Perhaps the most surprising feature on the Exilim C721 is that it has a HTML browser. We usually only see HTML browsers on touch-screen phones or phones with large displays. You access the browser via the Verizon Wireless Dashboard, a Web portal that leads to various channels and information sources (You can read more about it in our LG enV3 review). The HTML browser also supports WAP 2.0, so you can choose to either view Web pages in its full size or the scaled down mobile versions. We quite like it, as you can zoom in and out of pages, subscribe to RSS feeds, and search through pages. The only caveat is that if you want to enter in your own URL, you're redirected to a VZWGoto site where you can then enter in the URL in a small search box. This constant redirection makes surfing the Web a bit of a pain.
Since the Casio Exilim C721 has EV-DO Rev. A, it has access to Verizon's wide array of broadband services, which include V Cast video, Verizon's streaming video service, and V Cast Music with Rhapsody, where you can purchase and download songs over the air. Each song is $1.99, but that includes a PC download as well. The music player on the Exilim C721 is housed within the V Cast Music interface, which isn't the most attractive, but it's functional enough. Songs are organized by artists, album, and genre. You can also create and edit playlists, and set songs on repeat or shuffle. Also useful is an airplane mode, so you can keep listening to tunes while in the air. There's a microSD card slot for additional storage.
But the biggest feature of the Casio Exilim C721 is undoubtedly the 5.1-megapixel camera. The features on the camera rival that of dedicated point-and-shoot cameras. You can take photos in seven different resolutions (2,560x1,920; 2,048x1,536; 1,600x1,200; 1,280x960; 640x480; 320x240; and 160x120), two quality settings, and five white balance presets. There's 3x optical zoom, 16x digital zoom, auto focus (with both spot and nine-point focus), an incredibly bright LED flash, an image stabilizer, normal and multishot modes, and a digital photo frame function that puts all your images in a slideshow. Other settings include macro mode, brightness, a self-timer, and a shutter sound (which you can toggle off).
The camera feature we liked most is BestShot, a series of 15 modes that let you pick the right custom setting depending on your subject. These modes are Person (for portraits), Scenery, Night View, Person & Scenery, Twilight, Food, Character (for nutrition labels or business cards), Sports, Party, Monotone, Sepia, Reverse, High Sharpness, High Contrast, and Vivid. Photo quality was stunning. We really loved how sharp the images look and how vibrant the colors were. The image stabilizer really works well in preventing blurry images.
There's also a camcorder setting that can record in three resolutions (176x144 for video messages, 176x144, and 320x240). Settings include four color effects, to toggle on/off the recording light, a macro mode, brightness, white balance, and a start sound (which you can also toggle off). Video quality is surprisingly decent for a camera phone. The image stabilizer works in preventing jerky videos, though they're still not quite as sharp as we would like. Still, they work as short video messages or something you would upload to Facebook or YouTube.
You have plenty of personalization options with the Casio Exilim C721. You can adjust the wallpaper, display themes, alert tones, and more. You can download more via the Verizon online store. The Exilim C721 doesn't come with any games, but you can download them via the Verizon store as well.
Performance
We tested the dual-band (CDMA 800/1900; EV-DO Rev. A) Casio Exilim C721 in San Francisco using Verizon Wireless. We were very impressed with the call quality. Callers had no trouble hearing us, and we experienced no static or interference. They said our voice sounded clean and natural, almost landline quality. They couldn't tell when we were on speakerphone as well. On our end, we could hear them loud and clear, too.
We were not terribly pleased with the audio quality from the speakers of Casio Exilim C721. The speakers sounded rather tinny, and the bass was lacking. We would definitely recommend using a wired or stereo Bluetooth headset for better fidelity.
We were very impressed with the EV-DO speeds. V Cast videos had no hiccups when loading, and loading a complicated Web page like CNET's front page took about 18 seconds. Downloading a 1.96MB song took about 20 seconds. The V Cast videos didn't have the best video quality--action sequences seemed particularly vulnerable to choppiness--but it was still watchable.
The Casio Exilim C721 has a rated battery life of 3.83 hours talk time and 22.5 days standby time. It has a tested talk time of 5 hours and 19 minutes. According to FCC radiation tests, the Casio Exilim C721 has a digital SAR of 0.524 watt per kilogram.
What You'll Pay
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