Cool Yule Rating: 4.5 stars
Price: $49.99 (after rebates, with 2-year plan)
Description: While it certainly doesn’t have the coolness of an Apple iPhone, the Samsung Rant (with service by Sprint) is a solidly built, well-designed cell phone aimed at the frequent text message user. The Rant sports a full-slide QWERTY keyboard that transforms the device from a vertically oriented cell phone to a horizontally oriented dream device for responding to e-mail, text messages and instant messages. Scrolling through a Web page or viewing video is also more enjoyable on a screen that’s wider than deep.
The Rant’s phone interface is very intuitive and easy on the fingers. All the number keys are raised, as is the Back key and the OK key. The Rant has a tool bar of sorts at the bottom of the screen – icons that take you to the Internet, messaging, shortcuts, Sprint navigation, Google and “My account.” With the glut of phones on the market today, the Rant certainly isn’t the flashiest, but it does deliver strong functionality for an IT executive who needs a sturdy, reliable phone for e-mail, text and IM, plus staying connected to the Web. The Rant runs on Sprint’s 3G EV-DO network and connects to all things Sprint, such as the Sprint Music Store, Sprint TV and Sprint Navigation. At $49.99, this phone is a bargain.
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