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Top 5 slim PDA-phones

By John Chan

Most of the time, when we say a handheld is "slim", we actually only mean that it's merely "not horribly fat." Let's face it, with so many features packed into PDA-phones these days, it's not easy to get them looking like a Motorola Razr or Samsung Ultra Edition mobile phone. But that's not to say manufacturers aren't trying. You may not be able to find one under 10mm, but there are a few that won't create too much of a bulge in your pocket.

Click here for a feature comparison table.

1.  HTC Touch Diamond
 
CNET Asia rating: 8.2 out of 10
The good: Opera browser; YouTube application; TouchFLO 3D interface; sharp VGA display; compact and attractive design; 4GB internal storage.
The bad: No microSD card slot; poor battery life; no dedicated audio mini-jack; occasional slowdowns in interface.
The bottom line: The Diamond brings much innovation to the Windows Mobile platform and is a great handheld for both business and entertainment.

Dimensions: 102 x 51 x 11.3mm

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2.  HTC Touch HD
 
CNET Asia rating: 8.3 out of 10
The good: Huge 3.8-inch WVGA display; 3.5mm audio jack; improvements made to TouchFLO 3D; 5-megapixel camera; nice design.
The bad: Lacks a directional pad; short battery life; no LED for camera; orientation sensor doesn't work in some applications.
The bottom line: While it probably won't strike a chord with the average iPhone user, the Touch HD is a great effort from HTC, demonstrating that it can still put more into its already formidable range of high-end handsets.

Dimensions: 115 x 62.8 x 12mm

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3.  Samsung Omnia SGH-i900 (8GB)
 
CNET Asia rating: 8 out of 10
The good: Full range of wireless features; haptic feedback; improved text input methods; navigation software included; attractive design; excellent battery life; Opera 9.5 browser included.
The bad: Some apps may not work properly; finger scrolling not consistently implemented; use of microSD slot requires battery removal; no stylus slot.
The bottom line: The Omnia is a good alternative to the HTC Touch Diamond with a competitive price and a truckload of features, though Samsung does need to work on the interface to improve its consistency and usefulness.

Dimensions: 112 x 56.9 x 12.5mm

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4.  LG KS20
 
CNET Asia rating: 7.7 out of 10
The good: Excellent battery life; attractive price; pretty design; FM radio; adapter for 3.5mm headphones.
The bad: No GPS; proprietary connector; lackluster software bundle; no text input application for one-handed use.
The bottom line: For a first attempt, LG has gotten it mostly right with this model, thanks to its good looks and extremely competitive price.

Dimensions: 99.8 x 58 x 12.8mm

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5.  Samsung SGH-i780
 
CNET Asia rating: 8 out of 10
The good: Attractive price; good QWERTY keyboard; convenient shortcuts; slim design; extra battery included.
The bad: Square screen may not work well with third-party programs; optical joystick not as fast as regular directional pad; bundled GPS app not optimized.
The bottom line: Though not perfect, the i780 is an excellent choice for those who want the most features in a sub-S$1,000 PDA-phone.

Dimensions: 115.9 x 61.3 x 12.9mm

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Tags: Opera Software, HTC Touch, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., High Tech Computer Corp., LG Electronics Inc.

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