Holiday shopping is right around the corner (or already here, if you're an early starter). So what should you buy that tech-crazy teenager or young adult who needs a new messaging phone? Below are the Top 5 Messaging Phones for the Holiday 2010 season. They may not be smartphones, but they're great for texters!
It was especially difficult to complie the list this year since there have been several new messaging phones released that are top-notch. You may (or may not) notice that the LG enV Touch is not on this list, which may be surprising to some, considering that it is usually on our Top Messaging Phones list. Interestingly, Verizon no longer lists the enV Touch on their site. Perhaps this is to make way for the rumored enV Pro, supposedly said to be running Android? Just speculation, but for now, enjoy the list and let us know if it helps you in your holiday shopping endeavours!
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1. Pantech Laser (AT&T)Perfect for: A heavy texter who wants the latest and greatest. This phone is NOT for: A person who is serious about taking photos. The camera quality is pretty low. Summary: The Pantech Laser is the best messaging phone available from the four major U.S. carriers. It features an AMOLED display, an excellent QWERTY keyboard, a fresh and fun UI, and a super-thin form factor. If picture quality doesn't really matter to you (or the person you're buying for), the Laser's lack of a flash and autofocus shouldn't be a problem. |
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2. Samsung Craft (MetroPCS)Perfect for: Someone who is with a no-contract carrier, but still wants the best phone out there. Or a Trekkie. (See Summary.) This phone is NOT for: Someone who doesn't live in Las Vegas, Dallas, or Detroit. (See Summary.) Summary: For all intents and purposes, the Samsung Craft is the number one messaging phone (according to PhoneDog) and even beats out the Pantech Laser in terms of features (4G, better AMOLED display, capacitive touchscreen, comes preloaded with Star Trek, the film), data (built-in WIFI support, 4G), and camera (3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus and flash). The only problem is that it's only available in MetroPCS' three 4G markets and, yes, it's on MetroPCS, which may cause some problems for certain users. |
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3. LG Rumor Touch (Sprint)Perfect for: Heavy texters. This phone is NOT for: Someone who likes simple user interfaces. The UI on the Rumor is interesting, but definitely different and will take some getting used to. Summary: The Rumor has been around since the beginning of the year, but it's still one of the best messaging phones out there with one of the best physical keyboards. The interesting UI and lowly 2 megapixel camera may turn some users off, but for heavy texters, it's perfect. |
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4. Sharp FX (AT&T)Perfect for: Someone who appreciates design and style and likes their phone to match their taste. This phone is NOT for: A person who cares about camera quality (even more so than the Pantech Laser). Summary: The Sharp FX has a great physical design, both with the phone itself and the keyboard. It looks and feels sleek and modern. However, the UI is a little more simplistic and the measly 2 megapixel camera was disappointing. |
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5. Sanyo Innuendo (Sprint)Perfect for: A person who's a little different and likes things that don't fit in with the usual mold. This phone is NOT for: Someone who prefers to not stand out. Summary: The Innuendo has a very unique design that is sure to catch attention. Its front metallic-looking panel has "glow-through" numbers for touch-dialing. It does have a beautiful internal display though, which is the one you'll use the most. On top of that, it has a great physical keyboard and a 2 megapixel camera that also captures video. |
So there they are. The Top 5 Messaging Phones. What do you guys think? Agree with the list? Disagree? Sound off in the comments!
