Panasonic EB-TX320 Cell Phone

I had this phone for almost a year, and was someone happy with it, although never quite satisfied. I got it for free with a SunCom plan, which is always a great price to pay for anything. I chose it mostly because all other available phones were either Nokia or Motorola, and I have never been a big fan of either of those companies. When I first held the phone in my hand I thought they had given me the non-working showcase sample because the phone was really light and plasticky looking. Of course it is! It's made of plastic so it makes sense I guess. But the first feel of the phone does not inspire any trust or admiration. I chose the model without the flip cover, because that cover was just a piece of extra plastic that looked really tacky. Later I regretted not getting it though, because I would often push buttons without knowing it in my pocket. The phone had some kind of key lock, but I could never figure out how it worked, nor was it explained anywhere in the manual. I know that several times I've found the phone with a key lock activated without me doing anything, but it was totally random, and never predictable.

The phone had a decent amount of features, but lacked some very important ones for me - there were no calendar, games, or a web browser. The built in speaker phone, the vibrating alert, and the changing colors on the screen were kind of cool, but most of them made the display really hard to read. Also the vibrating alert was really harsh and loud so wasn't very discreet at times, especially if you leave the phone on some hard surface. The phone came with 2 face covers which was nice, since most people drop their phones a lot and that gives you a chance to make it look like new again after some serious abuse. I also liked the ability to assign a different ring to a specific number, a feature that's quite common these days. The menu system on the phone is nothing spectacular you have mostly the regular stuff; it does give you an option to assign a VIP number to a special button on the side of the phone. I hated that button, because it was really easy to activate unintentionally, and honestly was a little redundant since there is a speed dial on the phone anyway. I had assigned my voice mail number to that button, which was my phone number, and later I gave that phone to friend of mine and every now and then I'd get a call from her that even she didn't know was made, because that little side button was just to easy to press in her purse.

I think little things like that make the difference between a good phone and an OK phone, because this Versio model did have a good reception and an OK battery life. The battery lasted about 3-4 days at the beginning, but that didn't last long. Maybe 6 months or so after I got it I already had to charge it pretty much every night. I have to give it to Nokia - when it comes to battery life they are the best. The other complaint I had with hat phone was that it would get really hot when you talk a long time. Most phones do warm up a little, but this one did more than any other phone I've ever had.

I also wasn't too crazy about the design. Besides its lightness, there was nothing too cool about the phone, and I didn't like the antenna much. I like built in antennas - they always seem to create less troubles when you try to stick the phone in some little opening in your car door or something, and are also not as prone to breaking. Motorola probably makes the worst antennas. Another design problem is the keypad layout. The buttons are pretty small and hard to figure out by touch. Right in the middle around the joystick, there are 4 small buttons cramped really close to each other, and it is almost impossible to remember and find the one you need without looking at them, which could be dangerous, especially while driving. Also the back side of the phone is oddly shaped, and when you leave it lying on a table or something it could never quite settle down, because the antenna protrudes awkwardly, creating an uneven surface on the back of the phone. This is a problem when the vibrate alert is activated because the whole phone moves and creates a lot of noise. Also if you leave it on a dash board or other sloped surface there is not enough traction and the phone would easily slide off.

This could have been a good phone, but there are some serious design and software problems.