Nine cell phones that make great gifts

by Michelle L on November 25, 2009

It’s that time of year again. Christmas music is on the radio, the scent of cookies and other yummy treats wafts through the air, and people are kinder to each other. That is, until Black Friday when if you don’t move fast enough, you’ll get trampled. People go nuts just trying to get into stores to take advantage of all those deals retailers are offering on everything from big screen TVs to yes, even cell phones. And that has happened in previous years when the United States wasn’t even in a recession. Imagine how crazy the stores are going to be this year with everyone trying to get as much stuff while spending as little as possible. But you have a choice. You don’t have to subject yourself to the insanity of Black Friday to get good deals. You don’t even have to wait until Cyber Monday to find great gifts at great prices. If you’re considering giving a friend or loved one a cell phone this holiday season, you can shop all you want from the comfort of your own home, and get a good deal right now.

Note that the prices listed below may require two-year contracts, and may be available only with the application of discounts and mail-in rebates. Please check with the appropriate provider for requirements and terms.

iPhone 3GS

Two and a half years after its initial launch, the iPhone from Apple and AT&T is still one of the most coveted cell phones. Part of the reason is that it’s so much more than just a cell phone. With all its features, it’s basically like carrying a hand-held computer around everywhere. It allows users to check e-mail, keep up with social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, manage a calendar, find nearby restaurants or other merchants, perform Internet searches, take photos, play games, and do thousands of other things made possible by tens of thousands of apps.

There are still issues with AT&T’s service. Although they finally made multimedia messaging available in September, the iPhone still cannot be tethered without jailbreaking it, and the carrier seems to be focusing more on reputation management than rolling out new features in response to Verizon’s aggressive ads. Still, these issues haven’t slowed sales, or altered iPhone users’ loyalty very much.

The iPhone 3GS has a few different price points. The 16GB model sells for $199 new, while the 32GB model costs $299 new. If you don’t mind buying electronics that have been used but returned to like-new condition by the manufacturer, you can buy refurbished models for $149 and $249, respectively.

Droid

It’s no coincidence that Verizon released its iPhone competitor when it did. A couple of weeks after its release, the Droid is doing well both in sales and reviews. It offers many of the same features as the iPhone—a Web browser, touch screen, hundreds of apps available from Android Market. But it also has a couple of distinct advantages over the iPhone—a 5-megapixel camera, as opposed to the 3 megapixels the iPhone 3GS offers. The Droid also has a slide-out keyboard, addressing one of the chief complaints from iPhone users, that the touch screen keyboard is difficult to use.

Quarterly sales figures on the Droid won’t be available until after the holidays, so we won’t know for a while just how much competition it’s giving the iPhone. The fact that Verizon plans to allow tethering on the Droid next year may further increase sales once it’s available. On top of all that, it also appears as though Apple is creating a new iPhone that would be compatible with Verizon’s network, which would do away with its having to compete with AT&T’s iPhone at all. Next year will be a very interesting one for both carriers.

The Droid costs $199.99. It might cost a little less if Verizon didn’t have to pay a licensing fee to Lucasfilm, LTD.

Palm Pre

Some may disagree with this pick from Sprint, and favor the HTC Hero, which also runs on Android software, instead. While that is a great phone, there are a couple of reasons to like the Palm Pre a little more. First of all, the Hero is basically the same phone as the Droid Eris offered by Verizon. (See below) So you can conceivably get the same phone for a lower price than the Hero. Second, one of the best features offered by the Palm Pre is the ability to easily switch between applications, something the iPhone hasn’t mastered yet, except in its browser.

The Palm Pre works much the same way, making it possible to shuffle from app to app without having to close one to open another. You can look up a business in the browser, then switch right over to the contact list to add the phone number without having to close the browser, then open it back up when you forget the number you just looked up.

The Palm Pre sells for $149.99.

MyTouch 3G

To be honest, the MyTouch makes this list not because it’s truly one of the best phones out there, but because T-Mobile has a very limited selection of smartphones. There’s a reason why T-Mobile is the number four wireless carrier in the United States. Several reasons, actually, but that’s a big one. If the company doesn’t add more to its repertoire soon, it’s going to be left far behind as the other carriers advance further and further.

