Verizon SMT5800 Cell Phone Review - Value & Comparisons
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Mark Brezinski Published on March 17, 2008 Comment on this |
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Value (4.0)
After a $100 online rebate and a mail-in $50 rebate, this phone will cost $200. Normally this would be a good price for the phone, but given its horrendous battery scores, we simply can't say it's a value at this price. It isn't really a bad deal, per se, but the lack of adequate battery life definitely cripples the usefulness of the device. If battery life doesn't matter to you, then the SMT5800 is definitely a phone to consider. If it is, we'd recommend you shop around a bit, or at least bear this in mind when you head to the checkout counter.
Comparisons
AT&T Tilt - The Tilt is one of the better examples of a great Windows Mobile phone. It runs Windows Mobile Professional, has a touch screen, a QWERTY, built-in GPS, and costs a competitive $300. By contrast, the SMT5800 runs Windows Mobile Standard, which isn't nearly as good, has a larger-than-average screen but is still smaller than the Tilt's, and doesn't come with additional features like GPS. If it weren't for the battery life, however, we'd say the SMT5800's scaled down features and price were proportional to the Tilt's. Since we don't live in a battery-live vaccuum, however, we'd recommend investing the extra $100 and getting a solid, well-rounded device.
Pantech Duo - We're pretty torn on this comparison. In terms of software, the SMT5800 and the Duo are on the same keil. The two main differences are in the areas of design and battery life. The Pantech Duo is simply not a well-made phone. It both looks and feels like cheap plastic. In addition, it's dual-sliding design is a bit gimmicky, making the device seem less professional. Conversely, there would be very few business users who would turn the SMT5800 away. The phone is solidly built and has a good keyboard. Obviously, however, the battery life is a major shortcoming. We therefore recommend the Duo at this price point, because we tend to value battery life over a good design. If you happen to be less utilitarian, or you don't mind the stunted battery life, then the SMT5800 is the choice to make.
Nokia N82 - The N82 suffers from the same disadvantage as all Nokia phones: an an unlocked phone, there aren't any carrier subsidies to bring their price down to what we Americans are used to seeing. The N82, therefore, will run about $350 more than the SMT5800. For the extra cost, you get a huge bump in functionality, especially in terms of multimedia capabilities. Really, this matchup comes down to what you're looking for. If all you want is a nice-looking business device, get the SMT5800. If you want a phone that can do that plus extra and has the added benefit of being unlocked, the N82 wins hands-down.
Motorola Q 9m - The Motorola Q 9m only costs about $100 once you make good on its rebates. While the Q 9m certainly has its flaws, at this price point they're ignorable. Yes, the phone is a bit less attractive, and runs slower overall. If you get past the sporatic responsiveness issues, the Q9m will provide much the same functionality as the SMT5800. Even if aesthetics and responsiveness are dealbreakers for you, we'd still recommend you at least check out the Q 9m.
Palm Centro - The Palm Centro was one of the first good entry-level smartphone to arrive at the $100 price point. It provides similar -- in some cases better -- functionality than the SMT5800, and is half the price. Unless you absolutely loathe the Palm's look, the Centro makes this one easily.
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