Mophie Juice Pack Reserve for iPhone ($35)

About the size of a Zippo lighter, the Juice Pack fits on your key ring and boasts a 30-pin connector for your iPhone or iPod Touch; just flip open the top and connect your iDevice for a quick charge in a pinch. Using an Android phone or a BlackBerry instead of an iPhone? If so, give Kensington’s $39 Pocket Battery a look.

Jawbone Icon HD ($99)

This beautiful, ultra-stylish Bluetooth headset boasts military-grade noise cancellation technology (yes, really), a 10-millimeter “wideband” speaker for high-quality sound, and an Android app that’ll dial you in to a conference call at the touch of a button.

Bose SoundLike wireless mobile speaker ($300)

No, it’s not cheap, but the three-pound Bose SoundLink speaker promises eight hours of crystal-clear sound on a single charge, and it works with any Bluetooth-enabled smartphone.

Kensington Virtuoso Touch Screen Stylus & Pen ($25)

Perfect for tapping on a touchscreen with your winter gloves on—or if you’d simply rather not swipe with your fingers—Kensington’s high-end Virtuoso smartphone stylus doubles as a good old-fashioned ballpoint pen.

Maxell AirStash A02 wireless thumbdrive ($149)

Think of the AirStash as a pocket-sized, flyweight portable media drive, complete with its own built-in Wi-Fi network. Toss some movies, music, or photos onto any SD memory card, plug the card into the AirStash, then connect your iPhone or Android phone to the AirStash’s Wi-Fi signal to start streaming video, music, or images. (Read my hands-on review.)

Scosche freeKey Bluetooth keyboard ($60)

Here’s a wireless keyboard for iPhone and Android with a difference: it’s flexible, meaning you can roll it up and tuck it into your purse or briefcase. (Of course, it also means you’ll need a hard, flat surface for typing; otherwise, the rubbery freeKey will simply dribble into your lap.) Expect to get 60 hours of typing out of this rechargable keyboard.

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Stocking stuffer: LG 101 (Virgin Mobile, $14.99)

Here’s a perfect handset for a little one who’s ready for their first phone. Nope, it doesn’t have a camera (which might be a plus for parents), but the LG 101 from prepaid carrier Virgin Mobile has most of the other basics, including a speakerphone, a web browser, text messaging, and a few games and ringtones. Best of all: if it gets lost or damaged, no biggie.

Messaging phone: T-Mobile Sparq (T-Mobile, $49)

This compact prepaid handset from T-Mobile boasts a full, slide-out keypad for text-messaging fanatics, along with a basic camera, a built-in FM radio, and support for stereo Bluetooth headsets.

Push-to-talk phone: Motorola i412 (Boost Mobile, $69)

Beep! “Hey, you there?” Beep! Garble, garble. Beep! “What’s that?” Beep! Ah, the joys of walkie talkie-style “push-to-talk” phones—not my cup of tea, really, but some people love ’em. If you’re shopping for one, take a look at the Moto i412, a basic PTT-capable flip phone from prepaid carrier Boost Mobile with a camera, GPS, support for Bluetooth headsets, and a reasonable price tag.

Senior-friendly phone: Jitterbug J (GreatCall, $99)

You won’t find any fancy cameras or touchscreens on the Jitterbug—and that’s the point. Designed with seniors in mind, the no-contract Jitterbug comes with simplified menus, a jumbo keypad, large “Yes” and “No” buttons, and a powerful speakerphone.

BlackBerry phone: BlackBerry Curve 8530 (Boost, $179)

While iPhones and Android phones are all the rage, there are still plenty of chatters out there who still want their BlackBerrys. Consider the Curve 8530, a 3G-enabled model from Boost with a two-megapixel camera, a sleek black profile, and the famous BlackBerry keypad.

Bargain Android phone: LG Optimus V (Virgin Mobile, $129)

Nope, you don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars to get someone an Android phone. Case in point: the LG Optimus V, a perfectly capable Android handset with a 3.2-inch touchscreen, 3G and Wi-Fi, a slot for microSD memory cards, and full access to the apps in Google’s Android Market.

