A review of Chatr Wireless Plans

The wireless market in Canada is heating up with some competitive cell phone plans. Rogers responded on Wednesday, July 28 with its own discount brand aimed at the same customers as Mobilicity, Wind  and Public Mobile. And they launched despite a threat from Mobilicity’s Chairman about taking Rogers to court if they proceeded with the launch – I guess we will have to see what happens.

What do I like about these plans?

Chatr is a prepaid brand which is almost identical to the offering of the other brands – no contracts, no fees and no credit checks. But with one main advantage – an already established network! So here are the key aspects of Chatr’s offering that I like:

• The Network – because this is Rogers network – it covers over 90% of the Canadian population – and is arguably the best in Canada (according to them!). This means their are no roaming hand offs or dropped calls when you travel outside of a zone and roam on another network as you would with Mobilicity, Wind Mobile or Public Mobile. It’s all one network.  Chatr calls it the “no worries” network.
• Simple plans – unlimited $35 plan, which essentially is unlimited calling to numbers in your province and a $45 plan which is unlimited calling in Canada, providing of course that you stay within your home zone.
• A larger home zone that the other players so customers will be able to go further with their phones without having to worry about out of zone fees
• Cheap phones – Most of their cell phones are under the $100 mark which is good for the truly discount crowd

What don’t I like?

I won’t repeat the fact that I’m not a big fan of prepaid plans – I guess I just did – but here are my thoughts on what I’m not so sure about:

• Eliminate the zones – don’t limit people in a zone if the network is already covered. I think there is an opportunity for a $65 plan without any zones – but we’ll see.
• The cell phone selections are limited – I guess this is the point – cheap, simple and limited phone choices. While this may be so, I’m sure Rogers can have a wider selection of sub $100 plans for customers to choose from – let’s see what happens in the future
• $0.25 to retrieve voicemail on the $35/month plan! C’mon throw in the voicemail or just don’t have it at all.
• 50 text messages in the $35 plan is too small, what I suggest is a $25 dollar plan with a limited text bucket of say 50 text messages and the $35 dollar plan with something like 2500 or unlimited.
• I would like to see a better offering on the long distance side. More creativity along the likes of Mobilicity and Public Mobile with their unlimited LD packages.

Conclusion

So it seems to me that Chatr is simply a copy of what’s already their in market – no real surprises and nothing innovative here, its essentially Rogers response to a space that they do not play very well in. Do I blame them, no! This was in the works for a some time and while it provides an additional choice for consumers it also adds to the confusion.

BlackBerry Bold 9800 Preview

The BlackBerry line of products are number 1 in North America based on current market shares. Recently this market share has been threatened by Apple and it’s iPhone products, despite its current issues and the Google’s Android products led by manufacturer HTC. One of the main reasons for this is that these new smartphones better target consumers and provide a richer cell phone experience – better browsing and social media interaction for example.

RIM is aware of this and will be providing an operating system upgrade this fall which will improve the smartphone experience for existing and new customers.  The web is alight with RIM’s next flag ship product – rumored to be the BlackBerry Bold 9800 slider phone.  One of the key features I like about RIM is its full QWERTY keyboard along with its trackpad functionality.  So how do you preserve the keyboard functionality which many BlackBerry users like and have grown accustomed to while providing a large screen and rich experience expected from today’s smartphones – you come out with a slider phone!

This allows the die hard users to use the keyboard and trackpad if needed to  respond to long emails while still providing the options to use the touch screen functionality.  There are quite a few features that are expected to be a part of the Bold 9800 release:

• Upgraded Webkit browser (better browsing experience)
• Enhanced media player (this needs to rival iTunes)
• 512 MB of RAM
• WiFi functionality
• SurePress technology as part of the on screen keyboard
• 4GB of on board storage
• > 5 mega pixel camera

While none of these features have been confirmed, this will be the first smartphone from BlackBerry, if they get it right, that can start their climb back to the top of the ladder.

