Holiday Gift Guide 2009
Introduction
It´s the middle of November and with the end of the year holidays drawing nearer most of us have already started thinking hard about what to give relatives and friends as presents. We tend to go window shopping, spend hours and hours wandering about, trying to take a pick from hundreds of options and come up with the best and most suitable gift for the special person... just to end up feeling like screaming “Aaaaaargh, why me?”
The truth is that choosing the best present involves some serious thinking and knowledge of several things. First off, you need to know the person well and whether or not they really need what you are to buy and present them with. Taking a proper decision is so much easier when we are aware of these two and their implications. Not to mention the chance of our planned surprise going over like a lead balloon is so much lower.
If you think that a cell phone would be a suitable gift for someone you love, then you’re at the right place. After the latest storm of new phones from Verizon, Sprint, AT&T and T-Mobile, as well as the rise of the Android handsets, choosing a certain model became a pretty difficult task. And that’s the main reason why we made this guide, presenting the most suitable solutions for each carrier so that you can easily find your way through that jungle of phones. No matter if your son texts at a speed of 400 texts an hour, your daughter has a thing for shiny gadgets with magic letters like Gucci, PRADA, D&G etc. on them, you wife happens to be senior corporate executive of a multinational company clinging to a paper diary or your mother-in-law badgers you about something four hours a day – we´ve got a solution for you.
Verizon Wireless
There are more smartphones than ever to choose from, but the Touch Pro2 from HTC is ideal for the Business Professional. It run on Windows Mobile, so it’s able to handle all your email and comes with exchange support. It also features Global Roaming (CDMA/GSM) so it can be used almost anywhere, a large display with TouchFLO 3D user interface, and a full QWERTY keyboard. This device gets the job done.
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Android based phones are on the rise, and the Motorola DROID is one of the newest available. It’s powerful and easy-to-use interface allows you to do almost anything, from using your voice to input navigation searches and place calls, to downloading a myriad of applications. The large 3.7” touch-sensitive display is one of the best we seen, and there is even a sliding QWERTY keyboard and 5MP camera.
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For those individuals looking for a touchscreen phone, but with more basic needs, there’s the LG enV Touch. The external display is easy to use for menu navigation, and opening it up shows a 2nd display with full QWERTY keyboard for easy messaging. Music playback is also a joy, as there are stereo speakers, memory card slot, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
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The LG VX8360 is a basic flip-phone and is ideal for people who need something simple and are on a budget. Both the call quality and reception are good, but it also comes with a 1.3MP camera, stereo speakers for music playback, and VZ Navigator for GPS guided directions.
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Looking for a slim and stylish flip-phone? Then the Nokia Intrigue is for you. Its glossy black exterior and choice of silver or pink keypad give it a fashionable touch. But don’t be fooled by its looks alone, as it offers plenty of features, such as good call quality, 2MP camera, music player and memory card slot.
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AT&T
So far AT&T was gracious enough to get its variant of the HTC Touch Pro2 packed with the latest Windows Mobile 6.5 platform out of the box. This is the ultimate business-oriented smartphone sporting all the connectivity features to stay in constant touch and offering a great QWERTY keyboard for fast input. In addition, users will get all the great Microsoft apps like Office Mobile and a great browser with Opera Mobile.
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So far there's no denying the fun factor that the iPhone 3GS exudes with its focus on everything media. The bump in speed makes the phone fly fast in almost every aspect – at the same time games are taken to a whole new graphical level. At its core, all the music and video functions are intact which will surely keep you entertained for hours.
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You are on the lookout for something that doesn't break the bank? That's where the Nokia Mural comes in to save the day. Its striking glow of colors will definitely make others think twice about your budget-conscious decision. Topping it off is that fashionable design from Nokia which makes it irresistible to classify it as just a basic looking phone.
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Motorola takes a different approach and caters to the messaging crowd with the Karma QA1. This phone packs just about everything you'll need, including a full QWERTY keyboard in its square shaped form factor. This device definitely shows some of Motorola's commitment in attempting to move outside the box with their devices.
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Samsung's TouchWiz interface makes using your handset a joyful experience. This touchscreen handset is light enough to pack some interesting features to make it one great, well-rounded phone. Its snappy performance and 3-inch display will make sure to keep pace with your heart’s content.
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Sprint
The cream of the crop right now, the Hero gives users a modern, easy to use smartphone. It offers endless customization with over 10,000 apps available via the Android Market and many useful custom widgets thanks to HTC’s Sense UI. With microSD expansion the Hero can turn into a 32GB multimedia powerhouse as well.
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Not only are you getting a quite capable QWERTY slider for a penny under $50, but you’re also doing your part to save the world. Two dollars of that goes to The Nature Conservancy's Adopt an Acre® program, and 80% of the Reclaim is made from corn-based bio-plastics. Features aren’t too shabby either, with a 2-megapixel camera, 3.5mm headset jack, 3G and Sprint’s useful One Click UI.
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Novatel MiFi
The perfect gift for someone on the go, this credit card sized device will give them a portable hotspot so they can stay connected. It’s truly as easy as it sounds!
If you’re looking to go cheap, the LX-370 is a very capable 3G phone that won’t cost you anything more than your signature. This slider has a very similar spec sheet to the Lotus and Reclaim, minus the QWERTY keyboard and $50.
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The second webOS device and little brother to the highly acclaimed Pre, the Pixie drops a few features but also the price tag. Sure, the screen is smaller and it doesn’t have Wi-Fi, but the Pixie is incredibly thin and comes in at under $100. webOS offers just as much to the corporate customer as it does the consumer, but is much more fun to use than traditional business devices like BlackBerry and Windows Mobile.
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When we tested it we found it to be our favorite BlackBerry ever, and for very good reason. This globe-trotting business powerhouse offers the corporate user everything they could ever want. Top it off with one of the best keyboards we’ve ever used and you’ve got a sure winner!
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T-Mobile
It may not come with the latest iteration of Microsoft’s platform out of the box, but it sure is a very powerful business-centric smartphone. Equipped with a high-res 3.6-inch screen, outstanding QWERTY keyboard and a 3.2MP camera, the Touch Pro2 packs all the features to get you through your busy day. Moreover, it features HTC’s TouchFLO 3D UI that does a great job at personalizing the operating system.
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With such a gorgeous AMOLED display being overrun with the Android platform, there's no better combination between work and play. Its vivid display will keep your eyes fixed squarely on it for all your media needs. With the Android Market in full swing, we know it'll occupy people with its eclectic mix of applications.
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This candybar phone is your tried and true Nokia form factor we've all come to love. It's nothing over the top, but it does focus mainly on its music capabilities. You won't have to shed big dollars for this one because it'll be affordable on just any budget.
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Don't let its bulky frame steer you away from its true capabilities. This clamshell QWERTY device has everything a text messenger would dream about with stellar performance. You can accomplish certain tasks through the external PMOLED screen while opening it up will really show you the beauty of its crisp internal LCD screen.
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If you're looking for something that'll get you by with a good amount bang for the buck, you may want to consider looking into the Samsung Highlight. It sports an adequate sized 3” screen which accommodates a roomy on-screen QWERTY keyboard for your messaging desires. In addition, all the media aspects will surely keep you entertained when need be.
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