overall an excellent package
Written: Sep 05 '02
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Pros: extremely comprehensive features, excellent clarity, good build
Cons: menu button difficult at first, mediocre battery life, moderately complex
The Bottom Line: With the promo prices available on this phone, it seems impossible to beat for the money.
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| dinosauract's Full Review: Kyocera QCP 3035 Cell Phone |
Having been bitten by problems on my Motorola Star-Tac (broken pins in the charging port, a very common problem), I had to decide to make repairs or buy a new phone. Fortunately Radio Shack offers a deal to upgrade to a new phone for $30 plus the cheapest promotional price available. This allowed me to get a Kyocera 3035 for $59 after rebate, less than the price of repairing my Star-Tac, even while already under contract with Verizon.
What initially drew me to this phone, in addition to the good price, was the comprehensive feature set. The speakerphone and voice dialing were particularly attractive since I frequently use my phone in the car.
Much has been written about the difficulties in using the main menu navigation button. It is a five way rocker button with very loose movement. I think the problems with this button have been for the most part overstated. Granted, you will click down when you wanted to click the center position or some such error several times before you get used to it. But within a few days, I had mastered the button with mistakes becoming very rare. Remember way back when you first tried to use a computer mouse, how awkward it was? Now its second nature.
One of the nice features of this phone is that, despite its plethora of features, its pretty easy to use for someone who just wants basic functionality. Press the menu button to the left and you've got 20 of your most recent calls ready to click on to call back. Press to the right and you've got the contacts you've programmed into the phone. Nice and simple, and a nice convenience to casual users.
But I was very drawn to some of the more advanced features. The scheduler is very nice, and you can set an alarm function to remind you. An alarm clock is available also (some people have had problems with this not functioning, check to make sure your phone has the latest software, Verizon can do this for you). Also, a stopwatch and calculator. Not that you might use these frequently, but I'm sure they will come in handy for me from time to time. With this many features, the phone is bound to be a bit complex to learn. But I found the manual very helpful and the menu system very intuitive. Some of the more advanced settings even have some help text available on the LCD. Overall, I rate the operability of the phone very high considering its feature set.
How about ergonomics and build quality? I think the phone feels pretty solid, it is all plastic but it feels very well assembled. Button feel is excellent, a nice solid click when you hit a button. The phone is comfortable in my hand, and its not difficult to find the "sweet spot" as it can be with some small cell phones.
How about sound quality? All calls I've made have sounded very clear on both ends, much better than my Star-Tac. Virtually indistinguishable from a conventional wired phone. Very nice. Using the speakerphone, the clarity does suffer, but still is very usable with good volume. Keep in mind the speaker is on the back of the phone, so if you lay the phone flat on its back, the quality of your reception may suffer.
Battery life? Here the phone suffers compared to my Star-Tac. Kyocera's claims seem very optimistic. With moderate use, I'm getting 2 to 3 days between recharges. I haven't measured exactly how much talk time I get, but I believe Kyocera claims up to about 3 to 3.5 hours. I would say maybe 2/3 of that. No doubt that the amount of data you store in the phone has an effect.
Verizon is nice in that you have 15 days to return a phone if you're unhappy. I can't really think of anything I seriously dislike about this phone, so I'm definitely keeping it. Others I considered were the Samsung T-300, a very highly rated phone and also on promotion with Verizon. I didn't like its feel in my hand, and the lack of a speakerphone was a big drawback. Plus, its flip feature which I thought I would like was actually a drawback. Usually this allows the mic to be closer to your mouth, but not with the Samsung. The mic is still in the main body of the phone and the flip just gets in the way. Performance-wise, a very good phone though. I also looked at the Audiovox 9155. Also a nice phone, but no scheduler and very poor button feel. Its got a good reputation though.
Accessories for the 3035 seem a little hard to come by. Verizon and Radio Shack have them, but VERY expensive. And Kyocera's case for this phone is simply a leather glove which covers the back of the phone and offers no real protection. I found the case sold at Best Buy for the Kyocera 2135 to fit nearly perfectly, and even has an opening in just the right spot for the menu button, while offering a nice plastic face for the rest of the keyboard. Aftermarket car chargers for this phone are very difficult to find. Verizon sells one for $30. 1800mobiles.com sells them for $10-14 dollars, depending if you want the Kyocera one or a generic.
Overall, I find this phone to be an excellent combination of features, sound quality, ergonomics, and functionality. Only the battery life and the initial problems with the menu button are drawbacks.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 59
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Epinions.com ID:
dinosauract
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Reviews written: 4
Trusted by: 0 members
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