No release date has been issued but I would expected it before September month end this year.

Apple’s rivals quick to respond to Apple’s accusations

Apple’s antenna saga continues with some strong responses by its rivals who were uninvitedly brought into the iPhone 4 antenna issues via a presentation from Steve Jobs during their press conference yesterday.  In Jobs’ presentation, Apple claimed that the iPhone antenna issues were not isolated to the iPhone but also to other cell phones (smartphones) in the industry like the BlackBerry Bold 9700, HTC Droid Eris, Samsung Omnia II and during the question and answer period highlighted Nokia phones as having similar issues.

Well as expected, the response from the manufactures of these phones was swift and pointed. RIM’s co-CEOs released a joint statement defending their designs and essentially shifting the focus back to Apple:

“Apple’s attempt to draw RIM into Apple’s self-made debacle is unacceptable. Apple’s claims about RIM products appear to be deliberate attempts to distort the public’s understanding of an antenna design issue and to deflect attention from Apple’s difficult situation. RIM is a global leader in antenna design and has been successfully designing industry-leading wireless data products with efficient and effective radio performance for over 20 years. During that time, RIM has avoided designs like the one Apple used in the iPhone 4 and instead has used innovative designs which reduce the risk for dropped calls, especially in areas of lower coverage. One thing is for certain, RIM’s customers don’t need to use a case for their BlackBerry smartphone to maintain proper connectivity. Apple clearly made certain design decisions and it should take responsibility for these decisions rather than trying to draw RIM and others into a situation that relates specifically to Apple.”

- Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie

HTC was a little more coy in their response, indicating that only 0.016% of customers called in for antenna related issues much lower than Apple’s 0.55% rate. Nokia also responded and in their statement they indicated that while the antenna performance of its phones may be affected by a tight grip, their phones were designed for practical use and that thousands of man hours go into the design and placement of their antennas.

So there you have it, “antennagate” continues, let’s hope that Apple will focus on its own problems and come up with a solution that puts this issue to bed.

The internet was ablaze today with buzz, prior to, during and after Apple’s iPhone 4 Press conference.   We read with anticipation as we refreshed the webpage – specials thanks to Engadget - to see what Apple’s next move would be.  Wondering what others were thinking, our team started to check out the comments and soon enough, emails were flying around the office.  We had such a laugh this afternoon we decided to share our TOP 10 list  - David Letterman style -  of iPhone 4 press conference wisecracks.  So here it is, the -

TOP 10 LMAO Comments from Apple’s iPhone 4 Press Conference

#	LMAO Top 10 Comments
10	Halfway through the conference and I feel like I’m listening to a 10 year-old kid making up excuses for why he did bad on his test. “Mom, it’s not me that’s bad – everyone else is bad too! – Rimmy, Sammy and HTC-ey – they suck too! – and here’s an edited video to prove it!”…
9	All you iPhone 4 users, enjoy your phone condom. Me and my Android will go make a call without
8	So, basically, they – Apple – took 22 days to find the right “wrong-way” to hold other phones to get them to drop bars…
7	Just avoid holding it in that way. Steve Jobs Sent from my iPh — Steve lost reception
6	Only .05% of iPhone 4 users called Applecare because that was all that could get a signal to make the call
5	State of the art test facility, 17 anechoic chambers, $100 million investment, 18 PhD scientists & engineers…and they still blew it!
4	Steve’s holding this press conference wrong
3	Here’s hoping for an iGlove to be announced!
2	Only MacGruber can fix the antenna issues. “Nana! Scooter me over that duck tape!”
1	Steve Jobs says,”We’ve been working our butts off so we can come up with real solutions.”…”earlier in the week when I was on vacation in Hawaii.”

So there you have it, the conference may be over the solution may be less than ideal for many and the jokes I am sure won’t stop for a while or at least until September 30th.  So, let us know whether you will buy the – Bumper Phone 4 – wait it out or buy an Android or BlackBerry device.

