Cingular introduced their first two 3G phones today, but the Samsung ZX10 and LG CU320 are a very modest introduction to the world of high-speed cellular networks. Both are nice, midrange phones with megapixel cameras and a new Cingular Video service which delivers clips of the usual news, sports, weather and entertainment content (Cingular's flagship partner is HBO.) But they run at less than half the maximum speed of Cingular's network and don't have much of a focus on e-mail or Web browsing. Cingular's new HSDPA network would shine in those two apps because, unlike with Sprint's and Verizon's networks, you can talk and transmit data at the same time. The phones are both $99 after rebates, though, so maybe I was expecting too much. Check out a full gallery of the Samsung ZX10 and my news story on PCMag.com with more details, and look for reviews of both phones on PCMag.com later this week.

In a slightly related matter, City Cafe is, in my mind, the most pleasant and charming cafe in Charm City (that's Baltimore.) But it's a mysterious black hole for Cingular's 3G network. Note to Cingular: stick a tower on Eddie's so I don't have to go to Harborplace to do my testing!