CNET has come up with their five worst handsets in Q4 2006. Apparently, if you don’t want to be CNET’s five worst, you’ll have to watch out for your pricing. Usability (does the device require you to have Orangutan hands?) and an easily accessed battery are also top considerations.
1. With a rating of 5.7, the I-mate Jaq is just too bulky, expensive and too lacking in WiFi to be on any use. It does run Windows 5.0 and has a nice touchscreen. The cramped QWERTY keyboard and lack of camera makes it the sick colleague of the Windows-running smartphone pack. Thanks goodness, I-mate have also come out with the slim SPL. Though also without WiFi, it’s good enough to escape CNET’s list.
2. Surprisingly, the Bang & Olufsen Serene is only number two with a rating of 6.3. It’s the weirdest looking cellphone anyone has ever seen. I doubt if it was even built with the expectation that it was going to be used. The phone is a mere showpiece. Read our review of the Serene.
3. Motorola ic502. It has access to Nextel’s Direct Connect Network but display is bad and so is the interface. Rating for this one is also 6.3.
4. Pantech C120 also gets a 6.3 rating. It’s got poor speakerphone quality and it’s quite impossible to call anyone in a noisy bar on this phone. There’s also no video recording, which puts it on the exact same level as the Serene.
5. The Samsung IP-830w also gets a 6.3. It’s a CDMA/GSM phone, which is nice but short battery life, cramped keyboard and lack of WiFi earns it second spot along with the C120, ic502, and the Serene.
I’ve observed that only the Serene has made it to our blog posts. I wonder why?
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