Smartphone Review

BY: Jen Edwards, Brighthand.com Contributor

The Pantech Matrix Pro, set for release by AT&T on Tuesday, is a unique dual slider Windows phone with both a QWERTY keyboard and a full number keypad.

I was able to acquire an early review unit and have spent the day getting acquainted with the device. This article includes my first impressions; a more detailed review will be posted in the near future.

Hardware
Many smartphones have a sliding keyboard, and many other have a sliding numberpad. The Matrix Pro has both.

Slide the QVGA screen to the right to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard, which features large, clearly defined, illuminated keys. My brief tests so far reveal that this keyboard is a joy to use; it won’t require much practice to become proficient.

If you slide the screen up, the number pad is revealed, which also features large illuminated keys. The number pad is smooth, so it is somewhat more difficult to know where my fingers are when dialing. I would have preferred a bit more separation, or at least a little “nub” on the number five key to help locate my finger without looking. Read More »

BY: Jen Edwards, Brighthand.com Contributor

The LG Dare is a high-end phone from Verizon whose large touchscreen, easy to use music player, and highly-functional camera give it an emphasis on multimedia.

This model does many things surprisingly well. If you’re a consumer looking for an inexpensive, fully-featured mobile phone or a multimedia enthusiast, you should definitely take a closer look at the Dare. However, if you’re a die-hard road warrior, you probably need a Blackberry or a Windows Mobile smartphone.

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