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LG's Muziq and Motorola's Razr2

Also ready for immediate service at school and elsewhere are new models from LG and Motorola.

LG Muziq

Carrier: Sprint

Pros: At $130 (as of August 27, 2007), the LG Muziq is a capable, lightweight phone that's also a good music player. Calls sounded okay, though the volume on the earpiece was slightly weaker than I would have liked. Fortunately, the speakerphone was loud enough. Music playback on the speaker sounded fine, too.

Some nice music-centric touches include a dedicated music key and playback buttons on the outside, so you can access your playlist while the phone is closed. After flipping the phone open, you can browse the Sprint Music Store and download another song while the current track plays in the background. Each song costs 99 cents, or you can sync tunes from your PC by using Windows Media Player. LG throws in a 3.5mm headphone adapter, too, so you can plug in your own headphones.

The Muziq didn't perform badly as a messaging phone. I completed the e-mail setup in only a few steps, and you can access AOL, Gmail, Hotmail, PCS Mail (Sprint account), Yahoo, and other IMAP or POP3 accounts. For IM, you can log in to the AIM, MSN, or Yahoo clients out of the box.

Cons: The bundled 64MB microSD card is puny for a music phone, but you can upgrade to a 4GB card (the current maximum). Text, images, Sprint TV, and other graphics looked very grainy on the 2.2-inch internal LCD. Also, I noticed a lag while scrolling through menus and making selections. Another ding: You have to take the extra step of downloading a mapping and navigation program before you can take full advantage of the phone's GPS capability (this can be inconvenient and may cost extra depending on the app you choose, but it's still worth doing). You can download Google Maps for free, or pay for a voice-guided navigation tool such as Garmin Mobile or Sprint Navigation. Both apps worked fine on the Muziq, but Sprint Navigation tended to work best in open areas (tall buildings can block the GPS signal).

Bottom line: A few of the Muziq's hardware flaws are likely to make some users unhappy. Overall, though, it's a good, affordable music phone for Sprint users.

Motorola Razr2

Carriers: Alltel, AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon

Pros: Motorola retained the basic look and feel of the previous-generation Razr and applied it to the Razr2. Cosmetic changes include a taller and heavier metal frame and a shinier paint job. At 4.6 ounces, the Razr2 is distinctly heavier than the 3.4-ounce original. I didn't mind the extra weight; in fact, I prefer gadgets that feel solid and sturdy.

On the inside, the handset's components have been upgraded to meet current standards. At its core, the Razr2 V9 (AT&T) and V9m (Alltel, Sprint, and Verizon) have 3G network support, GPS, a 2-inch external touch screen, a vibrant 2.2-inch internal screen, a 2-megapixel camera, a MicroUSB port (which doubles as a headphone jack), and a MicroSD slot (still buried underneath the battery).

All of the Razr2 models have the same side buttons and keypad, but these work differently depending on what services the carrier wants to highlight. One thing the external controls have in common is a vibration response system, also known as haptic technology. Pressing a button (for example, turning up the volume), triggers a slight springy vibration so you can feel the setting being changed. Motorola applies haptics on the touch-screen controls as well.

Overall, the phone had snappy response on most tasks; and its call volume, reception quality, and speaker quality greatly improve on the old Razr's. All three Razr2 units that I looked at (AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon) use the touch screen for music playback and for launching the camera. Sprint had the novel idea of using the external screen to handle TV, too. Meanwhile, Verizon's V9m is the only one that launches the voice command feature with the phone closed.

Not to be left without a unique feature, AT&T's V9 uses Motorola's CrystalTalk technology to improve call quality. Motorola says that CrystalTalk automatically increases the volume of callers' voices while simultaneously reducing background noise.

Cons: The Razr2's touch screen seems to have more potential than is currently being exploited. At the moment, it is limited to three controls--for playing/pausing, reversing, and forwarding songs and (if supported) video. Why not use the touch screen for displaying e-mail, RSS feeds, and so on? Even more troubling is the inability to close an app when the phone is closed; I had to flip it open and press the Call End button.

Bottom line: The Razr2 is an evolutionary upgrade to a remarkably popular and handsome cell phone. It has several promising features, but judging from the early versions I checked out, Motorola and the carriers need to do a better job of integrating online services on the handset. The Razr2 is available now from Sprint for $250, from AT&T for $300, and from Verizon for $350 (prices as of September 4, 2007). Alltel has not announced its price.

For more on the Razr2, read the first impressions of my colleague Denny Arar.