While the touchscreen slate form factor has emerged as the standard for today's smartphones, the Blackberry-style QWERTY candy bar remains a preferred design among a big segment of mobile workers.  And the Motorola Admiral offers one of the better devices for that specific crowd.

Physically, it looks very industrial, despite the rounded corners and curved edges.  It's not a looker, but it does mirror what it's supposed to be -- a workhorse phone.  Construction feels tough, the way phones in this category were always meant to be,  Display is a 3.1-inch capacitive touchscreen (480 x 640 resolution), with a physical QWERTY keyboard right below it.  The screen is good enough, although we wish it held up better under sunlight (as it is, it remains usable, but colors are washed out).   The keyboard is very responsive with a comfortable design.

As a phone, the Admiral makes for good calls.  Everything is clear, although I could have used more volume (in crowded places, you'll need to cover up to hear).  Being a push-to-talk phone, the speaker is very loud, making for great hands-free conversations and, of course, PTT calls.  Battery is great and will likely last moderate users up to two days.

You get all the usual smartphone favors (it runs Android 2.3.5 with Motoblur on top), including a full messaging suite, full set of wireless connectivity (3G, WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth, DLNA), and a good selection of apps.  We particularly like those targeted for business use (there are plenty), since this is a business phone.

With that said, it's a decent media phone, too, and offered good performance with its 1.2GHz Snapdragon S2 processor.  The 5.0 megapixel camera takes great outdoor shots.  Indoors, however, pictures look washed out even with the LED flash in play.  It manages decent 720p videos, as well.

We love the Motorola Admiral for the excellent construction and overall responsiveness.  It serves its workhorse purpose well.  Price is $99.99 with a new two-year agreement from Sprint.

The Samsung Exhibit II 4G isn't the best-looking, most well-constructed phone we've seen.  The specs are good, though, and it's heavy on the features, making for an attractive handset for Android bargain hunters.

Physically, the smartphone bears little resemblance to its predecessor and not in a good way -- the build looks cheaper, decked almost exclusively in hard plastic.  We guess it's acceptable, though, given that this is aimed at the budget crowd.  Plus, the plastic construction keeps it lighter compared to similarly-sized phones.  Display is a 3.7-inch touchscreen with 480 x 800 resolution.  Quality is on par with similar handsets in the same range.

As a phone, the Samsung Exhibit II 4G manages good calls, with clear voices and plenty of volume.  There's a bit of a light background buzz that pops in and out, although it's feint enough that you can ignore it easily.   Speakerphone offered plenty of loudness, although those on the other end reported an irritating tone to my voice.  Battery is rated at 5.5 hours of talk time.

Running Android 2.3 Gingerbread, all the usual set of smartphone features are onboard.   There's a full load of messaging options, a full set of wireless connectivity (HSPA+, 3G, aGPS, Bluetooth, WiFi and DLNA), and a host of updated Google Mobile apps.  Samsung throws in its set of apps, too, including AllShare DLNA, Kies Air syncing and Social Hub, along with numerous additions from T-Mobile.

The 3.0 megapixel camera takes bright and clear outdoor pictures, although colors look a little washed out.  The front-facing VGA camera works fine, too.   Running a 1GHz processor, the handset's overall performance is quite solid, especially for something at this price range.

Available for $29.99 on a two year agreement and $199.99 off-contract, the Samsung Exhibit II 4G offers one of the best price-to-features ratio in the market today.

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus is Google's latest showcase phone, running the revamped version of their Android mobile platform.  We have a separate review of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.  Read that first if you want a clear picture of what the upgraded OS does.

Physically, the handset bears plenty of resemblance to the similarly Samsung-produced Nexus S.  If you liked the overall design of that phone, then you'll get much of the same here.  Except bigger.  It actually feels a bit too big in my hand, although the size and heft are manageable once you get used to it.

