Whether you rotate the phone 90 or 270 degrees, or even hold it upside-down, the Traveler 137's screen reorients itself. And until you press a button, the illuminated icons on the four front-panel buttons disappear into the unit's polished black faceplate, giving the Traveler 137 a slick and deceptively simple look. Two slim volume buttons and a camera button sit on the right side of the phone, while the left offers only a mini-USB socket.

Though the roller mouse is accurate, navigating complex menus takes practice. The performance of the on-screen QWERTY keypad is adequate, especially when haptic-feedback vibrations are enabled, but users with large fingers might need practice to improve typing accuracy.

The unit has a 0.3-megapixel camera for videoconferencing on the front, as well as a 3-megapixel digital camera on the back. Also included is an FM tuner that uses the wires of a USB headset as antennas. Near the battery, which offers up to 7 hours of talk time, is a slot for microSD memory cards.

The key feature lacking in the Pharos Traveler 137 is a relationship with a carrier. The unit is sold unlocked, thus resulting in its $600 price tag (as of 9/8/09; a $250 discount is available if you sign up for a two year through Pharos). You'll also have to install your own ring tones if you want something beyond the generic and bland Windows Mobile offerings.

With solid Windows Mobile applications for business and a wide array of connectivity options, the Pharos Traveler 137 is a capable--albeit pricey--work companion, and it may gain quite bit of flash once you upgrade it to .