Cell Phones for Back-to-School

Shopping does wonders for my soul, and that's a phenomenon that goes way back. When I was in high school, I especially looked forward to getting new stuff before school started--new notebooks (the paper variety), backpack, Trapper Keeper, textbooks, fancy pens, clothes, sports gear; if my parents were feeling particularly generous, I might score a new Walkman, CD player, or electric typewriter. No doubt I would have asked for a new cell phone, too, but back then all we had was The Brick--aka the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X-- a luxury item that cost almost $4000.

Fast-forward to today, and almost every student carries a cell phone, thanks to affordable prices and improved technology. At this time of year, many parents and kids are looking to buy a new phone or upgrade their existing one, so I tested some of the latest and greatest handsets from the largest nationwide carriers. This year's models sport 3G support (for fast data connection), GPS, a music player and ultraslim design features. Here are several that make the grade.

Helio Fin by Samsung

Carrier: Helio

Pros: The Helio Fin packs an impressive set of calling, messaging, and mapping goodness into a skinny (just 0.45 inch thick) flip phone. I particularly liked the GPS's ability to identify the handset's location automatically--so when I asked for driving directions or looked up business listings, I didn't have to enter my coordinates in Google Maps or Garmin Mobile.

The Fin's call quality was fine, though I would have liked a little more volume on the handset. With 3G EvDO support (Helio uses Sprint's network), activities such as browsing sites, streaming videos from YouTube, and downloading music were enjoyable. Helio sells songs over the air at $1.99 each. Beyond entertainment, you can use the phone to check your e-mail and IM. The Fin comes preloaded with AOL/AIM, EarthLink, Gmail, Helio Mail, Windows Live (Hotmail), and Yahoo; and you can add two IMAP or POP3 accounts, too. You also get a 3-megapixel camera, a few games, and the ability to add geotags to your Flickr photos or YouTube videos.

Cons: Music sounded tinny over the phone's speaker, and I would rather have used my own headphones with the Fin. But because it lacks a standard headphone jack, I had to stick with the uncomfortable earphones that accompanied the phone. The workaround is either to upgrade to stereo Bluetooth headphones or to buy a 3.5mm headphone adapter for about $20. Memory capacity isn't great, either. The 100MB of storage is enough to get you started, but just when you get on a roll you'll likely need more space. You can store files on a 2GB microSD card, though you have to remove the phone's back cover and battery to install the new memory.

Bottom line: Helio has done a good job of integrating sought-after Web apps and services into its handsets. The $175 (as of August 27, 2007) Fin works well for calls, maps, photos, Web browsing, and occasional e-mail. But hardcore texters and e-mail junkies should go for the dual-sliding, keyboard-enabled Helio Ocean.