Helio Ocean

(4 out of 5)

MSRP: $295

This powerful and easy-to-use messaging phone crams a tidal wave of features into a groundbreaking dual-slider design.

More than just a gadget you want to be seen carrying, the Helio Ocean is a device hipsters--and aspiring ones--will covet for its innovative dual-slider design, robust instant-messaging and e-mail capabilities, MySpace integration, and music and video playback. Being able to search contacts and conduct a Web search right from the phone's idle screen is yet another reason to dive in. It has some issues, but the Ocean makes T-Mobile's slow and blocky SideKick 3   The 5.6-ounce, 0.9-inch thick Ocean isn't exactly supermodel thin, but we dig the soft-touch finish and oval design. Sliding up the brilliant 2.4-inch display in landscape mode reveals a slightly cramped but perfectly usable QWERTY keyboard. The layout seemed a bit too wide at first, but we were typing quickly in no time. Sliding the screen up when you hold the phone vertically reveals a traditional dialpad, making the Ocean more comfortable for use when making calls than the Sidekick. Too bad the dialpad is so big and slippery; we constantly entered the wrong digits.

Read Full Review @ LaptopMag.com by Mark Spoonauer