Hello All. It has been a while since my last post, but I have been busy working on a new concept. As of right now, I cannot get into detail about it, but as soon as I can, I will and post images.
Every now and then, I like to point out products and services that either really stink on ice, or perform really well and deserve praise. I am happy to say this post revolves around the latter. (Click here and here to read about other product and service reviews).
Cell Phones
For a long time, I mean a really long time, I had a flip style cell phone. To be specific, it was the Sanyo SCP 7050 – key word – RUGGEDIZED flip phone from Sprint.
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| My Old Sanyo SCP 7050 Flip Phone |
This thing was awesome. I could throw it at a wall, run it over with my car, drop it in water and it would just keep working every time. I never had an issue with it, so I never upgraded the phone. I was 4 years past due for an upgrade by the time I went to the Sprint store. Every time I got the itch to get a new phone, the first thing I would ask the clerk was “where are the indestructible phones?” I would often get a puzzled look, and I would proceed to explain just how durable my flip phone was. Of course, they would proceed to tell me that there is no phone like that one, so I would leave with my trusty Sanyo.
However, eventually, my tech side got the best of me, and in the world of mini laptops and net books, iPads, iPhones, and affordable smart phones, I decided it was time for me and my wife to upgrade. After much toiling and playing at the Sprint store, I decided to go with the HTC Evo Shift built on the Android platform, and Allie went with the LG Optimus.
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| The HTC Evo Shift |
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| The LG Optimus |
This really is a great little device. I have found that, with the exception of writing a document, this phone has essentially replaced my laptop. It goes with me everywhere, I use it for texting (which I NEVER did on my old phone), web searches with Google Voice, GPS, as an MP3 player, portable television, and of course, Angry Birds. The versatility of the phone has been truly amazing, and its reliability has been, well, above average. My old flip phone had to be restarted due to lock up, seriously, twice that I can remember. There have been a few instances with this phone due to trying to do too much at once, or an over abundance of updates. The other thing that I really like about this model is the slide out keyboard. At 6’-4” tall, I have been blessed with large hands so the little glass touch screen keyboard it not going to cut it. The keyboard on the EVO Shift is a bit on the small side, but with some practice, I have managed just fine. As far as ruggedness goes, I purchased a hard plastic cover that mounts to the back of my phone. It then has a second hard cover that slides over the glass faceplate of my Evo and locks in place to the back piece. When the phone is not in use, or attached to my hip, it is secured in its own hard plastic cocoon. Should I upgrade the phone in the future, I may look more into something like the Samsung Galaxy, which my father-in-law recently purchased.
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| The Samsung Galaxy |
The screen is bigger then my Evo Shift’s, therefore typing on the screen is a little easier. However, it is so light, I feel like I am holding a Noisy Cricket.
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| "I feel like I'm gonna break this damn thing!" |