Fashion-obsessed Facebook phone: HTC Status (AT&T, $369)

Armed with a little blue Facebook button that lets you share photos, web pages, music, and just about anything else in just a few clicks, the slim, stylish, and Android-powered HTC Status (which AT&T is offering on a prepaid basis) is one of the snazziest handsets I’ve seen all year—indeed, I might have a little crush on the thing.

High-end Android phone: Droid 3 (Verizon Wireless, $394)

So, got a tech-obsessed power-user on your list? Check out the Motorola Droid 3, a state-of-the-art Android phone with a peppy dual-core processor, an eight-mexapixel camera that doubles as a 1080p HD-capable video camera, a razor-sharp four-inch touchscreen, and a full slide-out keypad. (Check out my hands-on review right here.)

The unlocked iPhone (Apple, $549 and up)

A guaranteed way to get someone’s jaw to drop on Christmas morning, the unlocked iPhone may be one of the most coveted gifts this holiday season—and yes, you’ll have to pay through the nose for one. The cheapest unlocked, no-contract iPhone is actually last year’s iPhone 4, for a mere $549. If you’re really feeling generous, you could pony up an eye-popping $649 for the new iPhone 4S—the 16 GB version, mind you.

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That’s what security experts are asking after allegations that Carrier IQ, a company that makes diagnostic software for smartphones and wireless carriers, may have accessed such sensitive user data as keystrokes, location data, text messages, and more.

So, should you be worried? Well, the details about what Carrier IQ does and doesn’t do are still being sorted out, but here’s what we know so far, starting with…

What is Carrier IQ, anyway?
It’s a California firm that provides software to carrier and phone manufactures that—according to the company, anyway—is intended only to “improve the quality of the [carrier’s] network” by “counting and measuring operational information in mobile devices.”

In other works, it’s diagnostic software that sits on a phone and works quietly in the background, checking for things like dropped calls and spotty service and reporting such troubleshooting issues back to the carrier.

Sounds reasonable, so what’s the problem?
An Android developer named Trevor Eckhart claims he stumbled upon the Carrier IQ software running on his HTC smartphone, and he posted an eye-opening video (embedded below) of Carrier IQ supposedly doing a lot more than just logging dropped calls.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T17XQI_AYNo&w=530]

Indeed, Eckhart’s video alleges, the Carrier IQ software appears to access information about which keys you press, which web sites your visit, your queries on search engines, your location, and even the complete content of your text messages. If it’s true, well … yikes.

So, is it true?
For its part, Carrier IQ has emphatically denied that it looks at your personal information, and it swears that its software doesn’t “record your keystrokes,” “inspect or report the content of your communications,” or “sell Carrier IQ data to third parties.”

And as TechCrunch notes, just because the Carrier IQ software appears (according to Eckhart’s video, anyway) to be able to access key presses, SMS messages, and other personal info doesn’t mean it’s actually recording or transmitting that data to your carrier—or anyone else, for that matter.

Even so, the question remains why a diagnostic program like Carrier IQ would need such broad access to text messages, location data, keystrokes, and other personal data.

Which carriers are using Carrier IQ’s software?
That’s still an open question. Verizon Wireless has denied it uses Carrier IQ at all, according to The Verge, as have some international carriers. Other carriers, though, have yet to clarify whether they’re Carrier IQ customers. Update: Sprint had admitted to The Verge that it uses Carrier IQ software “to analyze our network performance and identify where we should be improving service,” but adds that “we do not and cannot look at the contents of messages, photos, videos, etc., using this tool.” Another update: AT&T has owned up to being on Carrier IQ’s client list, too.

Which phones have Carrier IQ software running on them?
It appears several makes and models of Android phones use Carrier IQ—although, apparently, not the “Nexus” Android phones made specifically for Google.

Meanwhile, “references” to the Carrier IQ software have also reportedly been detected on the iPhone, although The Unofficial Apple Weblog believes that “its purpose is most likely benign.” Update: In a statement, Apple tells All Things Digital that it “stopped supporting Carrier IQ with iOS 5 in most of our products and will remove it completely in a future software update.” Apple adds that it “never recorded keystrokes, messages or any other personal information for diagnostic data and have no plans to ever do so.”

