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"Good as it gets in the pre-paid, no contract market"
on by JJParkmanPros + Powerful and fast.
+ Quality screen/video.
+ Quality speakers/audio.
+ Forward and front facing cameras.Cons - Camcorder lacks tremendously.
- GPS can flake out.
- Android 2.2 has occasional hiccups and app crashing.Summary The Triumph is just about the best option one has in the pre-paid smart phone market, as one of the few high-end models available. This being pre-paid, of course the technology behind the phone is about 2 to 3 years old now, a solid 1Ghz single core processor, and 512mb of RAM, while current contract phones have moved on to dual core processors and 1gb of RAM. To get an idea, you could say that the Triumph is about on par with a iPhone 3gs.
Physical design - For me, the Triumph teeters on the line between being too big and just right in size, anything larger is not practical for a phone, and anything considerably smaller would leave something to be desired. The Triumph is satisfyingly thin and light-weight, but the boxy design with it's rather large dimensions kind of make it a slightly uncomfortable phone to hold in your hand, despite the soft almost rubber-like material of the plastic. So far, I have not purchased a protective case for my phone. I strongly recommend that you do buy a protective case, as I can see how a phone of this size and shape would sustain some pretty catastrophic damage if dropped onto a hard surface. Unlike some other phones offered through Virgin, the Triumph only has three side buttons, a standard standby/power, and two media/ringer volume buttons. I was slightly disappointed to learn there was no physical button for shooting pictures.
In addition, there is a standard headphones jack at the top, and a standard USB as well as a mini HDMI-out on the bottom. I've yet to use the HDMI-out function, as mini cable was not included and can be very expensive. The capacitive keys for menu, home, back, and search are a nice feature, but can occasionally lock up where they don't want to respond and you must tap the home key to regain full functionality. There are two speakers on each side and they can get pretty loud, the sound quality is pretty sharp.
Screen - The screen is vibrant, colorful, pretty to look at. The resolution isn't as high as an iPhone, but is still the standard for any Android phone. The screen automatically adjusts levels of brightness to accommodate your needs by detecting the level of external light which is nice. There is a noticeable screen "leak" in the bottom left and right corners below the screen. For me, it's not a big deal at all. My only complaint would be that there is one tiny "dead pixel" on my screen, and a couple of small blotches behind the factory installed screen protector. Touch sensitivity is a little too rigid really, could have been a bit more responsive.
Performance - The phone performs quiet well in every capacity. Apps and widgets are quick to load and install, games run nicely, web surfing is fast and smooth running even on non-mobile sites, videos run nicely without lag. Note that performance with any data related app will partially depend on Sprint's 3G service and coverage in your local area. The first three days I had the phone I also had problems with the GPS being very slow, soon after it began working much quicker, but still struggles to pinpoint your location from time to time. So not the greatest GPS, but with a little patience, it's fine. Unfortunately, app do crash occasionally, and have been doing so more often than when I first got the phone which is disappointing. I have on occasion experienced some general malfunctioning as well, such as the screen flickering green during a Youtube video. I've also woken up from standby to a washed out screen. I'm not sure what causes these issues, but they don't occur very often.
Camera - Very disappointing for me. At the price point, I really expected a better camera. It's a 5 megapixel, apparently capable of shooting stills in 1080p, and video in 720p. You're offered a lot of resolutions in the settings and on the highest the still shots are good, but I wouldn't say great. Lots of light will greatly benefit a still shot, while dimmer locations will be less impressive. Perhaps the biggest let down of the phone for me is the camcorder. While the picture isn't bad, especially on the 720p resolution, it tends to suffer a lot from motion blur and lagging with a very low frame rate. In fact, a video shot in 720p will often result in 10fps, which is unacceptable. It's disappointing that the camera in the Triumph isn't up to par with my standard definition Canon from 2007 in that regard. A standard 30fps would have been nice. The mic in the camcorder is very quiet and muffled as you would expect with a typical camera phone, again very disappointing. I would have really liked the Triumph to have a overall good camera for $300, but I'm afraid it's very mediocre. The front facing cam is about on par with typical web cam quality.
OS / pre-loaded apps - The phone comes pre-loaded with an outdated version of Android, 2.2. This doesn't make sense as 2.3 was already out when the Triumph was released, and now there's a 4.0. As far as I know, there is no "official" update as of yet, your only option is to install a custom ROM if you don't want 2.2. This particular Android is pretty straight forward, but of course there are at least a two or three apps on Virgin's end that most will find unnecessary or useless, and unfortunately they're hard to get rid of if you're not big on hacking your phone. The rest of the pre-installed apps are pretty much standard, except for the camera and gallery apps, which I'm not too fond of. I don't really like sloppy way the gallery mixes still shots with video, and doesn't seem to allow any sort of custom organization or editing. I also find that the zoom is horrible, you try to zoom into a still shot and it will just blur the image.