Here is a totally funny iPhone 4 video that I am sure Apple wouldn’t be happy about, but it sure is funny.

iPhone 4 to launch in Canada on July 30th

Today Apple held its iPhone 4 press conference to address the issues associated with iPhone 4 signal defect, jokingly coined by Steve Jobs as “Antennagate”. During the press conference Steve Jobs also indicated that the iPhone 4 will be available to 17 other countries including Canada on July 30th. So the iPhone will be finally here at the end of the month – Bell has confirmed that the iPhone 4 will be available on July 30th, so it is confirmed.

Apple’s Bumper phone 4

So back to the iPhone antenna defect, essentially there will be no recall of the 3 million iPhone 4 cell phones sold to date, instead Apple will address the issue as follows:

• Apple will provide a free “Bumper” or rubber case to each user who purchases an iPhone 4
• If you have purchased a case already from Apple it will be refunded
• Full refund to every user who is unsatisfied with their iPhone 4 experience

This promotion will be available until September 30 at which point Apple will consider whether to end the promotion and move forward or to continue the promotion.

My Thoughts

This is clearly a band aid solution to a problem which has plagued an otherwise ground breaking cell phone launch.  The “Bumper” solution buys Apple more time to figure out a software fix that will adequately address the issue. In addition, what the free case does, is provide a non-conductive barrier between the user of the device and the antenna of the phone, very similar to Consumer Reports “duct tape solution” only nicer.

In my opinion this is clearly  a design flaw, too big to recall at this stage and the fact that it has been highlighted to such an extent only shines more light on a glaring weakness.  What I didn’t like about the way Steve Jobs made his case is to indicate that the other smartphones in the industry have a similar design issue – c’mon don’t bring the BlackBerry Bold into this discussion, deal with the key issue at hand – the iPhone antenna!

My prediction is that Apple will come out with a major software update for the iPhone 4 that will alleviate or reduce the signal attenuation problems currently being experienced before September 30 – they have to come up with a better solution.  Let’s see how this saga unfolds.

Of course we will be in a prime position – myCELLmyTERMS – to see if this issue affects the number of iPhone 4 proposals we see in the upcoming months and we will keep you posted.

BlackBerry OS 6.0 Review

We haven’t seen a new device from Research in Motion (RIM) in some time and more importantly a device that will compete head-to-head with the likes of Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Android products.  The 9500 and 9700 series BlackBerrys have served RIM well and still command top 10 positions for phone requests on the myCELLmyTERMS cell phone deal network. That being said, the necessity for RIM to launch a new BlackBerry device NOW can’t be understated. Luckily for them, not only will we see a new device, but a new operating system – OS 6.0

Even though details are still sketchy at this time, here are the five reasons we look forward to the launch of BlackBerry 6.0 and whatever device they install it on.

1. First off, the new Home Screen is the first major change you will notice.   It appears RIM has made the homescreen completely customizable with pages. You can have your applications on the main page, then slide left or right to another page with different applications and browse that way.
2. Webkit OS – This is just a fancy way of saying – a better web browsing experience on BlackBerry devices, finally.  No more saying, “ahhh, I’ll check it on my laptop.”  More specifically, multitouch for photos, music and of course pinch to zoom along with tabbing and other cool features will be standard.  And by the way, it will also support Flash.
3. A rejigged media player makes the navigation and experience akin to – dear I say – using iTunes.
4. The new BlackBerry OS 6.0 will feature modal popups with gestures.  This will make interacting with the device that much more intuitive.  By tapping and holding, a context menu group of 9 icons will appear on the screen. So let’s say, you are composing an email, and instead of pressing Menu + Send, you could tap and hold on the email, see the context menu, and hit the send icon there. Given the typical functions a cell phone user does, gestures will be a welcome addition to the BlackBerry experience.
5. Rounding out our top 5, we must comment on the User Interface.  While some have already argued that it is moving closer to Apple’s look and feel I still think they have managed to maintain the BlackBerry look and feel and with universal search across the system, OS 6.0 is eagerly anticipated.

