I've been waiting for the Pantech PN-820 Clamshell Smartphone from Verizon Wireless since it was announced last year and I'm sorry to say that it was a big disappointment. In fact it was on its way back to Verizon the day after I received it!
What attracted me to this phone was the form factor. I like flip phones for two reasons: the main screen is well protected while in my pocket with keys and loose change and I find it easier to answer or hang-up by opening or closing the flip. Plus it makes it tough to call someone by accident (Garry - you keep calling me every couple of weeks).
It's got a clear main screen and good voice quality.
The good stuff ends there. Battery life is horrible (I made it through one day but couldn't have made it through a second day without recharging and this was with minimal usage), it's a Windows Mobile 5 device, the Bluetooth implementation doesn't support Voice Command, the front display is basically useless, the keypad is so-so and it's easy to hit the wrong button. Oh, and did I mention that it's pretty ugly? When I told a friend I'd gotten a brand new Smartphone he took one look and said "That? I thought that was your old phone." (My old phone is an Audiovox CDM-8900).
Based on the phone's profile it does look like it would be pretty easy to add an extended battery without getting any protrusions.
To top it all off you need to add a data plan which is at least another $40/mo. I really didn't think I would miss the QWERTY keyboard but I realize that I really do. It's a pain to enter URLs, e-mail addresses, user IDs, passwords, etc. Without being able to take advantage of the browser then data plan is a total rip-off (and it doesn't even let you tether it - that's extra).
My recommendation? If you want something small and more functional. Just get a Motorola Q. It's got a keyboard, the battery life is probably about the same, it looks better, and it supports Voice Command via Bluetooth.
