Although most Americans already own mobile devices, millions are expected to buy or upgrade in the next few months. To entice consumers, carriers such as AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile have responded with a raft of new models.
The most interesting models veer toward the higher end at prices ranging from $150 to $300 with a standard two-year contract. The $300 LG Voyager at Verizon, for example, could be seen as a competitor to the Apple iPhone. Ditto for the $250 Touch at Sprint.
One notable exception is the stylish LG Rumor, which costs just $50. The phone, also available from Sprint, comes with a full slide-out keyboard, camera, music and video capability, Bluetooth wireless technology and navigation.
For consumers who want to save money, they can also find dozens of free phones from top manufacturers such as Motorola, Samsung and LG. The devices are packed with features only available on the most expensive handsets just a few years ago.
AT&T, for example, offers the Motorola Razr3 and a refurbished Samsung Sync for free. And T-Mobile offers five models for free online.
Cool to touch
The biggest move afoot is toward the touch-sensitive controls popularized by the iPhone, which is only sold by AT&T. Rivals Sprint Nextel Corp. and Verizon have now countered with their own devices with screens that can be controlled by the touch of a fingertip.
"Clearly, we're seeing a trend toward more touch-type devices," Sprint spokeswoman Michelle Mermelstein said.
Touch by HTC, sold by Sprint, is no bigger than a pack of cards and uses a visual keyboard instead of buttons. The device can also work in some corporate environments because of its Window Mobile software.
The attractive LG Voyager, offered by Verizon, has a big touch-screen on the front that enables customers to perform most tasks. "You don't have to open the phone," said Verizon spokeswoman Brenda Raney. "The touch-screen puts all your features at your fingertips."
Flip the Voyager open, though, and there's a full keyboard for easy text messaging and email.
Verizon also offers a partial touch-screen phone, the LG Venus, for $200 after a rebate. The music-centric Venus can hold up to 8 gigabytes of flash memory and has a two-part screen on the front. The lower half can be controlled by touch, but the device has enough buttons to make it comfortable for those who don't want to let their fingers do all the talking.
Although the iPhone gets all the hype, AT&T also offers its own brand of touch-screen phone called the Tilt. The $300 device can do just about everything except beam owners up to Star Trek Enterprise. The Tilt comes with Windows software and includes a slide-out keyboard, 3-megapixel camera and satellite radio. It can also be used as a high-speed wireless modem for laptops.
It's especially important, however, to try these touch phones before buying because of the unique designs. They may or may not feel quite right to your "touch."
Sliders vs. flips
Unlike the Voyager, the Venus is a sliding phone like the popular LG Chocolate. Sliders are easier to open with one hand than the more popular flip or clamshell style and they usually have bigger screens. It's also easy to fit a full keyboard into a slider design.
"There are more sliders than there used to be," said Warner May, a spokesman at AT&T Inc. the nation's largest mobile carrier.
The latest pair of sliders in the AT&T lineup are the Tilt and the LG Shine. The $150 Shine is a glitzy sliver phone with a large LCD screen. In the Washington, D.C. area, AT&T stores were having trouble keeping the device in stock.
The LG Rumor is another well-designed slider that breaks new ground with its $50 price. It's the cheapest device on the market with a full keyboard, an increasingly desirable feature among younger people.
"It's for anybody who's a diehard text messenger who prefers not to buy a PDA or BlackBerry," said Mermelstein of Sprint.
Other catchy models now on the market include the candy bar-sized Samsung Juke, the Samsung Flipshot and the Pantech Duo.
The unusually narrow Juke ($50) is designed for music and might be particularly attractive to teens. The Flipshot, on sale at Best Buy for $100, shows off a 3-megapixel camera, the highest resolution now in mobile devices. Both are also available through Verizon's Website.
The $200 Pantech, at AT&T, slides vertically or horizontally to display a full keyboard.
Look for discounts
Here's a few pointers to follow when shopping for a new wireless phone:
- Check the wireless plans of other phone companies if you plan to switch. Make sure they have good coverage in your area. Several carriers reduce their early-termination fees based on how long you've been a customer.
- If you are sticking with the same company, check their "loyalty" programs to see if you're eligible for a sharp discount on a new phone. Some offer big savings.
- The best bargains and widest selection tend to be found on the Web, where more devices are available and rebates are sometimes granted instantaneously.
- Check nearby stores, however. Retail outlets also offer good deals and customers can actually test the phones.
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