10 best stylish and lightweight phones

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Verizon Wireless sells a music-ready Motorola V9m for $450; who said shopping for stylish and lightweight phones was easy?

Finally, we can kiss goodbye to stylish and lightweight phones coming with 2 hours of talk time, VGA cameras and poor displays. With the introduction of multimedia smartphones such as Apple's iPhone and Nokia's U.S. HSDPA networking N95, the category of high-end multimedia phones needs to find a new niche. Stylish and lightweight phones; that seems like a nice fit.

Typically coming with 4 hours of talk time, 2-megapixel cameras and excellent displays, new phones such as the Motorola V9m, LG VX8550 and Samsung SGH-A727 will give a new meaning to trivial communication. Beware of their shiny new "multimedia stickers" though, as the only way to reach true multimedia nirvana requires walking down the "multimedia smartphones and data plans" path.

The price levels of the new breed of stylish and lightweight phones vary a lot, but if you find a deal between $50 and $150 plus calling plan; it's a good deal. Some of these phones (V9m, especially) are also fairly new, so it may be worth waiting a few months until they get a serious price drop before you go shopping. Also, we don't recommend signing up for an expensive data plan with these phones, so multimedia use should be limited to USB transfers (if, you're lucky to find the proprietary cable needed) of music and some light mobile Internet browsing.

At the top of our chart we find Sprint's new Motorola V9m; a phone we had initially hoped would be a multimedia powerhouse. However, it mainly impressed with good looks, great calling and messaging performance, as well as great battery life and two QVGA displays (external and internal). Its web browser also loads even the most complicated web pages, and keeps them looking clean. Surprisingly, Sprint also includes a 256Mb microSD card, which isn't large nowadays, but large enough for us to recognize that the carrier is finally on the move here.

In second place, T-Mobile's Motorola Z3 hangs in there with its included 128MB memory card. This phone also impresses with both great calling and messaging features as well as good battery life. And with a price tag of $50, the choice may be easy.

Verizon Wireless has managed to place its own version of the V9m on third place, due to some great specifications provided by the phone itself. As expected, VZW has skipped including a memory card altogether, hoping that you'll shell out an extra $200 for a 4GB microSD card and a pair of Motorola S9 headphones. Given the iPhone now costs $400, we don't see how a music-ready V9m can be worth $450.

In fourth place, another VZW phone appears in the LG VX8550. As an unlocked phone, we're pretty sure the VX8550 could have snagged a top spot on our music phone chart, but after a good session with Verizon Wireless' technical team, there's just something that doesn't feel right about this phone.

A seriously old phone, the Motorola RAZR V3t, holds the fifth place on our chart. It comes with a 128MB card and offers great messaging and calling capabilities. If you're a fan of the RAZR design, and need a RAZR-phone right away, you'll get this one for $100 at T-Mobile. Or, you can pay $30 for a RAZR V3m on Sprint. Or, you can pay an extra $220 for a 0.08 inches thinner RAZR2. Hellomoto!

SCOREBOARD 
Name Calling Messaging Multimedia Battery Score Price
V9m Sprint Very good Very good Very good Very good 80% $250
RIZR Z3 Very good Good Very good Very good 75% $50
V9m VZW Very good Good Good Very good 70% $250
VX8550 Good Good Good Good 65% $130
RAZR V3t Very good Good Good Good 65% $100
SGH-A727 Very good Mediocre Good Good 60% $50
SGH-T519 Good Very good Mediocre Very good 55% Free
SPH-M500 Very good Good Mediocre Medicore 50% $50
V3m Sprint Very good Good Mediocre Mediocre 50% $30
6133 Good Very good Mediocre Mediocre 50% $50




Stylish and lightweight phones in all their glory:




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Motorola RAZR2 V9m (Sprint)

Score: 80% When: August 2007 Worth: $250

Sprint sends us our first RAZR2, with a huge external screen and haptic feedback. Does the new RAZR2 top the old, or should you wait for the next round? More...






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Motorola MOTORIZR Z3

Score: 75% When: January 2007 Worth: $50

Motorola's first available slider is a bit long in the tooth, but still packs plenty of features and good-sounding calls. Is it worth snapping open? More...






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Motorola RAZR2 V9m (Verizon Wireless)

Score: 70% When: September 2007 Worth: $250

We open up a new RAZR2 from Verizon Wireless and wonder how it differs from what we've seen. Is this the new RAZR2 to own, or could there possibly be more on the way? More...






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LG VX8550 Chocolate

Score: 65% When: September 2007 Worth: $130

Verizon Wireless unwraps a new flavor of Chocolate, now with a cool scroll wheel and spinning lights. Is the new Chocolate nice and crunchy, or are they simply nuts? More...






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Motorola RAZR V3t

Score: 65% When: October 2006 Worth: $100 - $250

Armed with EDGE support, a 1.2-megapixel camera and a signature look that won't go away, the V3t marks the latest RAZR in T-Mobile's lineup. Did we fall in love again, or is Moto's potion wearing thin? More...






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Samsung SGH-A727

Score: 60% When: June 2007 Worth: $50

The Samsung SGH-A727 has a tiny screen, small keys and poor Web browsing performance. So why would we still recommend it? More...






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Samsung SGH-T519

Score: 54% When: September 2006 Worth: $1

The Samsung Trace is supermodel thin, yet it packs in a 1.3-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, and memory expansion. Philip Berne takes the T519 off the runway for a real-world road test. More...






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Samsung SPH-M500

Score: 50% When: November 2006 Worth: $50

The flip phone looks like the long-lost twin of the Samsung SGH-T619, but it trumps its brother with its 3G capabilities and microSD memory expansion. Jennifer Hooker puts the M500 through its paces. More...






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Motorola RAZR V3m

Score: 50% When: May 2006 Worth: $30 - $120

The latest member of Motorola’s slim-and-trim RAZR family boasts microSD memory expansion, enhanced music capabilities and a 1.3-megapixel camera. Can the V3m slice through the competition? More...






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Nokia 6133

Score: 50% When: October 2006 Worth: $50 - $200

Nokia's mid-range clamshell might not be the thinnest on the block, but it does pack in an MP3 player, Bluetooth, conference calling and a 1.3-megapixel camera. Is it worth the extra girth? More...