Wirelessinfo.com Selects 2008

The holiday shopping season is almost upon us and if you're searching for the perfect cell phone for someone special on your gift list, Wirelessinfo.com's got you covered!

2008 has been an exciting year for cell phones, with the second generation of the iPhone making its appearance, an entirely new smartphone operating system coming from Google, and carriers offering more touchscreen phones than you can shake a stick at. So, what's the cream of the crop from the cell phone cornucopia? Not everyone looks for the same thing in a cell phone - business users have very different needs compared to those who are looking for entertainment on the go, for example. We've completed detailed, hands-on reviews complete with scientific testing of numerous cell phones throughout this year and have picked out the top phones in categories to suit the different users out there. Read on for our picks and have fun shopping!

iPhone 3G –Review, Specs, $199

Phone of the Year: Apple iPhone 3G

The iPhone 3G is the second iteration of what was already a game-changing device, now bringing 3G and GPS to the table. The 2.0 firmware that arrived with the iPhone 3G also brought 3rd-party applications, of which there are now thousands, and Exchange Server syncing for business users. The iPhone 3G has the cleanest and most intuitive UI we've seen and it's a phenomenal device for listening to music and watching video. Add to that very good email and SMS capability and better-than-expected battery life for a 3G phone, and you have our Phone of the Year. Read our full review of the iPhone 3G here.

Nokia E71 – Review, Specs, $400

Runner up: Nokia E71

The runner up in this category is the Nokia E71. The E71 is a business user's dream with phenomenal messaging and organizer abilities.  Its 3.2-megapixel auto-focus camera took excellent still images and and video, and it's also a very good for music and video playback. The Symbian operating system it runs is highly-extensible, with no dearth of applications to do anything your little heart desires. Sold unlocked, it offers the greatest carrier flexibility for the globe-trotter, though at a higher cost for the phone itself as a result. Combine all of this with GPS and tethered modem capability, and you have a well-rounded device that would please even the most picky smartphone aficionado. Read our full review of the Nokia E71 here.

Nokia E71 – Review, Specs, $400

Best Business Phone: Nokia E71

The key things that business users need out of a phone are excellent messaging capabilities to stay on top of email, complete organizer capabilities to keep appointments, tasks, and notes in order, and good call quality with a battery that can last all day, and the Nokia E71 fits the bill perfectly in these respects. Its full QWERTY keyboard only enhances its abilities here as well. While a good camera and media playback features aren't usually on the list for business users, the E71 manages these quite well also, making it equally capable for business users off the clock and in need of entertainment. Read our full review of the Nokia E71 here.

Runner Up: Nokia E66 – Review, Specs, $400

Runner up: Nokia E66

Nokia really did smartphones well this year, as you can tell by the fact that they own this category. Like the E71, the E66 has superb messaging capabilities, and even packs in multimedia abilities beyond what the average business user will need. Also running the Symbian operating system, there's virtually no limit to what the E66 can do. It places behind the E71 here primarily because it lacks a full physical QWERTY keyboard, relying on a standard numeric keyboard to enter text instead that could slow down email response times a bit. Read our full review of the Nokia E66 here.

We should note that there appear to be other worthy contenders for the Best Business Phone title - some that are currently available, like the Treo Pro and Blackberry Bold, and others that are soon to be released, like the Blackberry Storm and Sony Ericsson Xperia X1. Unfortunately, we have not reviewed these devices yet and could not consider them in our Select Awards to help you with your holiday shopping this year.

iPhone 3G – Review, Specs, $199

Best Media Phone: iPhone 3G

Entertainment on the go is becoming a key element in cell phone offerings, with many devices now doing double duty as digital music players as well as phones. Not all of them do it well, however, with poor battery life, unintuitive software, and tiny screens not suitable for pleasant video viewing. But the iPhone 3G escapes these pitfalls with it's large bright screen, marvelous iPod functionality, and decent battery life. The iPhone 3G is your best bet for consuming media while mobile. Read our full review of the iPhone 3G here.

Runner Up: LG Chocolate 3 – Review, Specs, $129

Runner up: LG Chocolate 3

The runner up in this category is the LG Chocolate 3. As a music-oriented phone, the Chocolate 3 has good music playback software and great external music controls that make it possible to adjust playback quickly and easily. And with a battery that can keep your tunes playing for hours upon hours, the Chocolate 3 makes for a compelling buy for the music lover. Its relatively small main screen doesn't make video viewing all that fun, pulling the Chocolate 3 into the runner up-spot in this category.  Read our full review of the LG Chocolate 3 here.

