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camera that captures photos and video. As with the P800, the numeric keypad flips down to reveal the extra screen space. The P900 improves the size and resolution, allowing greater space while browsing the Net, but it gives the phone a Fairly odd shape (it's thicker at the number pad end, when the pad is closed) and the number pad looks like it could easily break off if you weren't careful. Another oddity repeated from the P800 is the positioning of the "back" button. Instead of putting it alongside the jog dial [an incredibly useful control far navigating the various menus], going"back"means you have to spin the phone around ifyou havethe pad flipped open. The P900 is rated for an incredible 480 hours(20 days) of standby time. Chances of getting that amount of standby are minimal, however — especially if you actually use its other features. Still, the extra battery life will almost certainly come in handy. Thanks to the multimedia features and the included games, the P900's quirky design issues don't prevent it Frorri being an awful lot of fun — if only it was just a bit less expensive. Selected accessories: replacement battery $65; desktop charger $25; handsfree car kit $295; bluetooth headset: $165 ta $195.
AuilioVOX PPC-5050 In the world of handhelds, the big rivalry is between Palm and Pocket PC, so it's a natural that it would be a factor in the world of phone/P0As. The Audiovox PPC-5050 uses Microsoft's Windows Mobile Phone Edition 2003 (certainly a mouthful], which adds communication features to give it the functionality of a Pocket PC. This phone will seem incredibly familiar to those who are comfortable in the world of Windows — it' s designed to be ultra-compatible with your Windows-based desktop and comes with a USB charge/sync cradle that connects to your PC. It has built-in email, a Web browser, and a pocket version of MSN Messenger, as well as multimedia features, such as a picture viewer — a pocket version of Windows Media Player. For those just getting started in the world of Pocket PC or handhelds, the phone component will take some getting used to, as there is na physical keypad. Instead, it has a virtual keypad that appears when you launch the phone application. The large screen rests up right next to your cheek while you' re talking, which means you' ll have to clean it regularly. Selected accessories: thumb keyboard $180; car adapter $40 to $60. By Sean Carruthers Comparison table on page 20
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Let's face it,the BlackBerryis great for organizing appointments, making calls, and handling email,. but a handset with walkie-talkie-style capabilities is incredibly appealing — especially if you have to stay in touch with membersofa group with any frequency. Enter the BlackBerry 7510 with Direct Connect. It has roughly the same design as the BlackBerry 7280, but runs on Talus' Mike network and sparta a Direct Connect button along the tap for two-wey conversationsin addition to the standard BlackBerry voice and data functions. The extra hardware inside means it's slightly thicker and a bit heavier than the 7280, pIus it has an antenna It s not as ele gant as otherBlackBerries.but that's a small concession for the added two-way voice functionality.
Since Sony lwww.sonystyle.cal launchedits PalmDS-based handhelds in Canada,the Clies have provided fairly strong competition for palm0ne's own devices. This is partly due to Sony'semphasi s onmultimedia andpartl y to the Japanese company's knack for designs that ere at once unfamiliar and intriguing to North American eyes. The Clie PEG-UX50, which runs PalmDS has built-in Bluetooth and 802.11b wireless netwarking, which makes it an interesting alternative for wireless messaging.You can check email or access the Web using the ClifG and a Bluetooth-enabled cell phone ar just the 802.11b if you' re in range of a WiFi hotspot — the latter means yau won't run dawn cell phone'sbatteryand you can transfer
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costson the phone's data plan. This Clie's design makes it even more interesting: it opens up like a note-
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screen-only hendheld. With a 480x320-pixel resolution, it hesone ofthe nicestscreens around, which is only fitting given its multimedia features: including a built-in photo (840x480) and video i320x240I camera; and MP3 player application, which plays tunes fram MernoryStick Pro media cards — yvhich are also used to store other multimedia dhta.. It's a beautiful little unit, and while the $1.000 price tag will undoubtedly . send some people fleeing, those wlto can splurge will love it. — Sean Carruthers ~
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