Top 10 Cell Phone-PDAs

These are the top cell phone-PDAs today, but ratings and rankings can change quickly due to pricing and technology changes, so check back frequently for the latest info.

1. RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8120

Design: Candy bar
Carrier: AT&T
OS Supported: Symbian
Battery Life Average (hh:mm): 9:43
Price When Reviewed: $250

Pros

• Excellent multimedia features and Wi-Fi
• Elegant design

Cons

• Available only to corporate buyers
• Captured video looked grainy

2. RIM BlackBerry Curve 8320

Design: Candy bar
Carrier: T-Mobile
OS Supported: Proprietary
Battery Life Average (hh:mm): 10:00
Price When Reviewed: $300

Pros

• Wi-Fi support
• 2-megapixel camera

Cons

• Inconsistent voice quality
• Expensive

3. RIM Blackberry Pearl

Design: Candy bar
Carrier: T-Mobile
OS Supported: J2ME
Battery Life Average (hh:mm): 8:34
Price When Reviewed: $150

Pros

• Stellar messaging capabilities
• Adds a camera

Cons

• Lacks a full QWERTY keyboard
• Keys can be difficult to press

4. T-Mobile Dash (Windows Mobile 6)

Design: Candy bar
Carrier: T-Mobile
OS Supported: Windows Mobile
Battery Life Average (hh:mm): 8:40
Price When Reviewed: $150

Pros

• First phone to offer Windows Mobile 6
• Svelte design

Cons

• Lacks applications for editing files

5. T-Mobile Shadow
Design: Slide
Carrier: T-Mobile
OS Supported: Windows Mobile
Battery Life Average (hh:mm): 10:00
Price When Reviewed: $200

Pros

• Well-designed screen gives easy access
• Smooth jog wheel facilitates navigation

Cons

• Audio quality on calls sounded tinny

6. Apple iPhone

Design: Candy bar
Carrier: AT&T
OS Supported: Proprietary
Battery Life Average (hh:mm): 10:00
Price When Reviewed: $399

Pros

* Innovative design
* Good mobile Web browser

Cons

* Expensive
* No third-party non-Web apps (like Word)

7. Palm Centro (AT&T)

Design: Candy bar
Carrier: AT&T
OS Supported: Palm
Battery Life Average (hh:mm): 6:47
Price When Reviewed: $200

Pros

• Petite, attractive design
• Excellent call quality and battery life

Cons

• Lacks Wi-Fi and GPS
• Plastic case feels a bit fragile

8. T-Mobile Wing

Design: Slide
Carrier: T-Mobile
OS Supported: Windows Mobile
Battery Life Average (hh:mm): 10:00
Price When Reviewed: $350

Pros

• Touch screen display
• Roomy, slide-out keyboard

Cons

• Some buttons are poorly designed
• Limited integrated storage

9. RIM BlackBerry 8820 (T-Mobile)

Design: Clamshell
Carrier: T-Mobile
OS Supported: Proprietary
Battery Life Average (hh:mm): 10:00
Price When Reviewed: $350

Pros

• Supports voice over Wi-Fi
• Excellent e-mail handling

Cons

• Voice over Wi-Fi and GPS cost extra
• No camera

10. Palm Centro

Design: Candy bar
Carrier: Sprint
OS Supported: Palm
Battery Life Average (hh:mm): 4:19
Price When Reviewed: $100

Pros

• Excellent call quality
• Petite, attractive design

Cons

• Plastic case feels a bit fragile
• Lacks Wi-Fi and GPS