Saga i770

With the Samsung Renown, you'll have the ability to connect to wireless networks from Europe to South America to Asia thanks to its quad-band GSM/EDGE/GPRS connectivity. It comes pre-installed having a SIM card, so clients who plan to travel abroad can activate global service at the time of buy or by calling Verizon Wireless prior to leaving the U.S. For those who travel abroad frequently, the company's Global Value Strategy delivers discounted roaming charges on calls created to and from 130 countries.

A 400 MHz processor powers the Saga, backed by 256 MB RAM and up to 16 GB of expandable memory via a microSD card. Windows 6.1 Professional Edition boosts productivity with its capacity to view, edit and, in some instances, create Office documents, although the Opera Mobile internet browser delivers superb page rendering. The EVDO Rev. A network supports clear call top quality, quickly data transfer, corporate and personal email, and text, picture and video messaging. In its absence -- for example when the phone roams on quad-band GSM abroad -- integrated Wi-Fi steps up to the plate. The Saga also has GPS, Bluetooth, a full array of wireless radios, and it can double as a laptop modem. Sorely lacking, even so, is an IM client. Likewise, Verizon Wireless does not provide V CAST support for music and videos, although the Saga comes equipped with Windows Media Player.

Other perks contain a 2-megapixel video-capture camera, but Segan says it can't compete with the Samsung Omnia's 5-megapixel unit. Other performance issues noted by specialists and users consist of sluggish multi-application performance, a garbled speakerphone and non-standard 2.five mm jack. Poor reception is also a glitch, and in PCMag.com's testing, the BlackBerry Curve 8330 stays on the EVDO network more frequently. Inside the end, the majority of reviewers and testers give the Saga a thumbs-

up as a viable option for heavy travelers on Verizon Wireless.