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10 most popular Asian phones
By CNET staff
(Updated July 18, 2008)
Courtesy of our sister site, CNET Asia, here in order are May's 10 most popular cell phones in the stores now. (Editor's note: Results are based on reader and telephone polls conducted with various retailers in Singapore.)
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1.
Nokia 6500 slide
The good: Solid build quality and one of the best slider phones available; Carl Zeiss optics for the 3.2-megapixel autofocus camera; quad-band GSM with dual-band UMTS; stereo Bluetooth. The bad: Autofocus doesn't work in video mode; no backlight adjustment; phone doesn't auto keylock after closing the slider. The bottom line: The Nokia 6500 slider is an excellent basic camera phone based on the S40 platform, however, some tiny issues prevented it from getting a higher score. Read review | See full specs |
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2.
Sony Ericsson W910i Walkman
The good: Slim design; built-in motion sensor; large 2.4-inch LCD; HSDPA connectivity. The bad: Walkman button too small; poor location of connector port; no onboard 3.5mm audio jack; subpar camera. The bottom line: The W910i is great for those looking to purchase a trendy music phone with a little bit of fun, and full of features, however, it's a little pricey. Read review | See full specs |
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3.
Samsung Soul
The good: The Samsung Soul offers an attractive, well-constructed design and an intuitive navigation touch pad. Its respectable feature set includes a high-quality camera. The bad: The Samsung Soul lacks important features such as voice dialing and GPS. Its call quality wasn't completely reliable. The bottom line: You won't mistake it for a smartphone, but the Samsung Soul is nonetheless an attractive and well-designed multimedia phone. Read review | Check prices | See full specs |
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4.
Sony Ericsson W890i Walkman
The good: Chic and slim design; brushed metal finish; improved usability; bundled with 2GB Memory Stick Micro M2; 3.5mm adapter accessory; HSDPA; stereo Bluetooth. The bad: Proprietary connector port on the left edge; M2 card slot behind battery cover; mediocre camera features. The bottom line: Design is clearly the focus on the W890i and it's where this Walkman truly shines. At the same time, we can't deny that the W890i is also a solid handset. If you can live with its mediocre camera, this Walkman phone is a keeper. Read review | See full specs |
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5.
Nokia E51
The good: Slim, solid design; stainless steel construction; multiple dedicated buttons and shortcut keys; excellent tactility; HSDPA, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth stereo A2DP; generous 130MB of onboard memory; snappy performance. The bad: Rose Steel version attracts fingerprints easily; preinstalled Quickoffice is read-only version; no front-facing camera for video calls; average image quality. The bottom line: Simple is good, and that's what the E51 is. It may not have a fancy design, but the E51 excels in nearly all other aspects with a truckload of connectivity features, good performance, and attractive price point for an enterprise phone. Read review | See full specs |
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6.
Nokia N82
The good: The Nokia N82 features a 5-megapixel camera that produces high-quality photos and videos. The Symbian smartphone also has integrated Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, and good call quality. The bad: The N82's hardware feels a bit cheap, and the dialpad and navigation controls are cramped and difficult to use. It also doesn't support U.S. 3G bands and it's pricey. The bottom line: The Nokia N82 has some annoying design flaws and lacks 3G support, but our lasting impression of the N82 is of a powerful multimedia smartphone with an excellent imaging capabilities and solid performance. Read review | Check prices |
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7.
LG Viewty KU990
The good: Touch-screen interface; 5-megapixel camera; HSDPA (3.5G); capability to upload videos directly to YouTube. The bad: Lack of cover for the camera; lack of Wi-Fi; camera mode switch is a little tough to move. The bottom line: This is one of LG's best phones yet. If you're looking for a good camera phone, the LG Viewty is definitely worth checking out. From the vibrating touch-screen interface to the YouTube video capabilities and photo-editing application, we liked what it has to offer and think you will, too. Read review | See full specs |
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8.
Nokia N95 (8GB)
The good: The Nokia N95 (8GB) features 8GB of internal memory and has a spacious 2.8-inch display and 3G support. The smartphone also includes Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, a 5-megapixel camera, and robust multimedia capabilities. The bad: The 8GB N95 can be sluggish at times, and call quality could have been better. There's no expansion slot, and it's very expensive. The bottom line: Offering ample memory, a larger screen, and 3G support, the 8GB Nokia N95 is sure to please those looking for the ultimate in multimedia/cell phone convergence, but you'll pay for the features, and there are some performance issues. Read review | Check prices |
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9.
Nokia 3120 classic
Phone type: Quad-band Networks: GSM 850, GSM 900, GSM 1800, GSM 1900 Connectivity options: 3G, Bluetooth, USB Weight w/battery: 85 grams Max. talk time (in hours): 3.3 hours Max. standby time (in hours): 300 hours See full specs |
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10.
Nokia 6300
The good: Slim design; sharp color screen; easy-to-use keypad; slick-looking user interface that keeps it simple. The bad: No auto-focus or flash on the camera; lack of 3G connectivity. The bottom line: While this isn't the most advanced handset out there, it has a strong casing, a decent all-round feature set and an elegant, straightforward design. This is Nokia at its best. Read review | See full specs |
