Motorola C139

"It's a rugged, happy, talky little phone," writes PCMag.com's Sascha Segan in regards to the Motorola C139, adding that it packs "surprising capabilities" for a phone in its price range. Not many $10 devices win expert and user accolades, but the C139 manages this feat. Across the board, the C139 is praised as a great basic phone. The durable pocket-sized candy-bar device measures 4 inches by 1.8 inches by 0.9 inches, and it weighs a mere 2.8 ounces, with a design that InfoSyncWorld.com describes as a "budget version" of Motorola's popular SLVR series. Although its 1.5-inch, 96-pixel-by-64-pixel display is small, it is bright and easy to read both indoors and out. The keypad's rubbery keys ensure accurate typing, while the iTap predictive text simplifies messaging. The interface, however, is tricky and counterintuitive; unlike most cell phones, the center button doesn't select an option. In his "Simplicity Derby" test of super-simple phones, David Pogue of The New York Times discovered that it takes seven taps just to turn off the ringer on the C139, and that each tap produces a beep. "Somehow," he says, "Motorola has managed to strip down this phone without actually simplifying it."

On the upside, the dual-band C139 packs premium voice quality that is "sharp, clear, true," says Segan. Reception, however, varies; TracFone leases its network space from AT&T, which ranks among the lowest for reception in major cell phone carrier surveys. Like the LG 225, the Motorola C139 can display menus in English or Spanish. Other assets of the Motorola C139 include voicemail, caller ID, call waiting, 20 preloaded ringtones, up to 100 contacts, a calculator, stopwatch, currency converter and a lantern mode that makes a great little emergency flashlight. Experts and users also appreciate the good battery life. In the big picture, this phone packs a lot of extras for little money, but most see the Motorola C139 for what it is -- a great talking phone. As one CNET user sums up: "It makes calls. It receives calls."

PCMag.com and CNET provide in-depth standalone reviews of the Motorola C139, while David Pogue of The New York Times compares the simplicity factor of the C139 with other basic cell phones. Rounding out our sources are user reviews from CNET and PhoneScoop.com, which show possible problems that may arise from extensive daily or long-term use.