Written by: Kate Beamer
With the cell phone market ever-changing, finding a phone you like can be a bit overwhelming. While it may not be the hottest, newest thing around, the Pantech Reveal C790 (with the right plan) offers mobile web, text messaging, a camera, and music player capability.
Last year my mom switched to AT&T, and I was given the choice of a new phone… provided that the cost dwindled down to $0 with rebates and the plan offer. So after a good amount of time spent fake-texting in the store and analyzing phone aesthetics, I made my choice—the Pantech Reveal in blue. It seemed durable (a definite must for me in the phone department), looked cool, and most importantly, was free with the plan. I was also big on the high-res (1280 x 1024) images it could take and the sliding keyboard which would protect the keys.
Unfortunately, my mom skipped on the data plan for me, so I didn’t have the option of (affordable) internet and email usage. Then the first seemingly durable phone lost its back two weeks after the purchase. The sliding keyboard limits cover options and now just over a year later, the phone sports many a battle scar and has lost its battery once. While I know I’m not the most cautious phone handler, the scratches are more visible on this screen (and the fully exposed camera lens) than on phones I’ve had in the past, and the paint is flaking from the number keys. The claim that many Reveal retailers make about easy of texting also has proved false; the keys require quite a bit of effort to press and having a QWERTY keyboard that small is not efficient. Plus when it vibrates, the whole room knows. The placement of the return button and the way in which you select a text recipient after typing a message is counter intuitive.
Pros
- Was cheap with new AT&T plan
- Cool color (and also available in red)
- High-resolution camera
Cons
- Not as durable as advertised
- Difficult to text
- No longer available through AT&T
- Difficult to find accessories
Essentially, I found the phone to be a great deal for the limited amount of texting and calling I do. However, it failed to pass my sturdiness standard, and it is more difficult to find now that AT&T has stopped selling it with plans. For the frugal shopper looking for similar features, I would recommend something like the Samsung Strive, which is still available through AT&T free with a new plan, is much more resilient, and has a cooler vibrate mode.