Ask Engadget: Best 3G smartphone?
By Paul Miller 
posted November 30th 2007 7:07PM
posted November 30th 2007 7:07PM
You might've noticed the recent uptick in mobile industry news, which comes courtesy of the annual Mobius conference currently taking place in Amsterdam. It's pretty clear that the future is bright, what with 700MHz, 4G, a new Windows Mobile, Android, and a 3G iPhone all on the way, but what about the here and now? What we're wondering is:"What's the best 3G smartphone currently available in the States?"
And yes, we mean 3G. You know, that hip cool thing that Apple isn't terribly fond of, which brings high speed internets, effective tethering, streaming video and music downloads on the run -- while supposedly beating battery life to a pulp. We're also talking about what's available in the here and now, but it could very well just be time to wait for the next great thing to come along, so be sure to let us know if that's the case for you. If you'd your own question answered, you can to hit us up at ask at engadget dawt com.
Helio Ocean
No one has mentioned the Moto Q9h? It has made a WM6 believer out of me. Sure the device is a bit wide with a large bezel around the screen but that keyboard! Best integrated keypad I have ever used. Its also a battery champ, even with slim installed. I actually prefer the extended battery, as I find the phone easier to hold. Opera is pre-installed as well voice command. Oh yeah, the speaker phones blows away everything to date as well.
Can I suggest that a Smartphone is a phone that not only allows running of Java applications but also third party apps and more importantly it can run cut-down versions of PC apps such as MS Office apps. I think a lot of feature phones provide the user with a very rich user experience; a Smartphone should be able to do that and a lot more. Also, why not 3.5g, why limit ourselves to 3g?
My choice would be the Nokia E90 or the US version of the N95 with demand paging & AGPS
We have a Helio Ocean 3G that works just fine right now.
Unlimited everything for $99 a month.
I love my 8100 Pearl, but I also have T-Mobile so I don't understand this "3G" you speak of. I just have to put up with slow unlimited tethering/data/e-mail for $20 a month. Still not a bad deal.
I vote for one of those big phones like the TyTn II or the N95, one of those phones that does not fit in you fit your hand, you know one of those Windows (eeerrr ouch!) powered devices that encounter lags after lags with an utterly unusable interface that requires a stylus (eeerrr ouch!) to be used...Talk about a touch screen if you cant even precisely point your finger on it...!
or probly a Sony ericsson yeh you know those small screen device that will display the wap internet on a beautifully unusable screen and make you scroll again and again with the clicker
Nope finally i guess the iPhone's wifi + fon.com worldwide wifi access does it much better
Yep another rant
Nokia N82
HTC Trinity, aka HTC P3600 or (in my case) Orange SPV M700. Tried this and the N95 head-to-head and the N95 was awful, just poor at everything apart from taking photos but even then can't compare with a £60 digital camera.
The Trinity has GPS (which works with any application, unlike the N95 which needs specific versions), 3G, 802.11g and runs Windows Mobile 6 with the firmware update. Battery life is good, the screen is bright and it seems nicely put together. My only gripe is it can be a bit sluggish if I forget to close down apps (more of a WM issue), and the camera is a bit pants but then again, I'd never buy a phone as a camera replacement....
HTC Advantage (X7501). 5 inch VGA screen, 3MP camera, GPS, Wifi, bluetooth, 8 GB hard drive, 128 MB memory, keyboard, renders most web pages properly with Opera (comes preloaded). Supports SAP over bluetooth if your car does, too. Outputs for USB host, VGA, composite, S-video, 3.5mm audio. Inputs for sync, charge, external cell and GPS antennas. Internet sharing via USB, Wifi, and bluetooth. And yes, its 3G. You'll pry mine from my cold, dead fingers!
The absolute best smartphone on the market today would have to be the Nokia N95 8GB version. Unfortunately, at ~$800 you'd probably be better off buying a small laptop.
If by "best" you mean best in terms of price, then I would have to go with the AT&T/HTC Tilt. It has similar specs as the N95 but costs $299 (actually, if you are a current AT&T customer, you can get it for $149 after rebates and for $174 on Amazon).
N95-3 For Sho!!!
In my experience best phone eva, but it's just me.
Fast, Unlocked, TruSmartphone, Tons of software, did I mentioned software (cracked).
pantech duo. hands down.
Alltel PPC6800
The best 3G smartphone??? HELIO Ocean bar none!!! great all around service....unlimited
I am an apple fan at heart, but no 3g makes me one to say no to. Personally, I would go with the Nokia N95, yeah no touchscreen but it has LOADS of other features.
ATT Tilt
Nokia N95 US
If people want to put the iPhone 2.0 in this, I ll go ahead and throw in any Android phone (Android on Tilt) and the HTC Dream.
I love my 8130 its the best phone ever! i love the 30$ sprint unlimited package, unfortunatly i dont get 3G where i live :(
ATT Tilt for the last couple of months has been terrific: lots of web email service used without a hitch. Dialing can be a pain with default settings. A true full service device GPS BT Wifi 3G etc.
I bought an HTC 3125 from AT&T. Can anyone tell me if this phone is compatiable with Rhapsody??