The quality of camera phones has come a long way since their inception, and we think it's fair to say that Nokia has been one of the manufacturers leading the charge. The company's entire N series of "multimedia computers" is proof, as they offer high-quality lenses and vast imaging features. The latest model we've seen is the Nokia N73. As the successor to the N70, the N73 ups the ante with an excellent 3.2-megapixel camera/camcorder and more internal memory. It also offers music playback, integrated Bluetooth, and a number of productivity tools based on the Symbian OS platform.

Unfortunately, our initial love faded somewhat as the N73 suffered from sluggish performance in our tests--nothing show-stopping but brief delays here and there added up to some Sony Ericsson K800i Cyber Shot. The Nokia N73 sports an attractive candy bar-style design that's available in two stylish color schemes: silver/deep plum and frost white/metallic red. (We reviewed the former.) It's the same size (4.3 by 1.9 by 0.7 inches; 4/1 ounces) as the Sony Ericsson K800i, which is to say that it's not the most compact phone we've seen, but it's still fairly sleek. The camera lens cover on the back of the phone also adds a bit of extra bulk, but nothing too overwhelming. Plus, the N73 has a solid construction and is comfortable to hold to the ear while talking on the phone.