i admit it--i bought this phone for the looks. the major difference, however, between the sony cm-z200 and the cm-z100 (other than the z200's nifty silver faceplate) is the z200's dual band operation.

(the silver looks flat out cool. people ask me almost every day what kind of phone i have.)

but i digress.

currently, only sprint is offering the PCS-only z100, and frankly, their service sucks. i travel frequently, so i needed the dual band features of the z200. interestingly enough, around the same time i got the z200 with ameritech service, my sister got the z100 with sprint service. my phone so far (the z200) has performed admirably, with only one dropped call. both phones offer well-laid out directory features, and instant voicemail access. the jog dial makes navigation easier than with any arrow key phone, and because calls are initiated as soon as you flip out the microphone arm, calls to numbers in the phone book are a smooth one-handed scroll'n'flip motion that can't be done with any other unit. like any other qualcomm-based phone, the menu-ing system is clear and easy to use, and because the phones are digital, battery life is about a day and half with normal use. of particular note is that the battery is a Li-Ion, so there is no memory effect to diminish battery life over time.

the z200 switches to analog band on the fly, so there is no mucking about with arcane RF settings. i consistently get service no matter where i am--and more surprisingly, the signal meter is almost always full. my sister, on the other hand, can have her sprint-based z100 sitting right _next_ to my z200, and get no service. right now the major problem with the z100 is sprint's flaky network. if you live in a major urban area and never travel, go ahead with the z100, but for everyone else, go silver and pick up the z200. you won't be disappointed.



Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 199+tax