Panasonic Allure = Great Phone
Written: Aug 26 '02
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Pros: Light weight, great signal quality, awesome ring tones, headset connector, PC connectivity, speakerphone
Cons: Below average battery life, lack of accessories, no on-board programs/utilities, speaker volume
The Bottom Line: Highly recommended. Extremely light weight, average battery life, great form-factor, wonderful ring tones, and great PC connectivity makes this phone a "keeper"!
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| markehr's Full Review: Panasonic Allure EB-TX310 (Silver) |
I purchased my Panasonic Allure from AT&T Wireless nearly six months ago for $60, and I am very happy with it.
The phone is incredibly light weight -- 2.8 ounces with battery -- and it has a form-factor that makes it very easy to talk on and hold for extended lengths of time. My previous phone, a Nokia 8290, was very light but very difficult to use for a long period of time due to the form-factor.
I have had very good experiences with the phone's signal quality -- far superior to the Nokia 8290. I am also very pleased with the phone's features -- it has a number of pleasing polyphonic ring tones, and it also has the ability to record a ringer. I used this feature to record my daughter's voice, and I use that ringer whenever someone from my home (and ONLY my home!) calls me.
The phone has a wonderful ability that allows you to assign any ringer to any entry in the phone directory -- and the phone directory is very well designed as well. It allows you to input up to four phone numbers for each entry, and you can then pick-and-choose which entry you wish to dial. You can also have the phone automatically dial one of the numbers when you select a person and press the "call" button.
The phone also has voice recognition, which allows you to record commands in your own voice (such as "call home"), and the phone will then execute the command when you tell it to. This can be a safety advantage when you are driving and trying to dial the phone.
Another really neat safety feature is the phone's ability to record "off the air" for up to fifteen seconds. This comes in really handy if someone is trying to give you a phone number when you are speaking with them -- just press the "record" button, and their conversation is captured in the phone's digital memory. You can then play it back at your leisure. The phone also allows you to record voice memos to yourself, which comes in handy when you need to remember something.
Another advantage of the phone is that it comes with a standard 2.5mm headset jack -- Nokia, Motorola, et al usually require an adapter in order to use a headset. The phone also has an external antenna jack, which can be combined with a vehicle-mounted antenna to increase signal quality when you are in areas with poor coverage.
I purchased a data cable and "FoneSync" software with the phone, which allow me to download phone book entries, ring tones, and graphics into the phone from my PC. I was able to download my Microsoft Outlook phone book into the phone in about five minutes -- what a time saver! I have been searching for some quality polyphonic ring tones to send to the phone, but have not found any yet.
Chief complaints about the phone include so-so battery life (1-2 hours of talk-time and 2 days of standby), and the phone speaker is not loud enough in certain high-noise environments.
In summary, I am very pleased with the phone, and would highly recommend it to any one that needs an inexpensive well-designed phone.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 60
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Epinions.com ID:
markehr
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Reviews written: 13
Trusted by: 0 members
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