Pantech Duo: Hands-on!
We waited, and waited, and waited — no announcement from AT&T yet — but we secured a Pantech Duo, live and in the flesh! First off, the device is really small. The keyboard is worlds better than the Helio Ocean, and while it might not be fair to compare it to the Ocean, it is more or less the same concept. 3G on here is such a pleasure, and while we’re not talking about Windows Mobile 6 Professional, Standard works just fine for this little handset. Battery life is a concern, especially with a 3G radio, but since we just got it we don’t have a real gage on battery performance. Voice quality and sound quality sounded crisp and clear as well. Final note: if you saw the Pantech Duo dummy display unit, you’ll notice the device slide out both ways simultaneously. Not the case on the real unit because of the spring mechanism. Not too bad for a device we called out a year ago, right?
UPDATE: There’s an "IPM Power Mode" entry in Settings, with "normal", and "turbo" values. On turbo the device seems much faster, could this be a power-saving mode that also scales the CPU?
Click on over to our Pantech Duo gallery!
I want it….plain and simple I’m not beating around the bush!!! I want that phone!!! If anyone knows any legit giveaways or freebies on the Pantech Duo or the Helio Ocean let me know!!! Please respond!!!
Just got the phone and love it. The only thing I’m wondering is if it is possible to add other sounds to the alerts for text messages. I can add custom ringtones, but not sounds for alerts.
Pam – I am debating about buying this phone! I went to look at it and I was pretty happy with how it felt, keyboard, etc.
Have you found the battery life to be an issue? I have heard that was one of the main concerns in some of the review I have read.
I am thinking about getting this phone but i dont know if i want this one or the TILT. Im really into texting so i want a good keyboard i dont care about the internet or anything.
which should i get!?
omg definitivamente lo voy a comprar esta super cool y es “dual”.THIS IS SO COOL!!!
If you don’t care about the size, Tilt has the better keyboard and screen. Pantech is better if you want a smaller phone for portability(not geeky belt clip!)
Can any of you commment on the sound quality. I just got one the sound is horrible. The person on the other end of the call always sounds muffled. Does anyone have one with clear sound.
I totally have the same problem. Everyone sounds muffled.
I wish the LED would blink for missed calls/ IM’s/ Reminders. (This really seams like a no brainer!) I’m just happy there is no Bluetooth LED.
And I wish there was an option to answer / hangup by sliding open closed.
I really hate all the BS icons in the start menu and want to delete them but I can’t! MobiTV for $9 a month? WTF? It has commercials! And there is a channel called the Transformers channel that just shows the same clips of the movie and then an ad for the DVD. This really should just be ad supported and totally free. Thank god for Slingbox.
I can’t figure out where to put tones for alerts. Ringtones work fine but other sounds aren’t customizable?
i have had mine for a week. the sound is muffled im on the media max 200 text plan. and everything worked fine till i did a master clear now cookies dont work on ie and the media max globe link dosent work. i called text support and they said that i need a pda plan for them to help me cuz i have the wrong plan on my PDA. everywhre ive read the duo is a smart phone. wtf anyone have an idea of how to help?
I have not met anyone who got this phone who has not tken it back due to the sound quality. it is amazing that a company can put a phone on the maeket today with this bad of sound. I think everyone should return it in order to send a message to ATT and Pantech.
You can’t “delete” them, but you can change the home screen (to basically just a clock) setting by going to settings and changing the home screen.
I will have to agree, the sound is muffled. Turning the volume all the way up doesn’t help much. I only got it yesterday. I will play with it for a few more days then decide if to return it.
I just got the Pantech Duo and I love this phone. I was told I had to ad $39.99 to my existing bill just for unlmtd data etc. Which doesn’t make sense, especially since my hubbie has the iphone and he has unlmtd data on a $59.99 plan….mine would have been about $80+. I got a 2nd and 3rd opinion from att, asking them “Do I NEED a PDA plan, what’s the difference?” No one could give me an explanation as to why the $39.99 PDA connect is different from the $19.99 Media Max..200 message plan. Seriously, what is the difference?! If any…except they want your money; $20 xtra. Also…on the media max 200 bundle, will I be charged seperately for Xpress mail? Or using certain browsers/veiwing videos? Someone plz let me know. THX
how do i change ringtone. I download from PC to Pantech duo, my rington folder in “my stuff”. how do i use as my rington (as SOUND in ’setting”)
is there any way to tether with this phone. My computer wont install the driver to use it as a modem.
is there a way to have your contact list back to normal instead of if going by the last name. also
i was trying to log on to a site and no buttons i pushed allowed me to continue to log on? so how do i get it to work. ?
i don’t understand why it wont log in, because it doesn’t do that for me either.. it could be privacy settings maybe though? but if you want it to go first name, last name then just type in the first and last name in the first name slot.
I love my phone, it’s absaluty amazing. it’s tiny, which is nice, the Dual Sliding action is great, i’m a “extream” Texter, and the new keyboard was a little different for me but it didn’t take that long to get used to it, and the button’s are not hard to press, well for me atleast. The only problem i had with it, is the internet, it didn’t connect me, and i’m not sure why. i’m still looking into that problem though.
it was deffinatly worth the Expensive price :]
Has anyone figured out how to use the tether to access the internet from a laptop?
Wow…there’s a lot of talk about the Duo!!! I have one, I work at AT&T….first off, yes you can get GPS, it’s set up for it, however it does not have a built in receiver. You have to buy a seperate puck, which is Bluetooth. Concerning the data package….if you want internet accesss, you have to have the PDA plan…the MediaMax etc. will not work, they’re just not provisioned for SmartPhones. If you don’t get a data plan you cannot send or receive picture mails or IM. So if your willing to spend retail price on the phone you might as well spring for the data plan to get the full functionality. Alana…the data on the iPhone is totally different from our other handsets….it’s actually a super sweet deal…$40 gives you unlimeted text and unlimited internet….doesn’t get much better than that, and you have an iPhone!!! I love my phone, I have no problem with sound quality, so far.
hey i got that phone on wirefly.com for free with a 2 year contract its was a steel and a very good deal i highly recomend wirefly
Does the pantech duo have flash?
I bought my son a Duo a month ago & the screen quit. The outside is not cracked, but the display is. We called AT&T and also went to a store & they won’t replace it.Is this a malfunction problem?
(QUOTE)”klown Said:it does have gps built in”
What led you to believe this thing has built in GPS?
Thanks