Samsung SPH I500 (Unlocked)

The Samsung SPH I500 is a great all around communication device. I watch as everyone else in my office looks foolish talking into their bulky Blackberrys. When used with Sprint PCS Business Connect service ($5 a month) this phone can automatically synch with your Outlook e-mail and calendar. The only catch is your laptop or desktop computer must be on (or if you have a friend with the same phone and you're sharing connections).

The screen quality is good. I don't use it much for web browsing - though it has that capability. The phone operates off the Palm software platform - so you can also synch it to your Palm desktop.

I did have some trouble setting the phone up- but the tech support was helpful. The phone comes new from Sprint with two batteries- a bulky long term battery that has good life and a slimmer shorter battery. It also has slick little stylus that extends for using the Grafiti system to enter addresses. It has voice capable dialing. Overall a great device - if you want one device that can excel as a good ole cell phone but also do e-mail and calendar. If you do a lot of e-mail a Blackberry is probably still a better option for e-mail.

Also, this phone does not offer text messaging. To send text messages you'll need to download a free application.