Out front sits a huge 4.65-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen, with a 1,280 x 720 resolution.   As you can imagine, this makes for an amazingly expansive display, with intense sharpness, high levels of brightness and vivid colors.  There are no physical buttons on the front panel, making for an even more elegant design.

As a phone, the Galaxy Nexus makes for good calls, with lots of volume and voices coming through clearly.  Those on the other end reported similar performance, although they did report hearing some ambient buzzing at times.   Speakerphone has generous volume, although you'd probably not want to turn it up to max (it's ugly when it gets there).  Battery performed well during the short time we've had to play around with the unlocked phone.  Expect it to last you a day during normal use.

All the smartphone essentials, of course, are onboard.    There a full load of messaging options, email and calendar syncing, a full set of wireless connectivity (4G, 3G, aGPS, Bluetooth and WiFi), and a host of updated Google Mobile apps.   The speaker-independent voice commands allow you to do an expansive range of things, too, provided you use it in a room without a lot of noise.   GPS performed better than most Galaxy devices, likely because of the added barometer for GPS locking.

The main camera is surprisingly only 5.0 megapixels.   It performs well enough, though, with a generously bright flash and zero shutter lag to boot.  HD videos shot on the camera looked crisp, but get blurry fast with motion involved.   There's also a front-facing video cam for conference calls.

For media playback, the large 720p display and 1.2GHz dual-core processor makes for excellent movie viewing.  We do bemoan the lack of a microSD card slot, though, which leaves you limited to the 32GB of onboard storage.

While the Samsung Galaxy Nexus' hardware will probably be eclipsed shortly by newer, faster phones, it's easily one of the best-performing Android handsets we’ve ever used.  If you want the pure Android experience, though, it can't be beat.

The high-end of smartphones is now bigger and more powerful than ever.  Does it mean they're better, too?  We checked out the HTC Amaze 4G to get an answer.

Physically, it's undeniably premium.  The metal shell, sturdy build and soft touch finishes make for a phone you'll never mistake for a dodgy rush job.  It's notably heavy, though, tipping the scales at 6.1 ounces (and, yes,  you'll feel the heft).   The 4.3-inch Super LCD touchscreen (960 x 540 resolution) definitely steals attention, though, with its large size, crisp images and bright display.  We'd say it's a half-step below the Super AMOLED Plus in terms of overall quality, though.

As a phone, the HTC Amaze 4G makes for good calls on both ends.  Voices sounded natural, although we did detect a slight background noise during lulls.  Speakerphone, on the other hand, performed admirably.  In fact, I think I like making calls using the loudspeaker/mic better with this phone better.  Battery is rated at 6 hours of talk time.

Heavy on the features, it comes with quad-band world support, the usual voice and video call options, all the wireless connectivity you can ask for (3G, WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, GPS, NFC -- well, no LTE, but it has HSPA+), heavy messaging talents and the usual bundle of Google Mobile Services.  It runs Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread, with HTC Sense 3.0 on top.  Notable alterations include the customizable lock screen (which you can fill up with scrolling user content) and the 3D carousel homescreen.

The screen size makes the phone ideal for browsing web sites and watching movies, especially with the dual-core 1.5GHz processor muscling through every video thrown its way.  The 8.0 megapixel camera performed wonderfully in well-lit environments for both stills and 1080p videos.  Indoor shots aren't great, but are still a lot better than many phones I've seen.  The camera app actually bundles a lot of extra features and options, which you'll love if you enjoy playing around with the optics. Built-in storage is 16GB, with expansion slot for a 32GB microSD card.

Priced at $249.99 on a new two year agreement with T-Mobile, the HTC Amaze 4G is, undeniably, more expensive than a lot of phones in the market.  For the price, though, you get a gorgeous 4.3-inch screen, a powerful camera and blazing processor speed.  Plus, the heft will make for excellent paperweight when you need one.

The successor to last year's LG Ally, the LG Enlighten is the latest entry-level Android smartphone to join Verizon's roster.  If you'd like an affordable handset with a physical keyboard, this phone could prove an ideal pick.

