When it comes to innovative cellphones, Sanyo has created the most unique devices to come through TechTV Labs. The SCP-5000 was the first phone with a color display capable of displaying images and now the SCP-6000 has the honor of being the thinnest phone in North America. While this tiny phone looks cool and slips nicely into a pocket, the thin design provides some usability challenges.

In the 2D world, the SCP-6000 looks much like any slender monolith phone measuring 5.07 by 1.54 inches. Add the third dimension, and Sanyo's creation is truly remarkable with a thickness of only 0.39 inches -- comparable to a stack of six credit cards -- and weighs a mere 2.29 ounces. We found the thin design took some acclimation. Where most cellphones can rest in the palm of the hand when talking, the SCP-6000 is so thin that only fingertips can be used to grasp the phone. Right-handed users have the added challenge of the antenna housing getting in the way.

With the small size comes a cramped keypad that some may find a little awkward for one-handed dialing. The keys are slightly raised for a more tactile feel, but generally are spaced too close for comfort, especially for those with larger hands. Sanyo includes a nice 120x128 display capable of supporting 7 lines of text with 15 characters per line and a green or orange backlight. You can adjust the font size to show 10 lines when using the wireless Web.

The SCP-6000 is designed for the CDMA 1900-MHz network, like Sprint PCS. Unfortunately, it doesn't support the larger AMP or analog network. While roaming charges make using the analog networks expensive, the option to make emergency calls outside the digital coverage area is an important feature Sanyo has excluded.