This gives you an idea of just how small Haier's Elegance phone reall is.
 

The small package addage is doubly true with two new, diminutive handsets.

The Haier Elegance (otherwise known as the Black Pearl) is a lipstick case-sized GSM mobile phone that measures only 3.5 inches long, 1.4 inches wide and a mere 0.6 inches deep.  The mini battery pack inside is said to last up to 3 hours of talk time and 200 hours of standby.

There are actually two Elegance models: One is a tri-band (800, 1800, 1900 MHz) world phone and the other a dual-band (850, 1900 MHz) handset for the U.S. market. 

There’s no digital camera in this phone but you‘ll probably never miss it.  That’s because there’s a terrific OLED color screen with animated, 3D graphics, stereo Bluetooth capabilities, a FM radio, a voice recorder, a MP3 player along with a micro-SD card slot to store your music, some games, an alarm clock, calculator, calendar, text messaging and a mini-USB 2.0 port on the bottom for connectivity and charging. 

It’s hard to believe there’s room for a great phone in there.

I’m happy to report that my in extensive tests -- here and overseas -- the Elegance was an excellent performer.  And everyone who saw it wanted to use it.

Because of its size and good looks (it has a black gun metal finish), the Elegance could become the next “ultimate fashion accessory.”  On the other hand, it’s easy to lose the phone in your pocket.  It’s that small.

Elegance doesn’t come cheap.  Both tri-band and dual-band models are both sold as unlocked phones, which means you need to activate with the GSM provider of your choice.  Price is $229.95. Highly recommended.

Pantech 

This little beauty is a flip open world phone with changeable front color panels.
 

The other phone I want to tell you about is much, much larger than the Elegance – maybe by a few millimeters. Pantech’s C3b is a little powerhouse of a flip phone that does everything really well.

The handset is 2.7 by 1.7 by 0.76 inches and weighs all of 2.5 ounces.  Amazingly, the tiny battery inside is good for up to 3 hours of talk time and 10 days of standby.

The C3b (b is for Bluetooth) is a tri-band (850/1800/1900 MHz) world phone with two TFT color screens.  Because the outer screen shows the time, someone might mistake your phone for a pocket watch.  Well, it could happen!

Inside, there’s a VGA camera with flash, hands-free speakerphone, email and a calendar with reminders, an address book that holds 800 contacts, MP3 and music tone ringtones, picture/ringtone caller ID, AOL/Yahoo/ICQ instant messaging, plus customizable wallpaper and graphics.  That’s a lot stuffed into this small package.

You can customize the outside too.  There are optional interchangeable color faceplates (red, silver, blue) to make the C3b your own.  I used the blue cover during testing.

The Pantech turned heads wherever I took it.  And I’ve taken it everywhere.  The C3b worked and sounded great everywhere I tried in the U.S. and Europe.  The phone was able to find and hold a cellular signal as well as – or better than – any other handset I’ve ever tried.  That’s big news for such a diminutive product.

The Pantech C3b is currently available at AT&T, and it’s free with a two-year contract.  It would be a bargain at $50 -$100 or more.  The C3b is also highly recommended.

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