Top 10 phones of August

The good:  Stylish new design; full-featured.

The bad:  Software remains a tad slow; significantly pricier than the T610.

The bottom line: The new Sony Ericsson T630, despite the fresh design and new display, really isn't too different from the T610. But given how good the latter was, that's not such a bad thing at all.

The good:  Splash- and shock-resistant design; rich feature set; long battery life.

The bad:  Primitive screen; lackluster polyphony.

The bottom line: Rugged looks coupled with enhanced resistance against the elements make this handset a good companion for the careless and sporty.

The good:  Fashionable design; excellent display and polyphony; good VGA camera with effective Night mode; huge 9MB memory.

The bad:  Lacks triband; quirky user interface; no programmable shortcut keys; lacks Bluetooth.

The bottom line: An exceptional blend of looks, features and performance, the Samsung SGH-E700 is a top bet for anyone after a compact and stylish camera-phone.

The good:  Unique swivel design; sharp TFT; top-grade finish; Bluetooth; MP3 ringtones; sound-activated rhythm lights; landscape imaging.

The bad:  Quirky message engine; no infrared; lacks video recording.

The bottom line: This headturning V80 from Motorola delivers the right blend of looks, style and technology.

The good:  Petite VGA camera-phone; 64-chord polyphony; video recording with audio; excellent battery life.

The bad:  Uninspiring design that resembles previous models; moderately high price tag; lacks speakerphone.

The bottom line: This diminutive E600 is a beautifully designed phone with Samsung's trademark winning formula of a small footprint while packing in good functionality.