Kent German,
Senior Editor
May 20, 2008
Though they were relatively unknown just a couple of years ago, unlocked phones are a hot item in the United States. Because an unlocked phone has no settings that tie it to a particular carrier, you can use it with more than one wireless operator. That can be great for people who switch carriers, or for frequent travelers who want to make calls overseas. Also, you can choose from a wider selection of models when buying an unlocked phone.
Just remember that while all phones can be unlocked, the best unlocked handsets use GSM technology (think T-Mobile and AT&T). Also, keep in mind that the phone should support the 850 and 1900 GSM bands if you want to use it in the United States. Here are the latest unlocked phones that we've reviewed. The Sony Ericsson K850i is a superior camera phone. We didn't love its controls, but it's a solid model in all respects. The Samsung Armani has a slim and sexy design, but its touch-screen interface was tricky to use and it didn't offer as many features as we hoped for. The Nokia N82 is a powerful and well-performing smartphone, even if it lacks support for U.S. networks. For music fans, the Samsung SGH-i450 is an ideal choice, and the rugged Sonim XP1 should appeal to anyone with an extreme lifestyle.
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| Price | $268.99 to $289.97 | Check Prices | $389.95 to $599.99 | Check Prices | Check Prices |
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| Review date | April 28, 2008 | April 17, 2008 | April 25, 2008 | March 20, 2008 | March 13, 2008 |
| The Bottom Line | Though its navigation controls and keypad aren't up to par, the Sony Ericsson K850i is one of the finest camera phones we've seen. | The Samsung Armani is one supersexy phone but it falls short of perfection due to lackluster features and a tricky user interface. | The Nokia N82 has some annoying design flaws and lacks 3G support, but our lasting impression of the N82 is of a powerful multimedia smartphone with an excellent imaging capabilities and solid performance. | It can't pass muster as a camera phone, but as a quality music handset the Samsung SGH-i450 more than holds its own. | It may not be pretty, but the Sonim XP1 is a rugged GSM cell phone that's built to last. It offers good call quality, too. |
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| Features | |||||
| Cellular technology | WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM | GSM | WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM | WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM | GSM |
| Weight | 4.2 oz | 3 oz | 4 oz | 4 oz | 4.5 oz |
| Talk time | Up to 540 min | Up to 390 min | Up to 260 min | Up to 282 min | Up to 240 min |
| Band / mode | WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM 850/900/1800/1900 | GSM 900/1800/1900 (Tri-Band) | WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM 850/900/1800/1900 | WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM 900/1800/1900 | GSM 900/1800/1900 (Tri-Band) |
| Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications |
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