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BlackBerry alternatives |
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 Bonnie Cha Senior associate editor |
January 23, 2006
Research in Motion was dealt a nasty blow in its ongoing legal battle with NTP, a small holding company suing RIM for patent infringement, when the U.S. Supreme Court refused to review a Federal Court of Appeals ruling against the BlackBerry maker. The latest news brings the possibility of a service shutdown one step closer to reality, and though RIM says it has a software "workaround" that will allow it to continue service, we have yet to hear any details about it. Obviously, this doesn't ease any of the worries or concerns of current or future BlackBerry owners, leaving them wondering about the fate of the CrackBerry. However, if there's any consolation, it's the fact that there are a number of suitable alternatives that can perform the same functions of a BlackBerry and, in some cases, do a better job of it. We've rounded up half a dozen smart phones for each major carrier--Cingular, T-Mobile, Verizon, and Sprint Nextel--that will handle your e-mail requirements, PIM organization, and cell phone needs. Read on to see if one is right for you. More resources
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| Product name |
Palm Treo 700w - gray (Verizon Wireless) |
Palm Treo 650 (AT&T) |
Audiovox PPC-6700 (Sprint) |
T-Mobile MDA |
Samsung SCH-i730 (Verizon Wireless) |
Motorola i930 (Sprint) |
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| Review date | January 24, 2006 | February 1, 2005 | November 15, 2005 | February 17, 2006 | June 30, 2005 | December 15, 2005 |
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Editors' rating (Editors' rating explained) |
6.3
Good |
7.0
Very good |
7.0
Very good |
6.7
Good |
8.3
Excellent |
6.6
Good |
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| Buying choices |
Prices from online stores: Searching for pricing data... |
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Prices from online stores: Searching for pricing data... |
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| Review summary | The Palm Treo 700w brings Windows Mobile and a number of useful features, such as push e-mail and photo speed dial, to the much-beloved smart phone, but its heft and its washed-out screen has us giving the edge to the Treo 650. | Though it has its shortcomings, the Palm Treo 650 offers solid performance and adds some key features to maintain its reign as smart-phone leader. | Although far from perfect, the Sprint PPC-6700 is definitely smarter than most smart phones and almost good enough to earn the title of Treo killer. | Hobbled by a poorly designed QWERTY keypad and sometimes sluggish performance, the Wi-Fi and EDGE-enabled T-Mobile MDA makes for an enticing but ultimately mediocre addition to T-Mobile's smart-phone lineup. | Small, light, and powerful, the Samsung SCH-i730's high-speed data support and built-in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi make it an excellent choice for those who have to stay connected at all times, though the crippled Bluetooth support may spoil the party for laptop road warriors. | The Nextel i930 by Motorola is a good choice for executives looking for a world phone that syncs seamlessly with Outlook--if you can live with the poor battery performance and the lack of Bluetooth. |
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| Product series | See all products in this series | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
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| User comments | Be one of the first to rate this product! | Be one of the first to rate this product! | Be one of the first to rate this product! | Be one of the first to rate this product! | Be one of the first to rate this product! | Be one of the first to rate this product! |
| Basic Specs | ||||||
| Service Provider | Verizon Wireless | AT&T (formerly Cingular) | Sprint Nextel | T-Mobile | Verizon Wireless | Sprint Nextel |
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| Talk time | Up to 300 min | Up to 360 min | Info unavailable | Up to 300 min | Up to 120 min | Up to 168 min |
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| Built-in devices | Display , Antenna , Camera | Display , Antenna , Camera | Touch screen , Speaker , Keyboard , Microphone , Camera | Display , Antenna | Stereo speakers | Antenna |
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| OS provided | Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 Phone Edition | Palm OS 5.4 | Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 | Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 | Microsoft Windows Mobile for Pocket PC 2003 Second Edition | Info unavailable |
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| RAM installed size | 64 MB | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | 64 MB | 64 MB | Info unavailable |
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| Input device type | Stylus , Backlit keyboard , 5-way navigation button , Touch-screen | Stylus , Keyboard , 5-way navigation button , Touch-screen | Stylus , Keyboard , Touch-screen | Navigation button , Stylus , Keyboard , Touch-screen | Stylus , Keyboard | Keypad |
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| Wireless connectivity | IrDA , Bluetooth | IrDA , Bluetooth | IEEE 802.11b , Bluetooth | Bluetooth and Wi-Fi | IrDA , Bluetooth | IrDA |
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| Carrier | Verizon Wireless | Cingular Wireless | Info unavailable | T-Mobile | Verizon Wireless | Nextel Communications |
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| Product name | Palm Treo 700w - gray (Verizon Wireless) | Palm Treo 650 (AT&T) | Audiovox PPC-6700 (Sprint) | T-Mobile MDA | Samsung SCH-i730 (Verizon Wireless) | Motorola i930 (Sprint) |
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| Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications |
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| Price range | Email me when this product is available | Email me when this product is available | Email me when this product is available |
Compare prices on the T-Mobile MDA at mySimon.com
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Visit the manufacturer's or carrier's Web site to purchase this product.
| Email me when this product is available |
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