Ask Engadget: Best 3G smartphone?

You might've noticed the recent uptick in mobile industry news, which comes courtesy of the annual Mobius conference currently taking place in Amsterdam. It's pretty clear that the future is bright, what with 700MHz, 4G, a new Windows Mobile, Android, and a 3G iPhone all on the way, but what about the here and now? What we're wondering is:

"What's the best 3G smartphone currently available in the States?"

And yes, we mean 3G. You know, that hip cool thing that Apple isn't terribly fond of, which brings high speed internets, effective tethering, streaming video and music downloads on the run -- while supposedly beating battery life to a pulp. We're also talking about what's available in the here and now, but it could very well just be time to wait for the next great thing to come along, so be sure to let us know if that's the case for you. If you'd your own question answered, you can to hit us up at ask at engadget dawt com.

[Joe T @ Nov 30th 2007 7:11PM]

iPho...oh wait...

[Constable Odo @ Nov 30th 2007 9:18PM]

That's right....iPhone 2.0. It isn't ready yet, but it's already the best. It's a given plus it will have Steve Jobs endorsement. iPhone 2.0 FTW.

[kL @ Dec 1st 2007 10:57AM]

Three iPhones!

[kL @ Dec 1st 2007 9:34AM]

Three iPhones!

[webon @ Dec 4th 2007 5:03AM]

DynaTAC for the win!!!
whats 3g tho??

[J T @ Nov 30th 2007 7:15PM]

I'm hoping it's the HTC Touch Cruise, which I'm waiting for it to be released. I've used the AT&T 8525 since it came out, but it's an ok phone. It's fast, but I hate the size.

[dan @ Nov 30th 2007 7:16PM]

at&t Tilt

[jamesf @ Nov 30th 2007 7:16PM]

HTC Hermes and the new upgrade - The Tilt thing.

best phone I've ever had

[Clem @ Nov 30th 2007 7:16PM]

AT&T Tilt (HTC TyTN II)

I likey this one

[xbit @ Nov 30th 2007 7:17PM]

Without a doubt the N95 US.

You've got a 5MP camera, WiFi, HSDPA, a proper 3.5mm headphone socket, support for memory cards up to 32GB, VGA@30fps video recording, A2DP, Outlook/Notes/Mac syncing, WMP/iTunes media syncing, Slingbox, GPS, etc, etc, etc.

The only downside is the price.

[St. Stephen @ Nov 30th 2007 7:18PM]

yeah.. what he said

[Jesse S @ Nov 30th 2007 7:44PM]

And no QWERTY...Which is a killer for emails and whatnot.

[Fernando @ Nov 30th 2007 7:46PM]

second (or third?) the N95-3

[Noc @ Nov 30th 2007 8:14PM]

couldht u hack it to work with bluetooth keyboards though?
that would easily be the best.
dinnt someone suggest that with the iphone and tae apple wireless keyboard too?

[Jah @ Nov 30th 2007 8:20PM]

It works with the Nokia BT keyboard - no need to hack it. The N95 supports all the right BT profiles, unlike some other phones that i could mention

[Tom @ Nov 30th 2007 9:24PM]

i have an n95 but I'm not sure if I'd call it the best. Best of a bad bunch maybe. There really doesn't seem to be any GOOD 3G phones.

[andi @ Nov 30th 2007 10:42PM]

Is there no E90 in the States?.... It's definitely the best... it's got every feature one would wish...

[Jesse S @ Nov 30th 2007 11:21PM]

An addon BT keyboard is so completely different from a built-in one...

If you need a smart/pdaphone for business, you have to have a built-in QWERTY keyboard. You have to.

[Al @ Dec 1st 2007 1:52AM]

@ Jesse S
Its true that business people need a qwerty keyboard. However, some people prefer to touch type on a full keyboard rather than use their thumbs.

What I like best about the N95-3 is that you can upload pictures to flickr or whatever in their full sized 5 megapixel glory. With 3G and an app called Shozu, it can all be done instantly and in the background.

The 2nd best thing is podcasting. You dont need to be tethered to a computer to get your podasts. You can download them where ever you are and delete them when you're done.

