New Samsung phones: From Rant and Behold to Eternity

The regular cell phone is getting, well, smarter. That is, more models allow you to open attached documents in Office apps such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint—a capability that was once exclusive to smart phones. A new batch of models from Samsung embodies the trend, as does one new model from LG.

Here's a rundown of these new arrivals, including some distinctions they showed in our labs. In a few days, we'll post full test results to our Ratings of cell phones, available to subscribers. Prices are after rebates and with a two-year contract from the cited carrier.

Samsung Rant, $50
A very popular phone (Click on image at right for a closer look), in spite of its association with Sprint, which hasn't fared well in our Ratings of cell-phone carriers. The attractive Rant (image above) complements its front keypad with a full QWERTY keyboard that slides out for easier texting. But, at 4.8 ounces, it's heavier than most cell phones.

Samsung Highnote, $100
Sliding the Highnote's faceplate down reveals a speaker for listening to music, while pushing it the other way uncovers a keypad for telephony and texting. Also from Sprint.

LG Lotus, $100
Folded closed, the wide, square-shape Lotus looks more like a cosmetics compact than a phone. But flip it open and you'll find a full QWERTY keyboard for typing text messages and dialing phone numbers. But you'll need big hands to handle this whopper, which is wider than most phones. Despite its bulk, however, the Lotus has a cramped keypad that makes dialing a challenge. We expect LG will soon to introduce other conventional cell phones with document-handling capabilities.

Samsung Behold, $150
The Behold, from T-Mobile, has a relatively large 3-in. touch-screen display with user-selectable widgets and virtual keyboard. Its full-featured camera has among the highest resolutions (at 4.9-megapixels) an impressive array of features, including ISO settings, anti-shake control, face and smile detection. Its images were very good overall, even in low-light conditions, comparing favorably to those from many 5-megapixel point-and-shoot cameras we've tested. However, the camera phone was slower to respond than many cameras when its shutter was pressed. And its handwriting-recognition feature lets you jot down numbers, letters, symbols, and punctuation, which are then converted to typed text.

Samsung Eternity, $150
Only 0.5 in. thick, the Eternity, offered by AT&T, is thinner than most cell phones, yet has a relatively large 3.2-inch touch screen display with a widget tool bar and virtual keyboard. Like its cousin, the Behold, it has a handwriting-recognition feature and better-than-average photographic prowess for a phone. Its 3.1-megapixel camera produced images comparable to those from a 3-megapixel point-and-shoot camera, though it was slower to respond than many cameras when its shutter was pressed. It also records video.

Samsung Rugby, $130
With its rugged, water-resistant case, the Rugby will keep you connected on tough terrain or in foul weather. But it's bulkier than most cell phones and it lacks some features you'd expect from much cheaper ones—like standard voice-activated dialing, voice command, and a standard headset connector and adapter.

—Mike Gikas