Nokia N82 – Review, Specs, $400

Best Camera Phone: Nokia N82

Most cell phones these days come with cameras, and while they aren't intended to replace a dedicated digital camera, they often become the default camera for most since a cell phone is the one device that is almost always on hand. Short of carrying around a dedicated camera all of the time, there are some cell phones that such a great job taking photos and video that they won't make you miss your camera. The Nokia N82 is one of them, with a 5-megapixel sensor and an auto-focus lens that out-performed every other cell phone camera we reviewed this year. With excellent resolution for both still images and video, a Xenon flash, and an easy-to-use camera interface photo album software, the Nokia N82 won't make you miss your digital camera at all, all while performing admirably as a cell phone with great organizer capabilities and good battery life. Read our full review of the Nokia N82 here.

Runner Up: LG Dare – Review, Specs, $199

Runner up: LG Dare

The runner up in this category is the LG Dare. Intended as a direct competitor to the iPhone, the LG Dare came out swinging with a large touchscreen, 3G, and GPS. It didn't knock the iPhone off the top of the hill in our testing, but its 3.2-megapixel camera performed exceptionally well. It has an auto-focus lens, an LED flash, and some metering controls and image handling options not often found on cell phones. The LG Dare is another device that will not make sorry you left your digital camera home. Read our full review of the LG Dare here.

Sony Ericsson Z750a – Review, Specs, $9.99

Best Budget Phone: Sony Ericsson Z750a

Being on a budget doesn't mean you need to compromise on the quality of your cell phone - there are phones out there that perform pretty well and have a low price tag to boot. The Sony Ericsson Z750a is one of these phones, coming in a compact flip format with a 2-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, music player software, and 3G data speeds. It performed solidly in almost every area, with decent battery life. It may not be sexy, but it's thoroughly functional and is priced right at $9.99 from AT&T (it was $49.99 at the time of our review).  Read our full review of the Sony Ericsson Z750a here.

Runner Up: Nokia 5310 – Review, Specs, $49.99

Runner up: Nokia 5310

The runner up in this category is the Nokia 5310. The 5310 is an ultra-compact phone that can do double-duty as your digital music player, and it's got a 2-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, and comes with a full complement accessories out of the box, including stereo headphones and a memory card. It also performed solidly in our testing, with particularly good talk time and music playback battery life. All of this for just $49.99 from T-Mobile is a pretty good deal in our book. Read our full review of the Nokia 5310 here.

T-Mobile G1 – Review, Specs, $179

Most Innovative Phone: T-Mobile G1

Google made a bit of a splash in the cell phone industry last year when they announced they would be creating an open-source smartphone platform, called Android. With well-established operating systems like Windows Mobile, Palm OS, and Symbian out there already, Android has its work cut out for it. The T-Mobile G1 was the first device on the market to use Android, and while not stunning or even particularly attractive in terms of hardware, the G1 has a lot of potential as Android matures and 3rd-party application availability continues to expand. We look forward to seeing Android mature and hope that it will spur innovation in the other existing smartphone platforms and urge manufacturers to develop new hardware to fully take advantage of it as well.  Read our full review of the T-Mobile G1 here.

Runner Up: iPhone 3G – Review, Specs, $199

Runner up: Apple iPhone 3G

The runner up in this category is the iPhone 3G. When the first-generation iPhone was announced, many were surprised it didn't include some features already popular in other high-end smartphones, like 3G and GPS. Apple addressed those missing features with the iPhone 3G, adding two key elements to put the iPhone on par with popular offerings by Nokia, Sony Ericsson, and Blackberry. While the iPhone 3G isn't a complete re-design of the first iPhone, it's still one of the most "total package" cell phones we've seen with its intuitive interface, full-featured iPod functionality, and sleek hardware. The App Store made its debut earlier this year and it's been a phenomeonal success with literally thousands of 3rd-party applications already available - a list that grows each and every day, only increasing the potential and functionality of the iPhone 3G. Given all of this, you have our runner-up for Most Innovative Phone. Read our full review of the iPhone 3G here.