Physically, it's a compact device, much like a lot of the entry-level phones out there.  Design is blocky, with curved edges, rounded corners and a slightly bulky profile.  Display is a 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen with 320 x 480 resolution.  While the sharpness is definitely lacking, the screen is notably bright and colorful.  It's also usable even under direct sunlight.  The slide-out landscape keyboard is roomy, with good travel between keys and a snappy tactile feel.

As a phone, the LG Enlighten made for great calls, with little to no distortion throughout our tests.  There was plenty of volume to go around, with clear audio and natural-sounding voices.  Speakerphone performed in a similarly positive manner.  Battery is rated at 6 hours of talk time.

Considering this is an entry level device, we're stoked that LG decided to throw in Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread into the thing.  It runs a custom interface, which we actually found to be easier to get into for first-time smartphone users.

It's got all the usual Android smartphone fare -- robust messaging, wireless connectivity (GPS,3G, WiFi with mobile hotspot, Bluetooth), Google's Mobile Services and  a number of preloaded apps.  The Verizon apps can't be removed, though, so you're stuck with the bloatware.

An 800MHz processor powers the thing, which makes for decent-enough performance.  Some lags occur once you've got a lot of apps open, although things are usually smooth.  Heck, it even runs Flash on the browser pretty well, so I can't complain.   The 3.2 megapixel camera actually takes good pictures with rich colors for outdoor snaps.  Multimedia experience is standard Android.

Available for free on a new two-year agreement with Verizon, the LG Enlighten is one of the best entry-level Android handsets in the market today.  If you can live with the smaller, low-res display, it's an excellent choice.

To the surprise of most, the current gen iPhone didn't hit the market as the best hardware in  its category.  If anything, though, Apple has made a fortune in proving that the "biggest, fastest and most powerful" hardware doesn't always make for the most compelling product.  Does the iPhone 4S continue that trend?

Physically, it's indistinguishable from its predecessor.  As such, it's smaller in dimensions and bulkier than today's crop of premium handsets.    That means, it retains the 3.5-inch display size that the iPhone has had since 2007 -- a far smaller screen than the seemingly standard 4 inches of today's high-end smartphones.  To me, that's the biggest gripe.  While the Retina Display remains stunning, so do those Super AMOLED Plus on Samsung's new phones and they're on much larger  panels, too.  Oh yeah, the design now incorporates two antennas, so even if your hands are blocking one (as with the iPhone 4), the other antenna can pick up the slack.

As a phone, the iPhone 4S makes for great calls (tests done on the Sprint network), with excellent quality and volume.  There is occasional buzzing in the background, but it's hardly noticeable.  Those on the other end reported equally good call performance.  Speakerphone is good with plenty of volume, although you'll have to stand a bit close when taking calls in loud places or the mic will struggle to pick you up clearly.  Battery is rated at up to 8 hours of talk time.

There are several notable new features in this next-gen upgrade.  One is the faster, dual-core chipset, which makes for notable bumps in speed performance compared to the iPhone 4.  Next is the 8.0 megapixel optics, which doesn't just bring sharper resolution, but pumps out noticeably better photos, too.  Overall, shots showed brighter colors, sharper focus and better performance even in low light.   And, of course, there is Siri, the electronic voice assistant that's both useful and amusing.

The 4S, of course, brings all the standard features of the previous model, from robust messaging to a wide range of connectivity options.  Bluetooth has been upgraded to 4.0, although Apple still chose to do with neither 4G nor NFC.  And there's still no HDMI port.    You can check our iOS 5 review for the phone's software-centric features.

Everything Android fanboys say about the iPhone 4S is true -- it's no longer the most drool-worthy hardware in the market.  Despite that, we doubt sales will slack and we doubt folks will feel any less satisfied using it.  The phone is available now from AT&T, Verizon and Sprint, with prices starting at $199.99 for the 16GB model.

