By 

J. Shih “javafuel” (Los Angeles, CA United States) –

  

I’ve been using this phone for a few days now and here are the pros and cons.

PROS:
- Inexpensive
- Awesome flexible plans with no contract, you can switch between plans to fit your needs on monthly basis.
- Attractive design & compact size
- Good speed, not the slowest nor the fastest, somewhere in between (as May 2011)
- No blowware installed, good job Boost Mobile
- Clear sound for phone calls & decent music player

Cons
- Fixed focus low res cam (2MP) no LED. It takes OK pics in a good lighting environment, video quality is unusable. My biggest issue is that it CAN’T read standard bar code, due to it’s fixed focal lens. But it reads QR code without any problem.
- CDMA network, which is a somewhat outdated network system. Most of countries are using GSM network, so it won’t work outside of US even if you unlock it.
- SIM card embedded, that means it can only be used on Boost Mobile network, maybe Sprint…BTW, Boost Mobile is using Sprint’s network. You can’t transfer contacts from your SIM card phone easily.
- Screen resolution. It’s not really a con, but it might be if you’re used to hi end smart phones. It’s the same resolution as 2gen ipod touch.
- Battery, this is an issue with all smart phones.

Overall, I highly recommend it for causal users. Check out its coverage in your area before hand though.

Things you would need to buy, if you plan to use this phone.
- Micro SDHC, 2/3 of its internal RAM is occupied by OS and others. 2GB Micro SDHC that came with the phone is not going to be enough for most people. Make sure you get the Class 6 or above version of Micro SDHC. It makes noticeable difference in speed.
- Car charger, they’re not all the same. The main difference is how much power the charger provides. If you get one that provides minimum power, then your phone won’t be charging much while the phone is using GPS & 3G for navigation. Motorola Vehicle Power Adapter micro-USB Rapid Rate Charger This seems to be a good one.
- extra battery, if you’re always on the phone.

Tips for new Android phone users, especially entry level phone like this one.
- Read app’s permission carefully. When installing an app, it will tell you what data on your phone it is accessing. Many “free” apps are collecting info in the background, often they collect info that has nothing to do with its function.

This is not just a privacy issue, it also slows down the phone and drain its battery. If you’re experiencing slow response and really bad battery issue, then it’s probably because there are too many apps running in the background. These kind of apps send collected info periodically via wifi/3G, which is a major battery drainer. Get a Task Killer app, it lets you kill apps that run in the background.

A general rule, stay away from apps that is accessing data has nothing to do with its function. For example, a workout app that wants to access phone’s contact list and reads phone account info. You know it’s data mining your phone for marketing purpose.

Update: there is a work around for scanning bar code at book store. Google has an app called Shopper or Google Shopper. It can scan a book or CD/DVD cover from phone’s camera and do a price search, an amazing app. Amazon App store gives away a pay app for free everyday, sweet!

6/28/2012: Apparently Boost Mobile’s 10 cent/minute Pay as You Go plan is not available to this phone yet. But $50/month unlimited everything is still the best deal by far. Most of 4G data & phone plans from major carriers costs around $80 + tax & fees = $90/month, plus you lock in for two years. Sure, you get the latest smartphone with 4G speed for “free”, but it’s not free at all. Here’s the math, you pay $40 more per month with other carriers’ plan. So $40 x 24 months = $960, this does not include the Shrinkage discount. You have to ask yourself if 4G speed & latest smartphone is worth of $1000 more.

Lastly, government charges tax & fee when you setup automatic payment to pay Boost Mobile account (it makes no sense whatsoever, but government wants more money). To avoid that, you have to put money in your account via reboost card each month manually. Luckily, you can buy electronic reboost card from major online store. They will email you the reboost code, then you just copy and paste it to your boost mobile account via website.

9/13/2012: I’ve been using this phone for a few months now, and had no major issue until a couple days ago when I installed Pandora app. All hell broke loose after that, the phone froze up every couple hours. The phone works fine after uninstalled Pandora. Other than that, the I’m pretty happy with it. Remember to keep it lean, the more apps you add to it, the…

Read more

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 

Was this review helpful to you? 

|

 Comments (36)