Sanyo Zio SCP-8600 (Sprint)

Pros: Great form factor, nice weight

Cons: Touchscreen, operating speed, buggy

Summary: I bought this the day it came out, replacing an OLD Samsung SPH-M610. This was my first smartphone, other than a first-generation iPhone that I've been playing with without actual cell service. The Zio is just an appalling phone. I returned it just before the 30 day period after making numerous efforts to improve its functioning.

Most significant among the phone's flaws are the unresponsive touchscreen and the slow operation. The touchscreen is a joke. It often takes several swipes to make it respond. When trying to type, this flaw becomes even more significant. It is difficult at best, and unusable at worst.

Also contributing to the Zio's unausability is the slow operation. It takes multiple seconds to respond to changing programs and other similar actions. Compared to the 1G iPhone, this thing is a kid's toy. It freezes (for several beats) for no reason at all. I got so fed up with the operation that I actually stopped using the phone for the last few days.

Finally, the Zio is buggy. Sometimes hitting the home button will get you to the home page. Sometimes, it does nothing at all.

Other flaws include the curved case. Because it is curved on the touchscreen portion, you can't use a screen protector effectively. The screen protector will not 'adhere' to the curved portion, so gunk builds up along the vertical edges of the touchscreen. Also, good luck finding a hard case for this phone that actually fits. The Amzer product just does not work. I went through three of these (luckily, all from Amazon) before I gave up.

I returned the phone yesterday and went back to my Samsung. Sprint was great about it, no questions asked -- full return of charges -- and put me back on my SERO 500 plan. I love their service, just don't get why they can't get any decent phones that aren't on 4G (which does not exist in most markets).