pantech

Pantech Burst review: AT&T gives a lot for a little

When the top-tier everything-smartphones cost between $200 and $300, I can't blame you for dubiously eying a $50 phone. However, if your budget is top of mind, and Android is where your heart lies, then do yourself a favor and check out the Pantech Burst.

Why? It has 4G LTE, a 4-inch Super AMOLED screen, a (good) 5-megapixel camera, a front-facing camera, and a 1.5GHz dual-core processor. Poorer call quality and battery life are the price trade-offs, but if you can live with that, you'll find in the Burst a Gingerbread device that pretty much does it … Read more

Android Atlas Weekly 84: Chrome finally hits Android (Podcast)

Chrome comes to Android with one gigantic caveat. Or maybe two. And we are joined by cell phone expert Jessica Dolcourt who gives us her personal opinion of Android.

NEWS:

-Three years on, Chrome at last arrives on Android

-Verizon Galaxy Nexus loses Google support

-Google Voice gets the Ice Cream Sandwich treatment

-Motorola patent license will cost Apple 2.25% of sales

-Google secretly testing pair of connected devices

-An Android tablet for the tub

-Superslim Samsung Galaxy S III could drop in May… Read more

An Android tablet for the tub

The world is a dangerous place for a tablet. One slip or spill, and your precious slate is sunk.

The Pantech Element, out now on AT&T for $299 on contract, is here to relieve you of your worry. Its solid, waterproof design can handle up to a meter of water, so go ahead and spill your cup of coffee.

But is this a tablet worth signing a two-year contract for? Head over to CNET's rated review of the Pantech Element to find out more.

AT&T's Pantech Burst won't bust your wallet

LAS VEGAS--Smartphones aren't really a dime a dozen. Most of them are more like several hundred dollars for one.

That's why I'm so pleased with the Burst, Pantech's new LTE smartphone for AT&T. The phone is perfect for those who want a quality product, but may not have as many dollars to spare.

The Burst will be available January 22, and with a two-year contract, it will cost $49.99. If you buy it bundled with Pantech's waterproof tablet, the Pantech Element, you can get both for about $250.

Although $49.99 is … Read more

AT&T introduces six new 4G LTE Android devices at CES

LAS VEGAS--AT&T is bulking up its 4G LTE lineup with five new Google Android smartphones and one Google Android tablet. All will operate over the company's upgraded network, the company said at a press event here today.

The new devices will be available in the first part of 2012, the company said.

Samsung

The Galaxy Note is a 5.3-inch device with an HD Super AMOLED screen (1,280x800) that's supposed to offer sharp and clear images both indoors and outside. The Galaxy Note also features the S Pen technology, which allows users to input text via a pen. This allows users to sketch drawings, jot notes, or write e-mails and texts in their own handwriting. The Samsung Galaxy Note will be available in the coming weeks, AT&T said. But it hasn't released pricing information on it yet.

The Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket HD has a 4.65-inch HD Super AMOLED screen, as well as a 1.5GHz dual-core processor. It's about 9.27 millimeters thick and will be available in coming months, AT&T said.… Read more

Pantech Pocket review: Android's Big Bertha

The Pantech Pocket for AT&T is no Skinny Minny of a smartphone. Instead, its Big Bertha design is one of the Android smartphone's standout traits.

Pantech's Pocket has a 4-inch screen with dimensions that are rarely seen: a 600x800-pixel configuration known as super-VGA (or SVGA). That translates into a 3:4 aspect ratio that's both shorter and squatter than most other handsets with the same diagonally measured 4-inch screen.

The phone has a nice, grippy surface and runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread, with Pantech's user-friendly skin. There's a 5-megapixel camera that takes nice … Read more

Quick Take: Pantech Link II

The Pantech Link II is the latest in affordable messaging phones for AT&T. The slim slate handset has a full QWERTY keyboard, a 2.4-inch display, and measures only 10.7mm (0.42 inch) thick. It runs on a proprietary BREW Mobile OS, and offers features like text and multimedia messaging, social media apps, a 2-megapixel camera, and Bluetooth. As you might expect, this entry-level handset is very inexpensive at only $9.99 after a new two-year service agreement from AT&T.

Pantech Jest 2, Pantech Hotshot hands-on

SAN DIEGO--As we walked by the PCD booth here at CTIA, we noticed that Pantech had two phones up for display that we haven't seen before. They were the Pantech Jest 2 and the Pantech Hotshot.

The Pantech Jest 2 is slightly curvier and rounder than the Pantech Jest messaging phone we reviewed last year, and the screen size is a touch smaller at 2.4 inches.

The biggest improvement that the Jest 2 has over its predecessor is that it has a dual-mode GSM/CDMA chipset so it can be used internationally. This is one of a few … Read more

Pantech Pocket first impressions, pics

SAN DIEGO--While we liked what we saw of the Motorola Atrix 2, we were probably more intrigued by the Pantech Pocket, which was also announced for AT&T this week. It's a lower-end handset, yes, but its unusually wide form factor caught our eye.

Which is exactly why Pantech made it look that way. We had a closer hands-on look at the Pantech Pocket today, and one of the reasons the Pocket is wider than other Android handsets is precisely to stand out among all the rectangular black boxes that make up the Android landscape.… Read more

Pantech Breakout review: Fast 4G, crummy camera

Good: The Pantech Breakout runs on Verizon's 4G LTE network. Android 2.3 Gingerbread is dressed up with a handy custom UI, and the phone has good call quality.

Bad: The Breakout doesn't have a flash, and it has a poor front-facing camera, jerky video, and shutter lag.

Bottom Line: If you don't give a whit about the camera or video, the Pantech Breakout is a fast and straightforward Android handset for Verizon.

Catch the video, photo gallery, and all the pros and cons in our full hands-on review of the Pantech Breakout.