Based on what we have heard, BlackBerry OS 6.0 should launch in time for back to school or September at the latest. The other key question is what new device will RIM bring to market to make the most of this new OS. Will it be the BlackBerry 9800 trying to be the best of both worlds by offering a full QWERTY keyboard as well as a sizeable touch screen.  Whatever device it is we can’t wait to learn more, but given the time since RIM’s last launch and the strides made by Apple and Google the expectations will be even higher.

See a sneak peek of BlackBerry 6.0 in action for yourself.

A Review of the Samsung s8500 wave

The Samsung Wave launched in Canada this month on Bell’s and Rogers’ networks. It’s  available for for $299.95 without a contract from Bell and for only $29.95 on a 3 year contract while it will cost you $395 at Rogers and $79.99 on a 3 year contract. This is the first device from Samsung on its new operating system called “Bada” which incidentally means “ocean” in Korean – quite appropriate if you ask me to have the first device named “Wave” on an Ocean platform.

This device is a smartphone that feels like a feature based cell phone. Samsung’s regular guy smartphone or revved up feature phone – the phone is inexpensive like a feature phone with the full fledged features of a smartphone. Being the first of a future series of “Bada” phones I believe I was sceptical when I first took alook at this device – first isn’t always great but this cell phone did not disappoint me, in fact I was pleasantly surprised.

This is what I liked!

The phone is sleek, slender, light and has a great feel to it and comes in a rather impressive 10.9mm thin metal body and scratch resistant glass surface. This smartphone has the best screen display of any smartphone I’ve seen in market today – incredible display, the colours are incredible vivid and crisp and its has one of the best visibility’s outside with its enhance AMOLED screen. Here are the key features that wowed me:

• The wave comes with a 3.3” 16M colour Super AMOLED touch screen with multi-touch input support and display supports TouchWiz 3.0
• A 1GHz processor with quad band GSM/HSPA dual band 7.2 Mbps support
• WiFI 802.11b/g/n connectivity with tethering app support – it also comes with a feature which turns the phone into a mini hotspot so that your notebook can connect to it remotely (now this is nice)
• Built in GPS receiver with A-GPS support, digital compass, along with Samsung’s Mobile navigator
• A 5 MP camera with touch focus, LED flash, geo-tagging with face, smile and blink detection
• 720p high definition recording
• Stereo FM radio with RDS, FM recording
• Great social media integration with YouTube client, Facebook and Twitter integration – its contacts list tells you which social media connections your contacts have with nice symbols next to their names (facebook, twitter, email etc)
• It comes with 390 MB of user memory, 1GB of storage for Bada apps and 550M of messaging space but there is a microSDHC card slot for expansion
• This phone comes with the Samsung Dolphin Browser 2.0 which supports full flash support, but it didn’t seem to connect very nicely to a website with flash support – maybe it was just me
• Impressive audio quality
• Overall this phone impressed the hell out of me. It had a nice overall feel to me nice smooth scrolling and included Android like features like drop down notifications of WiFi and volume settings.

Well, this is what I didn’t like!

As this is the first Bada OS device from Samsung you would expect a few quirks here and there and there are a few that requires a mention or two – here is my list of things that I find Samsung can certainly improve:

• The number one issue is the limited number of Bada applications with less than 100 apps available the Bada operating system has some growing to do to truly maximize the benefit of this interface – this is just the beginning so hopefully Samsung can grow its ecosystem of applications
• The built in Navigation system is limited and could do with some work
• Quite a few quirks with the usability of the operating system for example the search function isn’t quite optimal the keyboard screen doesn’t alway pop up smoothely which makes it difficult to type in your search parameters
• RAM issues – this device could certainly use more memory 390MB doesn’t seem to cut it – there are several memory full notifications with a limited set of applications running
• USB connection to the device disables applications and the screen goes blank – this process needs to be better

Conclusion

The Samsung wave is an impressive start for the Bada based operating system. It has one of the sharpest screens in the market rivaling the iPhone 4 and many Android cell phones. It has an impressive array of features with great social media integration and comes with all the key features you would want in a feature rich phone but lack the applications availability typically associated with Bada’s smartphone contenders like Android, Apple and BlackBerry.