In summary: A very solid phone, and I'm going to stick with it until Virgin decides to release the LG Optimus Black , which stands to offer everything the Triumph does with a crisper LCD display and a much nicer 720p camera/camcorder.
P.S., before you're will buy the Motorola Triumph, for low price I suggest you have to compare prices at: *****************.info/Motorola-Triumph
Hope my review is helpful. -
"Ridiculously great price for an excellent phone"
on by ceomrmanPros Qualcomm MSM8x55 system-on-a-chip plus Adreno 205 graphics = this is a very speedy phone. Same CPU/Graphics as the HTC MyTouch 4G. VERY fast compared to anything near its price, classy simple style, high res 4.1" gorilla glass screen, FM tuner, HDMI outpu
Cons The camera module and touch response are major cost-savers - they're really not as good as those in some higher end phones. The photos are "eh" and "HD" video is not very HD. For the price, I'm not complaining, but its true that these parts are not as goo
Summary You could buy a slower, less functional refurbished iPhone 3gs for $9 from AT&T. Then you will pay $60/month for 900 minutes, $25 for 2gb data, and $20 for texting. That's $9 + $105*24 = $2,529, or $105 per month. Plus a contract you can't escape in a year when a great deal from a competitor comes out.
The Motorola Triumph costs $299, plus $40 per month for 1200 minutes and unlimited data and text. That comes to $1,259, or $50 per month for a better phone and no contract. If you don't like it, just sell it on eBay for almost all your money back, or just give it away. The cancelation price from ATT is about the same as the cost of the Triumph, anyway! Then you are free to buy an iPhone 5 when you get a raise.
Now, iOS is better than Android (shut up, hackers, I'm talking to normal people). But is iOS worth $55 per month? HECK NO, it ain't. Over a single contract, the iPhone 3gs buyer will pay almost $1,300 more. For what? For a good but used phone with no expansion, no HDMI output, a smaller, non-Gorilla glass screen, no FM tuner, no this, no that, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.
So here's the question: is iOS on an older, less feature-packed phone worth paying $1,270 for?
Now go buy a Triumph! -
"From iPhone 4 to Optimus V to Motorola Triumph."
on by gimmi80Pros Fast processor.
4.1 display.
Loud speaker.
Good picture and video camera.
Ok Video-chatting camera (not great but good to have).
Probably the first medium level smartphone with a prepaid company.Cons Battery is so and so. I've got 14 hours of use (using it a lot).
Bulky, but what do you expect from a 4.1 display?
That's it.Summary I've been lucky. This phone is officially coming out on the 19th of July but yesterday (15th) the Radioshack close to were I live had it on the shelf and I grabbed one.
Few months ago I switched from an iPhone 4 to Optimus V with Virgin Mobile, in an attempt to reduce my monthly plan. It worked, now I'm on the 300 minute plan and I save a lot, however the Optimus V (even if it is a nice phone) was not as great as the iPhone 4.
I've to say that the Triumph feels like a very nice phone, almost like the iPhone. The camera takes very nice picture and the autofocus works fine. The LED flash works fine. All in all I feel like I've something very similar to my iPhone but on a much cheaper plan.
What is worst compared to the IP4: Battery life is definitely shorter than the IP4. I've been using it a lot in these two days and one charge lasted me from 7AM to 11PM. Not bad, but not great. with a regular use I expect to get a full 24hours. the IP4 was getting me 48hours and the Optimus V somewhere in between the IP4 and the Triumph.
Also, the 3G is not as fast as it was with the IP4 but it works, and I've been sending MMS and email with pictures with no problems.
I would definitely do it again.
Final suggestion: before activating the phone check it out. You can do anything you want beside calling, I know it sounds stupid, but just turn it on, walk around your home and see if you have reception, go to work and see if you have reception. You can even connect to internet (using wifi) and check out the app from the market. If you like it, go ahead and port your number. It normally 30 minutes (even if they tell you it might take 3 days).
If you activate consider to use the referral code pDL6Fou0 (it gives you and me 60 extra minutes).
Plus, now it's so boring... everybody is going around with an iphone. When people sees my Triumph they ask questions and when I tell them that I pay $25 a month they do not believe it.
If you activate consider to use the referral code pDL6Fou0 (it gives you and me 60 extra minutes). -
"Best pre-paid phone on the market"
on by tndk90Pros 4.1" WVGA screen
1 GHz Snapdragon processor
Lots of storage
Solid performance/buildCons Costs $299 up front ($269 if you order online from a discounter)
Runs a very stock Android 2.2 Froyo interface, no enhancements at all
Audio quality isn't quite as crisp as other moto devicesSummary If you're looking for a relatively recent Android that finally is available on the pre-paid market, look no further. The Motorola Triumph is the real deal... 4.1" WVGA screen is bright, beautiful, and easy to use. The phone is responsive with it's 1 GHz Snapdragon processor (not dual core, but it works well), and it has 720p video recording.
