By Boost Mobile
The Debut i856, the brainchild of
Boost Mobile and Motorola, is a push to talk slider phone with the functions of
a walkie-talkie, but the capabilities of a high-end cell phone. The Debut i856
is designed with the multimedia person in mind, equipped with a 1.3 megapixel
camera with video capture mode, music button hot key, and Bluetooth
capabilities. It truly is a cell phone with the features of many, all rapped up
into one.
Honestly, slider phones have
never been a person favorite of mine, the majority of which have small, hard to
use keypads that lack the functionality of full keyboards. The introduction of
cell phones equipped with full keyboards were revolutionary at one time and are
still seen as essential for any avid “texter”, there is simply no alternative.
However, the key pad is complimented well with the 2.2” TFT, 176 x 220,
display. The screen is a perfect size for the phone; nothing is worse than a
cell phone that doesn’t take advantage of its size. On the other hand, the
display does lack the resolution that is expected of by most cell phones. In
addition, the button arrangement under the screen consists of a standard set up
with a direct music player and menu key. The buttons were a little stubborn but
nothing a user could not get used to. Furthermore, the 3.5 millimeter headset
jack I found to be a great feature, allowing you to use your own standard pair,
rather than spending additional money on a 2.5 millimeter set. The overall
layout of the phone I found to be standard but in comparison to similar Push to
Talk phones, is much slimmer and compact. Some Push to Talk phones feel as if
there is a weight in your pocket, but the i856 fits comfortably.
The multimedia features of the Debut I
found to be superb. In addition to standard tools such as wireless web
browsing, GPS, Text-to-Speech, and Bluetooth, the Push to Talk feature was like
icing on the cake. Push to Talk converts your phone into a 2 way walkie-talkie,
making communication with friends, family, and business partners that much
easier. Furthermore, the i856 has up to 70MB of internal phone memory with an
optional 8GB of external memory. The microSD slot can be accessed under the
battery component. The phone does have a battery life similar to other phones
of approximately 3.4 hours talk time and 3.95 standby. Overall, I found the
Debut i856 to be a great multimedia phone with only a few simple quirks, but at
a price of 150 dollars is unbeatable compared to similar phones on the market.
Specifications:
Phone Network: iDen
USB: Micro USB
Resolution: 176 x 220
Battery: Li-Ion 1100 mAh
Camera: 1.3 Megapixels
Weight: 3 oz.
Dimensions: 4.2x2x0.6 in