Find Whirlpool Deals at Lowe’s
- Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 20 reviews Back to product review
- My rating: 0 stars
Full user review
-
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful
2.0 stars
"Disappointing Not-so-smart phone"
Pros: Bright Display, EZ to Access Alarm/Calendar functions
Cons: No Voice Dialing via wireless headset
Summary: Sturdier than many have given credit for. Attractive is subjective: I like its looks. Bright display. I don't need a camera in phone but this one works impressively. Idea of paying to watch video on smaller than 2" screen almost insulting - but you can. What you can't do however, is use voice commands via a wireless headset, the single most important safety feature for what I'd guess to be the majority of us who will engage at some time in hazardous act of placing a call while driving*. Once you've wrested the phone off your belt and initiated the call via voice command through the handset, it switches seamlessly to the headset. Note that the Verizon case (purchased separately) does not detach from the belt clip. Accepting calls via the headset is not a problem, though I find Bluetooth reception weak and have had more dropped calls in a month and a half with this phone than in the prior 5 years with Verizon.
*Note that I have attempted to initiate calls via voice commands with an LG, Motorola, and a Plantronics headset, and DID SUCCEED on 3 successive occasions on one night - but neither I nor Verizon store personnel have been able to duplicate that feat since. I have spent several HOURS cumulatively in 2 separate Verizon stores and on the phone where they finally surmised you can't do it without a 3d party software fix.Updated
Unlike my prior phone which made no claims of being a "smart" phone, you cannot set this phone to give so much as a reminder beep that you have unchecked voice or text messages. If you miss a call, voicemail or text message - you won't know it's there until you next open the phone - it does show on the display. Have now tried total of 5 Bluetooth headsets from Motorola (2), LG (2)& Plantronics (1), but reception is so bad the other end, I have had to all but abandon use of the headsets as I was having to hang up, turn off headset and return calls via the handset for the other party to be able to hear and understand me. Neither I nor Verizon personnel have been able to replicate the feat of initiating a voice-dialed call via any headset, though at this point, as stated above, headset performance has gotten so steadily worse that I'm not sure if any longer worth the trouble.
%20user%20review%20and%20rating%20-%20CNET%20Reviews&srcUrl=http://reviews.cnet.com/smartphones/pantech-pn-820-verizon/4864-6452_7-32161234-2.html){kind=small}