Smartphone Experts (SPE) Announces the First Annual Smartphone Round Robin

SPE Community Editors to Swap Out Their Everyday Smartphone to Experience What It's Like on Their Competitor's Side of the Fence


INVERNESS, FL--(Marketwire - October 30, 2007) - Smartphone Experts (SPE), an e-commerce platform and smartphone accessory development company, today announced the first annual Smartphone Round Robin is starting this week and will continue for the next month. During that time, community editors from the SPE community sites -- TreoCentral (Treo & Centro), CrackBerry.com (BlackBerry), WMExperts (Windows Mobile) and Phone different (iPhone) -- will be learning what it's like to live "on the other side of the fence" as they have their everyday smartphone swapped out for one of its competitors. The participants will be documenting their triumphs and struggles at a special Website set up for the event. Community members, as well as those interested in learning more about the various types of smartphone options that are available, will be able to participate and become eligible for prizes.

"When it comes to smartphones, there's a lot of conflicting information out there and oftentimes decisions are driven by a vendor's advertising campaign rather than the realities of hands-on use of a particular device," said Dieter Bohn, vice president of communities for Smartphone Experts. "We decided that since we had so much smartphone expertise under one roof, so to speak, it made sense to see how our community editors would do when faced with spending a significant amount of time working with a completely unfamiliar device."

The four participants in the Smartphone Round Robin challenge are Jennifer Chappell from TreoCentral, Kevin Michaluk from CrackBerry.com, Mike Overbo from Phone different, and Dieter Bohn from WMExperts. In the first week, Jennifer will be using an iPhone, Kevin will try the AT&T Tilt, Mike will give the Blackberry 8310 a go and Dieter will see what the Treo 680 can do for him. To follow along, go to the following website: http://smartphoneexperts.com/roundrobin/.

It's not just the SPE community editors who will be participating. Smartphone Experts will also be giving away prizes to the members of their community sites. Any user who participates in Round Robin forums at a Smartphone Experts site will be eligible to win the grand prize: a free smartphone of their choice as well as free accessories from their affiliated stores. Full details on the contest can be found at the Smartphone Round Robin site.

"A big plus for these community editors is that they will be able to tap into the various communities associated with the particular device they will be using," said Bohn. "This is huge because they will have access to a wealth of knowledge which should shorten their learning curve. Plus, members of the various communities will get a chance to see their preferred device through the eyes of a new user."

About Smartphone Experts Communities:

--  TreoCentral.com is the premier Treo news and community site on the Web
    and has been since its inception in 2002. Committed to a vision of expert
    Treo reporting, in-depth reviews of Treos, accessories, and software, and
    an editorial slant that's as much "tough love" as it is  "true love" for
    the Treo, TreoCentral is one of the most respected voices in the Treo
    community.
    
--  CrackBerry.com's team of bloggers report news and conduct reviews. The
    site also features an active forum community, an accessory and software
    store, and other unique utilities, including: a BlackBerry wallpaper maker,
    a user-contributed ringtone gallery, and the ability for members to
    activate their own @CrackBerry.com email address.   CrackBerry.com's wide
    range of content makes the site relevant and helpful to all users of RIM's
    BlackBerry device, be it a business user, personal consumer, or IT
    administrator.
    
--  Phonedifferent.com uses a blog format to cover all types of iPhone
    news -- from hacks to "How-tos" -- while filtering out the noise. The site
    also features reviews, opinions, a podcast, and more great forum
    integration for community comments.
    
--  WMExperts.com features news, reviews, and opinions about all things
    Windows Mobile -- but in a more blog-like format. WMExperts' tone is as
    humorous as its content is informative -- it's quickly becoming a "go-to"
    source for Windows Mobile information, "smackdown" comparisons, and
    industry analysis.
    

About Smartphone Experts

Founded in 2002, Smartphone Experts is a leading online retailer and manufacturer of smartphone accessories, powering a growing network of e-commerce stores that offer a wide selection of products, rapid fulfillment, and knowledgeable expert support. The company also operates several smartphone-centric online communities that provide everything from editorially independent news and reviews to discussion forums. Recently rated the fastest-growing retailer in the annual Inc 500 listing (ranking 37th overall), the company's online properties includes TreoCentral.com, PhoneDifferent.com, WMExperts.com, CrackBerry.com, BlueShop.com, BBerry.com, and QDepot.com. More information is available at www.smartphoneexperts.com.

Contact Information: For more information on the Smartphone Round Robin, contact: Dieter Bohn Vice President of Communities, Smartphone Experts 888-599-8998 x122 Annie Gladue Jedemi Communications for Smartphone Experts 415-302-8990