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Budget smartphone with QWERTY keyboard
- Swift web browsing
- QWERTY and alphanumeric keypads
- Generally good call quality
- QWERTY keyboard is cramped
- Sub-par camera
- Cheap plastic body
- No GPS capability
Reviewers like the fact that the Pantech Duo is a fast 3G smartphone with a unique dual slider design -- it has both QWERTY and numeric slide-out keyboards -- but professionals and some owners agree that the QWERTY keyboard is cramped. The camera also gets panned in reviews. There are reports, though, that a new Duo 2 is on the horizon with an upgrade to Windows Mobile 6.1 software, an improved camera (2 megapixels instead of 1.3) and possibly a sleeker design. Current owners of the Pantech Duo can get an update to Windows Mobile 6.1 software as well -- it was originally packaged with an older version. As of now, however, reviewers suggest that the BlackBerry Curve 8310 is a solid alternative.
The Pantech Duo's body is plastic -- some reviews say it looks cheap, and some owner say it's fragile, although it's not always clear exactly how much abuse the handset can take. Unlike some other 3G-enabled Pantech phones, the Pantech Duo lacks GPS, but otherwise there is the usual array of features: Bluetooth capability, text messaging, instant messaging, email, music player, video sharing, a microSD slot and web browsing that reviews generally describe as fast.
We found the best coverage of cell phones at PCMag.com, CNET and ConsumerReports.org because their respective testing methods and scoring systems allow readers to easily see which products rank highest. Owner reviews are all over the map, however. At this writing there are more owner reviews at CNET (about 75) than at Amazon.com (about 30). Amazon is worth a visit, though, because there is an even distribution of scores from one to five stars.
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Our Sources
1. PCMag.com
PCMag.com tests the Pantech Duo and assigns it a "good" rating. While the Pantech Duo is fast and powerful, the QWERTY keyboard is "cramped," and the camera and video functions aren't impressive. Reviewer Jamie Lendino recommends the now discontinued AT&T Tilt/HTC 8925 or the BlackBerry Curve 8310 as alternatives.
Review: Pantech Duo, Jamie Lendino, Nov. 7, 2007
2. CNET
CNET does its usual thorough testing and rates the Pantech Duo C810 as "good," with about 75 owner reviews weighing in a bit less generously. Reviewer Nicole Lee's main objection is to the "cheap plastic body with a flimsy sliding mechanism." Like other sources, she says the QWERTY keyboard is "tricky."
Review: Pantech Duo C810 (AT&T), Nicole Lee, Nov. 5, 2007
3. ConsumerReports.org
The Pantech Duo is among the two dozen smartphones tested and ranked by ConsumerReports.org, and there are about 10 owner reviews as well. The chart links to individual reviews of the phones.
Review: Smart Phone Ratings, Editors of ConsumerReports.org, Jan. 2009
This thorough review rates the Pantech Duo as "good," praising its speed but calling its keyboard "cramped" and rating the camera as "poor." There's a handy function on the site that lets you compare specs with other cell phones.
Review: Review: Pantech Duo Business Smartphone, Philip Berne, Dec. 14, 2007
This thorough review gives the Pantech Duo a Recommended tag despite a difficult menu and a camera that's a "massive disappointment." The web browsing speed and the QWERTY keyboard are among the pluses that outweigh those shortcomings.
Review: Review: Pantech Duo for AT&T, Michael Oryl, Nov. 23, 2007
6. Amazon.com
About 30 owner reviews combine to give the Pantech Duo a mediocre average score, and there is an even representation from one stars to five. Some people love the QWERTY keyboard, others find it impossibly small. Some say the call quality is fine, some say it's terrible.
Review: Pantech C810 Duo Phone (AT&T), Contributors to Amazon.com
