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Top 10 Smart Phones

PC World Test Center reviews found that these 10 models are the best of the smart phones, also known as PDA phones.

By Liane Cassavoy

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PCW Rating: 91.3PCW Rating: 91.3PCW Rating: 91.3

Last Rated: August 08, 2008

 BEST BUY!

1. RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8120 (T-Mobile)

Design: Candy bar, Carrier: Carrier:T-Mobile, OS Supported: OS:Proprietary, Battery Life Average (hh:mm): 10:00,

Bottom Line: Sleek Pearl lets consumers use Wi-Fi to boost call quality where cell signals falter.

Full Review • Test Report • Check latest prices 		Price When Reviewed: $200 Check Latest Prices

PCW Rating: 88.1PCW Rating: 88.1PCW Rating: 88.1

Last Rated: August 08, 2008

2. RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8120

Design: Candy bar, Carrier: Carrier:AT&T, OS Supported: OS:Symbian, Battery Life Average (hh:mm): 9:43,

Bottom Line: E-mail-friendly handset boasts strong multimedia features, including a camera and media player.

Full Review • Test Report • Check latest prices 		Price When Reviewed: $250 Check Latest Prices

PCW Rating: 87.7PCW Rating: 87.7PCW Rating: 87.7

Last Rated: August 08, 2008

3. Blackberry Curve 8320

Design: Candy bar, Carrier: Carrier:T-Mobile, OS Supported: OS:Proprietary, Battery Life Average (hh:mm): 10:00,

Bottom Line: Voice-over-Wi-Fi feature makes an excellent phone even better.

Full Review • Test Report • Check latest prices 		Price When Reviewed: $250 Check Latest Prices

PCW Rating: 85.4PCW Rating: 85.4PCW Rating: 85.4

Last Rated: August 08, 2008

4. RIM Blackberry Pearl

Design: Candy bar, Carrier: Carrier:T-Mobile, OS Supported: OS:J2ME, Battery Life Average (hh:mm): 8:34,

Bottom Line: This sleek cell phone adds a serviceable camera and multimedia features to BlackBerry's already terrific e-mail capabilities.

Full Review • Test Report • Check latest prices 		Price When Reviewed: $150 Check Latest Prices

PCW Rating: 83.7PCW Rating: 83.7PCW Rating: 83.7

Last Rated: August 08, 2008

5. Apple iPhone 3G

Design: Candy bar, Carrier: Carrier:AT&T, Battery Life Average (hh:mm): 5:38,

Bottom Line: With a lower price, 3G radio, and GPS, this smart phone is in a class by itself.

Full Review • Test Report 		Price When Reviewed: $199 Check Latest Prices

PCW Rating: 83.4PCW Rating: 83.4PCW Rating: 83.4

Last Rated: August 08, 2008

6. T-Mobile Dash (Windows Mobile 6)

Design: Candy bar, Carrier: Carrier:T-Mobile, OS Supported: OS:Windows Mobile, Battery Life Average (hh:mm): 8:40,

Bottom Line: The upgrade to Windows Mobile 6 adds support for Microsoft's productivity applications.

Full Review • Test Report • Vendor's Web Site 		Price When Reviewed: $150 Check Latest Prices

PCW Rating: 83.2PCW Rating: 83.2PCW Rating: 83.2

Last Rated: August 08, 2008

7. T-Mobile Shadow

Design: Slide, Carrier: Carrier:T-Mobile, OS Supported: OS:Windows Mobile, Battery Life Average (hh:mm): 10:00,

Bottom Line: With the Shadow, T-Mobile delivers a smart phone smarter than most; its tinny call quality may be a concern.

Full Review • Test Report • Check latest prices 		Price When Reviewed: $200 Check Latest Prices

PCW Rating: 82.3PCW Rating: 82.3PCW Rating: 82.3

Last Rated: August 08, 2008

8. Samsung Instinct

Design: Candy bar, Carrier: Carrier:Sprint, OS Supported: OS:Proprietary, Battery Life Average (hh:mm): 5:33,

Bottom Line: The Instinct's low price makes it a great deal for a good handset; but, it's no match for Apple's more diverse phone.

Full Review • Test Report • Check latest prices 		Price When Reviewed: $130 Check Latest Prices

PCW Rating: 81.9PCW Rating: 81.9PCW Rating: 81.9

Last Rated: August 08, 2008

9. T-Mobile Wing

Design: Slide, Carrier: Carrier:T-Mobile, OS Supported: OS:Windows Mobile, Battery Life Average (hh:mm): 10:00,

Bottom Line: Offers clear calls and long battery life, but some of the buttons are difficult to press.

Full Review • Test Report • Check latest prices 		Price When Reviewed: $350 Check Latest Prices

PCW Rating: 81.8PCW Rating: 81.8PCW Rating: 81.8

Last Rated: August 08, 2008

10. Palm Centro (AT&T)

Design: Candy bar, Carrier: Carrier:AT&T, OS Supported: OS:Palm, Battery Life Average (hh:mm): 6:47,

Bottom Line: A sporty, slimmer variant of the Treo; its battery lasted longer on AT&T's GSM network than on Sprint's CDMA network.

Full Review • Test Report • Check latest prices 		Price When Reviewed: $200 Check Latest Prices
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