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This story was printed from CNET Asia.
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Top 5 handhelds for May

By John Chan
19/06/2008
URL: http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/mobilephones/0,39050603,62042902,00.htm

Things remained pretty much the same for May as in April--well, almost. The products listed here are the same, but the positions have changed. Very likely thanks to its attractive price and news that it will be getting a Windows Mobile 6.1 upgrade, the Samsung SGH-i780 was top dog in this installment of our monthly feature. This makes it the first time we are having a non-HTC device in first position since we started this feature.

The next monthly chart update will be interesting as the Touch Diamond and Samsung Omnia will probably get thrown into the mix as well. In the meantime before our next update, the Korean company should pop some champagne to congratulate itself for the i780.

Note: Results are based on readership as well as data collected from retail outlets (Mobile Square and WhyMobile) and the major mobile operators in Singapore including:


MobileOne

SingTel

StarHub

Last month's rankings


Click here for a feature comparison table.
1.  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.

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2.  HTC Touch Cruise
 
CNET Asia rating: 8 out of 10
The good: Complete range of connectivity options; integrated GPS; good bundle including car kit and GPS map; attractive design; FM radio.
The bad: No dedicated audio connector; no keypad of any kind; no LED for low-light photography.
The bottom line: The combination of HTC's Touch interface and a slew of connectivity options makes the Cruise viable for those who balked at the shortcomings of the Touch and Touch Dual.

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3.  HTC Touch Dual
 
CNET Asia rating: 8 out of 10
The good: HSDPA connectivity; numeric keypad for one-hand texting, excellent tweaks to the UI through TouchFLO; slim and attractive design; intuitive modified Home screen; snappy performance.
The bad: No Wi-Fi; no GPS; keypad lacks an OK key; no dedicated audio connector.
The bottom line: If the lack of Wi-Fi is not a big issue for you, the Touch Dual, with its great design and improved UI, is an excellent choice for both newcomers and experienced Windows Mobile users.

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4.  HTC Touch (2nd generation)
 
CNET Asia rating: 7 out of 10
The good: Very compact design; Windows Mobile 6 Professional; TouchFLO interface; attractive modified Home screen; 128MB RAM makes interface snappy.
The bad: Lacks 3G; poor SIM card and microSD slot design.
The bottom line: With more color choices and much better performance due to the increased RAM, the enhanced Touch is what the original should have been to begin with.

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5.  HTC TyTN II    
 
CNET Asia rating: 7.9 out of 10
The good: A host of data connectivity options including HSDPA; GPS with bundled maps; good battery life; 3-megapixel autofocus camera.
The bad: Heavy and bulky; still QVGA display; no camera light; no audio mini-jack.
The bottom line: It may not be a quantum leap compared with the 838 Pro, but the TyTN II maintains what power users loved in the previous iteration--with a few extras.

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