Acer made its debut in the smartphone market this year, showing up with a less-than-inspiring effort in the DX900.  This time, they step things up a bit with the Acer X960, which measures up closer with feature sets in similar Windows Mobile devices in its range.

I'm personally not enamored with the looks, though it does look better suited to business types than most typical touchscreen releases. Build is very sturdy, a considerable departure from their first smartphone effort.  More importantly, the device itself feels comfortable in the hand at just the right size.

The 2.8-inch touch display may be a tad smaller than the standard 3.2 inches, but the generous 480 x 640 resolution makes you forget that easily.  Touch response is also fairly good, although the screen suffers immensely under sunlight, to the point that it's really difficult to use outdoors.

New Interface: Acer debuts their brand new UI in the X960, called the Acer Shell, which took everyone by surprise due to its great usability and very fast operation.  You get two options in home screens - a standard one that lists icons across several pages and a so-called Virtual 3D Office.  The first, as you probably expect, lists down the available menu paths, similar to many of today's phones, while the second gives the device a truly unique angle to build on.

The 3D Office, in a nutshell, is intended to recreate the way you work, showing  a graphical workplace that you can customize according to how you best perform your job.  You can throw in a bunch of apps on the desk (such as email, call logs, calendar, music player etc) or keep it to a bare minimum, all displayed in graphical form (not icons, but actual graphics).  It's unique, to say the least, and will likely be the homescreen of choice for majority of people who decide to get this handset.

Features: As a phone, the X960 offers decent performance, though folks on the other end of the call complained about some sharpness.  It can be a problem with just our particular unit, though, so make sure you test voice calls on the device before buying it to see for yourself.  There's also the usual suite of standard features, such as email, SMS, IM and HTML browsing, all of which performed capably up to par - nothing special about them, just usable and properly done.

It comes with a 3.2 megapixel camera module that is lightning fast, shooting images with no noticeable delay.  Being a phone camera, though, it's fair not to expect much but the modicum of usability, which it manages to provide.  Video capture is hardly tolearable, however, despite the VGA resolution it offers.  Most everything we shot came out blurry with badly-recorded voices.

Media playback is pretty good, playing most of what it claimed to be able to.  The only one we ran into a snag with is Xvid, which it totally couldn't handle no matter how many times we tried.

Conclusion: Overall, the Acer X960 managed to surprise us.  While we've originally relegated this handset to being a bust, we're glad to be proven wrong.  Both business users and tech-oriented Windows Mobile fans will find plenty to rave about in the phone - no doubt about it.

The Motorola Aura, for all intents and purposes, is a triumph in physical design.   With that said, it is a failure everywhere else where it matters for the rest of us - price and features.

A decidedly luxurious handset, most people will immediately price themselves out when hearing the Aura's cost - a whopping $1,999 without a contract.  A few of those that can afford it will probably be put off by a feature set that, in more ways than one, is tantamount to that found in a $200 RAZR2 (the real RAZR phone, not this literal razor handset).

Anyone who wants to get an Aura then will have to do it based on the phone's physical merits, of which it boasts a couple of things all its own.  The body, for instance, is decked in a stainless steel jacket with hand-etched detailing that makes it truly unique.   It sports an odd-looking but gorgeously clear 1.55-inch diameter circular screen, made from 62-carat sapphire crystal.  Display has considerably crisp details that puts pretty much everything I've seen from Motorola to shame.

The form factor borrows from the Motorola V80, which sports the same rotating front cover to reveal a set of standard keys.  Unfortunately the standard keys are too "standard" for this luxurious a handset, with an awkward button configuration (due to the curving lines) and flat metal design.   As we said, features are pretty much on par with the RAZR2, including a 2 megapixel camera (that takes standard-sized photos viewable on the circular screen, which can't show the whole scene because of its shape), a basic music player with MP3 and AAC support, basic email support, web browsing via EDGE, Bluetooth and 2GB of internal memory.

Overall, the Motorola Aura is a serious disappointment.  While lovely, it really can't warrant the price, especially since you're only paying for three good things that come with it: the hand-crafted jacket, the sapphire display and voice calls.  The rest are just a bother to use, mostly as a result of either the circular screen or the bad keypad implementation.

If you believe looks could kill, then this might just be your recipe for murder.  It's one of the most striking phones ever imagined.  Other than that, I advise you get a RAZR2 instead or, if you can afford it, one of those gold iPhones making the news lately.

