It's a Phone, It's a PDA, It's a Camera Bella Vista AR

Posted by : David Pellot

Since the early 1990s, manufacturers have been promising a device that combines the convenience of a mobile phone with the versatility of a personal digital assistant (PDA). After several false starts, developers have created useful gizmos that converge these functions. Depending on your needs and price range, chances are there's a gadget that could help you reduce the number of items hanging from your belt. The following three devices constitute what we believe best demonstrate the union between phones and PDAs.

When we chose review subjects, we used our own experiences with past failed attempts as a guide. All three are equipped with built-in keyboards because e-mail requires a quick and accurate text-input system. We chose devices with rechargeable lithium-ion batteries because battery life and charge reliability are key concerns when voice and data are involved. Beyond these two requirements, we let the products speak for themselves. Each manufacturer took its own approach to the problem, balancing the price/performance scale differently.

The single most important aspect of choice may not be in the price/performance balance, but rather in the networks that support the device. Each manufacturer has partnered with different service providers such as T-Mobile and Sprint. Keep in mind when shopping for one of these devices that network performance can vary between service providers. Choosing the right provider may be the difference...

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