Marketed as a "fashion phone," the LG Marquee didn't get its introduction at a tech show.  Instead, we got our first look at the handset during New York Fashion Week.  Is it all beauty, though, or does it bring enough brawns to make an excellent option for an Android smartphone?

Physically, it's one of the thinnest and lightest phones available.  The shell's all plastic, which makes it pretty but not so premium in feel.  The 4-inch Nova display (840 x 480 resolution), however, is what really brings out the character here.  It's arguably the brightest and clearest display in the market (at least, on paper), although not quite as sharp as the iPhone's Retina or Samsung's latest-gen SuperAMOLED Plus.  It is a beauty to look at, though, with really deep contrast and popping graphics.

As a phone, the LG Marquee made for great calls, with excellent clarity and very little distortion.  Those on the other end reported the same pleasant experience.  Speakerphone was decent, but voices came with a lot of echo. Battery is rated at 5.5 hours of talk time.

All the usual Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread smartphone features come on board, including numerous voice options, robust messaging (including Exchange ActiveSync), tight social network integration and a full list of wireless connectivity options (3G, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, DLNA).  It ships with just a 2GB microSD card for storage, though, so you'll probably want to expand that.  Preloaded software include Polaris Office, SmartShare (for sharing via DLNA) and some of Sprint's services.

For media playback, it comes with just stock Android.  Watching movies on the gorgeous display is quite the experience, though -- just don't expect the 1GHz processor to perform all that admirably with very high-res videos.   The 5.0 megapixel camera  comes with a good selection of settings and manages above average photo quality.  It also snapped decent 720p videos.

Overall, the LG Marquee is a good-looking phone with a stunning display and a nice selection of features.   The lack of 4G, however, may be the only reason to stay away -- everything else is executed well.  It's available now, priced at $99.99 on a new two-year contract with Sprint.

It's far from the prettiest touchscreen candybar around, but the Samsung Vitality is a solid release from Cricket Wireless.  While the mid-range Android smartphone doesn't set itself all that differently from the growing field of mobile devices, Cricket's offerings and add-ons handily play the value-added part.

Physically, it's a rather standard smartphone design.  I, personally, don't like the button arrangement or the overall shape, but I can imagine some people appreciating the aesthetics.   Body is almost entirely plastic, so it doesn't feel all that sturdy.  Display is a 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen, although resolution is low at only 480 x 320 pixels.  While not the sharpest, it is ample bright and colorful, with good touch response to boot.

As a phone, the Samsung Vitality makes for decent calls with little distortion, although it's notably lacking in volume, making for a tough time holding a conversation while in a noisy environment.  Speakerphone is almost unusable anywhere but in a closed room.  The battery is rated at 6.5 hours of talk time.

The main selling point here is the inclusion of Muve Music, which even gets a dedicated button on the right spine (well, it uses the same one as the shutter control).  The Muve Music offerings are the same as when Cricket first offered them via the Samsung Suede, coming with plenty of tools, playback options and a solid library.  Do note that you don't buy any music with the service -- you pay to use it via an included monthly subscription.  A Muve-formatted microSD card needs to be inserted in order to use the  service.

Actual phone features are standard Android 2.3 smartphone fare: robust messaging, wireless connectivity (3G, WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0 and GPS) and a host of preloaded software.  A modest 800MHz processor muscles the thing, but its speedy enough to not be an issue (no lags when launching apps or switching to Muve Music).  The 3.2 megapixel camera manages average-looking shots for both outdoors and indoors.

The Samsung Vitality makes its case with one very pronounced selling point: Muve Music.  For folks who spend loads of time listening to tunes on their mobiles, this could very well be a solid purchase.  Price is $199.99 for the phone, with a non-binding  $65 per month contract (includes unlimited text, talk, internet and Muve Music).

The Samsung Conquer 4G sets itself apart by being one of the cheaper 4G-equipped phones out there.  Despite the price, it's quite the capable device, striking a good balance of hardware and features to go with the high-speed broadband connectivity.