Meanwhile, both Nokia and BlackBerry-maker RIM have denied that they allow Carrier IQ to be installed on their handsets.

Lifehacker has instructions on how find and even remove Carrier IQ from your Android phone, although the process sounds way too involved for casual smartphone users—indeed, I don’t plan on trying it.

So, should I be panicking right now?
Concerned, yes. Panicking? No.

If it’s true that Carrier IQ’s software is logging as much personal info as Eckhart claims, the company (and its carrier partners) should certainly come clean, wipe any personal data that has been in any way stored or transmitted, and tell us exactly how it will keep our private data safe moving ahead.

The good news, though, that there’s no evidence (not yet, at least) that any personal data has been sold, shared, or compromised.

And with the spotlight on Carrier IQ, let’s hope the company movies quickly to answer any lingering questions and update its software to allow for more transparency, as well as the option for concerned users to “opt-out” if they choose.

In any case, I’ll be keeping an eye on this story and posting updates as they occur. Got questions? Post ’em below.

Update: Looks like Carrier IQ will now have to answer to Congress, with Sen. Al Franken firing off a list of questions to the company and warning that its software “may violate federal privacy laws, including the Electronic Communications Privacy Act and the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act,” Gizmodo reports.

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Greetings! So yes, there are indeed plenty of ways to secretly spy on your kid’s text messages. Whether you should, of course, is another question.

For now, let’s focus on the “how.”

First things first: you can’t just sign up with a mobile spying service, punch in any phone number, and start snooping away—well, not legally, anyway. Instead, you’ll have to install a special SMS spying app on the “target” phone, which means you’ll need physical (and, preferably, legal) access to the handset.

Several such spying apps (which typically offer a menu of other surveillance options, inclduing call-history logging and GPS tracking) are available … and no, they’re not cheap.

Among your choices are Mobile Spy (starting at $49 for three months of service), SpyBubble ($49), MobiStealth ($39 and up for three months), and FlexiSpy ($149 a year and up).

Most of these services work on a variety of smartphones, ranging from Android phones and BlackBerrys to iPhones and Windows Mobile handsets; there’s also an Android-only app called Secret SMS Replicator that goes for $49.

The makers of these apps (none of which I’ve tested, by the way, so use them at your own risk) swear up and down that their mobile spying services are perfectly legal—as long as you use them on a phone that you own, or otherwise have “proper authorization” to use. Even then, you may want to double-check with local and state authorities, as well as think twice about spying on the messages of anyone over 18 without telling them first.

There’s also another wrinkle for iPhone users—namely, the fact that you won’t find any of these apps in the App Store. That means you’ll need to “jailbreak” your kid’s iPhone so it can run non-App Store apps. While there’s nothing wrong with jailbreaking an iPhone, doing so is a tricky process that isn’t sanctioned or supported by Apple, and I wouldn’t recommend you try it unless you know what you’re doing.

So much for the “how” of spying on your kid’s text messages. But what about the “should you” part? Well, I’ll leave the ethics of it up to you (although I have a feeling plenty of readers may want to chime in).

Here’s a word of warning, though: today’s teens are frighteningly tech-savvy, especially when it comes to their phones, and I’d put even money on them sniffing out a “secret” mobile spying app in … oh, about five minutes flat.

And if it’s an iPhone we’re talking about, trust me: you’re not going to be able to jailbreak your teen’s iPhone without them knowing it.

Personally, I just see far too many opportunities to get caught spying by your kids—an awkward situation, to say the least.

Another option, of course, would be to simply tell your teens that you’ll be looking over their shoulders whenever they text. But given the fact that most teens exchange dozens or even hundreds of texts a day, you might be signing up for more than you bargained for.

Anyway, I hope this helps; let me know if you have more questions.

So, does anyone out there have tips or reviews of these mobile spying apps? And what do you think: would you spy on your kid’s text messages without telling them?

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Hi Stacey! Trust me, you’re not alone. “What phone should I get?” is probably the most frequent question I get from readers, right behind “do you get to keep all those nifty gadgets?” (Answer to the latter question: nope, not unless I pay for them.)

