Sanyo Katana Eclipse

The Katana series of phones have changed quite a bit since the original Katana, which was nothing more than a Razr clone with its slim and wide style. Two years and a couple of Katana models later, it appears that Sanyo has decided to go in a very different design direction with this year's crop. The Sanyo Katana LX, for example, has a much more compact look, complete with a smooth reflective surface.

However, it was only an entry level device with not a lot of advanced features. The Sanyo Katana Eclipse, on the other hand, is the Katana with all the bells and whistles.

Features include a 1.3 megapixel camera, a MP3 player, EV-DO speeds, stereo Bluetooth, and more.

The highlight of the Eclipse, however, is in its dual LED indicators that can set off as many as 40 lighting effects for different functions, so you can dazzle your friends whenever you have an incoming call. The Katana Eclipse is now available for $99 after a two years service agreement.

Design
With its reflective mirror finish, dual LED indicators, and silver chassis, the Katana Eclipse almost looks like a miniature space ship masquerading as a cell phone. Measuring 3.6 inches long by 1.9 inches wide by 0.7 inch thick, the Eclipse is a slim and compact clamshell with slightly rounded edges and a streamlined yet futuristic look. It's lightweight at 3.4 ounces, and it fits comfortably in the hand as well as in the purse or pocket. On the front of the Eclipse is a camera lens at the top, followed by a speaker in the form of a thin cutout strip, and then the external display.

The 64.000 colors 1 inch display is used to view date, time, battery, and signal strength information, as well as caller ID. The display also supports photo caller ID. You can also use it as a self portrait viewfinder when the phone is closed. When the music player is activated, you can use it to navigate the player and see the currently playing track. You can adjust the display's screensaver, the backlight time, the background color, the animation that appears when you close the phone, the font size, the clock format, the sleep mode timer, and whether you want the next calendar schedule to appear on it.