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Wireless without the wires: Bluetooth cell phones |
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 Kent German Senior editor |
Updated March 29, 2006
They may call it a wireless phone, but cell phones still require wires at some point. Besides the clunky charger, you have to fumble with cords to use a headset and to transfer data between your mobile and other gadgets. But there is an answer for anyone looking to cut the cord almost completely. With a Bluetooth-equipped cell phone, you can chat on a wireless headset, transfer data magically through the air to a handheld, or connect with a Bluetooth-enabled car. But take care, as not all Bluetooth is created the same. While some carriers let you use Bluetooth for almost any means, others restrict it to a headset only. Sprint was relatively late to the Bluetooth game, but the company's stable now includes the PPC-6700 smart phone and the slim Samsung MM-A900. Cingular boasts the 3G-equipped LG CU320 and the lower-end Sony Ericsson Z520a. T-Mobile offers the sexy Motorola Pebl, while Verizon has the Samsung SCH-A950 music phone. More resources
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| Product name |
Audiovox PPC-6700 (Sprint) |
Samsung MM-A900 (Sprint) |
LG CU320 (AT&T) |
Sony Ericsson Z520a (AT&T) |
Motorola Pebl U6 - black (T-Mobile) |
Samsung SCH-A950 (Verizon Wireless) |
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| Review date | November 15, 2005 | December 7, 2005 | March 29, 2006 | December 2, 2005 | February 17, 2006 | March 15, 2006 |
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Editors' rating (Editors' rating explained) |
7.0
Very good |
7.6
Very good |
8.0
Excellent |
7.3
Very good |
7.3
Very good |
7.3
Very good |
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| Review summary | 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. | Though the Samsung MM-A900 is unlikely to win over the most hard-core Razr fans, it's still a compelling and promising alternative to the popular Motorola phone. | Despite some minor performance and design glitches and a couple missing features, the LG CU320 is Cingular's strongest 3G cell phone to date. | Though the camera is unimpressive, the Sony Ericsson Z520a is a feature-rich and well-performing midrange cell phone. | Undeniably attractive, the Motorola Pebl offers great performance and an acceptable--if not high-end--range of features. Just make sure you give the controls a test-drive. | The Samsung SCH-A950 is an attractive 3G cell phone with decent features, but some annoying restrictions remain. |
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| Product series | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | See all products in this series | N/A |
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| Basic Specs | ||||||
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• IEEE 802.11b , Bluetooth • Sprint Nextel • Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 • Touch screen , Speaker , Keyboard , Microphone , Camera • Stylus , Keyboard , Touch-screen Full specifications |
• Up to 180 min • Sprint Nextel • CDMA2000 1X • Bluetooth • 3.9 oz • CDMA2000 1X 1900/800 • Sprint PCS Full specifications |
• Up to 150 min • AT&T • WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM • Bluetooth • 4.3 oz • WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM 850/900/1800/1900 • Cingular Wireless Full specifications |
• Up to 540 min • AT&T • GSM • Infrared (IrDA) , Bluetooth • 3.3 oz • GSM 850/900/1800/1900 (Quadband) • Cingular Wireless Full specifications |
• Up to 400 min • T-Mobile • GSM • Bluetooth • 3.9 oz • GSM 850/900/1800/1900 (Quadband) • T-Mobile Full specifications |
• Up to 235 min • Verizon Wireless • CDMA2000 1X • Bluetooth • 4.5 oz • CDMA2000 1X 1900/800 • Verizon Wireless Full specifications |
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