[Photo: Consumer Reports]
Summer continues to be a very busy season for cell phone introductions. Here's a peek at five new models that we have just added to our smart phone Ratings and Ratings of cell phones (both available to subscribers):
LG enV Touch ($100) Verizon. An impressive phone and multimedia device enhanced with touch-screen navigation and a full QWERTY keyboard for easier e-mailing and texting. The enV Touch (full review available to subscribers) has a large, 3.0-inch external touch screen that serves as both a display and a control center. Tapping the touch soft key icons with either your finger or a stylus (not included) launches the phone's main features, including messaging, virtual keypad, menu, contacts, and programmable favorites. The menu icons give you access to a wide range of audio and video entertainment as well as other phone features and services. Another interface lets you literally flip views, as you would a page, to see either shortcuts to general applications or links to Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites. Inside the enV Touch is another 3.0-inch screen that shows you whatever was on the exterior screen so you won't lose your place when you switch to the QWERTY keyboard. But it's not a touch screen, so you'll have to rely on the keyboard for navigation.
LG enV3 ($80) Verizon. A pocket-friendly cell phone with a generously proportioned keypad and a well-spaced QWERTY keyboard. Compared to its predecessor, the enV2, the enV3 (full review available to subscribers only) has larger displays, both inner and outer, and a higher megapixel digital camera. It also adds threaded messaging, an HTML Web browser, and a four-way outer jog dial, versus two-way on the enV2 (full review). Externally, it has a smallish display complemented by a large keypad roomy enough to accommodate the widest thumbs. It opens up like an eyeglass case to reveal a 2.6-inch screen, stereo speakers, and a QWERTY keyboard to satisfy heavy texters and multimedia addicts.
[Photo: Consumer Reports]
Jitterbug J. ($147) GreatCall. Designed for people who want a simple phone with a high level of service support, the Jitterbug J (full review) is smaller and lighter than earlier versions, and has a larger, higher-resolution display. It also adds Bluetooth support and text messaging capability (an extra cost). It has large, simple buttons that should be easy to see and use.
T-Mobile myTouch 3G ($200) T-Mobile. This second "Google phone" comes loaded with intriguing features and capabilities. Made by HTC, the myTouch 3G (full review) retains most of the best qualities of its sibling, the G1 (full review), but removes the physical keyboard. You can perform Google searches by voice command. It also supports Microsoft Exchange and Outlook for work e-mail and includes a 4GB memory card. The myTouch has a large 3.2-inch finger-driven touch-screen display with programmable shortcuts and MP3 player. It’s one of only a handful phones that let you open more than one Web page at a time and offers direct downloads from its online sources, Android Market and Amazon MP3, for music, applications, services, and games.
Nokia E71x ($100) AT&T. A thin smart phone packed with lots of capabilities and features, including multimedia. Thinner than most other smart phones, the E71x (full review) has a five-way jog dial, left and right selection keys, and direct access to its home, calendar, contacts, and messaging buttons. It supports Wi-Fi for the fastest Web surfing and has a 3.1-megapixel camera with a flash. —Mike Gikas
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