In Canada this phone is available on Rogers and Bell’s networks. Leverage the myCELLmyTERMs portal to get  competitive bids and compare cell phone plans to get the best deal available.

Wind Mobile’s Cell Phone Plans

After much brouhaha regarding Wind’s license and ability to operate they have finally launched and are available in Toronto as of Dec 16. Wind currently operates in Toronto, Calgary, Ottawa and Edmonton.

So now that they are in market I’ve had a chance to review their plans. So what do I think? Not many surprises but it’s a good start. We knew that Globalive would be entering the market with unlimited type plans around the $45 price point and they did.

What do I like!

Reviewing Wind Mobile’s plans and features – these are the nuggets that I like:

• No Fees – no system access, no 911 fees, no activation fees
• No contracts – we saw this coming
• No nickel and diming on the minutes – Province Wide calling for $35, Nationwide calling for $45
• No extra charges for incoming text messages for all plans and no extra charges for incoming calls with the $35 and $45 voice plans options
• Nothing extra for Caller ID always included
• Unlimited data even with tethering that’s great

Wind also has some great promotions and these seem to be ongoing. I know there is a $150 port in credit from any one who comes from Rogers or their brands which includes Fido and Chatr up until Aug 15. Earlier they were targeting Bell, I think TELUS may be next. In addition, there is a 50% off all data add on promotion.

In essence unlimited calling plans are here and we can expect some certainty in billing. Another feature that I like is that the plans are relatively simple, though they could be presented a bit better.

What don’t I like!

Well given all these great features and nuggets its difficult to find anything not to like – unfortunately I did:

• Must be within your “Home Zone” – we are back to zones already! I understand the need as their coverage areas are limited and they need time to develop the rest of the network. Doesn’t mean I have to like it!
• $450 for the Bold 9700 – expensive. While this device price probably has some subsidy it remains to be seen if Canadians will fork out close to $500 for a new Smartphone. I would have loved to see some older models like the blackberry curve series for around the $100 – $200 price point. Maybe we will soon.
• $70 – $80 for an unlimited Smartphone plan – yikes!  Yes we do get unlimited data as part of it and “unlimited” calling but I would have loved to see a few options in the $50 – $65 range (Wind is now offering more data add plans and promotions from $5 to $35 for unlimited internet).  The mid to high tier users may find this plan attractive however.
• Limited coverage. I expected more coverage – while the GTA is covered, if you are travelling north of Vaughan and Richmond Hill you will have to pay roaming charges.  This is temporary and Wind will continue to build its network where coverage will no-longer be an issue.
• Voice mail add on – $5. No Voicemail in the plans – it is included in the $45 plan but not the others.

Conclusion

All in all this is a good start by Wind Mobile. We now have another choice in the market and competition will be good for the industry. I believe Wind will be a victim of great expectations and they will not be able to live up to them. With over $1 billion invested – they are a company that has to make money and repay their debts and obligations.  So while “saviours” of the wireless industry branding may be a ball and chain – let’s give them an opportunity to execute and grow.

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5 important things to know about Canadian cell phone plans.

The Canadian cell phone industry is confusing and difficult to understand. When comparing plans you have to deal with calling circle plans, specified evenings and weekend minutes, “anytime” minutes – its all so confusing. Well here are 5 items that you may not be aware of that you should know while you compare cell phone plans:

1. Long distance isn’t quite long distance

I always thought that if you were on a 100 min long distance plan that these minutes were in addition to my other minutes as I am paying extra for them. But what long distance plans do is to convert your regular minutes to long distance minutes. In other words, 100 of your 200 min plan is allocated for long distance usage as opposed to 200 regular mins plus 100 additional for long distance.

