M600i. Damn cool.

Staying connected has always required a certain measure of personal sacrifice: sore thumbs, neglected and not-happy-about-it dinner companions, the lines of a nice suit ruined by a Treo or Blackberry. Sony Ericsson's just-announced M600i may fix that (the last part, anyway).

Its elegant proportions and monochromatic tones (it's available in black and white) make it as much a departure from its chunky cousins as the first iPod was from the MP3s of its day. Nor has Sony skimped on function: The M600i comes loaded with gadgety goodness, including a QWERTY-style keyboard, a touch screen with handwriting recognition, and tri-band GSM/GPRS capabilities, which means you can use it everywhere but mainland China (they get their very own version, the commies). And, despite being only 15 millimeters thin and a mere four ounces light, the device sports a 2.6-inch, 262K-color screen that can handle 30-frames-per-second video.

On the downside, deals have yet to be signed with American mobile carriers, so you'll have to snag one directly from Sony Ericsson and supply your own SIM card. Sure, that means no rebate, but hey, your suit will thank you.

Available directly from Sony Ericsson this spring; MSRP has not been set, but expect to pay several hundred dollars.

— Chris Kaye