If you like the look of the Sanyo SCP-6000, currently available for Sprint PCS service, then you'll like the Panasonic TX210. Both are slim, although the Sanyo is ultra-thin. Both sport a silvery, white exterior, and both are products of Japanese companies, which seem to be producing slimmer, fashionable phones to meet worldwide demand.

Panasonic produced a decent phone for AT&T. Aside from its appearance, its features may be considered mediocre compared to some of its competition, despite the fact it's equipped with a speaker phone. The speaker phone is only useful in quiet environments, however, as its volume is restrictive.

The user interface, or menu system, is very user friendly and straightforward. I think Audiovox should take some lessons from Panasonic when designing a user interface for a cellular phone. It's phone book allows for up to 400 entries, including email addresses. It is 2-way text messaging capable.

So, with all of these features and its snappy appearance, why isn't it more popular? Probably because it's not internet ready, its exterior is so slippery, especially the keypad, that this may cause irritation for its users, and it's upstaged by other AT&T phones, like the Nokia 8260.

Also, the display does not allow you to increase the font size, except when initially dialing a phone number. The display, as is, is difficult to see when the phone is at a measurable distance from your face (e.g., sitting on a car seat). The display, however, can be displayed in either a green or amber light, which you can pre-designate for specific entries in your phone book.

It's battery life is acceptable, and almost matches Panasonic's ratings. Overall, this is a good, solid phone, with an attractive appearance. I'm surprised that it's not more popular, but I think it would have been if introduced 2 years ago. This phone has been overcome by events and technological advances. If you slapped an internet browser and voice-activated dialing into it, you may have a contender for greater popularity.

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 49