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CNET editors' rating:
3.0 stars
Good
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Product summary
The good: The Firefly FlyPhone has acceptable call quality, a cool morphing keypad, and parental controls. Its features are solid for a youth-friendly cell phone.
The bad: Some of the FlyPhone's controls are cramped and its microSD card slot is inconveniently located. You don't get a wall charger in the box and the photo quality is poor.
The bottom line: The Firefly FlyPhone is a solid youth-friendly cell phone that should satisfy the needs of both parents and children.
Specifications: Talk time: Up to 360 min; Combined with: With digital camera / digital player See full specs
Price range: $99.99
CNET editors' review
- Reviewed on: 07/23/2008
Though cell phones for youth came into vogue two years ago, it wasn't long before they fell out of favor. While some parents liked the idea behind simple handsets such as the LG Migo and the
Design
Though the FlyPhone offers "normal" cell phone features, you'll recognize right away that it's a handset for younger people. The overall shape and see-through plastic skin are reminiscent of the original Firefly and the glowPhone, while the blue color adds a fun element. At 4.2 inches by 1.7 inches by 0.63 inch and weighing 3.5 ounces, it's marginally bigger and heavier than its siblings but it remains compact and portable. It doesn't have the sturdiest feel in the hand--this is not a phone for rough play--but it should survive minimal bumps and bruises.
The display measures 1.4 inches (128x128 pixels). It's full color display with a pleasant resolution; graphics were relatively sharp and you can adjust the backlighting time and the brightness. The icon-based basic menus are easy to use and resemble many manufacturer interfaces. Below the display is the main navigation array that consists of two soft keys, a menu control and the Talk and End/power buttons. Though the controls are tactile, they're tiny and squashed together. They won't present a problem for little hands, but users with big paws will need to be dexterous. The soft keys can be set as shortcuts to two user-defined functions.
With no visible navigation toggle, you might be wondering just how you're supposed to scroll through the menus. The answer lies behind the unique "morphing" keypad. When you press the Menu button the backlighting on the numbered keys will disappear in favor of an OK button and four directional arrows. It's a similar arrangement to the Motorola Rokr E8 and it works well here. The toggle doesn't have any definition but it has a spacious layout and you get a tactile "push" feeling when you press a control. The keypad buttons are equally flush, but the large numbers and bright backlighting made them relatively easy to use. We suffered few mistakes when dialing a number or texting even though the phone's plastic skin is a tad slippery.
Completing the exterior of the handset are a volume rocker on the left spine and a 2.5mm headset jack on the right spine. The FlyPhone includes a stereo-wired headset in the box. The camera lens sits on the rear face of the phone just above an external speaker. The FlyPhone uses a micro USB cable to deliver power; the port is located on the bottom end of the handset but you'll need to shell out an extra $9.99 for a wall charger (you only get a USB cable in the box). An unexpected feature is the microSD card slot, but we wish you didn't need to remove the battery to access it.
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