5 Best T-Mobile Phones For 2010

You carry your phone almost everywhere, so it's important that you find the model that's right for you and one that works with your carrier. There are five handsets that are said to be the top T-Mobile phones right now in any category. If you'd like to drill deeper, follow the links at the left for our favorite cell phones in several categories. These lists change frequently, so check back often.

Google Nexus One

The coveted "Google phone" is finally here, but the HTC Nexus One ($180 with a two-year contract with T-Mobile, or $530 unlocked; prices as of January 12, 2010) isn't quite the superphone that Google intimated it would be. It lacks some valuable features--like multitouch and Outlook calendar syncing--that we've seen on competing models, and the Android keyboard can be difficult to use. That said, the Nexus One's speedy Qualcomm Snapdragon 1GHz processor definitely sets it apart from the Android pack in performance.

Motorola Cliq

The Motorola Cliq ($200 with a two-year contract from T-Mobile) caught my attention because of its sleek design and its innovative MotoBlur overlay for Android. For hardcore social networkers, the Motorola Cliq is a dream phone. You get fast access to all of your accounts and a well-designed QWERTY keyboard for typing long messages. If you aren't into social networking or if you want to keep that information limited to your computer, you may be turned off by the Cliq.

Research in Motion BlackBerry Bold 9700

Research In Motion's Blackberry Bold 9700 ($200 with a two-year T-Mobile contract; price as of 11/4/09) is the finest BlackBerry to date, combining the best of the Blackberry Bold 9630 and the Blackberry Bold 9000 in a slim and refined package. People looking for a major update to the original Bold might be disappointed, but BlackBerry fans will appreciate the handset's subtle design tweaks and upgrades.

Samsung Behold 2

The Samsung Behold 2 ($230 with a two-year T-Mobile contract; price as of 11/12/09) smartphone is the latest device to join T-Mobile's growing army of Android phones, which includes the T-Mobile G1, the T-mobile myTouch 3G, and the Motorola Cliq. Though the Behold II has a gorgeous AMOLED display and a superior camera, customers might be turned off by the high price (it is more expensive than the iPhone 3GS and the Motorola Droid) as well as the somewhat cluttered TouchWiz interface.

HTC HD2

With its gorgeous hardware, speedy Snapdragon processor, and a knockout 4.3-inch display, the HTC HD2 ($200 with a two-year contract from T-Mobile; price as of 4/1/10) seems to be the perfect smartphone. But there's a caveat: The HD2 runs the almost-obsolete Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system. And unfortunately, when Windows Phone 7 Series finally debuts at the end of this year, the HD2 won't be upgradable.