The Motorola Razr2 V9x adds welcome improvements to an already excellent phone.

GSM 850/900/1800/1900 (Quadband), Up to 342 min (GSM), Up to 205 min (WCDMA), With digital camera, 0.3 lbs

If you can afford it, the Wilson Electronics SignalBoost Mobile Professional Amplifier is an ideal way to improve your cell phone reception.

Its design could use a few tweaks, but the Samsung Sway SCH-U650 offers satisfying performance and a functional feature set.

CDMA2000 1X 1900/800, Up to 270 min, With digital camera / digital player, 3.6 oz

The Samsung SCH-U430 isn't terribly exciting and its camera is disappointing, but it's a decent phone for making calls.

CDMA2000 1X 1900/800, Up to 300 min, With digital camera, 3.2 oz

The Pantech C610 is a slim and speedy flip phone with plenty of features, but it does suffer from a few design pitfalls.

WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM 900/1800/1900, Up to 180 min, With digital camera / digital player, 3.4 oz

Though the Velocity 103 offers a lot in the features department, the Windows Mobile smartphone is going to have a tough time competing in the space because of its unintuitive interface, performance issues, and high price tag.

GSM 850/900/1800/1900 / UMTS 850/1900/2100, Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, Up to 240 min, 128 MB

The Samsung HKT450 is a good portable Bluetooth speakerphone with a few extra features lacking in most other speakerphones.

The Samsung Rugby SGH-A837's could use a few improvements, but it remains a solid choice for a rugged, straight-forward phone with a loaded feature set.

WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM 850/900/1800/1900, Up to 300 min, With digital camera / digital player, 4.7 oz

The Samsung Rugby SGH-A837's could use a few improvements, but it remains a solid choice for a rugged, straight-forward phone with a loaded feature set.

WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM 850/900/1800/1900, Up to 300 min, With digital camera / digital player, 4.7 oz

The Samsung Rugby SGH-A837's could use a few improvements, but it remains a solid choice for a rugged, straight-forward phone with a loaded feature set.

WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM 850/900/1800/1900, Up to 300 min, With digital camera / digital player, 4.7 oz

While there are some design quirks, and we're still waiting for a U.S. release, the Samsung Omnia promises to be a solid alternative to the Apple iPhone.

Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional

If you're looking for a reliable, easy-to-use handset that's built like a tank, the Motorola i365 fits the bill.

IDEN 800/900 (Dual Band), Up to 300 min, With two-way radio, 6.7 oz

The Kyocera Tempo is a simple music phone for U.S. Cellular customers, but beware of its design flaws.

CDMA2000 1X 1900/800, Up to 210 min, With digital camera / digital player, 3.5 oz

The Parrot Minikit Slim makes it very easy to make and receive calls without taking your eyes off the road to look at your phone, but a poorly executed visor clip makes this otherwise excellent speakerphone feel cheaper than it is.

It's not a video handset, but the Motorola V950 is a great rugged cell phone for making calls.

CDMA2000 1X 1900/800, Up to 245 min, With digital camera / digital player, 4.2 oz

The Virgin Mobile Shuttle is fast, sleek, and affordable, making it one of the most attractive handsets for Virgin Mobile customers.

CDMA 850/1900, Up to 237 min, With digital camera / digital player, 3.4 oz

The SPH-M220 isn't for the danger-prone, but it offers acceptable call quality in an easy-to-use design.

CDMA2000 1X 1900/800, Up to 210 min, 3.1 oz

The Motorola Q Global brings an updated look and the latest Windows Mobile operating system to the messaging-centric smartphone.

GSM 850/900/1800/1900 / UMTS 850/1900, Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, Up to 540 min, 96 MB

The Samsung SPH-M320 has a decent camera and nice design, but its call quality could be just a bit better.

CDMA2000 1X 1900/800, Up to 264 min, With digital camera, 2.7 oz

The HTC Touch Diamond for Sprint brings some nice additions and improvements over the unlocked GSM version--most notably to performance. It's best suited for first-time smartphone buyers or light users, while business customers should wait for the Touch Pro.

Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1, Up to 252 min

While lacking some advanced capabilities of the Sprint and Verizon Wireless versions, the RIM BlackBerry Curve 8330 for U.S. Cellular is still a good choice for customers in need of a solid messaging smartphone.

CDMA2000 1X 800/1900, BlackBerry Handheld Software, Up to 260 min, 64 MB

The Samsung Knack SCH-U310 is one of the best basic phones on the market. If you need a handset for making calls, you can't go wrong.

CDMA2000 1X 1900/800, Up to 270 min, 3.6 oz

The Samsung SGH-A237 offers a bit of style, but ultimately there's not much to distinguish it from the cell phone crowd.

GSM 850/900/1800/1900 (Quadband), Up to 300 min, With digital camera, 2.9 oz

The Samsung SGH-A237 offers a bit of style, but ultimately there's not much to distinguish it from the cell phone crowd.

GSM 850/900/1800/1900 (Quadband), Up to 300 min, With digital camera, 2.9 oz

The Cellular Abroad National Geographic phone offers worldwide calling at affordable roaming rates, but you're stuck with high rental prices and an uninspiring and rather old handset.

GSM 850/900/1800/1900 (Quadband), Up to 30 min, 3.3 oz