Pantech Breakout 4G Android Phone (Verizon Wireless)

Dissatisfied after a year October 25, 2011

Reviewer:  Rottlover "... and booklover"  (USA) -

ORIGINAL REVIEW (see updates below):

This is the second Pantech phone I've had. The first one was functional and reliable, and so I didn't hesitate (much) to try this smartphone. I liked the features, and I got it during Amazon's 1c sale, so you can't beat the price (unless you can get it free). I've had it for a week.

I was upgrading from the Motorola Droid (circa 2009), which I loved. This time I opted for a phone without a physical keyboard because I'd been using Swype, which comes pre-installed on the Breakout. Because I was familiar with Android v2, the Breakout seems updated yet familiar. Some of the keys (back, home, menu) are in a different order on the Breakout, which takes some getting used to. There are seven "pages" where you can put shortcuts or widgets vs. five on the Droid. That makes organization a little more important, otherwise I'll be swiping the screen to hunt for the shortcut I want.

The pros include:
lightweight
great OS
Swype (don't have to install the Beta)
mini USB input jack has a cover
power/wake button is conveniently located on the side
camera resolution is decent
voice quality is good
has voice control function that actually recognizes names in my contacts list

Cons include:
Speakerphone isn't very loud or clear
Battery life is disappointing, even with screen brightness turned down
Useless, unwanted apps (such as Lets Golf 2) can't be uninstalled
User guide is weak

I installed Advanced Task Killer, and after killing all apps except ATK, the following apps are restarted automatically:

Google search
Weather
Gmail
VZ Navigator
Blockbuster
Voicemail
Email
Slacker
City ID
My Verizon Mobile
Mobile IM
Alarm/clock

Some of these apps are essential and I'd always want them to start up. But some aren't. I don't use Blockbuster and don't want it on my phone, but there it is, sucking down my battery life. Slacker is a personal radio, for which I don't even have an account. When you start up VZ Navigator, you see a warning:

"This application requires data usage for download and use which will be billed to your account according to your plan, feature or bundle."

Even if I decline, the app runs whether I want it or not.

City ID displays the city & state of an incoming call. Nice if you get a lot of calls from unknown callers, but I only give my cell number to family and friends.

The Breakout's not blowing me away with its awesomeness, but I'm happy with it despite these annoyances.

Edited to add:
4G range is wider than expected. The Verizon coverage map says that I'm 10+ miles outside the 4G zone, but when I'm at the dog park in the middle of town (trees around but no buildings), I get 4G. At home, only 3G as expected.

11/4/11 update: When I said the battery life is disappointing, I wasn't kidding. I charge the phone overnight and unplug it around 8am. If I don't charge it during the day, I hit 10% battery by about 8pm. This is with some light texting and maybe a call or two. It has shut off on me before 9pm due to low battery. I have the screen timeout set to 15 seconds and tried setting the screen brightness to Auto or about 1/4, but that made little difference. :/

12/26/11 update: I frequently get errors on the Pantech home page if I try to open an application too quickly after unlocking the phone. It's one of those errors that gives me the choice of waiting or force-closing the Home application. It's rather annoying. The phone is also sometimes very slow to respond to commands. I've discovered a trick to extending the battery life is to use a wallpaper other than the animated default image that comes with the phone, and turn animations off. It means not using some of the built-in features, which somewhat defeats the purpose of having a cool smartphone, but it's less frustrating than running out of juice at 6pm.

Conclusion: I might go back to using my old Droid until I'm eligible for a new phone (almost 2 years!). I definitely WON'T be buying another Pantech. I'm lowering my review from 4 stars to 3.

9/18/12 update: I'd lost the phone for several months and didn't miss it. When I found it again, I took it to Verizon to reactivate it and ask what they can do about the horrible battery life. The lady suggested I get a larger capacity (2300 mAh) battery (PN: VZW18995BATX) for $49. I figured that it was worth a try. So far, this battery is holding plenty of juice and hasn't gotten below 50% during a single day. It does make the phone thicker (it comes with its own back to accommodate its larger size), but it has eliminated my largest complaint about the phone. I'm not changing my star rating because it's an add-on, but if you've been frustrated with the battery life, it's worth considering.

2/6/13 update: I went to the Verizon store to see if one of their sales people could help configure my phone to use less power and put more apps on the SIM card rather than the core memory. She tried everything I tried and gave up. The problem is that with only 1GB RAM, there's not much room for add-on apps, many of which do not provide the option of running from the card. I ended up closing my account & taking the hit on the early termination fee in order to get a decent phone. The frustrations were too high with this Pantech.

I absolutely cannot recommend this phone for anyone who wants a *smart phone* to run add-on apps with. If you only want the basic functions and apps that come with the phone, you might not become as dissatisfied as I did. I could not find instructions for rooting it in order to remove the useless apps taking up all the storage space.

Great 4G speeds without the 4G price, but heavy compromise on functionality with low internal memory and faulty bluetooth November 10, 2011

Reviewer:  Andy "-Me"  (UC Berkeley, California) -

The Skinny:
Overall an amazing phone. Inexpensive but not cheap looking or feeling, lightweight and thin, this phone is great for mobile users and those that need 4G speeds but don't want to dish out $200 just for the phone. Although battery life may be a problem, this is standard of smartphones and 4G phones especially. A few well-chosen apps like Juice Defender and the GO Launcher EX Task Manager (A must!), as well as turning off WiFi/GPS will keep the battery life sufficient for a full day of normal use such as email and texting. Rooting the phone allows greater usability and functionality (duh) and further increases battery life (no more bloatware draining the battery to auto-update). Factory software allows for mobile tethering at amazing 4G speeds (mine tested at 14mbps!).

