Phones like this are so easily overlooked.
After receiving this gem as an early Christmas gift, I did a little review trolling to see what other people thought of the phone (because of course, it’s always a good idea to buy first, research later o_O).
I found most reviews were wildly dismissive of this phone. “Just another Android”, I suppose, or however they put it.
Perhaps, because this phone was marketed for “first-time smartphone users”, most people thought it was a little too basic for their tastes. If you’d rather spend a bunch of time navigating cryptic menu screens and searching hours for that one little settings button, go right ahead.
The thing I appreciate most about this phone is, all of the information I could need at a glance is right there. The home screen tells me the date, time and weather. I was able to create “widget shortcuts” to my alarm clock, the built-in music player, and even a browser shortcut to my horoscope (Yahoo! Shine, for those who are interested), so that anything I need is just one touch away.
With a swipe, I can check Facebook or update my status. Another swipe and I can view news headlines, or recommended downloads from the Android Market, quite possibly the best app market out there (Whaaaaaaa? Better than App Store? YES. Because most of the good stuff is still free.)
I can also check Google with a swipe, which has proven extremely useful in Smartphone Circle situations.
It’s got GPS Navigation with turn-by-turn directions, so I never get lost on late night trips to Taco Bell.
For those caught up in the Siri hype, it’s got a pretty cool Genius button, which allows you to search Google, send a text, make a phone call, or get directions. Which, when you think about it, is pretty much all you’d need to use voice commands for, anyway. The voice recognition software is pretty spot-on, and there’s even an option that allows you to dictate text messages.
For the business user who needs to view/edit documents on the go, it comes with an Office Suite-type package pre-installed, for free.
The camera is actually pretty good and stands up to my 12mp Olympus camera (at less than half the megapixels, that’s really saying something). I wouldn’t use it for really professional pictures or anything, but casual smartphone camera use is more than acceptable with this device. I hear it also has an HD video camera? I don’t take many videos, but I’ll update next time I do.
The physical keyboard took about 5 minutes of getting used to, but once I did, it was a match made in heaven. The phone sits so nicely between your pointer fingers and underneath your thumb, which makes for good balance while typing. The buttons are easily pressed and typing is really a breeze. Love the extra dedicated symbol keys.
Now. The Calendar widget leaves just a bit to be desired (it still shows October, and we’re almost in December!). And sometimes, the browser kicks me out of a page for no apparent reason at all. I can’t be sure if these are phone-specific, Android-specific, or user-specific issues, but you should be aware that you may need to download new calendar and browser apps. For free, of course.
In Conclusion…….
I’m no first time smartphone user, and I’m normally not easily wowed by the “cool” features on a phone. But I have to say, I’m really pleased with this one. It may not run your life for you, but it certainly makes those little things you do everyday, that much easier and faster to do. I probably wouldn’t switch providers just to get it, but if you already have T-Mobile and are looking for a new, simple, fun phone, this is a good option.
