Palm Pre (Sprint)

Palm Pre(Sprint)

The good: The Palm Pre's multitasking capabilities and notifications system are unparalleled. The smartphone features a vibrant display with multitouch functionality as well as a solid Web browser and good multimedia integration. The Pre offered good call quality and wireless options include 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS.

The bad: The Pre's keyboard is cramped. Battery life drains quickly and the smartphone can be sluggish at times. Lacks expansion slot, video-recording capabilities, onscreen keyboard, and Flash support. The Pre App Catalog is still in beta with a limited number of titles.

The bottom line: Despite some missing features and performance issues that make it less than ideal for on-the-go professionals, the Palm Pre offers gadget lovers and consumers well-integrated features and unparalled multitasking capabilities. The hardware could be better, but more importantly, Palm has developed a solid OS that not only rivals the competition but also sets a new standard in the way smartphones handle tasks and manage information.

Specifications: Band / mode: CDMA 800/1900 ; Combined with: With digital camera / digital player / GPS receiver ; Weight: 4.8 oz

BlackBerry Curve 8300

BlackBerry Curve 8300

The good: The RIM BlackBerry Curve boasts a sexy and slim design with an improved full QWERTY keyboard. The smartphone also has a 2-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, and a media player. There's a new spell-checker for e-mail and memos, and audio technology that automatically adjusts call volume in noisy environments.

The bad: Unfortunately, the BlackBerry Curve doesn't have integrated Wi-Fi or 3G support. The device's camera still doesn't have video-recording capabilities, and call quality sounded a bit hollow.

The bottom line: Though it doesn't bring Wi-Fi or 3G support, the BlackBerry Curve offers a best-of-breed design and a well-rounded set of features to make it an attractive device for consumers and mobile professionals alike.

Specifications: Band / mode: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 (Quadband) ; Talk time: Up to 240 min ; Combined with: With digital camera