Top 10 cell phones for foreign travel

The Los Angeles Times offered some cell phone tips on keeping in touch while abroad and took a look at the best cell phones for foreign travel, warning users to watch out for add-ons and to be sure to buy an unlocked phone so that its SIM card can be switched out. Phones start at $80. Here are their top 10 picks:

1. BLACKBERRY CURVE
   Provider: Model 8310 by AT&T
   Provider: Model 8320 by T-Mobile
   Price: $149.99
   Pros: Smallest BlackBerry with full keyboard; can be tethered to a laptop for Internet access; calendar/organizer; lots of software. The 8310 has a Global Positioning System. The 8320 has Wi-Fi.
   Cons: Many advanced BlackBerry functions won’t work on a Mac. The 8310 lacks Wi-Fi. The 8320 lacks GPS.

2. BLACKBERRY BOLD 9000
Provider: AT&T
Price: $299.99
Pros: Great display with all the features of the Curve, plus 3G and High-Speed Downlink Packet Access, or HSDPA (for higher data speeds); GPS with audible turn-by-turn directions; Wi-Fi; view and edit documents.
Cons: Slightly larger than the Curve.

3. BLACKBERRY 8830 WORLD EDITION
Provider: Verizon and Sprint
Prices: $149.99 (Verizon), $219.99 (Sprint)
Pros: User-friendly keyboard; GPS with audible directions; Sprint unlocks for overseas travel.
Cons: No camera; a locked SIM card in Verizon model; memory expandable to only 4 gigabytes.

4. BLACKBERRY STORM 9530
Provider: Verizon
Price: $199
Pros: Touch-screen keyboard; can view and edit documents; video streaming and messaging; visual voice mail (so you can see who called); GPS navigation with audible directions; removable rechargeable battery.
Cons: Locked SIM card; no Wi-Fi; no trackball.

5. G1 (GOOGLE PHONE)
Provider: T-Mobile
Price: $179
Pros: Touch-screen and slide-out keyboard; 3G (speedier network); one-touch access to Google maps.; GPS; rapid HTML browser; Android market for applications; Wi-Fi.
Cons: Fewer applications than iPhone; still camera only-no video; limited music player.

6. iPHONE 3G
Provider: AT&T
Price: $199 for 8 gigabytes, $299 for 16 gigabytes.
Pros: Intuitive touch screen; visual voice mail; improved voice quality; iPod with video; more than 1,000 applications, including 400 for travel and 60 for weather; Wi-Fi.
Cons: No audible GPS navigation; documents can be viewed but not edited; locked SIM card; no voice-activated dialing; no removable battery.

7. NOKIA E71
Providers: AT&T and T-Mobile
Price: $483
Pros: No two-year contract required; unlocked.
Cons: No discounts as the phone is not branded to a specific carrier.

8. SAMSUNG ACE
Provider: Sprint
Price: $99.99
Pros: Unlocked SIM card; modem compatible for Internet use (at additional cost).
Cons: No voice-activated dialing.

9. SAMSUNG BLACKJACK II
Provider: AT&T
Price: $79.99
Pros: Full keyboard; 3G; GPS.
Cons: No voice-activated dialing.

10. T-MOBILE SIDEKICK
Provider: T-Mobile
Price: $149.99
Pros: Customizable shells; video capture/playback; works in Spanish and English.
Cons: No Bluetooth; memory limited to built-in 16 megabyte flash.