(Inspiration for today’s post courtesy of the BlackBerry blog RIMarkable…)
Maybe it’s still worth the cover price if you’re in the market for a new washing machine or minivan, but a feature on mobile phones in this month’s Consumer Reports is making me wonder if the once highly-regarded magazine has become a relic of the 20th century.
In a page dedicated to smartphones, CR pegs Nokia’s flagship N95 — considered by folks who actually sell these things to be worthy of the title “best smartphone of the year” — at a shocking 15th place behind their top-rated JesusPhone!
Putting aside my personal bias for a moment, the real head-scratcher came when I read the “Quick Picks” sidebar next to the ratings chart. Here’s what they wrote (with my own cheeky comments added in parentheses):
Best choice for multimedia use:
(I guess the N95’s ability to edit DVD-quality video in-camera doesn’t cut the mustard as a multimedia device?)
Best choices for office-type uses:(Don’t office-types use BlackBerrys? Oh right, of course they don’t… Stupid me, they use Motorola music phones instead!)
Best choices for compacts:
(No HTC Touch? Gee, I guess it’s only available in Canada, Asia, Europe & the UK…)
If you’re looking for some quality offline smartphone-related reviews, two of the best magazines I’ve seen on the subject are published across the pond:
Mobile Choice used to be available in Canada but can now only be received via an expensive international subscription. It often leans towards feature phones but gives due props to the big guys as well.
PDA Essentials & GPS Advisor, in addition to being a mouthful, is also available on the magazine rack at your local Chapters outlet — at least the one at The Toronto Eaton Centre. It’s got a definite Windows Mobile bias and at $20 an issue ain’t cheap, but with each issue you get a CD of trial software and reviewers who at least know what the hell they’re talking about!
2 Comments
AC:
Maybe the reviewers tested the best drugs listed at the top of the cover before testing the phones?
I think the iPhone would likely look cool in an altered state of mind….
Ed
Yes, but given the precedent they’ve set with this smartphone debacle I’ve no doubt their piece on cheap drugs will follow a similar tact:
“Get drugs cheap at Sak’s Fifth Avenue…”
“Get expensive drugs at your local dollar store…”
And so on.
See, it’s funny because they’re recommending the opposite of what they should be!