Also check out these daily deals available on unlocked Motorola Aura phones.

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The Samsung Jack, as we noted earlier, completes AT&T's Blackjack trilogy.  This time, we get to try it out for a review. How well does it "round up" the Windows Mobile smartphone line?

First up, let me say that I adore the Jack's design.  I'm a huge fan of the traditional Blackberry layout and this handset implements it wonderfully, with a lovely marriage of style and utility.  In terms of design, the Jack takes a notable departure from the first two handsets in the series.  Sporting tapered edges, rounded corners and a mirrored chrome finish, it's an overall flashier phone that's just about right for what the business market seems to adore at the moment.

It features the same bright and clear 2.4-inch TFT display (320 x 240 resolution) as its predecessors, which does the job nicely.  Physical buttons are soft and highly responsive, from the four-way pad to the various keys all the way down to the rectangular QWERTY implementation.

In terms of e-mail and productivity tools, there isn't much in the way of changes compared to the Blackjack II.  With Windows Mobile 6.5 on the way, though, expect a number of improvements the moment you upgrade.  As with the previous Blackjack phones, this is a truly useful business handset, with a complete suite of features (from the MS Office Mobile Suite to Direct Push) any professional could ask for.  The biggest improvements in this latest iteration stem largely from hardware upgrades - it doubles the processing power and RAM from the previous device and, as such, facilitates everything in a faster manner.

A UMTS/HSDPA (850/1900/2100MHz) handset, the Jack offers great 3.5G browsing, along with Wi-Fi.  It comes preloaded with an AT&T Wi-Fi utility that supposedly allows you to connect to over 17,000 hotspots - it doesn't work yet, though, according to the carrier.

As a phone, call quality is excellent both ways.  It offers quad-band world roaming, three-way conversations, conference calls and threaded SMS, all of which appear to work without hitch (except the quad-band, since we don't really jet set like that).  The back-located loudspeaker packed good volume, though it still wasn't that good to make me use the speakerphone option more often.

Other features of the Jack include a 3.2-megapixel camera (that works amazingly well even indoors, believe it or not), Bluetooth support, aGPS and decent multimedia playback.  It's unfortunate that Samsung decided to use proprietary ports for this device on both the audio jack and the data connection, though, the phone's solid delivery more than makes up for it.

In my mind, there is really only one device in the same $99 price range that rivals the Samsung Jack in terms of features and performance, that handset being the Nokia E71x.  I personally prefer the Jack, though your own tastes may vary.

Also check out these daily deals on unlocked Samsung Jack phones.

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Marketed as a gaming handset, and rightly so, the Sony Ericsson F305 is one of the more interesting phones in the market today.  Much has been made of its gaming prowess but how well does it fare as an overall device?

The attractively-styled F305 sports a sprightly, youthful design, which is a great fit for the younger audience it's targeting.  For a gaming handset, the screen is a bit disappointing at only two inches.   It does deliver decent image quality, though, to make up for the lack in size.

It comes with 11 pre-loaded games, along with another 50 titles on the accompanying M2 card.  Of the 61 games, a number are available for playing in horizontal mode, which allows gamers to use the directional pad, along with PSP-style O and X buttons above the screen (when in vertical orientation).  It comes with a built-in accelerometer, which gets used in 3 or 4 of the bundled titles, allowing for some iPhone-like motion games that are quite entertaining.

Gaming buttons, along with all the controls, are prominently placed (you'll probably recognize them without looking), with great feedback.  Keypad is a standard comfy T9 that slides out from the bottom.  As an extra treat, the F305's faceplate can be easily replaced with substitute panels available from Sony Ericsson's website.

The phone comes with stereo loudspeakers situated in the back that are surprisingly competent.  Not only do they add to the gaming experience, they sound better than the loudspeakers on many music-centric phones we've seen.  Coupled with a really savvy built-in media player, the F305 is a complete music handset, even without the Walkman branding.

Calls are a little less to our liking on Sony Ericsson's gaming number.  While our voice came through loud and clear to the other line, our own reception came with some occasional crackling noises.  It could just be the particular unit we had, though, so make sure to check how voice calls sound to you in case you're planning to get this device.   Battery is good for 8 hours of talk time, though I'm not certain about the gaming time (I played it for 3 hours straight and it still didn't drain).   It comes with a 2.0 megapixel camera that, unfortunately, isn't much to write home about.

