Just for messaging: Cell phones with QWERTY keyboards

Nicole Lee, Associate Editor October 30, 2008

Text messaging and e-mail on cell phones have grown in popularity, but most people are still stuck texting messages with a numeric keypad. Thankfully, full QWERTY keyboards, once available only for advanced smartphones, have made their way to more basic phones as well. Now consumers can type out lengthy notes faster than before, which is especially useful with instant messaging. One of our highest-rated phones, the LG Lotus, has a unique square design and a fold-out QWERTY keyboard that's one of the best we've tried. It features EV-DO and access to Sprint's full array of 3G services. Also with the same features is the Samsung Rant, a bulkier and cheaper handset with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. The UTStarcom Blitz from Verizon Wireless is also a slider QWERTY phone, with a squat yet cute design. Not to be outdone, AT&T has released a slew of messaging phones as well, two of which are the Samsung Propel and the Pantech Matrix. The Propel is a slider handset similar to the Blitz, but much thinner. The Matrix is a dual-slider handset, with both a slide-out number keypad and a slide-out QWERTY keyboard for easy messaging. Both AT&T phones have 3G/HSDPA support.

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