Trade shows are often the catalyst for companies to announce new products and services. At CTIA 2008, we saw a number of handsets introduced by manufacturers, big and small. These ranged from simple candybar phones to state of the art smartphones, and were announced by nearly every major U.S. carrier.



Samsung Spex

The Samsung Spex was actually announced the week before CTIA by Leap Wireless, but we found out early in the conference that MetroPCS was announcing it as well. Like the C78, it is a simple candybar that isn’t too deep in features beyond Bluetooth. There is no camera on board. However, like the ZTE models, it does operate on the AWS spectrum. The folks from Leap Wireless describe it as their entry level phone. While it will come in at a price point a little north of $100, it will be the cheapest model so far to feature the AWS technology.









Samsung MyShot

Leap announced this phone at the same time as the Spex, and MetroPCS followed suit. To make a simple, loose analogy, the Spex is to the C78 as MyShot is to the C79. The MyShot is another AWS phone that features a 1.3 megapixel camera and Bluetooth. However, where it falls short of the C79 is that it does not have a media player. With Leap, it will run $149.99, so it’s a bit more expensive than the Spex. But it will fill the camera phone needs of people who want to upgrade to the AWS spectrum. Leap plans to announce further AWS markets through 2009, and I expect MetroPCS will as well.

 



Motorola Z9

Motorola seemed very up on their newest model, the Z9. The company is reportedly looking to sell off its handset division sometime in 2009, so they could stand to put out a quality handset or two this year. The Z9 is a sleek-looking slider that comes in a metallic maroon color. The 2-megapixel camera will make some people happy, as will the presence of Windows Media Player 11, complete with a microSD slot. The only problem I had was that the keys, though aesthetically pleasing, are tough to get used to. In an era where we’re sending billions of text messages each month, I would think Motorola would make button-tapping easy. Alas, it’s the only significant blemish on an otherwise quality phone. Expect a release in the near future through AT&T.

Motorola Q9c

If you never picked up the phone, you’d probably never be able to tell the difference between the Motorola Q9m, which was released last August, and the Q9c, which was announced by Verizon, Alltel, and U.S. Cellular this week. The difference is in the software package, which is geared a bit more towards the business user -- or as one Motorola representative  put it during the Smartphone Summit, the “Home CEO”. The Windows Mobile device features a 1.3-megapixel camera and Bluetooth. Even better, it has a healthy 128 megabytes of Flash memory on board. All three carriers will get the device in black, while Alltel and U.S. Cellular will also feature a lime green version. Pricing varies across carriers, though Verizon is eyeing a $249.99 price point.



BlackBerry Curve 8330

Since its release in 2007, the BlackBerry Curve has been one of Research In Motion’s more popular models. It’s a nice break from the 8800 series, as it features a camera, a rarity for non-Pearl BlackBerry models. Rumors began circulating earlier this year of the release of a CDMA version of the Curve, and we finally got word on which carriers will offer it. Sprint made the announcement before CTIA, but Verizon waited until the show was about to begin for its unveiling. It won’t feature WiFi like the T-Mobile Curve did, but it’s still a powerful device. It’s got a 2-megapixel camera, and will feature GPS. However, the folks at RIM could not verify whether or not the GPS unit would be tied to a particular carrier’s software.



Verizon Wireless XV6900

You might recognize this phone as the HTC Touch, and you wouldn’t be mistaken. This is Verizon’s version of the increasingly-popular touchscreen model, which runs on Windows Mobile. It features a heavy-duty microSD slot, with support for up to 8 gigabytes. It also has a 2-megapixel camera and Bluetooth 2.0. The hype on the VX6900 is that it can compete with the iPhone. I’ve heard that plenty of times, with few devices living up to expectations. It will be available in April for $349.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate.



Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1

This isn’t a new announcement, though Sony did tell us during CTIA that the XPERIA would run Windows Mobile 6.1. However, for most people, it was the first time they could get their hands on the device. It’s an arc-slider design, which separates it from many of its sliding brethren. The 3.2 megapixel camera is also an upgrade from many other camera phones, though it certainly adds to its relative heaviness: 5.1 oz. It features a media player, Bluetooth, and GPS. Also impressive is the 400 MB of onboard memory, as well as microSD expansion. Look for a release in the second half of 2008.



ZTE C78

The C78 comes from ZTE, a Chinese manufacturer that made its debut with the C88 on MetroPCS in February. The C78 isn’t all that impressive at a glance. It’s a basic candybar featuring a VGA camera and Bluetooth. However, despite its meager features, the C78 is designed to work on the Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) spectrum, a 3G platform that was auctioned off back in 2006. Both Leap Wireless and MetroPCS announced AWS launches during CTIA, though ZTE’s partnership with MetroPCS suggests that they’ll be getting these handsets.



ZTE C79

It’s difficult to look at the C79 and not think of the Motorola RAZR. It’s a bit slimmer, though, and, although it didn’t feel quite as thin as the RAZR, it won’t leave a lump in your pocket. It also operates on AWS, though it is a bit more feature-rich than its C78 counterpart. Its camera is upgraded to a 1.3-megapixel model, and it has stereo Bluetooth capabilities. An MP3 player comes stock, and includes a microSD slot so you can store more music. There is no word yet on pricing or availability of these ZTE models.

For more details on other cellular phones as well as reviews on the prepaid wireless offerings of wireless carriers, visit Prepaid Reviews at www.PrepaidReviews.com



Joe Pawlikowski is a Senior Editor for Prepaid Reviews, an independent website that reviews prepaid cell phone providers and reports on the prepaid wireless industry. He can be reached at info@prepaidreviews.com