[xbit @ Dec 1st 2007 11:46AM]

You're right - there's no QWERTY keyboard. It's certainly a drawback for some. On the upside, the N95 looks like a regular phone so you don't look like a total dork when you're talking into it.

[Eric Korhonen @ Dec 1st 2007 5:14PM]

The new Apple Wireless Keyboeard works beautifully with the N95. This is of course is only useful if you have a brief case or something to carry it in. But it is great to have a really nice keyboard to use if you want to do a lot of email. Great on a plane for example.

[M @ Dec 2nd 2007 6:14PM]

qwerty is not a necessity like many people think it is. I have a flip WM5 smartphone and i can type emails using predictive text just as fast as any qwerty user.

[Namarrgon @ Dec 1st 2007 11:16PM]

N95 is good, but it doesn't have a touchscreen, does it? That opens up so many more software possibilities.

Oh, and Shozu is available for other platforms too. I use a WM-native version on my Hermes.

[Jon @ Nov 30th 2007 7:20PM]

N95 US
HTC Tilt

[tnkgrl @ Nov 30th 2007 7:22PM]

Definitely the Nokia N95-3 (with US HSDPA)!

Perhaps even the HTC TyTN II (AT&T Tilt)...

[mike @ Nov 30th 2007 7:23PM]

No doubts ... the Blackberry 8830. It just works.

[Anthony Jaya @ Nov 30th 2007 9:19PM]

hahaha...you must be kidding to put blackberry on this list. Those things are garbage

[freakmarket @ Dec 1st 2007 6:50AM]

Actually i know a LOT of Blackberry users who love their new Blackberries. The only downside is the Office document software is hella expensive.

Not everyone needs a touch screen.

[spyder91 @ Dec 2nd 2007 6:09PM]

I love my 8100 Pearl, but I also have T-Mobile so I don't understand this "3G" you speak of. I just have to put up with slow unlimited tethering/data/e-mail for $20 a month. Still not a bad deal.

[Mystic @ Nov 30th 2007 7:25PM]

The 'best' is whatever the hell a person likes to use. Way to bring even more brand fanboys to the website Engadget.

[Matt Brydon @ Nov 30th 2007 7:30PM]

i have to say, im rather fond of my O2 XDA Exec (brit gageteer here) yes it may be a bit bulke but i have yet to find a device with such versatility, main liking points would be the massive resolution touchscreen the 3.5mm headphone jack and the volume output/sount quality when partnered with TCPMP.
Oh and lets not forget the swiveling screen!, to this day it never fails to turn heads!
i can see the sixe/weight being a big problem for some people, i have huge pockets so its fine.

thats just my 2 pence.

[Legodude522 @ Nov 30th 2007 8:53PM]

I got one too. Imported it to the states. Main reason for my purchase, VGA res screen. Thats twice the pixels of the iPhone.

[Sourcerer @ Dec 1st 2007 8:14AM]

Actually VGA is 4 times the pixels of iPhone ;P
(640*480)/(320*240) = 4

[JJV @ Dec 1st 2007 1:16PM]

well now we can see that the iphone has become the norm and is compared against in order to prove a point. oh and iPHONE FTW

[Matt Brydon @ Dec 2nd 2007 7:06AM]

actually we were comparing other phones to the xda exec, just happened to be the iphone as it has a big screen. and to prove your fanboyness you just read that the iphone is far inferior to the xda yet are still trying to convince people that your fasion item, sorry, phone... is a better option,
im sorry, and i know that apple has produced some genuinly good products but all they are now is a fasion item, an attempt at a status symbol, it a glaring declaration that you enjoy being taken for a ride and paying through your teeth for old technology.

[Andrew @ Dec 2nd 2007 11:28AM]

Old technology? Are you telling me that multi-touch is "old technology"? I beg to differ.

[Matt Brydon @ Dec 2nd 2007 2:00PM]

errrr, actually, yes i am saying its old technology, 25 years old to be exact, all that apple did is trademark the name 'multi-touch' and impliment it in a smaller device.
the university of toronto and bell labs had it back in '82 on both tablets and screens.

