Last month, it was time to buy a new cell phone and went to my local Verizon store and traded in an my previous phone for the Samsung Alias 2 U750.  Although I've always been a bit of a tech-head, mobile phones haven't really been what interests me.  However, my new Samsung mobile phone has been one of my favorite new gadgets in recent memory.

Not to be confused with the iPhone or Blackberry, the Alias 2 U750 isn't a high powered G3 smart phone filled to the brim with apps.  The Verizon phone is perfect for casual users who do a little bit of everything with their cell phone but don't really have any need for all the apps and features that come with some of the other top line phones.

The first thing anyone will notice when looking at the Alias 2 is the unique dual-flip style of the phone.  It can be opened in two different ways: vertically or horizontally.  Opening it vertically will create a standard "talking" phone that fits comfortably against the head when calling.  Unlike the barely audible LG phone I owned before, the Samsung Alias 2 has one of the loudest ear pieces I've ever heard.  The speaker phone option is even louder, so there shouldn't be any worries about muddled or confusing conversations.

When someone opens the Alias 2 horizontally, however, it is like a whole new phone.  Optimized for texting and web browsing, the keypad automatically converts to a QWERTY keyboard.  Prolific texters will appreciate the wide keyboard that's easy to type at even for huge handed monstrosities like myself.

The most unique feature of my new Verizon phone, however, is the variable keyboard feature.  As mentioned previously, the keyboard will switch from a standard number pad to QWERTY just by opening the phone in a different way.  When using the typing options, it is easy to quickly switch between letters, punctuation, and numbers with the push of a button.  The only complaint I have with the versatile keyboard is even the most basic punctuation (periods, commas, and question marks) are located on a separate keypad from the letters, making it take a bit longer to type out longer exchanges like e-mails.

The Alias 2 has limited web browsing.  Part of the Verizon Network's online plan, sponsored websites such as CNN.com, ESPN, and other high traffic news and info sites are easy to visit.  Although users are free to browse the internet anywhere they want, the Samsung mobile phone isn't able to parse larger websites very well.  Lacking the memory or display capabilities of an iPhone, sites without a mobile version are usually not worth the frustration of visiting.

The Samsung camera phone included is excellent.  The 2-Megapixel camera takes clear photos and is easy to use.  The camcorder function is also very impressive.  The Samsung Alias 2 is able to take shockingly high quality video for as long as there's space left on the phone's hard drive.

The Alias 2 does feature POP3 email, but unfortunately I haven't had the opportunity to use it much.  As the phone is not Google-friendly and I'm a dedicated GMail user, I was out of luck for any type of mobile email that wasn't frustrating to use.  However, by all accounts those with Verizon, Yahoo, or AOL accounts have all had good thing to say about the Verizon phone's email features.

Pros: Easy to use, perfect all-around mobile phone, low price, innovative keyboard design, loud speaker, acceptable web browsing, great for texting, great camera/camcorder, mobile messaging

Cons: Not enough memory, limited e-mail options, slow downloads

Samsung Alias 2 Mobile Phone Specs

Dimensions: 4.01" x 2.04" x 0.67"   (102 x 52 x 17 mm)

Battery Life: Talk: 5 hours max.   (300 minutes), Standby: 336 hours max.   (14 days)

Resolution: 240 x 320 pixels (QVGA)

Screen Size: 2.4 in (diagonal)

Memory: 80MB

On the whole, I think the Alias 2 is a great phone for people who expect a lot out of their mobile phones but aren't looking to upgrade to a fancy smart phone just yet.  Easy to use, innovative, and with plenty of features, it meets affordability and high technology in the middle.  Available through Verizon, Samsung's latest mobile phone is a real winner.