Handy

Amy and I are thinking about getting handies in the near future. We're not terribly impressed with the current line-up of phones that are available, but we've found some up-and-coming models that are... well... handy!

Sony Ericsson's T610: Yeah, we know the currently available P800 is the bomb, but what is there for us folks that don't pull down the big Gs to finance a $500 phone? Though not state-side yet, the T610 is a nice upgrade from the current T68i model. Features include a built-in camera, compact size, long battery life, exceptional design, 2mb memory, color screen, polyphonic ring tones, and my favorite, Bluetooth. Bluetooth allows your phone to connect wirelessly with other devices. So it's possible for me to connect it with my mac and use iSync to sync it with my address book. You can also use Bluetooth to connect to a hands-free, wireless headset for the car.

The T610 has all the features we want at a price that we'll likely get for free with a service contract. So why not just get the T610 when it comes out? Current reviews of the phone are iffy. Some say the reception is not any better than its predecessor, which was its major flaw. Another issue is that I'd really like more memory with a camera phone. The Nokia 7650 looks like it will put-out though.

Nokia's 7650: I haven't had a chance to look at reviews of this phone yet, but judging from its website, it has a few one-ups on the T610. the keypad and camera lense are protected, so no more accidental calls to Australia. Also, it has almost twice the memory. I can't really say I'm in love with the design, but it can't get any worse than its ugly brother the 3650.

Until the T610 and 7650 are on the market, however, it's going to be hard to compare the two without doing a taste test. There really is nothing like seeing and holding a phone to let you know whether you want to adopt it.

Does anybody have any suggestions? As far as service providers, we're pretty sure we are going to go with T-mobile. We've heard good things about the service and reception compared to other providers.