Verizon users have been waiting for a RAZR for more than a year now. The nation’s most popular phone redefined cool with its sharp, silver lines. The new version improves on some of the original’s features while keeping the excellent design, reception, and sound quality.

The Motorola RAZR V3c supports CDMA and EvDO. Verizon Wireless offers their V CAST service on the V3c, which is a wireless broadband multimedia service allowing customers to stream and download video clips on demand.

SPECIFICATIONS

Technical

• Service Provider: Verizon Wireless
• Network: 1.9 GHz CDMA PCS I 800 MHz CDMA
• Form Factor: Clamshell
• Dimensions: 98 x 53 x 14 mm
• Weight: 95 g
• Antenna: Internal
• Navigation: 5-way navigation key
• GPS capable for E911 emergency location
• TTY compatible
• Battery Type: 740 mAh Li-Ion
• SAR: Ear-1.14 , Body-1.56
• Talk Time: 3.00
• Standby Time: 200
• Memory: 30 MB

Imaging

• Main Screen: 65000 colors (TFT) 176 x 220 px
• External Screen: 65000 colors (STN) 96 x 80 px
• Camera: Integrated 1.3 megapixel camera with 4x zoom and photo album application

Audio - Multimedia

• MP3 Player, Speakerphone
• Wallpapers: 176 x 220 px
• Screen Savers: 176 x 220 px
• Polyphonic ring tones, plus 5 VibraCall? vibrating alerts and silent
• Games: BREW / 3D Gaming

Messaging

• SMS, EMS, MMS, Email(POP3 / IMAP4 / SMTP), Chat(AOL / ICQ / Yahoo!), Predictive Text (iTAP)

Applications

• Phonebook Capacity: 1000
• Calculator, Calendar, Alarm Clock and Voice Memo

Connectivity

• Mobile Web 2.0SM, Get it Now? Capable, Mobile Instant Messaging (IM)
• Bluetooth, High-Speed Data(cdma2000 1xEV-DO), PC Sync(SyncML)
• V CAST Service ?stream and download video clips on the EV-DO network

The Samsung SGH-D307 is a quirky messaging phone with neat features but a very perplexing interface. The first double-fold phone to make it to market in the U.S., the tri-band D307 initially looks like a run-of-the-mill flip phone, with a black-and-white display on the front showing a bold digital clock. It’s big, at 3.7 by 1.9 by 0.9 inches, but not particularly heavy, at 4.3 ounces. Flip it open vertically and you see a bright, 176-by-220 color display and a very confusing keyboard with many tiny, identical buttons. Close and flip it horizontally, and the keyboard becomes a full QWERTY layout for typing e-mails, instant messages, and text messages. The flip locks tightly in either vertical or horizontal mode so that it doesn’t swing out diagonally.

SPECIFICATIONS

Technical

• Network: GSM 850 / 1800 / 1900
• Form Factor: Clamshell / Double Hinge
• Dimensions: 94 x 48 x 22 mm
• Weight: 122 g
• Antenna: Internal
• Navigation: QWERTY Keypad / 5-Way Keypad
• Battery Type: 800 mAh Li-Ion
• Talk Time: 5.00
• Standby Time: 200

Imaging

• Main Screen: 262000 colors (TFT) 176 x 220 px
• External Screen: 2 colors (LCD) 96 x 96 px

Audio - Multimedia

• Speakerphone
• Wallpapers: 176 x 220 px
• Screen Savers: 176 x 220 px
• Ring Tones: MP3
• Games: J2ME

Messaging

• SMS, EMS, MMS, Email, Chat(AOL / ICQ / Yahoo!), Predictive Text (T9)

Applications

• Phonebook Capacity: 1000
• Calendar, To-Do List, wap (2.0), Voice Commands, Calculator

Connectivity

• Bluetooth, High-Speed Data(GPRS (Class 10) / EDGE), PC Sync(SyncML)

Released for Cingular, the Motorola V557 is the first handset to include Motorola’s SCREEN3 - an innovative technology that enables consumers to get news, sports, entertainment, and other premium content and services directly from their mobile device home screen (no buttons to push, no browsers to launch). In addition, the V557 features a VGA camera, video record and playback, and advanced messaging. EDGE technology and Cingular’s consumer data services, such as Picture Messaging and Cingular Sounds, enhance the multimedia offerings and enable subscribers to share images and download MP3 ringtones with unprecedented speed.

SPECIFICATIONS

Technical

• Network: GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
• Form Factor: Clamshell
• Dimensions: 89 x 49 x 25 mm
• Weight: 114 g
• Antenna: Stub
• Navigation: 5-Way Keypad
• Battery Type: 820 mAh Li-Ion
• Talk Time: 3.75
• Standby Time: 225
• Memory: 5.0 MB

Imaging

• Main Screen: 65000 colors (TFT) 176 x 220 px
• External Screen: 2 colors (STN)96 x 32 px
• Camera: 0.3 MP / 640 x 480 px / 4X Zoom / Self-Timer / Video Recorder

Audio - Multimedia

• Speakerphone
• Wallpapers: 176 x 220 px
• Screen Savers: 176 x 220 px
• Ring Tones: MP3
• Games: J2ME

Messaging

• SMS, EMS, MMS, Email(POP3 / IMAP4 / SMTP), Chat(AOL / ICQ / Yahoo!), Predictive Text (iTAP)

Applications

• Phonebook Capacity: 1000
• Calendar, To-Do List, wap (2.0), Voice Commands, Calculator

Connectivity

• Bluetooth, High-Speed Data(GPRS (Class 10) / EDGE), PC Sync(SyncML)

For those looking for a clamshell phone, the Sony Ericsson Z600 certainly comes recommended. Not only does it harbour a great amount of advanced functionality, it also offers a user friendly menu system where all functions are handily available. Certain performance issues were noticeable, but nevertheless this handset performs better than any other clamshell phone we’ve tested to date.

SPECIFICATIONS

Technical

• Network: GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900
• Form Factor: Clamshell
• Dimensions: 90 x 48 x 27 mm
• Weight: 106 g
• Antenna: Internal
• Navigation: 4-Way Keypad
• Battery Type: 780 mAh Li-Ion
• Talk Time: 6.00
• Standby Time: 200
• Memory: 2 MB

Imaging

• Main Screen: 65000 colors (TFT)128 x 160 px
• External Screen: 2 colors (LCD) 91 x 29 px
• Camera: 0.1 MP / 352 x 288 px / Self Portrait / Self-Timer

Audio - Multimedia

• FM Radio(accessory), MP3 Player(accessory)
• Wallpapers: 128 x 128 px
• Screen Savers: 128 x 128 px
• Ring Tones: 32 chord
• Games: J2ME / Mophun

Messaging

• SMS, EMS, MMS, Email(POP3 / IMAP4 / SMTP), Chat

Applications

• Phonebook Capacity: 500
• Calendar, To-Do List, wap (2.0), Voice Commands, Calculator

Connectivity

• Bluetooth, Infrared Port, High-Speed Data(GPRS (Class 8 )), PC Sync(SyncML)