cell phone reviews

It’s not often that we get to review a cell phone from a new company (at least, new to us). That’s why we requested to examine the Huawei M328 from MetroPCS. Though it’s hardly the flashiest phone around–it doesn’t even have a camera–we wanted to see what the Chinese company was all about. In fact, the M328 is perfectly suited for MetroPCS’s no-frills, no-hassle service. Though we had a few design complaints, it offers decent call quality and an easy-to-use interface. You can get it for just $79; that’s … Continue Reading

Despite the growing trend of smartphones in the country, AT&T has maintained its commitment to the messaging handset market, claiming that there’s a huge market for so-called “smartphone lite” devices. As part of this, AT&T has launched a number of what it calls “quick messaging phones,” one of which is the Pantech Pursuit. It’s Pantech’s first-ever touch-screen phone with a sliding keyboard, and we have to say, we’re impressed. Despite its toylike appearance, the Pursuit is quite sleek, with unique features like shake and gesture controls in addition to … Continue Reading

Pantech is no stranger to the sliding QWERTY phone, from the dual-slider Helio Ocean to the recent single-slider Pantech Reveal. But with its latest messaging handset, Pantech went for a flip shape similar to that of the LG enV3. It has an external keypad, dual displays, and a full QWERTY keyboard. Unlike the enV3, though, the Impact has a very impressive OLED touch-sensitive exterior. Aside from its unique style, the Impact has a good feature set that includes 3G, GPS, and an HTML mobile browser based on Opera. The … Continue Reading

Though Chinese manufacturer ZTE has grown by leaps and bounds over the last couple of years, it still has a small presence in the United States. Its phones are available only at regional carrier MetroPCS, and even then you’re limited to relatively low-end models. In the last year, we’ve reviewed the ZTE C79 and the C88 and we now turn our attention to C78. Sporting a candy-bar design in a unique purple hue (purple phones are in, by the way), the C78 offers mid-range features with decent call quality. … Continue Reading

Unless you’re a MetroPCS customer, it’s likely you haven’t yet heard of ZTE in the United States. Until the Chinese manufacturer launched the ZTE Salute with Verizon Wireless, it had never cracked the U.S. market with a top-tier carrier. The basic tools and lackluster display won’t make the entry-level Salute a memorable debut effort, but the slider phone’s interesting design details and budget price make it a redeeming value. If you’re entering a new two-year agreement, you can pick it up for $19.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate either … Continue Reading

Pros: Truly the most beautiful cellphone ever. Makes the Vertu and Arte look dowdy. Easy to use, comfortable to hold, brilliant design.

Cons: Odds are you can walk into any T-Mo, Sprint, ATT or Verizon store and pick a phone with better features…and it would be free with a two year commitment.

Motorola thumbed its nose at the shaky economy Tuesday when it introduced a high-end luxury cell phone called the Aura. Sporting a swivel design reminiscent of the Motorola V70 (now there’s a blast from the past), the Aura features a … Continue Reading

One of the more popular smartphones of 2007 was the Samsung BlackJack, and it’s not hard to see why. It offered solid messaging capabilities, 3G support, and good call quality, all wrapped up into one attractive and sleek package. However, the love affair was ruined for some after numerous battery drain issues, which subsequently led to Samsung shipping the BlackJack with an extended battery. Well, now the BlackJack’s successor is out, and it takes care of that issue and then some.

The Samsung BlackJack II not only features … Continue Reading

Those seeking a cheaper alternative to the LG Shine need not fear, as LG has recently introduced the just-as-shiny LG VX8700 specifically for the U.S. market. Somewhat of a successor to the LG VX8600, the LG VX8700 sports a flip phone design instead of the Shine’s slider design. While we appreciated its marvelous stainless-steel design, we were slightly disappointed with the lack of external music controls, the flat keypad, and the inconvenient location of the microSD card slot. That said, the VX8700 sports a healthy number of multimedia features … Continue Reading

When we first learned of the Samsung Haven for Verizon Wireless, we thought it was a thick, boxy brick of a senior phone. Since then, we’ve come to better appreciate its usability charms. In the spectrum of cell phones geared toward the silver-haired set, the Haven sits right in the middle. It neither resembles a telephonic calculator like the Just5 J509, nor is it as tech savvy as the PCD CDM8635, with its 1.3-megapixel camera and hearing assistance features.

The Samsung Haven forgoes a camera–not necessarily a detriment–and focuses instead … Continue Reading

As an entry-level metallic-gray-and-black flip phone, the Samsung Gusto is the spitting image of the Samsung Smooth, though its feature set and design slightly differ. Although there are some nice features inside, phone’s build and call quality are pretty unremarkable. The price, however, is very low–free from Verizon.com after an online discount and a new two-year contract, and $19.99 with a new contract after a $50 mail-in rebate, if you pick it up in retail stores.

Design

Though one on hand the gray-and-black Samsung Gusto is a decently attractive flip phone, … Continue Reading