Gift Ideas: $150 & Up
If you are ready to step up to a more powerful mobile device, there are plenty to choose from. More money buys you a more sophisticated phone that can do more. Typically you get a better camera, additional applications and, in some cases, entire application stores dedicated to supporting your device. Here are some picks to consider.
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BlackBerry Storm 2From $179.99
Rounding out our picks for our top-tier phone selections for this year is the BlackBerry Storm 2. The Storm 2 has made tremendous advancements over its predecessor, which was RIM’s first foray into the touch-screen arena.
The Storm 2 has four large touch sensors where the original Storm had one, small sensor. And that’s just the beginning of the many improvements RIM made in designing this second generation Storm. The “Storm overhaul” was a direct result of user feedback and the end result is a powerful and attractive BlackBerry that offers an enormous screen, an excellent touch interface and the ability to render web pages in true form.
Featuring a 3.25 inch, 480 x 360 display, the Storm 2 renders everything from web pages to small icons with crisp accuracy. The Storm 2 has a 3.2MP camera with flash, auto focus, image stabilization and 2X digital zoom. You also get GPS, Wi-Fi, expandable memory, media player, and a host of preloaded apps to get the party started. The Storm 2, like the iPhone, features an accelerometer which allows you to view in either portrait or landscape mode. This makes surfing the internet truly enjoyable, as both text and graphics are easy to see and are rendered almost exactly the way they are on your home computer.
While the Storm 2 is a genuine powerhouse, it is also an entertainment center and intimidating business tool. Adding the BlackBerry App Store will provide you with even more functionality.
If you are shopping for a BlackBerry Fan, the Storm 2 blends all the benefits of the powerful BlackBerry operating system with a touch interface to create a device that can play hard whether your at work, socializing, searching the internet or simply want to make a quality call.
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Apple iPhone 3GSFrom $199.00
The iPhone 3GS has become a true icon among cell phones. So much has been written about this amazing device. It started the touch-screen revolution and now, years later, remains the phone by which all other touch screens are measured.
All the buzz about the iPhone 3GS is because Apple got it right, and continues to get it right with a fun, powerful phone that puts incredible power in the user’s fingertips. Searching the web on the iPhone 3GS is a wonderful experience. Zoom in to a section of text with barely a swipe of the finger, zoom out in the same way.
The iPhone 3GS display measures 3.5 inches and features a 320 x 480 pixel resolution. The accelerometer allows you to change your view from portrait to landscape by simply turning the phone 180 degrees. Also, because the iPhone 3GS renders web pages so well, the size of the screen only enhances the overall experience.
Add the largest app store in the world and you have a sure winner for a gift for anyone wanting to see what it’s like to have a phone that goes so far beyond just making good calls.
The secret to the iPhone 3GS is that the operating system and the user interface were build side by side, with each other in mind, every step of the way. That’s what gives it that “finished” feeling, the sense that everything “just works the way it’s supposed to.”
If you are looking for an extra special gift for someone this holiday season, take a look at the iPhone 3GS.
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HTC Touch Pro 2From $199.99
The HTC Touch Pro 2 is a gift that will definitely keep on giving. Boasting a display that is physically larger and with deeper resolution than even the iPhone, the HTC Touch Pro 2 is on patrol to take out its competition.
Casual shoppers may find it interesting to know that HTC had been building phones for many manufacturers for many years when one day, they decided to slap their own label on their own devices. HTC has been equated with quality every since.
So why buy a Touch Pro 2? For starters, it’s a one-stop solution for folks who want to solve their entertainment, social and business needs in one step. This phone offers just that. You can play music, send/receive email, text, send multi-media messages, participate on social forums such as FaceBook and Twitter, create and edit documents, take great pictures, record video, well, you get the idea.
But if you’re reading this you are a smart shopper and want some specifics. So here ya go:
3.2MP camera with auto focus, digital zoom and an additional camera for video calls!
Windows Media Player – able to play embedded media within a web page easily and with just a click.
Opera Browser: Considered by many to be the very best mobile browser available.
Stereo Bluetooth, expandable memory and a user interface that is intuitive and easy to learn.
The HTC Touch Pro 2 is a top-of-the-line phone than can compete with the best of them. And in addition to a fine selection of pre-loaded apps, you have an app store where you’ll find lots of cool applications to keep you interested and intrigued at least until the next holiday season.
We picked the HTC Touch Pro 2 because if offers users the best of all worlds, wrapped up in a modern design and minimal learning curve.
