Despite all the iPhone 3G, the Samsung Blackjack II got the top rating in Consumer Reports’ 2009 issue which, among other features, looks back at the best smartphones of 2008.
The media-darling iPhone and the equally hype-laden T-Mobile G1 (the HTC Google Android smartphone) didn’t even make the Top 5, instead tying with one another for 6th.
The remaining Top 5 behind the Samsung Blackjack II were:
2. T-Mobile Wing
1. Motorola Q9C
2. T-Mobile Shadow
3. BlackBerry Pearl Flip
There is, however, a HUGE caveat to this list, albeit not one that affects the iPhone’s status any (or the HTC G-1’s for that matter), that being that the following contenders were released too late in the year to be considered in the running:
• BlackBery Bold
• BlackBerry Storm
• HTC Touch Pro and all its variants
Surely, that would have made a big difference to the results.
Starting off the new year with a new ring tone, Consumer Reports Magazine printed as its January 2008 cover story, an in-depth review of the very best (and not so great) smart phones on the market today.
Cited in the report are some of the most promising innovations currently available in cell phone technology, including:
more keyboards - and most especially QWERTY keyboards that allow for the easiest in text messaging (currently the 2nd most common use of cell phones after voice phone calls)
dual-connection phones - able to operate on both a telephone and a Wi-Fi network;
more music features -MP3 players are now expected to be a staple of almost of all cell phones on the market, though only the best allow for functions like stereo sound and digital downloads via Wi-Fi
and better cameras - again, nearly every cell phone nowadays is expected to have at least a 1 megapixel camera built in, but only the best go as high as 5 megapixels and include advanced features like zoom, auto-focus, brightness controls, and high-grade lenses
Exactly a year ago, it was a big surprise to many smart phone users and technology aficcionnados that the RIM Blackberry only rated 7th in that particular Consumer Reports study. And at the time, the Apple iPhone hadn't even come out yet. So now that the Apple iPhone is on the market, how has the Blackberry fared in this year's report?
Alas Research in Motion is still taking a backseat to newer and more popular technology as the Consumer Reports reviewers and editors rated the iPhone superior to all competitors, including the BlackBerry Curve and BlackBerry Pearl, due in large part to the iPhones innovative interface and long talk time (8.25 hours). Check out this iPhone vs. Blackberry review to find out how these 2 smart phones stack up against each other.
Check out the cover story in the Consumer Reports, January 2008 issue and read about the latest and most exciting innovations in cell phone technology, as evidenced in products like the iPhone, BlackBerry, HTC Touch, T-Mobile Wing, Palm Centro, and LG Voyager.
