1. Nokia IntrigueThis phone is all about subtlety — and when it's turned off and closed, you might wonder what makes it different from a thousand different other clamshells. But as soon as the 1.9-inch exterior display lights up from beneath the dark plastic shell, or you flip it open and see the gradient keypad and unique directional controls, it's obvious Nokia has invested some work in making the intrigue something unique. Being able to read texts immediately on that generous outside screen makes some of these aesthetic points genuinely useful, too.
2. Sony Ericsson T707Tennis great Maria Sharapova lends her face to a lovely phone with her endorsement of the T707, Sony Ericsson's latest style-oriented clamshell. Besides the usual selection of decidedly feminine colors, the phone also pulls some neat parlor tricks: When it rings, it lights up in one several colors that can be pre-assigned to different contacts — you might assign green for friends and orange for coworkers, for instance. Wave your hand over it when it's ringing, and it will automatically mute the call. Perfect for those orange-light calls on the weekend.
3. BlackBerry BoldWho would have thought QWERTY keyboards could be so stylish? RIM's most attractive BlackBerry yet uses a bright, high-resolution screen, sleek silver trim, and a back trimmed in leather to dress up one of its ordinarily utilitarian smartphones. And execs on the go can still check the weather in a flash, read e-mail on the go, and blister their thumbs with responses. The suit-and-tie crowd never had it this good.
4. LG VersaFor indecisive types who can't decide whether to commit to the convenience and speed of a QWERTY keyboard, or the small size and light weight of just a number pad, the Versa offers both. A full keyboard built into a detachable leather portfolio allows owners to carry it fully equipped or stripped down, depending on the situation, and we think it looks sharp in either configuration.
5. LG LotusIs that a phone or a makeup compact? You'll probably give the answer away when you open it and put it against your head, but the intentionally femmed-up design still goes a long way in setting this phone apart. A squat, squared-off body and sweeping floral patterns on the violet outside case may allude to another fashion-over-function girly phone, but we found the full QWERTY keyboard inside and wide screen made its design genuinely useful, too.
6. Motorola AuraIgnoring its completely inexcusable price tag, Motorola's Aura definitely scores points in the style department with premium, watch-grade materials and an unusual radial opening form factor. The circular center LCD also looks absolutely stunning in real life, too, thanks to its incredible tight dot pitch and impressive color palette of 16 million shades. Now if only you could buy one for less than a 50-inch plasma TV...
7. Modu MobileThough not yet widely accessible, this Israeli phone manufacturer's design addresses every fickle buyer's dream: it changes shape whenever you want it to. Due to a modular design (hence the name,) a basic Modu phone unit can "wear" any number of different jackets that change the entire look of the phone. So when you get dressed up accordingly for a formal night on the town or a day at the beach, your phone can, too.
8. HTC Touch Diamond 2After pulling itself out of a style slump with the original, sharp-edged Touch Diamond, HTC's designers have exercised their creative might yet again with the (less than creatively named) Touch Diamond 2. Though it loses some of the distinct angles found on the first version, it picks up even better hardware, like a bigger 3.2-inch touch screen and a zoom bar right on the face. We can only hope HTC carries this killer design over into its upcoming line of Android phones for 2009, too.
9. Samsung LucidoIf you want a phone that nearly melts into your pocket with its lack of depth, the 11.8mm-thick Lucido will fit the bill. It offers an ultra-waif body, bright 2.2-inch OLED display, brushed aluminum accents, and a name straight from Italy (it means sleek), which might as well be an endorsement from Giorgio Armani himself for fashionistas. Incidentally, if you actually do need that endorsement, Samsung indulges that too. Pity the Lucido isn't available in the U.S.
10. Apple iPhone 3GYou knew it was coming, right? While it may not carry any air of exclusivity now that everyone and their 11-year-old daughter has one, we just couldn't deny Apple props for this chic and functional handset. A real glass screen, smooth metal trim, and nearly buttonless design all combine to form one of the most deservedly coveted phones on the market. You can always "make it your own" by covering it all up with a case, right?
