8mp Android Pantech Flex review
New from Pantech that is known for producing budget Android smartphones that punch above their weight, and the Flex is no exception. Available now on AT&T for $50 with a two-year contract, it delivers a dual-core Snapdragon S4 -- the same chip that lurks within mightier phones such as the Galaxy S III and One X -- along with a qHD display and LTE connectivity. The phone certainly hits a number of the check boxes for value seekers, but there's something that makes the Flex very different from other smartphones on the market: it has a dual personality.
Folks, prepare for memories of At Ease, Microsoft Bob and Packard Bell Navigator to come rushing back. The Pantech Flex features a unique launcher known as Easy Experience, which caters to those who might find Ice Cream Sandwich overwhelming. Fortunately, there's also a standard launcher for experts. In that regard, the Flex is deserving of its name. Unlike most handsets on the market, it's targeting both broke college students and technophobes just the same. Of course, we're here to answer a greater question: is the Pantech Flex worthy of being your next smartphone? Join us after the break for the answer.
For a more complete overview of the Pantech Flex, we've included a spec sheet for quick reference.
Pantech Flex
Pricing $50 with two-year contract; $400 outright
Dimensions 5.1 x 2.6 x 0.32 inches (130 x 66 x 8mm)
Weight 4.66 oz. (132g)
Screen size 4.3 inches (109mm)
Screen resolution 960 x 540 pixels (256ppi)
Screen type Super AMOLED (PenTile) display
Battery 1,830mAh
Internal storage 8GB (5.5GB available)
External storage MicroSD, none included
Rear camera 8MP, AF, LED flash
Front-facing cam 2MP
Video capture 1080p
NFC No
Radios LTE 700/850/1700/1900; HSPA+ 850/1900/2100; GSM / EDGE 850/1700/1900/2100
Bluetooth v4.0
SoC Qualcomm MSM8960 (Snapdragon S4)
CPU 1.5GHz dual-core Krait
GPU Adreno 225
RAM 1GB
MHL Yes
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n with WiFi Direct
Operating system Android 4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
Supported multimedia formats AAC LC/LTP, AAC+, eAAC+, AMR-NB, AMR-WB, FLAC, MP3, MIDI, OGG Vorbis, PCM/WAVE, WMA
