Dialed In: Three Smart Phones, Three Different Reasons

PDA phones are getting better and noticeably faster at what they do. I discovered this when I tested three new devices: the Palm Treo 700p, the T-Mobile Sidekick 3, and the Motorola Q. Unlike older smart phones, these PDA phones are more efficient in managing e-mail, have better-designed keyboards and controls, and--in my experience at least--usually provided better reception and call volume.

But these devices differ significantly in their performance and handling, and each has its own specialties and weaknesses that enable it to appeal to particular needs, lifestyles, and budgets. Which one is right for you?

Though it's a pricey investment at $500 (with a two-year contract from Verizon Wireless; it's also available from Sprint), the Treo 700p works wonderfully for office duties. Working with the included Documents to Go software, I easily viewed and created Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and PDF files. Using these apps and navigating menus are much easier on the Palm Treo 700p than on the Windows Mobile-based Treo 700w. The Palm operating system streamlines the interface so you don't have to click multiple times to get results. The 700p's touch screen and keyboard contribute to the simplicity of opening apps and navigating pages.

The Treo also works well as a phone. My conversations sounded okay on both ends using either the handset or the speakerphone, though the speaker's sound was too high-pitched for my taste. (Luckily, I seldom need to use the speakerphone.) I do check my e-mail often, however, so I appreciate that Verizon's 700p (the version I tested) can wirelessly sync with my e-mail and calendar on my PC at the office or on the one at home--as long as the computer is turned on.

Because the Treo makes it easy for me to stay in touch, I don't need to tote my laptop everywhere. But if I do take it with me, I can use the 700p as a modem to get a Web connection, connecting the notebook via a cable or Bluetooth. To get this dial-up networking feature, you must subscribe to Verizon's BroadbandAccess Connect, for a $15 monthly fee ($30 if you don't subscribe to a voice plan). Verizon and Sprint offer EvDO, so users can expect broadband-like data connections.

Unfortunately, of the three devices I looked at, the Treo 700p is easily the most expensive--and that's before you factor in the service plan. The voice plan starts at $80 a month, and to that you have to add $15 a month if you want BroadbandAccess Connect; plus there's a $35 activation fee. If this price structure fits in your budget and you need an office workhorse, the 700p is your top choice. For more on the 700p, read Senior Associate Editor Melissa Perenson's review.

I've been a Sidekick fan since the first version appeared: I've always liked the way the device responds to key controls and the comfortable feel of its keyboard. The new T-Mobile Sidekick 3 is no different--and it improves on its predecessors with a few hardware tweaks. The Sidekick 3 is slimmer--but wider--and provides you with an amazingly fast trackball for scrolling through options and menus.

The unit's horizontal design and adequately spaced keyboard keys make typing messages quick and comfortable. The numeric keys on the top row are particularly handy because you don't have to press the shift key to enter numbers in text files. (With the Treo and the Q, you can enter numbers only by using the dial pad designed for phone calls--a method that the Sidekick supports as well.)

The Sidekick 3 adds a music player and updates to software from previous generations. It uses T-Mobile's EDGE network to sync e-mail, address book, calendar, and other PIM functions over the air. Web browsing behaves similarly to dial-up, though I lost my connection once in the San Francisco Bay Area. As a phone, the Sidekick 3 remains a bit awkward to use. Like the earlier Sidekicks, this one requires you to flip up the screen before you can dial numbers. The phone is quite bulky, too, so holding it against your ear for an extended period is not ideal. My phone calls sounded fine, but on a few occasions the speaker's output wasn't crisp enough.

The Sidekick's $300 price tag (with a two-year T-Mobile contract) may be a bit high for a smart phone that I would use mainly for IM and e-mail. But if those are your areas of concentration, this is your best bet. On top of the cost of the hardware, you'll have to add the $20-per-month data plan, at least $30 per month for voice, and the $35 activation fee, so factor those numbers in. For more on the Sidekick 3, read Yardena Arar's review.

The Q has a lovely profile. It's thin and sleek and comes with a noticeably bright screen. The good looks extend to its photo quality: The 1.3-megapixel camera took bright, colorful photos--better than the pictures I took with the Treo or the Sidekick. The Q also has an advantage on indoor shots, thanks to its integrated flash, which helps illuminate subjects in close proximity.

The device does suffer from an inelegant operating system. It uses Microsoft's Windows Mobile operating system, which required more clicks to accomplish the same task than did the Treo's Palm OS. For example, to launch the Send option after taking a picture, the Q requires four clicks, while the Treo takes only two.

The Q also lacks buttons that would make navigating the device and entering data easier. A BlackBerry-like scroll wheel on the right side panel functions as its main navigation aid; after a day of tooling around with the device, I got comfortable with it. The five-way navigation button in the center helped, too.

If style is key and you don't mind extra clicks or scrolling around in the menus, the Q ain't a bad choice. And its reasonable price sweetens the deal even more. At $300 with a two-year Verizon contract (an additional $100 online discount was available as we posted this story), it's reasonably priced for an EvDO smart phone. Add $80 for the monthly voice service, $15 for BroadbandAccess Connect, and a $35 activation fee. For more on the Q, read Melissa Perenson's blog.

Comments or questions? Drop Grace Aquino a line.