2. Unlimited is NOT unlimited

I always remember the customer who got an “unlimited” data plan and got a bill for $5,000 the following month. He was tethering his phone continuously for one month. Not an issue because he had an unlimited data plan or so he thought. Here are some things to consider about “unlimited” plans:

• Unlimited data – find out the exceptions, for example no tethering or whether there is a fair usage clause meaning that the plan is unlimited based on some expected usage amount.
• Unlimited incoming – typically unlimited incoming plans are limited to coverage areas. That is, once you are in your local coverage area, all incoming calls are unlimited and there are no additional fees, however outside of your local area there may be additional costs. Find out about your coverage area before you finalize your plan.
• Unlimited calling – I’m yet to see an unlimited calling plan that is nationwide meaning you can travel to anywhere in Canada and make unlimited calls at no additional cost to you. There are usually exceptions, for example unlimited calling available for a specified period, 3 months or 6 months or limited to a coverage area like a city or province, so ask before going off on a calling spree.
• Unlimited long distance – this plan converts your regular “anytime” minutes to long distance minutes. So if you have 400 anytime minutes then you ONLY Have 400 long distance minutes. So much for unlimited long distance calling.

3. Beware of Roaming

There are two types of roaming charges, voice and data roaming. If you will be traveling beware of the latter.  If you are like me you would think that if you never used your phone to call anyone then there should not be any roaming charges while traveling overseas. Well think again! You may still incur roaming charges once your phone is on as it checks your email servers, receive messages and emails even though you are not using it. The only way to avoid these charges would be to turn off your phone or turn off data roaming. You can save yourself hundreds of dollars by doing this in advance of your trip.

4. Beware of the dreaded first bill effect

Have you ever signed up for a $50 plan and when your first bill comes its $125? How? You’ve just been hit by the dreaded first bill effect.  There are a two reasons for this:

• Advanced billing – typically when you sign up for a postpaid contract they bill you for your next month plus charge you for your previous month – so $50 plan from your previous month + $50 plan for your next month’s usage

• Timing – you were placed on a later billing cycle so when you received your bill, there was a period in the previous cycle which you were billed for in this case $25. So your total bill is now $50 (advance billing) + $50 (previous month’s plan) + $25 (additional usage or overage from prior period) = $125.

How do you avoid this? Ask to be placed on a bill cycle closest to your activation date that way you won’t be hit with a double whammy!

5. Be wary of Brands

Have you ever told a Bell rep that they should give you a better deal because Virgin is offering a richer cell phone plan? Well you won’t be the first, but what you don’t know is that Bell won’t mind if you went with Virgin because you are still with Bell. Virgin is fully owned and operated by Bell, so is Solo. The same goes for Rogers and Fido and now their new wireless brand Chatr and for Telus and Koodo – branding combinations aimed to keep customers under one house or company.

The table below will help you navigate this web of brands:

These are key discussion points we have with customers who compare cell phone plans from different carriers on the myCELLmyTERMS.com portal. Customers are generally shocked to learn how confusing the industry is and we make it our goal to help them understand the stranger nuances involved in choosing the right plan for them.

This Top 10 list was put together by the team at myCELLmyTERMS and we had to limit it to the last decade just to stop the internal fist fights – just kidding. It was also put together for the Canadian market despite all of its shortcomings. (i.e. One GSM player up until Q3 of 2009, higher pricing, limited data plans, three main carriers Bell, Rogers, TELUS, and the list goes on and on.)

So how did we define Top 10, well these were devices of their time. They were trendy, they were cool, everyone had one or wanted one and it changed the market by being revolutionary in some way.  So, let’s take a trip down cell phone memory lane.

