Pantech Discover Review

Introduction:

Quietly whittling away in the background, Korean based smartphone manufacturer Pantech has been making some strides in the high-end department of late. Not too long ago, we were rather impressed in the direction that they were steering in with the Pantech Flex HD over the holidays, but this time around, they’re taking the correct measures in moving towards even greater glory. Looking at the specs sheet of the Pantech Discover, it seems like Pantech has a formidable warrior that’s ready to compete against some of the titans in the industry, but even better, it has an enticing price point of only $49.99 on-contract.

The package contains:

• microUSB cable
• Wall Charger
• Quick Start Guide
• Product Safety and Warranty Guide

Design:

Well, another round of adulation is in store for Pantech, mainly because they’ve done a bang up job with the design of the Discover. Sporting one curvaceous body that’s sloping in, out, and all around in the rear, it really does wonders to enchant us over some of the expected industrial designs we’re constantly bombarded with from the top-tiered companies. Sure, it’s still an all-plastic body, but the textured rubbery back casing is appreciated in providing us a good grip in the hand – and a clean finish too! Meanwhile, its slim profile is still something worth mentioning as well, though, its size might still seem to be a bit unwieldy for those with smaller hands. Impressively, the Pantech Discover is one sharp looking dresser that’s ready to dance well into the night with its suave looks.



You can compare the Pantech Discover with many other phones using our Size Visualization Tool.

Yup, there are no separate capacitive Android buttons with this beauty, but rather, they’re integrated with the UI since it’s an Ice Cream Sandwich device. However, hanging above the display, we find its earpiece, light & proximity sensors, and 2-megapixel front-facing camera, which has a maximum video capture resolution of WVGA (800 x 480).

A bit offset from the middle, the Discover’s dedicated power button along the top edge feels a bit indistinct to the touch, but luckily it exhibits a decent response when pressed. Nearby, we also spot its 3.5mm headset jack – while on the right edge rests its volume control. Interestingly, this handset features two speakers that are positioned on the top left and right corners, which also gives it an intimidating look. Meanwhile, the standard mic and microUSB port for charging/data connectivity are all found on the bottom edge.

No doubt an odd count figure, the Pantech Discover is packing a higher-than-normal 12.6-megapixel auto-focus camera with LED flash, which has the ability to capture video in 1080p. With the aid of the notch along the top trim, we’re able to remove its rear plastic cover to gain access to its 2,100 mAh battery, nanoSIM slot, and microSD slot. With the latter, it’s just a bit of an inconvenience removing the battery first to access the microSD slot.


Display:

Carrying along one of the largest sized displays we’ve seen on a Pantech smartphone, the Discover really goes big with its 4.8” 720p (720 x 1280) LCD display, which results in an admirable pixel density of 306 ppi. Naturally, we’re pleasantly surprised by the crisp details it’s able to deliver, but despite that, its colors are a bit subdued, which doesn’t help either when its viewing angles and brightness output are weak. In translation, it doesn’t particularly handle well outdoors with the sun present – so don’t be too surprised with the occasional shielding. Still, it’s nice to see they’ve scaled up with this device.