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Best to Worst Cell Phone List: Review Library by Adam Fendelman

Apple’s iPhone 3G tops list while Virgin Mobile’s TNT! rounds out bottom

By Adam Fendelman, About.com

About.com cell phones guide Adam Fendelman presents his comprehensive collection of cell phone reviews ranked from best cell phone all the way down to worst cell phone.

Phones in this collection are rated on a scale of 0.0 all the way up to 5.0 based on a variety of factors including price, design, features, uniqueness, size, weight and more. Links are supplied with each to the full review.

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11. Upstage from Samsung (read full review)

Samsung UpstageImage © Samsung
Rating: 3.5/5.0
The Samsung Upstage is double-sided fun. With a standard cell phone on one side and multimedia-heavy applications on the other, the Upstage falls apart with its attempt at a touch screen. Compare prices...

12. 8700g from BlackBerry (read full review)

BlackBerry 8700gImage © Research in Motion
Rating: 3.5/5.0
The BlackBerry 8700g is a middle-of-the-pack handset designed for heavy mobile emailers. While the 8700g is by no means the definition of handset perfection, it gets the job done primarily for business-class phone users. Compare prices...

13. SPH-A640 from Samsung (read full review)

Samsung SPH-A640Image © Samsung
Rating: 3.5/5.0
Hello, basic cell phone. While the Samsung SPH-A640 doesn’t dress to impress, neither does it have an identity crisis. It knows it’s a basic phone and delivers relatively well on that single premise. Advanced users, though, would run screaming. Compare prices...

14. CU920 Vu TV from LG (read full review)

The LG CU920 Vu TVImage © LG
Rating: 3.0/5.0
The under-the-radar LG CU920 Vu TV surprises in its ability to pack a touch screen into a non-smartphone handset. Its leap, though, also proves to be its Achilles’ heel. The Vu can’t come close to comparing to the iPhone 3G or Samsung Instinct and isn’t even priced cheaper in order to make up for the difference. Compare prices...

15. Arc from UTStarcom

Arc by UTStarcom for Virgin MobileImage © UTStarcom
Rating: 3.0/5.0
Similar to the Samsung Slash, the Arc by UTStarcom for Virgin Mobile also manages to strut style and basic features for a low price. Still, it could have packed more for its price instead of turning away moderately advanced users. Compare prices...

16. Z9 from Motorola (read full review)

Motorola Z9 for AT&TImage © Motorola
Rating: 2.5/5.0
The Motorola Z9 is a confusing blend of what has been done exactly right and what should never be done again. While its feature set rings in impressively, some serious design flaws bring down what would have otherwise been a high rating. Compare prices...

17. Signature from Vertu

An image of a Vertu designer cell phoneImage © Vertu
Rating: 2.5/5.0
The Vertu Signature truly is in a league of its own. Whereas most cell phones on this 2008 list cost around $100, Vertu is an ultra-luxury line of cell phones featuring precious metals and gems.

Vertu is for the consumer who has it all and has the bank account to invest in the frivolous. The cheapest Vertu runs $5,100 and the most expensive (ready for this?) can cost $350,000. Compare prices...

18. TNT! from Kyocera (read full review)

TNT! by Kyocera Wireless for Virgin MobileImage © Kyocera Wireless
Rating: 2.0/5.0 (worst in 2008)
The TNT! had one clear mission: limbo as low as it possibly can go on price. At a pint-sized retail cost of $19.99, the TNT! succeeded.

Unfortunately, it’s so simple and basic that it can bore you to death. Where the TNT! ultimately blows up is in contrast to more interesting phones with more features for not much more money. Compare prices...

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