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CNET editors' review
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CNET editors' rating:
stars
Very good
Detailed editors' rating
- Reviewed on: 08/23/2007
- Updated on: 09/05/2007
Helio is one of those rare MVNOs that has captured some of the spotlight away from the major carriers with its hipper-than-thou ad campaigns, slick design philosophy, and tricked-out handsets. From the curvy Helio Kickflip to the dual-slider Helio Ocean, Helio is set to make waves in the MVNO pool with phones that stand out from the rest. Its most recent handset, the Helio Fin, is no different. Helio's first flip phone, the Samsung-made Fin, is also supposedly the thinnest flip phone in the country. It has a tiny OLED external screen, a startlingly slim profile, a truly flat keypad, and a style that is, sadly, rather underwhelming. That said, its treasure trove of Helio-approved features, like the ability to upload media directly to Flickr and YouTube, plus a brand-new GPS application courtesy of Garmin, saves it from being too ordinary. We would probably advise the finger-friendly Helio Drift or Helio Ocean over the Fin, but if you must have thin above all else, then the Fin is a good choice. Its MSRP is $365, but you can get it for $175 with service and a discount offer.
Design
No question about it, the Helio Fin is one thin phone. Measuring only 0.45-inch thick, the Fin is the Kate Moss of skinny handsets, making it the thinnest flip phone in North America at the time of its release. But, we hate to say, the phone looks rather ordinary despite its slim figure. Its chassis is a businesslike blue, there's nothing too exciting about its wide rectangular shape (about 4.06 inches long and 2.04 inches wide), and the small OLED display on the front is disappointing to say the least. Though the display does show the typical date, time, signal, and battery strength information, as well as caller ID, it is just way too small. It can't support photo caller ID, and can't be used as a camera viewfinder.
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