By:
John Frederick Moore
While the pay-as-you-go strategy is a great way to reach younger cell phone customers, it helps if the handset itself is as hip as the target audience.
Minor player: This pocketable phone is small and slim.
Easy access: The phone's dedicated buttons launch popular features such as the built-in speakerphone.
Mixed bag: While the 8500 won't win any medals for talk time, it does well in standby mode.