#	Cell Phone / Smart Phone	Why it made the lists.
10		HandSpring Treo 180 Okay, so perhaps we were just finishing university, but when this phone launched it was the first of its kind. My professor had one of these and we thought he was rich. The perfect blend for its time between PDA, which many people had as a stand alone device, and cell phone. It was capable of running all of Palm OS applications. For professionals the future was looking bright and Palm was quaking in their boots.
9		BlackBerry 5810 The BlackBerry 5810 came along in early 2002, the little Waterloo company wasn’t so little anymore and Research In Motion had become best known for their data capabilities: Push e-mail technology, organizer features, and the now iconic QWERTY keyboards. This was the first BlackBerry to offer voice capabilities.
8		Sanyo SCP-5300 We deliberated on this one for quiet a while. Truth be told I barely remember this phone myself, perhaps because of how basic it looks by today’s standards, but a couple of my team mates believe this phone was the first flip phone with a built in camera available in Canada and that’s what made it special. Next…
7		Motorola Razr V3 This phone was iconic. No doubt about it. Let’s not forget there was a time when a flip phone was king. The mere act of flipping a phone open to make or better yet end a call was COOL. Was it not? I remember being in England in late 2004 and seeing line ups out the door to buy this phone for the equivalent of $800 CDN. This phone was sleek, it was thin and it ushered in a whole new era of design. Damn, how the years fly by!
6		Motorola V600 Everyone was chasing Motorola when this phone was the sh.. It ushered in the era of ring tones. Anyone remember them, that market all but seems dried up. The V600 was another flip phone in a line up of cool devices from Motorola when it owned the cell phone market with upwards of 45% market share. My, my, my, how things change.
5		Motorola Rokr E1 Okay, i know what your thinking. A brick made the list! When Motorola dropped this phone in 2005 it’s claim to fame was that it synced up with Apple’s iTunes, had a slot for a microSD card (512MB) VGA camera with flash, Bluetooth and I have been cautioned not to forget the rhythm lights. At the time this was the best of both worlds and Apple teamed up with Motorola to release this phone. Having a phone that you could actually listen to your music. Wow! Amazing!
4		BlackBerry Pearl In 2006 all of my girlfriends had one of these phones. It seemed like the perfect purse accessory. This phone made the transition to the consumer space for Research In Motion and all of a sudden owning a BlackBerry wasn’t only about productivity. The Pearl was the first phone where design wasn’t secondary and it was the first BlackBerry to have a camera, an audio/video player and of course BlackBerry’s email services.
3		Google Nexus One Slated as the first “super phone” and the first true iPhone Killer it makes this list with ease. With its Snap dragon 1Ghz processor, 480 x 800 resolution, 3.7″ screen and a 5-megapixel camera make this device special. Google partnered with HTC to bring this device to market, and the Nexus really made Android a buzz word for most. The phone itself set the stage for a show down between Google and Apple and although Google’s direct to consumer strategy failed, and the sales figures may have disappointed the Android movement is in full effect and the sum of the vendor partners are a force to reckon with.
2		BlackBerry Bold 9700 With its sexy beveled edges and ultra neat design the Bold 9700 has remained in the top 2 device requests at myCELLmyTERMS. With Wi-Fi, GPS media player, organizer, bluetooth, expandable memory and tethering capability this device has become phone of choice for millions of professionals and prosumers alike.
1		Apple iPhone Don’t need to say much here. When Motorola and the other phone manufacturers were busy racing to make the thinnest, sleekest device, Apple was busy working on the smartest device, blazed a whole new trail and are yet to look back.

I guess the coolest thing about these phones is that you remember where you were when they were first released or became popular. They helped define a generation -  for 70s babies at least – and paved the way for innovation today that seems common place.

I wonder if there is a market for retro cell phones like retro team apparel and if so would you buy one?

What do you think about the Top 10 list? What did we miss and why do you think it should have made the list?