As much as I’d like to just name the phone you should buy, I can’t. With so many new handsets and smartphones coming out each week, my advice would be obsolete two seconds after I gave it to you.

What I can do, however, is offer a little guidance for making your decision—namely, some questions to ask yourself before plunking down your cash and signing on the dotted line for a new phone, starting with…

1. What do you want to use your phone for?

Yes, there are still cell phones on sale that just make phone calls and send text messages—and not only are they generally cheaper than smartphones, they’ll also cost you less on a monthly basis (and remember, it’s the monthly bill, not the up-front price of the handset, that’s the true cost of owning a cell phone).

Want to send the occasional email on your phone? Again, you can still get away with a cheaper “feature” phone that supports email accounts (more and more do), not to mention a web browser (which you can use for Facebook and Twitter).

Related: What’s the difference between a feature phone and a smartphone?

But if you really, really want apps—you know, like Pandora for streaming music, Netflix for movies, Yelp for restaurant listings, or Angry Birds for fun—then yes, it’s time to start thinking about an iPhone, or Android phone, or a Windows Phone.

Related: Must-have apps for Android phones and the iPhone

2. How much are you willing to pay a month?

Here’s the thing about full-fledged smartphones like the iPhone or an Android phone: they require data plans, and they’re not cheap. Verizon, for example, charges a minimum of $30 a month for a 3G or 4G data plan, and that’s on top of your regular voice and texting plans.

If you go with a standard cell phone, though, you can get away with spending as little as $10 a month for basic web access—or you could even ditch the data altogether.

So if you’re on the fence about apps—as in, they’d be nice to have, but you’re not sure if you’d really use them—the cost of a smartphone data plan might nudge you one way or the other.

3. What’s your comfort level with cell phones?

Leery of dealing with complicated touch controls just to add a contact or send a text message? All the better reason to stick with a basic phone rather than diving into the heady world of smartphones.

That said, don’t just assume a particular phone will be easy to use because it’s cheap. Make sure to visit your local carrier store for a test drive before buying.

So, you want a smartphone but you’re still a bit of a beginner? If so, consider something like the iPhone, which (for my money, at least) has a relatively gentle learning curve.

Feeling confident, or want more choice in terms of look and feel? Then Android might be right for you. If you’re looking for a phone that plays nice with all things Windows, give Windows Phone a look. And let’s not forget the old, familiar BlackBerry, several models of which now offer touch-sensitive screens.

Related: iPhone or Android? 6 questions to ask yourself before deciding

4. Big or small?

Do you need a sliver of a phone that fits in a hip pocket, or would you prefer a bigger phone with a jumbo screen? These days, the smallest phones tend to be cheaper “feature” phones, while the latest Android and Windows Phone handsets are boasting displays larger than four inches diagonally. Apple, meanwhile, is sticking with a three-and-a-half inch, one-size-fits-all screen.

5. A physical keyboard, or a touchscreen keypad?

There’s nothing quite like the feel of an actual plastic key, particularly when it comes to tapping out lengthy email or text messages.

If a phone with a physical QWERTY keyboard is a must, you’ve got plenty of Android, BlackBerry, and Windows Phone options, not to mention bargain message phones. Apple, on the other hand, doesn’t offer an iPhone with a built-in or slide-out keypad—and it probably never will.

6. Are you in the middle of a contract?

If you’re currently under contract with a carrier, you won’t be able to jump to a competitor without coughing up a substantial “early termination fee,” or ETF as they’re known in the industry—think $350 or so, depending on how many months are left on your contract.

If that’s the case for you, and you’re not interested in shelling out a penalty for breaking your contract, then you’ll be limited to the phones offered by your carrier, and you might even have to pay extra if you’re not eligible for a discounted upgrade (if you’re not sure, call your carrier and ask). Just a thought.

7. Pre-paid or post-paid? Contract or no contract?

Not under contract, and not interested in signing one? Well, you could always go the pre-paid way. Pre-paid carriers like Boost Mobile, Virgin Mobile, Tracfone, and others offer a wide variety of bargain and high-end handsets, including Android phones (no iPhones, unfortunately), as do such major national carriers like AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless. (Sprint, by the way, offers its pre-paid phones through Boost.)

