The Best of Both Phone, and Tablet
The DM-P205's VGA camera takes pictures in four resolutions (640x480, 320x240, 176x144, and 160x120) and a set of image-editing options including three quality settings, three color effects, a brightness control, a self-timer, a flash, 18 fun frames, and three shutter sounds (plus a silent option). Photo quality was about what you'd expect from a VGA camera, which is to say not great. Colors looked washed out and images were blurry.
Of course, Disney content is a big part of the DM-P205. The Entertainment portion features access to Disney (and non-Disney) ringtones, images, wallpaper, color themes, and applications. You also get access to Disney Zone, a Web portal with Disney Radio and other applications such as Disney Trivial Pursuit. Three demo games are included (Pirates II, Sudoku Deluxe, and Solitaire Deluxe), though you can download more.
Parents will find the phone's Family Center service incredibly useful in keeping track of their kids and monitoring their calls. They can control their children's phones by limiting their minutes, messaging options, and downloads, and even receive an alert when boundaries are met. They can prohibit outgoing calls to certain numbers and schedule time limits on the child's phone. Perhaps the most interesting thing about the Family Center service is the Family Locator that utilizes GPS technology to keep track of the kids. Parents can even use a Family Alert that will send a message to one or all family members simultaneously. These additional services vary in cost, so check out our review of the Pantech DM-P100 for the full scoop on Disney Mobile's pricing scales.
Performance
We tested the dual-band (CDMA 800/1900) Pantech DM-P205 in San Francisco. As an MVNO, Disney Mobile doesn't operate its own network so it rents space from Sprint instead. Call quality was generally good. We experienced little static or feedback and had enough volume. Voices sounded natural for the most part, though there was a slight metallic tinge to some. It wasn't a significant issue but still it's one worth noting. Callers reported no big problems, though they could tell we were using a cell phone. Also, they said the DM-P205 picked up a fair amount of wind noise. The speakerphone quality was fine as were calls with Bluetooth headsets.
The Pantech DM-P205 has a rated battery life of 3.4 hours talk time and 6.25 days standby time, which is rather low. Our talk time tests had similar results, at 3 hours and 23 minutes. According to FCC radiation tests, the DM-P205 has a digital SAR rating of 1.4 watts per kilogram.
What You'll Pay
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