Cell phones get smarter

Our tests of the latest models with new, better features

Cell phones of all stripes now offer some of the attributes of Apple's iPhone, which dazzled consumers when it arrived last year. New feature-laden models like the HTC Touch, T-Mobile Wing, and Verizon Voyager may not match the iPhone for multimedia prowess, but they do have fairly large, easily readable touch screens and simplified menus. Other smart phones are shrinking in both size and price, including BlackBerry Pearl, Palm Centro, and Pantech Duo (all $100 with a two-year contract).

But not everyone needs a phone with sophisticated capabilities driven by a computer-like operating system. Our tests and Ratings of cell phones (available to subscribers) for this report are still dominated by regular models you typically get for $100 or less with a two-year service commitment.

Here’s the news in phones of all types:

More keyboards. With text messaging the most common cell-phone activity after voice calls, more conventional phones now sport the familiar QWERTY feature on almost all smart phones.

Dual-connection phones. Some smart phones, including the iPhone, T-Mobile Dash, Nokia N95, and T-Mobile Wing in our Ratings of smart phones (available to subscribers), can operate on either a phone network or a Wi-Fi connection, which provides faster Internet browsing and downloading. T-Mobile’s HotSpot@Home models are the first regular cell phones with Wi-Fi access. Verizon’s BlackBerry 8830 is a CDMA smart phone that also connects to GSM networks in foreign countries.

More music features. Even most basic cell phones now have an MP3 player with improved capabilities, though the music itself is still typically loaded from your computer via cable. Phones such as the LG Chocolate and Motorola RAZR² even support stereo Bluetooth headsets, for music enjoyment with fewer wires.

Better cameras. Most new phones have cameras with resolutions of 1 megapixel and up that are capable of producing respectable snapshots. Some models, such as the 5-megapixel Nokia N95, take photography more seriously by pairing sharper image sensors with high-grade lenses, autofocus, zoom, and brightness controls for greater photo control.

In the end, we use our phones to make calls, and, as our latest tests generally reveal, voice quality still lags behind cordless and corded phones on traditional land-lines. Even talk time, though acceptable, hasn’t improved much in recent years.