Physically, it's a good-looking mid-sized phone that should fit perfectly fine in your pants pocket.  While it’s nowhere near premium in appearance, the textured back does give it a nice feel when cupped in hand.  To bring down the price, the display is one of the areas that the phone has made compromises for.   While the 3.5-inch panel is big enough for most uses, the resolution is a low 320 x 480 pixels.  It's serviceable, especially with otherwise ample brightness and clarity.

As a phone, the Samsung Conquer 4G made for good calls, with clear audio and natural-sounding voices on both ends.  Speakerphone phone isn't very good, though, with voices sounding hollow and even cutting out on occasion.  Battery is rated at 5.25 hours of talk time.

Samsung ditched TouchWiz for this device, choosing to go with a near-stock Android 2.3 experience, instead.  A 1Ghz Snapdragon chip provides capable processing muscle, with apps launching quickly and navigation being particularly responsive.

The Conquer 4G has all the features you expect from an Android smartphone: voice options, basic and advanced messaging, the full suite of wireless connectivity and the usual load of bundled apps.  The big draw, of course, is the compatibility with Sprint's WiMax network, which should have you streaming YouTube videos with little to no buffering.  Of course, with the low-res display, video quality isn't all that great anyway -- at least, the downloads go fast.  Plus, you can share it with other devices over WiFi.

Media playback is decidedly average, so you might want to consider getting a better media player off the Market to spice it up a little bit.  It comes with two cameras: a 1.3 megapixel webcam for video chat and a 3.2 megapixel module in the rear.  The latter makes for decent outdoor photos (indoor shots look very dull, though).

Available for $99.99 on a two year agreement with Sprint, the Samsung Conquer 4G makes for a unique value proposition.  While it does make some compromises (low-res camera and display), it's still a well-equipped smartphone with solid performance.

Smartphones can be rugged, too.  So if an Android with outdoor-ready durability is what you're looking for, the Motorola Titanium might just end up as your next purchase.

Physically, it's uncharacteristically burly for a modern smartphone.  With rubberized padding on the sides and back, it sacrifices some appearance points in exchange for durability.  Built tough, it meets mil-specs 810G for dust, shock, vibration, low pressure and extreme temperatures, although it's not water-resistant.

The look is very masculine, which should suit most of the phone's intended audience just fine.  Screen is a 3.1-inch capacitive touch panel (320 x 480 resolution), managing colorful graphics, crisp lines and a bright overall display.  It does wash out when directly under sunlight, though, which defeats the outdoor usability just a little.  Below it sits a somewhat tightly-packed keyboard that's surprisingly easy to thumb-type on (keys are sloped towards the center).

As a phone, the Motorola Titanium makes for  clear calls with plenty of volume.  Everything sounded wonderful from both ends, even through the speakerphone.  Battery is rated at 6.8 hours of talk time.

It runs the older Android 2.1, which will probably disappoint a lot of users.  If you need an Android phone that works on iDEN, though, it's about as current as you can probably hope for.  Do note that having 2.1 means it has to do without Flash support, microSD card app storage, Facebook syncing and more.

All the usual smartphone features are onboard, including basic and advanced messaging, wireless connectivity (GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth -- no 3G, though), and a cavalcade of applications.   It has a number of push-to-talk services (Direct Talk, Group Connect, Direct Send and more) onboard, as well as separate walkie-talkie contacts list and call log.  The 500 MHz processor is good enough for regular app switching, but will likely give you headaches if you try power-hungry applications.

Multimedia experience is just average.  The screen is on the smaller side, though, so it's far from the best handset for playing videos (plus the processor is paltry).  The 5.0 megapixel camera takes average photos, although color seems consistently too soft.

Overall, the Motorola Titanium isn't your average everyday smartphone.  If you use it for that, in fact, you might end up frustrated because of the low-muscle processor and the older Android build.  If you need a capable smartphone that runs on Sprint Nextel, though, it's probably your best bet, with some capable durable qualities to boot.  It's available now, priced at $149.99.