All of these facts combined makes this phone ideal for mobile on-the-go budget users who need 4G speeds and don't want a phone weighs as brick (or have the dimensions of one; I'm still trying to understand the logic behind a phone with larger than a 4.0 inch screen...is it supposed to be a tablet replacement?).

EDIT: February 13, 2012- I'm editing this review to reflect my 5 months of usage. Although in the beginning the phone was what I wanted- 4G speeds without the 4G price- this phone has a huge long list of issues that frankly cannot be dealt with. After rooting my phone and removing the bloatware, the fact that there is only 380mb of internal memory- 300 of which is used by the system and cannot be freed- makes this phone at best a compromise. Bluetooth functionality is terrible- this phone constantly disconnects, fails to connect, or simply freezes when attempting to connect. Software updates that are pushed onto the phone (61mb...) further make the internal memory problem worse, which in turn causes the phone to freeze even more consistently. Honestly, the only thing that's good about this phone is that you can throw it at a wall and it'll just bounce right off- in other words, its a great brick of a phone. Even my Blackberry Storm/Storm II didn't freeze nearly as much as this one. Also, you need to root and then use a google app (like Barnacle Wifi) to tether it (edit from what I said before).

I've taken my review from 5 stars to 2 stars to account for these issues.

Old Review:

The Long:
I previously had a Blackberry Storm/Storm II. I used my phone mainly for business (Calendar, Email, etc.) and quick on-the-go info (Google Maps, Movie Showtimes, Weather). I wanted more functionality out of my phone and Blackberry has an atrocious app store and even worse choice in hardware (my phone was akin to a brick in my pocket; some poor family in Africa could probably use my phone as a critical component in constructing their house), so I chose to go with an inexpensive Android-based phone with 4G Speeds: The Pantech Breakout

Pros:
-Lightweight (lightest of the VW 4G phones) and thin, screen is the perfect size for a smartphone (AKA it isn't a massive monstrosity that won't fit in your pocket and cover half your face when you talk). The way I see it, I already have a tablet (IPad), why would I want to lug around another in my pocket that has less functionality?
-Amazing VW 4G speeds (14mbps!)
-BUILT IN WIRED/WIRELESS TETHERING APP FOR MOBILE USERS (4G internet anywhere you go!)
-Sturdy build, textured back of phone provides great traction for 1-hand on-the-go texting/surfing and overall construction doesn't look or feel cheap
-Built in Swype Keyboard (if you're into that)
-Incredible deal when compared to other 4G phones (~50% the price)

Cons:
-Serious battery issues, but this is standard with smartphones and even worse with 4G phones. I turn off my WiFi/GPS whenever I'm not using them to save battery life, and it lasts about 15 hours of normal usage (text, email, etc.)
-Low Internal memory keeps getting in the way (~384mb of internal memory, so you have to keep transferring your apps to your SD card; however, this is also a pretty standard problem with Android phones)
-Doesn't have a dual-core processor for you developers out there (I doubt normal users need the halved battery life but the doubled multitasking capability)
-Camera is decent but not amazing
-Pantech stock software sort of sucks (Their Home app only allows 7 pages of apps, their widgets take up way too much memory, etc.)
-Bloatware out the bejesus. Let's Golf 2 and Blockbuster apps? WTF why?

To fix the CONS, I rooted my phone (just search Pantech Breakout Root on Google) and removed the bloatware (also helped with the battery problem) and downloaded a bunch of battery-saving apps (Juice Defender!)

A MUST if you want a nicer UI: GO Launcher EX (trust me, you get a better looking Home page, better widgets, task manager widget to kill apps easily from your home screen...)

Summary is at the start of the review...

Great Phone October 6, 2011

Reviewer:  hadassah 

A great phone. Easy, easy, easy!!! I am in my sixties and was concerned that a smart phone would be to complicated for me. I chose this phone because I had a regular Pantech and liked it, also there was a great deal. I have not been sorry. Would buy again.

Miracle October 18, 2011

Reviewer:  Zachary Schumann 

This phone is pretty awesome. Fast 4G speeds and decent specs. i have had no negative experiences with this phone. Super customizable with android 2.3 Gingerbread. The processor seems to handle many many processes at once with ease. fast browsing and awesome battery life (if you set auto screen brightness). Bright and vibrant colors. very nice. and affordable. The physical shell of the phone has a very nice grippy feel to it with the textured, rugged plastic on the back. easy to hold and slim. Thats why i say "Miracle."

Great phone! September 30, 2011

Reviewer:  R. Riggs  (West Des Moines, Iowa) -

This is a great phone! It's easy to set up, easy to navigate and just plain easy to use. The interface is very smooth and it comes loaded with plenty of apps. You can get even more at the Android app store. We currently only have 3G in my area, so I can't rate the 4G experience, but it's still pretty fast. I'm very happy with this phone. It's a great value for the money.