CTIA 2007: Live Report

The C710 is the most advanced of all. It is a 3G phone supporting UMTS high-speed data but lacking support of the faster HSDPA. It is US-bound phone, being tri-band GSM and dual-band UMTS. Pantech advertise it as a 3G multimedia handset but we prefer to think about it as for a 3G stylish phone: it is very pretty clamshell, all black, with glossy front surface. Here you can see the sign for the multimedia capabilities – two small speakers. C710 is very nice phone with excellent keyboard and mediocre as resolution (176x220 pixels) but still very good internal display. The C710 supports MP3, AAC, WMA and WMV formats, features 1.3-megapixel camera and Bluetooth Stereo. The 25MB of memory are expanded with microSD card. Its release date is sometime in the summer.

Pantech C600 is the other 3G phone: just like C710 it is tri-band GSM and dual-band UMTS, scheduled for Summer 2007 release in North America. It is stripped down version of the C710 and cuts the stereo speakers, memory slot and downgrades the camera to VGA resolution. Packed in another clamshell, it is a budget 3G phone. Its keyboard is flush but with very good tactile response and overall comfortable to use. The main drawback of the C600 is the degree at which the small degree to which its shell opens. If you see the keyboard right, the display will not be perpendicular to your field of view and vice versa which is not pleasant at all.


The C510 is 2G only music-centric device. It is a small clamshell with front metal cover housing 3 music external keys and mono-negative vertical display. Featuring 1.3-megapixel camera, 30MB of memory with microSD slot and Stereo Bluetooth, its main drawback is the small resolution (128x160 pixels) of the internal display. Still it is bright and does well what it is supposed to. The keyboard here is also comfortable, like in the other models. Overall, C510 left us with highly positive feelings. Expect it during the summer.


The C3b is the successor of the C3, which on the other hand is based on the C300. It adds just Bluetooth, and nothing more. Being a small phone, the C3b is designed as a phone only. Unfortunately, it has the same hinge problem (with opening) like the C600. This one is scheduled for the spring.




The only candybar phone is the C150 – it is another plain device, being just a phone. The numeric keyboard and the navigation joystick are comfortable and the phone is small, slim and lightweight. The display looks well, although it also has very low resolution. The C150 is also expected during the summer of 2007.