But if do choose to go with a pre-paid plan, keep in mind that you probably won’t be able to get a cutting-edge device, like the new Motorola Droid RAZR—and sorry, an iPhone 4S is out of the question.

Want the new iPhone, but don’t want to sign a contract? Well, you could always go for a standard post-paid plan (meaning you’re billed for the previous month’s usage, rather than paying in advance) but on a month-to-month basis, rather than signing the typical two-year contract. If you do, though, prepare to pay a bundle for an unsubsidized phone—for instance, $649 for the cheapest iPhone 4S, rather than $199 with a two-year contract.

Have more questions about buying a new phone? Sure you do. Post ’em below!

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Back in the day (and we’re only talking six or seven years ago, mind you), any cell phone with a built-in camera was verboten in most courthouses, and security may even have given you a hard time about bringing in a laptop. And free Wi-Fi in the waiting room? Please.

In recent years, though, courthouses from coast to coast have become much friendlier to gadget-bearing jurors. Cooling my heels in a jury assembly room in Brooklyn recently, I spotted dozens of electronic devices like laptops and smartphones, including my own MacBook Air and iPhone.

But just because you can bring your phone to court doesn’t mean you can use it in a courtroom—and indeed, expect a stern rebuke (or worse) from the bench if you start tweeting from the jury box.

Read on for a few dos and don’ts about bringing your mobile electronic devices court, starting with…

DO: Check online or call ahead for your local courthouse’s gadget policy

While most courthouses now allow cell phones, smartphones (including those with cameras) and laptops, others are more strict when it comes to bringing your gadgets. Make sure to call your local courthouse in advance and ask before heading in for jury duty with mobile gear in tow.

DON’T: Talk on your cell phone in the jury pool waiting room

Sitting for hours in the jury assembly room waiting for your name to be called is bad enough; no need to make matters worse by annoying fellow would-be jurors with loud phone conversations. Take your calls out in the hallway, or in a separate jury lounge if there is one.

DO: Use your laptop or text/surf on your smartphone in the jury assembly area, or in a hallway

Chatting on your phone in the waiting room might be a no-no, but there’s (usually) nothing wrong with texting, tweeting, or working on a laptop—provided you’re not texting or tweeting about a case you’re hearing as a juror, that is. (More on that in a moment.) And if you’re taking a break in a courtroom hallway, feel free (again, pending courthouse policy) to power up your gadgets.

DO: Ask about free Wi-Fi

Many courthouses offer free Wi-Fi in the jury room, perfect for catching up on work or checking email while you wait. Just make sure to get the exact name of the courthouse Wi-Fi network; don’t just connect to the first Public Wi-Fi network that you find.

DON’T: Use your cell phone or laptop in a courtroom

Once you’re sitting in the gallery or jury box of a courtroom, all bets are off as far as your gadgets are concerned—particularly if court is in session (and if you’re a prospective or chosen juror, it most likely is in session).

Most judges will demand that all cell phones and other electronics to be turned off and stowed, and if the judge catches you sneaking a peek at your iPhone, expect a scolding or even a visit from the bailiff. And don’t even think of snapping a picture unless you get approval from the bench … which you probably won’t get, unless you’re a news photographer.

DON’T: Search for information about your trial online

If you’re chosen to sit on a jury, resist the urge to Google your particular case during a break. Jurors are only supposed to base their decisions on evidence and testimony from the trial itself, and if the judge finds out you’ve been reading up about the defendant on your Android phone, that fact alone could be grounds for a mistrial.

DON’T: Tweet, text, or post updates about your case

The usual admonishments for jurors about discussing a case while the trial is in progress also apply to text messages, Twitter, and Facebook. Why? Because anything your text, post, or tweet could be used as evidence of bias—and yes, grounds for a mistrial. If you’re sitting on a jury, think twice before you update your status online; after all, you don’t want to become another headline, do you?

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Both Sprint and Verizon Wireless announced Monday that they’ll be selling the BlackBerry Bold 9930 for $249 with a two-year contract, a $50 premium over the latest high-end Android smartphones.

