Windows Mobile has always had a tough time playing in the "regular size" handset market. Small phones are all the rage but what about when you want to do more than just have a voice conversation or send a quick SMS? Sure you could buy sleek RAZR for voice and use a blackberry for your other electronic communications but after a while that utility belt becomes heavy and unsightly. The other problem with smaller devices is while they're small enough to fit in your shirt pocket it's hard to type out a nice and detailed e-mail using just then numberpad. So then you get a device with a QWERTY keyboard but trying to dial a number becomes a challenge without voice dialing aids.
Pantech Duo is aimed at addressing many of these shortcomings. Weighing in at 3.88 ounces the device measures 4.02 x 1.97 x 0.83 inches. To put this size into perspective the Motorola RAZR V3 measures in at 3.86 x 2.08 x 0.54 inches. Other notable specs are 10 Day standby time, 3 hour talk time, Bluetooth with A2DP, Quad Band world phone, Dual-band domestic UMTS/HDSPA, 128 MB of flash ROM with 64 MB SDRam and a fast 416 MHZ Marvel Bulverde processor. The thing I don't understand is the inclusion of only a 1.3 megapixel camera. Many devices are already at 2 megapixel with higher resolutions coming soon. The device also has a 2.2" QVGA screen with LED backlight. The LED backlight is impressive as it draws very little power and will last longer than the flash ROM in the device.
Running Windows Mobile 6 Standard the Duo is not just an ordinary "slider cellphone". Coupled with Exchange Active Sync this device can replace that blackberry and cellphone very easily while providing more functionality than having two individual devices. Features such as SMS, MMS, Push E-mail, PDF viewer and the ability to edit Office documents help to distinguish the Duo from other "slider cellphones".
The face of the device has a clean layout and access to frequently used buttons have really been thought out. On the main face of the device you have power, home, back, talk, end and two softkeys along with a 4-way navigation pad with selection button in the middle.
On the left side of the device you have access to volume buttons and on the right side you have access to the camera and recorder buttons. The buttons are small and make it difficult for those with larger hands to access them.
A big rub for me with the Duo is it's power connector. A majority of my devices utilize a mini-usb connector which is great as it allows the use of existing chargers and accessories. Plus it decreases the number of cables that you need to carry because many devices (mp3 players, digital camera's, etc) use the same mini-usb connector. To use a wired headset you need to also use an adapter that plugs into the bottom connector. Honestly that's just too many things to carry and I wouldn't dream of using a wired headset with this device for this very reason.
The one feature that sets this device apart from others is the dual sliding keyboards. The Dual Sliding mechanism allows for a small device footprint when closed and still allows great functionality with either keyboard. Slide the device up and you are greeted by a nice functional numeric keypad. The numerical keypad provides great tactile feedback and navigation. The button sizes are just right even for a person with wide thumbs such as myself. Another nice numerical keypad feature is a spring assisted slider. As you open or close the numerical keypad a spring assists in opening and closing the keyboard. This makes one handed access and operation of the numerical keypad a snap.
The QWERTY keyboard unfortunately doesn't receive the same accolades. Sliding the screen to the left (or up if you change the orientation) and you now have access to the QWERTY keyboard. To keep the device size small a condensed QWERTY keyboard is used. It comprises of all the letters of the alphabet with punctuation and number keys being accessed via a secondary function key. Punctuation placement is straightforward and easy to navigate once you familiarize yourself with the associated function keys.
Coming from the larger QWERTY keyboard on my Sprint PPC 6800 the transition to was slightly difficult until I became acclimated to the device. One thing that I miss on the condensed keyboard was directional keys. It's amazing how many time you use directional keys move information around, especially on a smartphone device since there's no screen to quickly tap on. Unlike the numeric keypad the QWERTY keyboard doesn't have a spring to assist in the opening and closing of the slider but the sliding travel when on the QWERTY keyboard is very short so it's easy to open without much fuss. Still it would've been nice to have the same "slider" feel throughout the device. When I moved from the Sprint PPC 6700 which didn't have a spring assisted slider to the Sprint PPC 6800 which did, I could tell the difference immediately. The biggest problem I had with the QWERTY keyboard was lack of tactile feel. The keyboard is completely flush with the bezel and boxes that make up the whole keyboard face. If you're a person with small fingers or fingernails then you're able to access the keyboard without much issue but if you are a person with large fingers and no fingernails then typing out messages will be somewhat disappointing and slow.
Out of the box the device is preloaded with trial software like MobiTV and My Space Mobile. You also have an AT&T branded IM program, AT&T Mail, AT&T Music and Cingular Video. I tried out a few of my usual programs like Sling Player Mobile, Windows Live Search, and One Note Mobile which all worked great and felt snappy thanks to the fast processor in the Duo. Sling player worked well over the fast 3G services and the best part about 3G on the AT&T network is that you can use both data and voice communications simultaneously. This is extremely helpful when you need an e-mail and you need to be on the phone at the same time. There were a few times that I forgot about this only to be startled when the device alerted me to new mail messages while I was on the phone.
Bluetooth worked very well on the duo and because the device is A2DP compatible I was able to use my blue spider stereo bluetooth headphones with the duo. Listening to music and watching shows via sling media was very enjoyable and allowed for a nice complete "wireless" experience.
The Duo's Battery life is very impressive. In my line of work I am sometimes in high density cellular areas and other times trying to cling on to that last bar but that didn't seem to affect battery life one bit. There were times when I would forget to charge the device only to find the battery level still high the next morning. Most of my use on this device was data but I use data like others use voice plus add the fact that continuous device data access keeps the backlight on much longer than a phone call would. This shows the tremendous gains the LED backlight gives this unit. One thing that I did notice and this is true with many smaller cellular devices is that prolonged voice communications will leave the back of the device fairly warm. I haven't used a device this size in some time so I had forgotten about this until I started using the device for a few lengthily voice conversations. A bluetooth headset will decrease the noticeable heat as the device will be tucked away in a pocket or case.
The Pantech Duo is a really nice device aimed at those who require more functionality while maintaining a sleek appearance. The device packs many nice features like great battery life, 3G data, dual keyboards and Windows Mobile 6. The suggested price point will give it's competitors a run for their money. One of the biggest problems with Windows Mobile Devices was getting the price point to be acceptable to the customer. AT&T is selling the Pantech Duo for $449.99 but if you go for a 2 year contract the price is $299.00, adding a $100.00 mail-in rebate and the final price is $199.99. Not bad for a device that packs so much functionality into a small package. So if you're looking for a device that'll give you great performance while keeping you in the "in crowd" you will want to check out the Pantech Duo.
