For the SE47, Kyocera tried a sliding faceplate, and the result is neither as compact nor as stylish as the Siemens SL56. But the phone does have some admirable attributes, including a 65,000-color display, an integrated speakerphone, and decent performance. Plus, if you choose Virgin Mobile over Verizon Wireless, you'll get a cool account-balance application. The Slider SE47's target audience is young hipsters, and with the handset's MTV-centric content, $150 price tag, and prepay plan, Kyocera should hit its mark.

When you first see the retractable antenna protruding from the top of the Kyocera SE47, this slider mobile looks like just another flip phone with an unusually large external display. But a closer inspection reveals that you need to slide back the cover. The matte-gray (Virgin) or blue (Verizon) handset measures just 3.5 by 1.9 by 0.9 inches when closed and weighs a mere 3.4 ounces, but it's still larger and heavier than its GSM rival, the Siemens SL56. The main benefits of the SE47's girth are a more solid feel in the hand and an authoritative sliding action.