That said, the MyTouch isn’t a bad phone, just not as great as other smartphones available from other carriers. But if you, or the person you’re buying a gift for is a
T-Mobile customer, then the MyTouch is the way to go. It offers a 3.2-inch touchscreen, a music player, a 3.2-megapixel camera, which is just slightly better than the iPhone’s 3-megapixel camera. It’s also offered MMS since it was launched, as well as Google Talk and several other apps.

The price has come down since its mid-year launch. It was $199, but now sells for $149.99.

Options Under $100

iPhone 3G

The iPhone 3GS offers a few advantages over the 3G, most notably a higher resolution camera, and more speed when using applications and the browser. Eventually, the 3G will probably be phased out altogether, but for now, it’s still available to those who either aren’t early adopters, or who want an iPhone without spending a ton of money.

When the iPhone 3GS was released, the price of the 8GB iPhone 3G immediately dropped to $99. It is still available new, and still at that price, but only in the 8GB model. In order to get a 16GB model, you would need to buy a refurbished phone, which would save you even more money. Refurbished 8GB models go for $49, while refurbished 16GB iPhones cost $99.

Droid Eris

Verizon’s Droid was initially set to launch on October 20, but the company postponed the release until November 6 so it could be launched concurrently with the Droid Eris. It’s possible the carrier didn’t want the Droid to overshadow its other Android phone, or it just wanted customers to have a lower cost option. Or it may have had something to do with handset makers wanting equal attention, since the Droid is made by Motorola, but the Eris is manufactured by HTC. Whatever the reason, the Eris is more than a lower cost option to the Droid; it’s a slightly differently featured version of the Droid.

It lacks the slide-out keyboard, instead offering a touchscreen keyboard, but the Eris also features HTC’s Sense UI, so that can’t really be considered a disadvantage, despite the fact that it requires Android 1.5 rather than 2.0. HTC is already working on an upgrade, though. The screen resolution is slightly less than that offered by the Droid, but it’s just as slim and lightweight. It’s also less expensive.

The Droid Eris costs $99.99.

Palm Pixi

Much like the Eris is the Droid’s less developed little brother, so is the Palm Pixi to the Palm Pre. Instead of the Pre’s slide-out keyboard, the Pixi has an exposed keyboard. The touchscreen is a bit smaller, but it’s also slimmer and lighter than the Pre. The biggest difference—and possibly, disadvantage—is that the Pixi does not have Wi-Fi. Despite this, it’s still a good low-cost alternative to the more expensive Pre.

The Pixi could make a great gift for teenagers, especially since it seems to be geared toward social media use, including an integrated Facebook application. It also features an artist’s series, with colorful cases designed by contemporary artists.

The Palm Pixi goes for $99.99.

Dash 3G

Again, options from T-Mobile are limited, but the Dash 3G is a pretty decent phone for the price. It’s basic, as far as features and applications go. It offers several instant messaging clients, a color display, an exposed keyboard, and a camera. In fact, the camera captures and plays back video, something some of the more expensive smartphones have yet to do.

The Dash 3G is a good phone for T-Mobile customers on a budget, but if you can splurge a little, you would probably be happier with the MyTouch 3G.

The Dash 3G costs $99.99.

Hint QA30

We couldn’t neglect those of you who live in the limited areas serviced by U.S. Cellular. While their phones and service are only available in certain parts of the United States, they do offer nationwide calling, and their prices for both phones and service are pretty reasonable. They also include roaming on most of their plans, so if you do travel outside their service area, you won’t be hit with huge roaming fees.

Because US Cellular is a smaller provider, though, their selection of smartphones is even smaller than T-Mobile’s. They’re not one of the big players courted by the big handset makers, so they don’t carry any of the sought-after mobile phones that are popular with consumers right now. That doesn’t mean they don’t have anything to offer, though. The Hint QA30 is smaller than most cell phones when it’s closed, and has a rounded square shape different from most oblong phones. It’s lengthened a bit by the slide-out keyboard, which is very compact, to the point where it may be difficult for someone with larger hands to use. The Hint would probably make a great phone for a teenager.

Its camera only offers 2 megapixels, but it captures video, which is a plus. It also offers a color display, expandable memory, voice command capability, a speakerphone, and about 4.5 hours of talk time. At just 4.1 ounces, it’s nice and lightweight, and its compact shape won’t take up much room in a pocket or purse. From a carrier with options as limited as its service area, the Hint QA30 is a good choice for gift-giving.

The Hint QA30 sells for $79.95.

Filed under : Cell Phones