Update: I'm returning the phone for a specific reason, I can't justify $299 price tag (or the $259 online discount price). The phone is either throttled or has signal strength issues on the Virgin/Sprint network, I've yet to get more than 600Kbps downloads no matter where in town that I have tried (whereas my tests with a Sprint Motorola Photon 4G phone would commonly get 1.4Mbps on 3G). The Triumph download speeds seem to be choked at 150-300Kbps. For a phone that is very high in price, I can't justify these slower throttled speeds, and I very obviously haven't even remotely reached the Virgin 2GB limit.
If you're looking for a good Android on a prepaid plan, this is the way to go.
However, you need to be sure you seriously want to avoid a contract. The cost up front for this phone is $269-299 while discount cell phone resellers are offering dual core Androids like the LG Thrill 4G for only $20 with a contract... Really this is a choice of contract or no contract (if you have that choice). Virgin also is limited with Sprint's native network, not the full extended network so you may not be able to enjoy this phone as far as you wish.
The only negatives with the phone itself is that it runs a stock Android 2.2 Froyo interface, which for the price is underwhelming. Motorola could have thrown a copy of Motoblur on there at the very least. As much as people don't like Motoblur, at least it offers more features than stock Froyo... Again, this may be prepaid, but it is still $300 you're spending here. For that price I do think it should come with a little bit of an upgrade.
Updated on Sep 22, 2011
Bottom line: Virgin's limitations aren't set up to properly exercise the capabilities of the phone itself. And for $300, the phone has no perks. I'll recommend you save yourself the cash and buy a contract phone... At $25/extra a month, your contract will pay for itself over a year's worth of use... The Triumph is a good phone, but too expensive for the network it operates on.
Updated on Oct 27, 2011I currently transferred to an AT&T Gophone temporarily while I continue to shop. My opinion is this... Virgin Mobile is a very limited network, they've started throttling data (even before it reaches the 2 GB limit its slower than Sprint) and actually I'm experiencing the same thing with AT&T Gophone... I have a Samsung Captivate I'm borrowing from a friend, and with my Gophone sim card it gets throttled to about 1Mbps on the HSPA network here. Buffalo has a robust HSPA+ network, so you can easily get 3-4Mbps with a regular AT&T sim card, and the Captivate isn't event HSPA+ compatible, it is only HSPA... Bottom line is that prepaid services are cheap for a reason: you are throttled. Gotta pay for a contract based service if you want top notch speeds. I'm waiting to get a deposit situation cleared up with AT&T and I'm going with them when I get the chance, but waiting to see if they deliver LTE phones in the next few months. -
"Awesome Smart Phone + Virgin Mobile's Amazing Prices"
on by tesee064Pros FAST!!
Very Slim & light with a super sleek design
Big, beautiful screen
Anroid's totally customizable interfaceCons Onscreen keyboard sucked (but you can download new ones through Android Marketplace)
Front facing camera isn't very good (but the rear camera is great)
Touch screen is funky on one screenSummary I've had this phone for approximately 2 months now and I still love it today as much as when I first got it. I used to have the Samsung Intercept and this phone is exceptionally better than the Samsung in pretty much every way. This motorola looks minimalist and sleek and people are constantly asking me what it is. The back of the phone is slightly rubberized which gives it a really nice feel and it's not slippery to hold on to at all. The camera takes great pictures in daylight or when using the flash but if it's low light and you're using the front-facing camera it's not very good. The video is nice and sound comes through clear. This phone is super fast (at least compared to my Samsung Intercept & the HTC Pure that I had before it). Browsing the web is so quick and all the games I've downloaded run well. Streaming music and video do just fine on it too.
I really disliked the onscreen keyboard and had a horrible time with it, but thanks to Android I just downloaded a bunch of new keyboard apps until I found one I liked (I ended up with Swype & I totally LOVE it)! I have one gripe about this phone and that is about the touch screen. I don't have any problems with sensitivity until I go to the screen that houses all of my widgets/icons & applications (not the home screens), once I'm there the screen does not always react well to me swyping up and down to scroll and I have to wiggle my finger up and down a couple of times to get it to scroll. This is mostly just a minor annoyance, I don't think it's a big deal because all of my frequently used icons/apps are right on my home screens (and there are 5 home screens to scroll through so they don't get filled up).
All in all I'm super happy with my purchase. For a long time the HTC I used to have with AT&T was my all time favorite phone but this Motorola is even better than that.
Motorola Triumph user reviews (Virgin Mobile)
Results 1-5 of 52
Results 1-5 of 52
Quick Specifications
- Service provider Virgin Mobile
- Cellular technology CDMA2000 1X
- Combined with With digital camera / digital player
- Weight 5.04 oz
- Sensor resolution 5 megapixels
- Diagonal screen size 4.1 in
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