded with features, such as a touchscreen, camera, memory-card expansion, a 3G Internet network for web browsing and even mobile TV. Pogue's only gripe is that Palm -- one of the great innovators of the 1990s -- has merely shaved down the Treo's size and price. On the downside, the Centro's screen is smaller, as is the keyboard.
13. Infosync World.com	Smartphone Reviews Editors of InfoSyncWorld.com As of Feb. 2008		Although it's a little difficult to navigate, InfoSyncWorld.com is a great source for news and reviews of PDAs and smartphones. The site maintains separate lists of business and multimedia smartphones. Phones are scored, so it's easy to see where they stand in the marketplace. The AT&T Tilt, Blackberry Pearl 8130, Nokia N95 and Apple iPhone were among the highest scoring smartphones at the time of our last visit.
14. MobileTechReview.com	Phone and Smartphone Reviews Editors of MobileTechReview.com As of Feb. 2008		The reviews here are well detailed and include photos and the results of a battery of benchmark tests that mainly address each model's computational power. A nice touch is that test results are compared to those of similar smartphones, so readers can see in a glance where a particular smartphone shines and where it falls short. Smartphones are rated on a five-point scale, and an Editor's Choice phone -- currently the Apple iPhone -- is named. However, reviewer Lisa Gade says that the iPhone is not meant for corporate use.
15. The Washington Post	Palm's Dumber Smart Phone Rob Pegoraro May 24, 2007		Rob Pegoraro, The Washington Post's personal technology columnist, is clearly disappointed in the Palm Treo 755p. At a time when most smartphones are offering new capabilities or styling, the Treo 755p is a throwback that gives users no reason to upgrade, he says. Pegoraro goes on to state that while not large next to competitors like the T-Mobile Dash, the 755p "might as well be a blimp with buttons." He also calls the desktop software "antiquated."
16. PhoneScoop.com	In Depth Editors of PhoneScoop.com As of Feb. 2008		PhoneScoop.com is a news and review resource for mobile phone shoppers. There are a handful of written reviews, and those are detailed, comprehensive, appropriately critical and include lots of photos. However, most of the reviews are presented as YouTube videos. While those reviews are reasonably informative, we find them less useful. In addition, smartphones aren't rated or compared.

Smartphones Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Smartphones Ratings Comments on Reviews

17. Brighthand.com	PDA Reviews Editors of Brighthand.com As of Feb. 2008		The reviews on this site are generally well done and include lots of photos. While opinions about a smartphone's strengths and weaknesses are offered, the phones are not rated or compared to each other. One useful feature is that large photos of each smartphone are provided to help readers view keypads and screens.
18. SmartDeviceCentral.com	Phones & PDAs Editors of SmartDeviceCentral.com As of Feb. 2008		This Website was created by PC Magazine to serve as a launching point for their smart device coverage, including smartphones. The reviews are taken directly from PC Magazine but lack that site's Editor's Ratings, rating scale and snapshot reviews. So, it's ultimately less useful for someone just interested in which smartphone is best, because you must wade through lengthy reviews. However, the site is still worth a visit, as it's packed with helpful information for existing and prospective smartphone owners.
19. SmartPhoneToday.com	Reviews Editors of SmartPhoneToday.com As of Feb. 2008		SmartPhoneToday.com is a Web magazine offering news, features and loads of reviews on everything smartphone related. Unfortunately, while the reviews are critical, most are not as richly detailed as those on more highly rated sites, and neither ratings nor comparisons to other phones are provided. Therefore, you have to wade through many reviews in order to find a phone that may be right for you.

Smartphones Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Smartphones Ratings Comments on Reviews

20. Amazon.com	Smartphones and PDAs Contributors to Amazon.com As of Feb. 2008		There are plenty of owner-written reviews here for smartphones, but -- like all consumer-written review sites -- the quality of the reviews varies greatly. In addition, user experience with a particular carrier can influence the reviews somewhat. Blackberrys get high marks, as do the Samsung i760 and the HTC Touch. A nice touch is that the number of reviews is now listed alongside the ratings on this main navigation page.
21. Epinions	PDA Reviews Contributors to Epinions As of Feb. 2008		Like other consumer-written review sites, the quality of the reports at Epinions can be variable. In addition, the site gets much less traffic than Amazon.com, hence usually fewer reviews. Furthermore, many discontinued smartphones continue to be listed, making navigation a bit more tedious.