[ThePengwin @ Dec 2nd 2007 9:40PM]

I quite agree, apart from the hiccups I've seen in some o2 devices (mainly software though, and they disappear after an update) o2's whole lineup is state of the art.

i don't have an o2, but i have a hp rw6828, a clone of an XDA atom, and i love it :D. Especially the idea that i don't have to delete the 3000 text messages i have, and i can actually archive them like emails :).

also, @ Andrew

multi touch isn't that big of a deal on a phone, it really seems quite useless on a small device. On Microsoft surface it actually has a good use, because you aren't holding the device and have full use of both hands, but when you are holding a phone, it seems that a device that can be used with one hand is inevitably easier to use.

well, thats my opinion :D

[CUBSWILLWIN @ Nov 30th 2007 7:31PM]

im not going to point at any specific phone but for 3g, quality and just fun features, I'd go with an htc phone. All their phones are good. Not totally excellent or anything but it goes a bit over my standards for smart phones. If you're a person who frickin hates htc phones, I'd go with a blackberry curve on sprint or verizon or the curve on tmo. If your a RIM hater go with the nokia n95. It's a bit overpriced but it has good internet and a pretty decent phone nokia has outed. If you're a nokia hater you must be waiting for someone to go " 3G iPHONE!!!ZOMG!!!DURR!!!" or in other word: you should get out more. low rank me at will but it's what I believe.

[JTM @ Nov 30th 2007 9:46PM]

I used to love my T-Mobile Dash. HTC makes some good hardware but that can't stop Windows Mobile from crapping on your parade. My Dash was great when it was new but it just gets slower and slower every day. I keep getting WinMo devices and always end up hating them (what's wrong with me?). I'm seriously considering Symbian for my next phone

[CUBSWILLWIN @ Dec 1st 2007 8:25AM]

sorry I meant blackberry pearl on sprint or verizon.

[Chip @ Dec 1st 2007 9:10AM]

Not ALL HTC phones are good. Their 6800/Titan sucks...especially the Sprint Mogul version. Too small of memory, crashing Bluetooth stack, short battery life, alarm clock doesn't work, ringer changes to vibrate at random and other misc bugs.

[Jabien Letlow @ Nov 30th 2007 7:35PM]

Nokia 6120 or Nokia E65... Easy

[Trey @ Nov 30th 2007 7:36PM]

The BlackBerry 8130 on Sprint does everything. GPS, memory card slot, BT tethering for PAM, media player, decent camera; and the BB pack on Sprint is only $30 a month.

[Firebird @ Nov 30th 2007 8:39PM]

And isn't 3g.

[Nick Catalano @ Nov 30th 2007 8:43PM]

I was going to say the 8130 as well... it has everything I need! Although I paid the full $500 so that I can sell it off later and get a 3G iPhone (I refuse to buy a non-3G phone that you cannot 'legitimately' add applications to)

[James @ Nov 30th 2007 9:19PM]

@Firebird

Uh, yes, it is. This ain't no 8100.

@Trey

Prepare to receive a large bill unless you've tethered your BB in a way where it can't be seen as acting as a modem, because Sprint's $30 BB plan is for unlimited data/text and NO PAM included. That's $15 extra. The $40 includes it, but no texting.

[freakmarket @ Dec 1st 2007 6:51AM]

It may not be 3g but Sprint's network is fast enough for any handheld device at this point. Sprint's service tethers well too.

[Lowen SoDium @ Nov 30th 2007 7:41PM]

I have been using the Sprint Touch (HTC Vogue not the same thing as the GSM Touch which is the HTC Elf) and I can't say I have ever been happier with a gadget of any kind. It is much smaller than any other touch screen PDA phone, and has a 400Mhz CPU and 128MB of ram. The only 2 things you can really hold against it is that it doesn't have a hardware keyboard, and it doesn't have WiFi. But will unlimited EVDO data, I can do with out WiFi, and for the smaller, sexier form factor, I can do with out the hardware keyboard.

[Shahryar @ Nov 30th 2007 8:02PM]

Any suggestions on the best method to get this phone if you weren't going to be signing a contract with Sprint? I want to replace my PPC-6700, but I'm on the employee plan of sprint so I can't really sign a new contract