Hey folks, Valkor here. The folks at Pantech have stopped by the Val-Cave making me an offer I simply couldn't refuse – Take the Impact for a spin and you won't be disappointed. That was easier said than done since I was, at that time, using the Samsung Blackjack that was wrought with some serious issues such as constantly dropped calls, crashing OS, and limited connection. Enter the Pantech Impact and all that changed… for the better.
The Impact aesthetically at first glance, has a simple design. On the outside it's long shape with a touchpad keypad, lit up backlit by LED. This serves a very basic function such as dialing, reading text, and even access to AT&T's music. But the heart of the Impact is when you open it up clamshell style; you get a full QWERTY keypad and a 2.6", super sharp LCD screen. And it is here that you gain access to all of the phones features such as Camera use, which you can jump right to with the cam button on the left side under the screen and it has a resolution of up to 1600x1200 (The Impact sports a 2 MP cam). You have access to Apps, mobile instant message such as Yahoo, AIM, and MSN, Mobile Web, Yellow Pages and so much more. Other features the Impact has is Bluetooth connectivity, a MicroSD slot, and a battery life of up to 5 hours of talk time. The Impact is a very basic phone, not overburdened with features or smartphone functionality, but still very capable of doing everything most phones do nowadays. So how did it ultimately score in the Val-Cave?
The Bang:
The Impact is like a dream. It's so easy to use and right out of the box you get the basic jist of the phone without have to drudge through the manual to learn all it's functions; very simple, very basic, no learning curve. The QWERTY pad is another plus as it feels so right when compared to my BlackJack. Sending text messages and instant messages has never been so easy and quick. Plus the keys are big enough for my meaty paws to handle and I hardly every end up pushing more than one button at a time – 95% of the time I get my message right the first time I type it. With the Blackjack, the buttons are tiny and i sometimes end up pushing two buttons at once and then to delete it. Yea, it gets cumbersome at times. With the Impact? Not at all. And speaking of messages, I love the conversation screen. I'm sure this happens to a lot of folks out there; you get a bunch of messages and you forget the last message you sent, or someone replies to you hours later and you're like "wait… what were we talkin about?". With the Impact, you don't have to go searching through the sent folder, its right there in front of you, using conversation bubbles. My connection worries are tossed out the door as I've had little to no drop calls since I made the switch. It's been a breath of frickin fresh air to actually be able to talk rather than going "hello? Helloooo?" UGH! Another plus is instant messaging, which works way better on the Impact than it does on the Blackjack - again it's fast, it's simple, just sign in and go. Finally the camera makes a great alternative as you can take some pretty clear pics and vids, I can go on and on singing the phones praise, but I think you guys get it, I like the Impact.
The Slack:
First there's no way to access voicemail on the main screen; text messages, recent calls, and AT&T music, but no voicemail. Also the touchpad can be a bit unresponsive and I mean just a bit; not completely unresponsive, just quirky at times. Thankfully it's usually spot on, on the first touch. Also, only two colors to choose from: pink or blue. Finally the camera, while takes great pics, is a bit cumbersome to use with the clamshell-style. Sometimes your fingers get in the way of the lense, or it's just awkward to hold.
The Funny:
I've let others play with the Impact, just to gauge a response. Those that own iPhones, once they open up the Impact, start touching the screen. To me, it's just too damn funny.
If smartphones are a bit too overwhelming, or you need something basic yet still keeping all the features of a fully functional mobile phone, then look no further than Pantech's Impact; it has a great style and very to use and get in to. Out of TOV 5 stars I give the Impact a 4.5 and it's been Valkor tested and TOV Approved.