Motivated by the creative comments from our last "Top Five" segment, the idea of creating a new top five list seemed quite appealing (okay, Noah's top five lists were a deciding factor too - always good to have friendly competition, right?). But why stop at a top five phone list? Instead, why not make it carrier based? Wireless devices can differ dramatically from carrier to carrier, so, realizing the importance of this; I decided to follow suit, and do a list for each company.
In this industry, new devices seem to launch every other day, so keep the date of this article in mind when you're reading this around, say, Christmas. I'm sure the list will look outdated by then.
More Top 5 lists:
Noah: AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile
Aaron: AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile
1. Apple iPhone 3G/3GS
Of course, the phone that many credit for revolutionizing the wireless industry has to be included in the top five list somewhere. I don't think this device is the best in the industry (as seen in my previous list), but it is certainly the shining star on AT&T. Offering an App Store with over 65,000 applications, Apple has done a fantastic job of poising the iPhone as a superior media device.
2. BlackBerry Bold
Yes, some of the features are outdated when it comes to newer BlackBerry devices like the Tour, but the large QWERTY keyboard, Wi-Fi, and gorgeous screen aren't the only features keeping it in the number one slot on AT&T. Narrowly losing to the iPhone, the primary reason I placed the iPhone in front is its appeal to various consumer segments, from young to old. As much as I love the BlackBerry product and believe that RIM has done a good job of breaching the consumer segment with devices like the BlackBerry Storm and Pearl Flip, it's undeniable that their primary focus is still the business customer.
3. HTC Fuze
Though it's being replaced at some point in the year by the AT&T Tilt II (Touch Pro2), the Fuze is a perfectly capable Windows Mobile smartphone with a full QWERTY keyboard. Sporting HTC's popular TouchFLO 3D interface, the Fuze offers a 3-megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, and a nice touchscreen.
4. Nokia E71x
If you've read my articles regarding the Nokia E-Series family, you're well aware that I wasn't that impressed with the E71x when compared to the unlocked, unbranded E71. The AT&T firmware slows the device down, and makes it less appealing than its unlocked sibling. That being said, the form factor and decent battery life (though not as good as the E71) make it worthy of a spot in the list. Now, if we can get a replacement to the aging Symbian platform, it would truly be a winner.
5. Sony Ericsson C905a
The 8.1-megapixel camera is perfect for anyone wanting to take quality pictures on their device. Granted, the customized AT&T software is less than desirable, but overall, the camera, form factor, and nice screen makes the device a winner.
Honorable Mention: Samsung Impression, Samsung Eternity, BlackBerry Curve 8320, Samsung Epix
