Cell phones

Smartphones for first-time buyers

Most people are happy with their feature phones , but if you're finding you've outgrown yours and need more functionality, it might be time to upgrade to a smartphone. A smartphone can offer you more advanced contact, e-mail, and calendar functions, additional productivity apps, a better Web browsing experience, and so much more. If you've been hesitant to graduate to a smartphone because it seems too technical or excessive, think again. The handsets in our gallery below are good starters, offering ease of use and the essential tools for messaging, voice calls, and productivity. Fair warning: most of … Read more

Windows Phone 7 Series FAQ

Update: This post was last updated on March 16.

We realize it's still early in the year, but we don't think it's too much of a stretch to say that Windows Phone 7 Series is one of the biggest mobile tech stories to come out of 2010. Finally, Microsoft delivered a mobile operating system that not only looks completely new and compelling, but is also functional and competitive. However, there are still a number of unanswered questions and ever since the big reveal at Mobile World Congress 2010, we've gotten a steady stream of reader e-mails about Windows Phone 7 Series.

Instead of trying to answer each one individually, we decided to compile some of the most frequently asked questions and we sent them to the Windows Phone team in hopes of getting some more specific answers for you. We've incorporated their responses below, and included some of the latest information from MIX10 and from around the Web.

We'll be updating this FAQ regularly as more details are revealed throughout the coming weeks and months. Also, keep sending in your questions and we'll do our best to get them answered for you. Now, without further ado, your Windows Phone 7 Series FAQ. … Read more

Sony Ericsson Naite now for sale unlocked

Sony Ericsson announced Wednesday that its Naite (pronounced "nigh-tay") phone will go on sale in Sony Styles stores and at SonyStyle.com for $159 unlocked. As part of the company's GreenHeart series, the Naite is composed of 50 percent recycled material and uses a low-power charger and waterborne paints. It also eliminates a paper user manual to decrease packaging.

Features on the simple candy bar handset include a 2-megapixel camera and camcorder, a music player, a wireless Web browser, a speakerphone, messaging and POP3 e-mail, instant messaging, an FM radio, stereo Bluetooth, Google Maps, USB Mass storage, … Read more

Canada to get Samsung Spica and paid Android apps

Canadian wireless provider Rogers is prepping for the release of Samsung's latest Google Android handset, the Galaxy Spica. While the carrier hasn't made an official announcement, rumor has it that dummy units are arriving in retail stores across the country. It should be only a few weeks before the carrier unveils the price and available rate plans.

The Galaxy Spica features a 3.2-inch AMOLED touch screen, a 3.2-megapixel camera, 200MB of internal memory, Wi-Fi, GPS, and more. Similar to other recent Samsung handsets, the Spica is powered by an 800MHz processor. The exact version of Android … Read more

Virgin Mobile boosts its Broadband2Go

Not even a year after Virgin Mobile introduced Broadband2Go, its pay-as-you-go broadband service, it is now expanding it with even more data while still keeping costs low.

The $60 plan, for example, now offers 5GB, when it was 1GB previously. You now get 1GB for $40, and the 300MB for $20, though you do need to use the data within 30 days. As before, there's a $10 plan that only gives you 100MB that you need to use in 10 days instead.

There are no activation fees, and megabytes can be added as needed. To use it, you can … Read more

Superaffordable Nokia 5230 Nuron headed to T-Mobile

Everyone loves a great deal and Nokia and T-Mobile are offering one heck of a value with the upcoming Nokia 5230 Nuron.

Due to arrive at T-Mobile in the coming weeks, the Nuron is a 3G touch-screen smartphone that will sell for just $69.99 with a two-year contract. For that price, you're also getting free turn-by-turn, voice-guided navigation since the device ships with Ovi Maps. The app includes maps for the U.S., Canada, and Mexico and offers pedestrian mode, weather forecasts, and Lonely Planet guides, among other things. There is no monthly subscription required to get this … Read more

AT&T's Motorola Backflip reviewed

On March 7, AT&T will release its first Google Android smartphone, the Motorola Backflip, for $99.99 with a two-year contract and after a $100 mail-in rebate.

The Backflip made its debut at CES 2010 where it earned our Best of CES award for the cell phones and smartphones category because of its unique design, which includes a rear-facing QWERTY keyboard and a trackpad behind the display. Unfortunately, after now spending some time with the final product, this seems to be the only real highlight of the phone.

The Backflip suffers from performance issues and runs Android 1.… Read more

Virgin Mobile ending its postpaid service

As part of Sprint's acquisition of Virgin Mobile, the carrier will cease providing postpaid service by May 25 of this year. While current Virgin Mobile postpaid subscribers won't be automatically transferred to Sprint, the company is giving a whole bunch of incentives for people to switch over. They include a $50 credit toward a Sprint postpaid handset with a new two-year agreement and an additional $150 off handsets as part of Sprint's new customer offer. Plus, Sprint will waive all activation fees.

Virgin Mobile began its outreach effort to existing postpaid customers as early as March 1, … Read more

Nokia kicks off C series with the new C5

We've known for some time that a new group of Nokia handsets was on its way, and Tuesday the company spilled the first handset in its C series. We spotted the C6 on the FCC database last week, but today's news concerns the C5.

The minimalist candy bar design is very Nokia. No, the gray and white color schemes aren't very exciting, but we like its clean lines, the trim profile (0.47 inch), and what appears to be a spacious navigation array. You'll also see a 2.2-inch display and an alphanumeric keypad.

Features on … Read more

The 411: Feature phones vs. smartphones

Hi, 411 fans! I'm taking a break from answering questions this week and will instead go over a particularly interesting topic in the mobile phone industry. I'll go back to answering your queries next time around. Please send your questions to nicole.lee@cnet.com. Thanks!

As much press as smartphones like the Apple iPhone and the Nexus One get, Americans by and large still prefer to use less powerful "feature phones." For example, the LG enV Touch (just a feature phone, not a smartphone) was one of the most popular phones on Verizon for a long time- our CNET review of the enV Touch consistently made our monthly Top Five list for the most pageviews from July to October in 2009. It was even No. 1 for two of those months (August and September). There was also an NPD report last year that claimed around 72 percent of new handset sales in Q2 of 2009 were feature phones, not smartphones.

On the face of it, this is understandable. Smartphones are seen as complex and might have features that many consumers don't need or want. Feature phones are typically easier to use, and are cheaper to boot. But this field is rapidly changing--feature phones aren't so simple anymore, while smartphones are focusing much more on the consumer market. More importantly, the pricing differences aren't as clear cut as you might think. The lines between the two categories are blurrier than ever, and I'm thinking a shift in the balance might be forthcoming. … Read more