Top 10 phones of May

Earlier this month, we merged our Handhelds and Mobile Phones channels. So what you see now in our May Top 10 chart is a combined listing of both smartphones (previously known as PDA-phones) and regular handsets. Smartphones dominated last month (and the trend looks likely to continue) with the Nokia E71, 5800 XpressMusic and HTC Touch Diamond2 in the first three spots. The only two non-smartphones in the list are the LG Arena and Sony Ericsson W595 Walkman.

Competition is likely to heat up in the next two months when the new devices, which were announced at the recently concluded CommunicAsia tradeshow, hit retail stores. Will the affordably priced Samsung Jet get a spot in July's Top 10 phone listing or will the upcoming E72 take the crown from the incumbent E71? We'll find out soon.

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	1.	Nokia E71          CNET Asia rating: 8.7 out of 10 The good: Slim and stylish design; solid build quality; full range of wireless features; works right out of the box; snappy performance; excellent battery life. The bad: Counter-intuitive camera autofocus; media browser could do with a little upgrade; Easy Dial feature not available. The bottom line: The Nokia E71 is easily one of the best QWERTY smart phones that combine strong features as well as a good balance between business and entertainment, at a competitive price. Review | See full specs | Rate this
	2.	Nokia 5800 XpressMusic   CNET Asia rating: 8.1 out of 10 The good: Good set of connectivity features; unlimited music download with Comes With Music; hard-to-match price for features. The bad: Inconsistent user interface; not many apps optimized for the screen resolution and touch UI. The bottom line: Nokia's first outing with the S60 5th Edition platform and unlimited music download service proves to be very compelling. It just needs to address the inconsistencies in the user interface. Review | See full specs | Rate this
	3.	HTC Touch Diamond2       CNET Asia rating: 8 out of 10 The good: Sharp 3.2-inch WVGA display; enhanced TouchFlo 3D interface, fast Internet browser; text input comes with haptic feedback; stylish design. The bad: No 3.5mm audio jack; relatively expensive; no bundled turn-by-turn GPS software. The bottom line: HTC has dug deep into Microsoft's underlying OS interface and made tweaks that allow for a great user experience on the Diamond2. Review | See full specs | Rate this
	4.	BlackBerry Bold       CNET Asia rating: 8.8 out of 10 The good: HSDPA; Wi-Fi; GPS; QWERTY keypad; bright screen. The bad: Camera could be better. The bottom line: Unlike Palm, RIM has built up an impressive product portfolio that is made even better by the addition of the Bold. Aside from offering a plethora of features, the Bold's screen is one of the best we've ever seen. Review | See full specs | Rate this
	5.	Nokia E63   CNET Asia rating: 7.9 out of 10 The good: QWERTY keypad; Wi-Fi. The bad: Lack of HSDPA and GPS. The bottom line: The Nokia E63 is a good phone that delivers a competent texting and email experience, but its E71 predecessor is better, offering more features and greater finesse. If you want a smartphone that stands out from the crowd, however, the colorful E63 is worth checking out. Review | See full specs | Rate this