Sprint will be first out of the gates with the new, touchscreen Bold, which the carrier will offer starting this Sunday, August 21. Verizon’s Bold will arrive a few days later on August 25.

AT&T will also be getting its own version of the Bold—the BlackBerry Bold 9900, to be precise—later this month, although the carrier has yet to announce specific dates or pricing.

Billed as the thinnest BlackBerry yet, the 10.5mm-thick Bold marks the first traditional-looking BlackBerry with a full-on touchscreen—good news for anyone who prefers the old thumb-friendly BlackBerry keyboard.

The new Bold boasts a five-megapixel camera, HD video recording, and a 2.8-inch display.

Also on board: BlackBerry 7, the latest version of the BlackBerry operating system, complete with faster and “more fluid” web browsing (or so promises BlackBerry maker Research in Motion), voice-enabled search, the mobile Documents-to-Go office suite, and “BlackBerry Balance”—a feature that creates separate “work” and “play” areas on your phone.

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Well then, how about a new touchscreen model with a souped-up engine but the classic BlackBerry keypad?

That’s the idea behind the new BlackBerry Bold, the first touchscreen BlackBerry with—finally—the old-school screen-and-keypad design.

First announced earlier this year and billed as the thinnest BlackBerry ever (just 10.5mm thick, to be exact), the new Bold will land on AT&T and other carriers later this month, BlackBerry maker Research in Motion said Wednesday. No word on pricing just yet.

Besides a speedy new processor, the revamped Bold comes with a five-megapixel camera and HD video recording, not to mention a razor-sharp 2.8-inch touchscreen—a first for a BlackBerry with a standard, thumb-friendly keypad.

Make no mistake, though: the arrival of the familiar-looking Bold doesn’t mean that there won’t be anymore all-touch, keypad-less BlackBerrys.

Also coming soon is the BlackBerry Torch 9850, a BlackBerry with a roomy 3.7-inch touchscreen but minus a physical QWERTY keypad, while the Torch 9810 will boast a 3.2-inch touch display along with a slide-out keypad.

All three of the new BlackBerry models will come loaded with a new version of the BlackBerry operating system.

What’s new in BlackBerry OS 7? Think features like “significantly faster” and “more fluid” web browsing, promises RIM, along with voice-enabled search, the mobile Documents-to-Go office suite, and “BlackBerry Balance,” which divides your phone into separate zones for work and play.

So, here’s my question: Will the new Bold—or any of the new BlackBerry models—keep (or entice you back) to the BlackBerry family? Or have you moved on to the iPhone, Android, or another of the flashier smartphone platforms?

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Ted writes: My T-Mobile Dash is on its last legs and it’s time for a new phone. Because T-Mobile is still likely to get swallowed by the cretins at AT&T I will probably just make the move to Verizon at the same time.

So, I am wondering … can I buy a Verizon-ready phone at full price and avoid contract? Also, which phones have real keyboards (it’s primarily an email device for me, and I don’t find glass keyboards very usable) and good quality?

Hi Ted! Yes, you absolutely can buy a smartphone through Verizon Wireless without a contract—but steel yourself first, because they’re not cheap.

Verizon has been offering phones on a no-contract basis for quite some time now; indeed, while shopping for phones on its website, you’ll find a pull-down menu that lets you choose between two-year contract pricing and month-to-month.

No contract? No discount
Make the switch to month-to-month pricing, though, and you’ll see the phone prices jump dramatically.

Why? Because the big wireless carriers offer steep discounts on their phones to entice you into signing a two-year contract. No contract, no discount.

How much more expensive are we talking, here? Well, take the aging BlackBerry Curve 8530, which Verizon offers for a mere penny with a two-year contact. If you go the month-to-month way, though, the price spikes to a whopping $359.99. Yikes.

Hope that answers the first part of your question. Now, for part two: a good smartphone with a full QWERTY keypad rather than a virtual, on-screen keyboard.

We can eliminate the non-QWERTY iPhone right away, along with several other touchscreen-only Android and Windows Phone handsets.

