Virgin Mobile TNT (Kyocera Adreno S2400)
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CNET Editors' Review
CNET Editors' Rating
- Reviewed by: Kent German
- Released on:
- Reviewed on:
The good: The Virgin Mobile TNT has a compact, simple design and satisfying call quality. Its feature set includes voice dialing and a speakerphone.
The bad: The Virgin Mobile TNT's voice quality is slightly tinny. Also, its external display is tiny.
The bottom line: The Virgin Mobile TNT is a solid choice for a basic, communication-focused phone. It's a bargain, too.
Virgin Mobile's cell phones tend to stick to the basics. Even when they offer cameras, like the UTStarcom Arc and the Samsung Slash, the handsets concentrate on doing what a cell phone should do. The prepaid carrier's latest model, the Kyocera TNT, certainly follows this format. Like the recent LG Flare, the TNT concentrates on making calls and sending messages. And, on that front, it functions relatively well, even if the voice quality is slightly tinny. You can get it for a bargain-basement $19.99, which is quite reasonable for a carrier that doesn't make you sign ... Expand full review
Virgin Mobile's cell phones tend to stick to the basics. Even when they offer cameras, like the UTStarcom Arc and the Samsung Slash, the handsets concentrate on doing what a cell phone should do. The prepaid carrier's latest model, the Kyocera TNT, certainly follows this format. Like the recent LG Flare, the TNT concentrates on making calls and sending messages. And, on that front, it functions relatively well, even if the voice quality is slightly tinny. You can get it for a bargain-basement $19.99, which is quite reasonable for a carrier that doesn't make you sign a contract.
Design
Though Virgin Mobile calls the TNT a "dynamite little flip" phone, we wouldn't go that far. Designwise it's about as basic as a cell phone can be. Straight lines dominate, and the tiny (96x16 pixels) monochrome display is decidedly retro. The screen shows the date, time, battery life, and signal strength, but users with visual impairments may find that the text is too small. On the upside, we liked the TNT's blue color, and the soft-touch skin gives it a comfortable feel in the hand. We also appreciated the phone's solid build and sturdy hinge. At 3.53 inches long by 1.78 inches tall by 0.62 inch wide, it slips easily into a pocket, and at 2.78 ounces it won't weigh you down.
There's not much else on the exterior of the phone besides a small speaker below the external display and a volume rocker on the left spine. You also can use the volume rocker to reactivate the backlighting on the external display. The 2.5mm headset jack sits above the rocker, while the micro USB charger port rests on the right spine.
The TNT's internal display measures 1.8 inches (160x128 pixels) and supports 65,000 colors. That's pretty low-res as far as phone displays go these days, but on a basic handset like the TNT it is more than appropriate. Graphics won't look great, but the text is readable and the simple icon-based menus are intuitive. You can change the contrast, brightness, and backlighting time.
As a senior managing editor for CNET, Kent German heads up the CNET Reviews team in San Francisco. Formerly a cell phone reviewer, he still blogs about wireless news and offers his take on the wireless industry. When not at work, he's planning his next trip to Australia, going for a run, or watching planes land at the airport (yes, really).
User Reviews
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Most recent user reviews
Showing 3 of 26 reviews
"I liked this phone." By JBloves2Rock
Pros: Bright screen
good rubbery grip
didn't scratch easy.
Durable
Neat ringtones and text tones
Flip phone( i like flip phones)
Cons: Small
Small screen
Small front screen
No camera or video camera
Summary: I actually was very satisfied with this phone. I liked the look of it. It was unique, the rubbery grip was really cool and easy to hold on to. Also didn't scratch easily. No other phone in the world like it. Good sound quality. for one i love flip ... Expand full review
"Outgoing okay, incoming sporadic, features minimal." By katclimber
Pros: It was cheap. Bought it for $10 at KMart. Makes calls when I press the appropriate buttons. Nice variety of ringtones.
Cons: Battery life very short. Phone often does not ring for incoming calls. May not get notified of voicemail until hours later.
Summary: My husband and I both use Virgin Mobile, we both have similar problems with our phones (he has an Arc). So it would seem that a big part of the problem of not receiving calls is either Kyocera's bad design on cheap phones or Virgin Mobile's network. My ... Expand full review
Where to Buy
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Specifications
See full specsQuick Specs
- Service provider: Virgin Mobile
- Cellular technology: CDMA2000 1X
- Talk time: Up to 200 min
