If imitation were actually the sincerest form of flattery, patent attorneys would be as lonely as convicted sex offenders. This in mind, Motorola can't be too happy with the Samsung A900 ($199.99 with a two-year contract). Designed for Sprint's PowerVision multimedia video and music service, the A900 (a.k.a. "Blade") looks nearly identical to the original RAZR and is actually a better multimedia phone.

In terms of comfort, the jet-black A900 (.57 inches thin) is longer than the RAZR with the flap open, which brings the mouthpiece closer to your mouth, and has rounder corners, which makes it a little easier on your thigh when you sit down with it in your front pocket. As for camera and music, the A900 reigns supreme. Both phones feature a 1.3-megapixel camera, but the A900's lens is mounted between the hinges and rotates 180° to accommodate weird angles that'll awaken your inner Herb Ritts. And Samsung includes a 2.5mm stereo headphone jack (which both the Verizon and Cingular RAZR models lack) as well as small stereo speakers and music playback controls on the front flap — all of which turns the phone into an ür-iPod.

However, while it may be more comfortable, its look is positively boring compared to its forebear. The styling is a little more blah, plus it doesn't light up like Times Square on New Years Eve the way the RAZR does when you open the flap. And while the A900's screen is slightly brighter, RAZR's viewscreen offers higher contrast at landscape viewing of video clips.

What's maybe most fascinating is what both phones are missing: a slot for an external memory card. While both pack substantial built-in storage (30 MB on the RAZR and 47 MB on the A900), the inability to add more memory is a deficiency that will grow only more critical as you pile up video and music downloads and yearn to bring the ones on your PC with you.

Motorola's iconic RAZR still steals the style prize and is slightly better for video viewing, with a higher contrast viewscreen, but the A900 is the sounder choice for tune grooving, at least this week. — Stewart Wolpin