The Cream of the New Cell Phone Crop
Sleek sliders, colorful clamshells, and the fastest Internet tablet yet: There was something for everyone at 2008 CTIA, the largest North American wireless telecom show.
Yardena Arar, PC World
Casio's G'z One for Verizon Wireless
Casio bills the G'z (pronounced Geeze, or they'll be very unhappy with you) One as shockproof and waterproof; at the show, they displayed it in a goldfish bowl. There's nothing fancy in terms of mobile broadband here--just a slightly (but not incredibly) bulky rubberized clamshell that appears to work, even when dripping wet. I also like the way they've made a design minus (the antenna) into a design plus by curving it and turning in to a sort of handle for a lanyard.
The target market would appear to be people who can't wait to make a phone call after surfing or scuba diving--or who are just pool accident-prone. The G'z One is supposed to be available from Verizon Wireless in June for about $100.