On Verizon, that leaves us with a few BlackBerrys ($299 and up), the Palm Pre 2 from Hewlett-Packard ($399), and three Android-powered Motorola Droid phones ($399 and up), each with slide-out QWERTY keypads.

(Quick tip: The Verizon website offers a set of handy filters that lets you narrow down your choices while shopping—and yes, filtering for phones with physical QWERTY keyboards is one of the options.)

“Candybar” QWERTY, or slide-out keypad?
So, here’s my question to you: Would you prefer a “candybar”-style smartphone—that is, one with the keypad exposed, sitting flat and just below the display? Or would you be willing to try a phone with a slide-out QWERTY keypad, which typically makes for a larger screen but a bulkier, heavier handset?

Your old phone, the T-Mobile Dash, is a candybar-style phone, so if you want something similar, you might want to consider a BlackBerry (the Bold 9650 is the most recent, and it boasts the latest version of the BlackBerry operating system—or it will until a newer one arrives later this year, anyway) or the Motorola Droid Pro, a business-minded smartphone with a BlackBerry-like keyboard and a solid, if not razor-sharp display.

If you’re willing to go for a slider, check out the Droid 3 (which I’ll be reviewing very shortly, so stay tuned). It came out just a week ago, with a faster processor and a sharper camera than the older Droid 2, and at $459 (I know, ouch) it’s just $10 more than its predecessor.

The Droid 3 is also a “world” phone, meaning it’s compatible with both of the major global cellular networks—CDMA in the U.S. and Asia, and GSM in Europe and other territories.

There’s also the Palm Pre 2, a capable touchscreen phone with a slide-out keypad and the gorgeous WebOS system software—which, if you ask me, rivals the iPhone when it comes to easy-of-use. That said, there are only a few thousand apps available for WebOS, versus more than 350,000 for Android (the operating system that powers the Droid 3).

Hope this helps, Ted—and if you have more questions, just give me a holler.

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At the other end lie the latest, feature-packed smartphones, armed with mammoth color touchscreens, high-resolution cameras, full-on keypads worthy of a typewriter, brains the size of yesterday’s supercomputers, and price tags to match.

But there’s also another category that tends to crop up whenever you go cell-phone shopping: the mysterious, so-called “feature” phone.

OK, so what’s a feature phone? Are we talking some kind of middle-of-the-road cell phone, with some of the fancier smartphone features (like full QWERTY keypads and video cameras), or maybe a basic phone with a dash of style (like flashy colors or slim profiles)? What’s the deal?

Well, here’s the thing: A “feature” phone is a label used by many cell phone carriers to describe just about any phone that isn’t a smartphone—including everything from the most basic, bottom-of-the-line handsets to fancier phones with music players, camera, and even touchscreens.

So, what defines a “smartphone,” then?

These days, we think of smartphones as handsets that run on a mobile “platform” like Apple’s iOS (for the iPhone), Android (which powers phones like the Motorola Droid), BlackBerry, Microsoft’s Windows Phone (or Windows Mobile, as it used to be called), Web OS (from HP), and Nokia’s “Symbian” operating system.

These “platforms” are basically scaled-down versions of desktop operating systems, like Windows on your PC or Mac OS for the MacBook or iMac. They can run sophisticated applications (or apps) and games with 3-D graphics, as well as get regular updates that add new features (like voice commands or turn-by-turn driving directions) to the handset.

If your phone doesn’t run on any of those platforms (and if you’re not sure, ), then it’s probably a “feature” phone—even if it comes with such bells and whistles as a color touchscreen, a video player, a high-resolution camera, downloadable games, or even a full-on QWERTY keypad that slides out from beneath the display.

At the end of the day, of course, it’s the carriers who decide what’s a “feature” phone and what isn’t—a key distinction when it comes to your monthly cell phone bill.

While smartphones typically require pricey wireless data plans, on the order of at least $25 a month, “feature” phones will let you browse the web, post to Facebook, and check your email for as little as $10 or a month—or you can even skip the data plan altogether if you only want to use your phone for phone calls (imagine that).

Got more questions about “feature” phones versus smartphones? Let me know!

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