November 1st, 2009
Holiday Gift Guide 2009: Cell Phones
Even though 2009 was a difficult one for many in regards to finances, the mobile phone market continued to grow and manufacturers continued to roll out some excellent phones for the consumer. In this issue of the 2009 Holiday Gift Guide we will take a look at two selected mobile phones from each of the four major US wireless carriers. I know the lines between feature phones and smartphones are no longer clear cut, but we will have another Guide edition for smartphones that will include those devices running Windows Mobile, Google Android, RIM BlackBerry, Apple iPhone, Symbian, and Palm WebOS.
QWERTY keyboards are quite popular today due to the heavy text messaging practices that many people take part in while standard phone keypad models don’t seem to be as common. That said, there are also some very powerful and functional devices without keyboards that appeal to consumer for other strengths. The phones we will cover in this Guide range from $49.99 to $199.99 in price.
T-Mobile
This first selection from T-Mobile brings a feature not seen in many phones and that is an 8 megapixel digital camera. I find the saying that the best camera to have is the one that is always with you and with the Samsung Memoir in hand you really don’t have to compromise when it comes to taking photos. The Memoir also has a Xenon flash so you can take decent photos in low and no light conditions too. In addition to the 8 megapixel camera you will find a large 2.64 x 1.61 inch 240×400 pixel resolution touch screen display with haptic feedback. Samsung throws on their cool TouchWIZ user interface and the decent NetFront web browser to round out the device.
You will find it supports T-Mobile’s 3G data network, has integrated Bluetooth, and integrated GPS receiver for navigation. The Samsung Memoir is quite a powerful mobile phone for those looking to take lots of photos on the go.
Price: $199.99 with 2-year contract and rebate/discount or $499.99 with no contract (T-Mobile’s new Even More Plus plan)
[Read my review and check out the ZDNet Reviews page]
Matthew Miller is an avid mobile device enthusiast who works during the day as a professional naval architect in Seattle. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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