Sanyo's Slick Cell

Grace Aquino

Carry the Sanyo SCP-6000, and people will notice. The attraction: It's featherlight, no thicker than a pencil, and about the shape of a typical candy bar. It also has a fancy brushed-metal casing and a black-and-white LCD screen the size of a sticky note.

The $300 SCP-6000 is quite capable, too. It supports voice-activated dialing, text and voice messaging, caller ID, a calendar linked with an alarm system, and a feature that lets you transfer photos from your computer (via serial cable) to the phone for caller ID purposes. To use that feature, you must purchase the $60 Multi-Media accessory, part of the Wireless Web Connection Kit.

The Web-enabled phone allows you to access e-mail as well as view text versions of popular sites and services, including AOL Instant Messenger, CNN, ESPN, and Yahoo.

Because it's so skinny, the SCP-6000 is difficult to use tucked under your chin. And it's definitely pricey. But if you need a new cell phone, it remains a worthy candidate.

Buying Information

Sanyo SCP-6000 4 stars (02/26/2002) Slim, ultracool design and handy features outweigh the price. Street: $300