While relatively average as a phone, the gaming and music talents of the Sony Ericsson F305 make it a compelling choice for those looking for an entertainment handset.   Add in a compact form with customizable faceplates and it's a phone no teen can complain about (unless they text message like crazy, that is, at which point they'll probably want a messaging phone).

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How often do you use your phone's camera module?  Personally, I don't even bother all that much, unless it's for an impromptu shot and I don't have my point-and-shoot along.  If you do use it frequently, however, you may want to take a look at the LG KC780, currently the cheapest camera phone sporting 8 megapixel optics.

Why so cheap?  Apart from the souped-up camera module, the phone really packs just mid-range features.  It's designed for that specific subset of users who need regular phone features, but are looking for as good a camera with it as they can get.

Sporting a slider form factor, the phone comes with relatively slim 13.8 mm lines.  Unfortunately, this creates a small hunch in the back right where the camera sits, which I find extremely odd.   Build feels sturdy enough, so there's really not much to complain about the handset physically.

Display is a 2.4-inch QVGA with decent picture quality.  It does lose some of the contrast and colors outdoors, although it remains completely usable.  Physical controls work comfortably, with just enough pressure requirements to make navigating and typing messages a breeze.  Calls are great, as well, with loud and clear voices passing through both ends of the conversation.

UI is the same as several of LG's newer releases (like the KC550, for instance).  It's a beautiful interface that's both easy on the eyes and a dandy to use.  The media player module has been paid enough attention to provide considerably good playback, complete with pretty nifty track filtering, an equalizer menu and background play.  According to LG, the KC780 can handle DivX files, although we couldn't get anything in the format to play at all.  Other media (such as H.263 videos) were handled capably.

The camera, being its main selling point, has to be good, right?  For the most part, it is.  Apart from the high resolution, you get a ton of features with the camera module including autofocus, face detection, image stabilizer and a panoramic mode.  Shutter speed, however, is considerably slow, taking around 7 seconds with further image processing requiring another 20 seconds before the shot is finally saved.  Needless to say, it's a pretty big sticking point - but what did you really expect from a phone camera?

Images shot using the module are pretty detailed, with good colors when taken outdoors.  Indoor photos, however, leave the same noise problem we've seen with almost every camera phone we've tested.  Videos are decent enough at 720 x 480 resolution.  It comes with a "fast motion" mode that lets you see things in slow motion, which is pretty cool.

While the camera hardware is the much-touted portion of the LG KC780, it's sad to note that it also creates the most frustration - a 7-second shutter speed just isn't all that fun to play with.  Other than that and the DivX playback, everything else in the phone works admirably.

Also check out these daily deals available on unlocked LG KC780 phones.

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Photo Credit: Iconocast

While a Supernova phone probably impresses images of a high-powered device with an explosion of features, that's about the last thing the Nokia 7100 purports to be.  Instead, it's a decidedly entry-level handset, designed  for users who like keeping their digital lives simple.

Sporting a gorgeous stylish body, the design is about the flashiest thing the 7100 packs.  Small and extremely compact, it comes with a 2-inch 320 x 240 display.  Screen works wonderfully indoors, with crisp colors and sharp lines.  Outside, however, it's barely usable.  Under direct sunlight, it's a total bust.

Featuring a slider form factor, the lower panel pushes out to reveal a standard T9 keypad with firm and tactile keys.  As such, texting is as easy as it can get without a full QWERTY panel.  Voice calls are similarly well-done (a testament to Nokia's commitment to emerging markets), with little noticeable sharpness even at max volume.  Build quality is pretty good with the exception of the back cover, which seems to enjoy creaking and threatening to fall off (though it never actually did during the whole time we used it).

Niceties include EDGE data connectivity via the onboard Opera Mini, as well as Bluetooth and FM radio.  There's also a nominal camera (1.3 megapixels), which is about as basic as it can get with a 2009-era phone.  Music playback is available, although with the paltry storage coupled with no memory card support, it's pretty much a useless addition.  Add to that the 2.5mm headphone port and you've got yourself a loser.  As with most basic handsets, battery life is good - damn good.   Expect not to need replenishing for at least several days on normal use.

For a basic handset, the Nokia 7100 Supernova does its core duties well (looks awfully stylish with good text and calls) while performing everything else pretty nominally.  If you need a backup handset or just don't care about features, though, it may turn out to be all that you need.

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Photo Credit: GSM Arena

Like the first Prada phone, the LG KF900 Prada II is a stylish mobile handset.  Will the slim lines and sleek aesthetics, along with the signature branding, be enough to make it worth the purchase, though?

