Samsung SGH-X820, the world's thinnest phone.

By Sascha Segan

As the world's thinnest phone, the Samsung SGH-X820 is an amazing device: It is as good at making calls and surfing the Web as it is at turning heads. It makes the Motorola SLVR L7 look like a brick, and puts other thin phones to shame with its 2-megapixel camera and elegant, fun interface. The super-slim profile means you must forgo a memory card slot, and the battery life is on the low side for a GSM phone. The coup de grace: It's available only through independent retailers.

At 0.3 inches thick (by 1.9 inches wide and 4.4 inches tall) and only 2.2 ounces, the X820 is nearly two-dimensional. Turn it on its side, and it disappears. Yes, it's wide and flat, but so are almost all thin phones. The keys are comfortable and well spaced, and the 176-by-220 screen is unusually sharp and bright, readable in even blazing sunlight. Watch out for the unpleasant visual effects of sweat and face grease on the matte-black surface, though.

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