Kent German's six favorite cell phones

When you examine as many cell phones as I do, it's difficult to select just one or two as the absolute best around. After all, no mobile phone is completely perfect, and there's always something on a handset that could be improved. To me, a cell phone should have a stylish and ergonomic design, quality features, and top-notch performance. And just as importantly, it shouldn't be saddled with a bunch of restrictions that make it difficult to use.

Though I haven't found a phone that flawlessly captures all these characteristics, there are a handful of devices that come quite close. I can't show them all here, but these are five of my top picks, at least at this moment. For smartphones, I'm partial to the RIM BlackBerry Bold and the Samsung Omnia. The former has a gorgeous display, roomy keyboard, and generous features. What's more, the AT&T handset's performance is satisfying as well. The Omnia for Verizon Wireless is the best of the Samsung touch-screen phones around. It was a tad sluggish, but it still offers a lot to like. I admit that the T-Mobile G1 almost made my list. I really love the open promises it represents, but I can't overlook its mundane design. I also can't pick Sprint's upcoming Palm Pre. It looks promising, but we haven't reviewed it yet.

For a camera phones I'd have to go with the Motorola ZN5 for T-Mobile. It offers great camera features and fantastic photo quality. And yes, it's good phones as well. For a music phone I'll pick the Apple iPhone for AT&T. It's not a perfect device by any means, but it does a lot of things well. If you're a messaging fan, try the LG Lotus for Sprint. It has an easy-to-use design, agreeable feature performance, and a solid midrange feature set. And in case you want a phone just for making calls, the Samsung Knack should work well for you.