These are some daily deals available on LG KF900 Prada II phone and review is below.

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Sporting a Prada logo right above the 3-inch touchscreen display, the phone comes with a narrow set of buttons near the bottom.  Minimalist in appearance, it's an attractive phone face that lives up to the fashion label tie-in.  Phone build looks sturdy, although the actual dimensions make it noticeably thicker than the original iteration.

The screen manages 240 x 400 pixels of resolution, with great brightness and detail.  Interface features much of the same styling as the original Prada, with a few newer updates.  It comes with applications neatly grouped on the lower right end of the screen, along with eight icon-style options.  Similar to the Renoir, the UI is consistent throughout all menus and applications, making it easy to familiarize with.  I particularly adore the hard side button which allows access to apps - some features are just best accessed with physical keys and this was a particularly poignant implementation.

It features a side-sliding QWERTY keyboard, with large and comfortable keys.  Typing response is beautiful (comes with a click) and good travel makes it impossible to commit much mistakes when cranking out texts in manic pace.  Unfortunately, the keypad lacks a dedicated numbers row, forcing you to shift keys in case you need to type in numbers (along with common characters like the "@" sign).

A quad-band device, it supports HSDPA speeds of up to 7.2 Mbps, translating to fast page loads during browsing.  I love the internet experience here, despite the not-so-perfect browser it ships with.   It comes with two cameras, a VGA up front and a 5-megapixel number in the back.  Images, along with the 720 x 480 videos, look sufficiently detailed.  Colors, however, aren't the best on the 256,000-color TFT display, which kind of draws attention away from an otherwise good camera module.

Media playback is good, although the color limitations (again) makes watching videos less than appetizing.  Music quality is great on the supplied earphones which use a proprietary connector.  Those who prefer to listen in with their own favorite ear buds will be glad to know there's a 3.5 mm slot included as well.  It comes with a built-in equalizer that, sadly, doesn't offer any personal settings.

Both messaging and calls are good, certainly up to the task for a considerably expensive device.  Other features include a microSD slot, Wi-Fi, FM radio and a good number of bundled apps.  Surprisingly, there's no GPS onboard. Battery is a little paltry at 3 hours of talk time, which means it drops down even lower once you start using the 3G.

Overall, the LG KF900 Prada II is a stylish handset that delivers in terms of both looks and features.  Priced at approximately $600 without a contract, it's actually a great product that neatly balances function with its fashion branding.

You can accuse Sony Ericsson of many things.  Churning out awful-looking handsets isn't one of them.  In fact, even their lower-end devices feature considerably attractive styling that's a decent step above many phones in their price range.  Such is the case with the Sony Ericsson W302, probably the cheapest Walkman device on the company's roster.

I've heard a lot of people speak of the W302 as a children's phone.  While Sony doesn't specifically market it that way (it doesn't come with a Jonas Brothers wallpaper or anything like that), I can see the point behind such thinking.  The keys are too small and there aren't any prominent features to make it interesting enough for either text-hungry teens (due to the small keys),  business users or serious media fans.

Display is a 2-inch screen with a very low 176 x 220 resolution.  Image quality, as you may expect, isn't all that good.  Worse, it doesn't work too well under direct sunlight.  Controls are much better, with very soft and responsive buttons, including the undersized T9 keys.

Music playback via headphones is the best feature of this particular device, which capably lives up to its Walkman branding.  There's a very good equalizer, including options for customizing the output, which really does make a difference.  For a budget handset, the sound quality is quite impressive.  Plus, they outfitted it with a 3.5 mm jack, allowing you to use as good a pair of headphones as you can get.   Similar to a couple other Sony Ericsson devices, you can make the keypad blink along with the music - it is functionally useless, but is relatively amusing anyway.

Camera takes 2 megapixel photos with about the same quality you tend to expect from a budget phone.  The camera interface is similar to most other Sony Ericsson handsets, with a few extra features taken off.  Other specs include FM radio and an M2 card slot.

Calls on the W302 aren't the most perfect.  There is a noticeable sharpness and it feels tuned a bit too loud.  It could be just this particular unit, though, so your experience can vary.  We suggest you check this potential problem if you're considering getting the model.

Should you pick up a Sony Ericsson W302?  If you want a music player with phone features, I think this is one of the best (not to mention, good-looking) units for the price.  Other than that, though, there's little else here to entice.

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Photo Credit: GSM Arena