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No-frills, entry-level prepaid candy-bar cell phone
- No carrier contract
- Inexpensive
- Was recalled in 2008
- 90-day warranty
- Low-resolution screen
- No speakerphone
- No camera, no music player
- Some say keys are brittle
The Cricket EZ is an extremely feature-starved candy-bar cell phone that generates no professional reviews. Most of the attention it attracts on the Internet is due to a May 2008 recall because of audio problems on 911 calls. Otherwise, it is virtually ignored because it doesn't have much going for it besides its low price and no contract, according to owner reviews. It can make phone calls and send text messages, but some users say the keys crack easily. One owner review points to the 90-day warranty and suggests that buyers consider the Cricket EZ as "disposable." Another suggests it as an emergency backup, to be kept in the glove compartment of your car.
The Cricket EZ is manufactured by Cal-Comp, part of Taiwan's Kinpo Electronics, and is also known as the Cal-Comp J88B. There is no camera, no music player, no Web browser, no instant messaging, no email support, no voice dialing, no Bluetooth and not even a speakerphone. It has a small 1.5-inch screen with a measly 128-by-128-pixel resolution. Because there are no professional reviews, there are no independent tests available for the battery life, but Cricket promises just two hours and seven minutes of talk time between charges. One professional review, by PCMag.com, mentions the Cricket EZ's reliability issues in passing, recommending Cricket's Motorola VE240 instead.
In the absence of a full professional review, PCMag.com's brief negative comment is as close as we can get to an expert opinion. (Consumer Reports doesn't rate any Cricket phones.) Even user reviews are scarce -- none at Amazon.com and none at CNET. We found some detailed, helpful owner reviews at PhoneArena.com, PhoneScoop.com and AssociatedContent.com, though.
Our Sources
1. PCMag.com
PCMag.com doesn't review the Cricket EZ. But in a review of Cricket's Motorola VE240, reviewer Sascha Segan says, "I'd feel safe recommending it over the similar Cricket EZ (which has notorious quality problems) and Samsung Spex."
Review: Motorola VE240 Review, Sascha Segan, Jan. 8, 2009
About a half-dozen owner reviews combine to give a bleak view of the Cricket EZ. One user lists only a single positive attribute: "used to work." Another points to the 90-day warranty and says to think of it as a "disposable phone."
Review: Cricket EZ Reviews, Contributors to PhoneArena.com
About a half-dozen owner reviews combine to say the Cricket EZ is either poor or OK for the money, with the one positive review not credible because it refers to Web browsing, a feature the phone doesn't have. Some say the keys on their handset cracked open.
Review: Cal-Comp EZ Reviews, Contributors to PhoneScoop.com
This is your basic owner review, and not very complimentary. It says the Cricket EZ rates a four out of 10 but might be OK for just making phone calls and texting.
Review: Cricket EZ Cell Phone Review, Emily Lambert, June 17, 2008
5. PCMag.com
This roundup covers providers of inexpensive phone service. There are links to full reviews of two Cricket phones, the Motorola VE240 and the Nokia 1606.
Review: Is Cheap Wireless the Recession's Bright Spot?, Sascha Segan, Mar. 12, 2009
