Claim to Fame: One of the smallest Web cells.
When it comes to mobile phones, smaller is cooler. So Motorola has adapted its smallest phone to the wireless Web. The V8160 is no bigger than a Zippo lighter, yet it works on analog and digital phone systems, can cruise the Web, and can even access pages that aren't designed for Web phones.
I tested a prerelease of the V8160, which has been available since the end of March, and it's the one phone I would never leave behind when I go on a business trip. It weighs just 3 ounces and can easily slip into a pants pocket. The small size only slightly affects battery life: It has 2.5 hours of talk time and about 125 hours of standby time.
This sleek little phone comes with a hefty price tag -- from $499 to $699, depending on your service contract. A basic Bell Atlantic Mobile calling plan costs $19.99 a month for 20 minutes, plus $9.95 for Web access.
Another drawback: The V8160's thumb-size screen was a problem when I needed to browse the Web. You can read only about three very short lines of a news story at a time, although additional icons and menu prompts make it easy to surf the Net.
But this cell does have one big compensation: The V8160 can go where several other phones cannot -- that is, to standard, HTML-based Web sites, without the graphics and pictures. Receiving and replying to email also worked without a hitch. The V8160 lets you forward, respond to, and close-copy messages. You can even add a standard signature message to your email.
If true mobility is what you're looking for -- without a geeky-looking cell-phone hooked to your belt loop -- then check out the Motorola V8160.
Coordinates: Motorola, www.motorola.com; Bell Atlantic Mobile, www.bam.com
Claim to Fame: Big display for serious surfers.
One of the first mobile phones designed for Web access, the NeoPoint 1000 has a comparatively large screen that displays 11 lines of Web text at once. The screen size alone makes this cell better than most for reading and writing emails, though you'll have to pay for that convenience ($399) and tolerate its heft (6.4 ounces).
The silver NeoPoint 1000 has a flip-down cover that conceals the dial pad, but you can access the Web simply by using the buttons just below the screen. A four-way button launches Internet calls and lets you flip through Web pages, but I found it awkward to use. Like most of the other phones that have been reviewed here, NeoPoint uses a Phone.com browser with a preset list of sites, such as CNN and Amazon.com.
Calls using the Sprint PCS service were clear and largely trouble free. Sprint PCS's Web-ready, voice-calling plans start at $29.99 a month for 120 minutes, plus 35 cents for each additional minute. For another $9.99 a month, you get 50 minutes of Net surfing, but each additional minute after that will cost you 30 cents.
One additional note: Signing up for Sprint's all-digital service means that you may not get voice or Web service in parts of the country where only analog systems exist. If you're concerned about calling outside major metropolitan areas, you might want to wait until the digital-analog version of the 1000 is available through AirTouch Corp.
Coordinates: NeoPoint Inc., www.neopoint.com; Sprint PCS, www.sprintPCS.com
Claim to Fame: Voice dialing and a browser.
Nokia 7190 tries to wrap all of your digital needs into one device. Although there are still some compromises, the 4.9-ounce 7190 comes closest to being a jack-of-all-trades, providing Web and organizer functions in a mobile phone.
A larger-than-average screen lets you read email without squinting, and a mouselike navigation button, called a "Navi Roller," lets you scroll quickly through Web pages. The phone uses Nokia's own Web browser, but many of the options are comparable to Phone.com's browser setup. The phone's LCD screen lets you read four to five lines of Web text at a time.
You can make a voice call on the 7190 either by using the phone's keypad or by saying the person's name. A standard battery gives you about 3.2 hours of talk time and about 144 hours in standby mode.
The 7190 holds as many as 1,000 phone numbers (as well as 250 to-do items and about 600 appointments). You can synchronize the information with your desktop computer's software using FoneSync cable and software, which Nokia includes. The software will work with several PIMs (personal-information managers), including Act!, GoldMine, and Microsoft Outlook.
At this writing, the 7190 was only available via Omnipoint wireless service for about $500. Omnipoint, which is merging with wireless carrier Voice Stream, offers basic voice service at $19.99 for 40 minutes of local calls, including 10 emails and 10 numeric pages. Frequent fliers should note that, similar to other digital-only services, Omnipoint doesn't cover rural areas and has one notable limitation: Service is not available in Chicago.
Coordinates: Nokia Corp., www.nokiausa.com; Omnipoint wireless service, www.omnipoint.com
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