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Review: UTStarcom Slice calling and messaging phoneBy Jennifer Hooker, Thursday 16 November 2006
GALLERY
UTStarcom Slice
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UTStarcom Slice
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UTStarcom Slice
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UTStarcom Slice
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UTStarcom Slice
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Just announced for pre-paid carrier Virgin Mobile, the Slice is a tempting choice for budget-minded chatters looking for a flyweight phone. Does its slim profile make up for its dearth of features?

Review summary of the UTStarcom Slice:
Features »   Side-by-side »   Gallery »
UTStarcom Slice The UTStarcom Slice features runway looks at a bargain price, making it a perfect fit for fashion-conscious chatters who don't want to break the bank. The Slice boasts great call quality with strong reception and an attractive interface. However, the flexibility of a pre-paid phone means losing out on features like Bluetooth, a camera and voice calling. Also, the small keypad makes for uncomfortable typing, so heavy texters may want to try another slim phone on for size. Release: October 2006. Price: $50.
Pros: Slim, lightweight form factor; easy-to-use menus; great talk time; solid call quality.
Cons: Not many calling features; tiny, uncomfortable keypad; tricky messaging interface.
Poor
Mediocre
48%
GOOD
Very good
Excellent
Full review of the UTStarcom Slice:
Design

The UTStarcom Slice definitely grabs your attention with its striking, wafer-thin profile (0.4 inches) and elegant black shell. Like many other pre-paid phones, the 2.4-ounce Slice doesn't boast a flashy camera or media player; however it features a respectable screen and a stylish blue backlit keypad that's reminiscent of the Motorola SLVR.

Calling - Good

Call quality was solid on the Slice; our calls came in loud and clear with no noticeable static during our testing in Manhattan. The phone also maintained decent reception, never dipping below two bars. However, the outlook wasn't so bright when dealing with call features. Labeling the handset as "bare bones" is an understatement, as it only packs in an average speakerphone (with typical tinny sound) and hearing-aid compatibility -- no Bluetooth, voice dialing or even conference calling. The Slice does gain back a little ground with its user-friendly phonebook, which includes while-you-type searching (although we would have liked to see a few more entry fields) and its impressive 3.5 hours of talk time.

Messaging - Good

The Slice handles messaging adequately, but it certainly has room for improvement. For example, we were only able to fit a measly 78 characters on the screen, far short of our preferred 160, and we weren't able to personalize messages by adding in pictures or emoticons. And while we like the candy bar's clean and simple interface, we were annoyed by its teeny, tiny keypad; we found typing on the too-small keys to be a tedious chore, requiring oh-so-precise finger placement. We were also annoyed that the Slice doesn't feature auto-capitalization after we typed a period, so we constantly had to hit the shift key.

Related phones: More slim phones

Samsung SGH-T519    Similar models »
Score: 54% When: September 2006 Worth: $Free Carrier: T-Mobile
The Samsung Trace is supermodel thin, yet it packs in a 1.3-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, and memory expansion. Philip Berne takes the T519 off the runway for a real-world road test.
Read »
Samsung SGH-T519
Samsung SGH-T509s    Similar models »
When: October 2006 - $200 Carrier: T-Mobile
Available now on T-Mobile, the newly dubbed SGH-T509s keeps the same features as its predecessor but updates its look with a plum shell.
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Samsung SGH-T509s


Price and availability

Available now on Virgin Mobile, the UTStarcom Slice retails for $50.

Best Prepaid phones
Name Score Price Carrier
C
Nokia 6555 54% $50AT&T
Nokia 2366i 50% $10Verizon Wireless
Samsung SGH-a737 49% $80AT&T
UTStarcom Slice 48% $50Virgin Mobile
Kyocera Cyclops 48% $50Virgin Mobile
Pantech C120 45% $50AT&T
Samsung Slash 35% $80Virgin Mobile
Virgin Mobile Arc 32% $50Virgin Mobile
Click here to see full and advanced chart »
 
 
 
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