Pantech Martix Pro

All articles on this site are by Harry Skevington unless otherwise noted with another byline

MARCH 11, 2009

Pantech Matrix Pro Phone For AT&T
From Pantech Martix Pro Manual The Pantech Matrix Pro (C820) for AT&T is a good smartphone for those who text and/or type a lot. It is also for those who are not ready for or can’t seem to make a touch screen phone do the job for them. I have never seen as many keys on a phone. The Pantech Matrix Pro is slightly larger than some phones weighing in at 5.34 oz with battery and measuring 4.2" (H) x 2.0" (W) x .09" (D). Talk time is stated as up to 6 hours with standby rated at an amazing 12 days. I did find it to be capable of close to that. The local AT&T Wireless 3G service provides a solid service source. As with other new phones the Pantech Matrix Pro supports up to 32GB microSD cards.

Cost with Contract
Full retail price$379.99
With Contract$229.99
Mail-in rebate$ 50.00
Final Price$179.99

In the Box:
Pantech Matrix Pro
USB Cable
3.5 mm Headset Adapter
Battery
AC Travel Charger
Getting Started Guide (printed)
Getting Started CD
Protective Sleeve

Pantech provided the following list of business and personal features using Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard:
•Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard
•Microsoft Office Mobile (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
•Xpress Mail for POP3 access
•Microsoft Direct Push - syncs your email, contacts, calendar and tasks
•AT&T Navigator - GPS at your fingertips
•PC Tethering
•Threaded SMS - for easy message recall
•Sliding panel user interface - for easy access to favorite tasks
•Mobile Banking
•Multitasking - use voice & data simultaneously
•Tools: alarm clock, calendar, notepad, voice memo, calculator, tasks, stop watch, unit converter
•Address Book with up to 1,000 Contacts
•Flight Mode (RF off)
•Send business card information as a multimedia message

Using Windows Mobile 6.1 on this phone was much easier than another recent test phone as the Pantech Matrix Pro had no additional menu interface between the user and Mobile 6.1. There was less of a learning curve. Menu lists are simple but long. Some menu lists were as long as 3 screen pages. The main menu used icons that clearly designate the functions.

From Pantech Martix Pro Manual

The phone has a fairly large 240 by 320 Pixel 2.4 inch portrait display. Below the display are the controls. (See photo) They include the Left and Right Soft key, Navigation Keys (circular with OK key in center) Clear Key, End Key, Send Key, and Home Key. At times I found my self overwhelmed with choices. Sliding the phone open from top to bottom reveals the Dial Pad. The dial pad keys are flat and slippery. Since they are also large I had no issue with dialing and entering phone numbers.

From Pantech Martix Pro Manual

Closing the Dial Pad, turning the Pantech Matrix Pro sideways and sliding the screen up opens the full Landscape QWERTY Keyboard. SEE PHOTO. I liked the keyboard but the upper line of keys is harder to work with as the screen element is tight up against them. Otherwise it is a treat to work with.

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The Pantech Matrix Pro has a 2 MP camera without flash. Video recording as well as Video Sharing is available. Video Share requires that service to be on both phones. Photo/text emails are easy to send.

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Setup and tested Yahoo mail. This service mirrored all messages received in my Yahoo account. Simple on screen instructions for the setup made this very workable.

Text messaging between phones was fast. Mobile instant messaging is available using AOL IM, Windows Live Messenger and Yahoo Messenger. My Windows Live Messenger did the job well. Internet Browsing with Media Net seemed slow. That may be a function of the local connection.

The Pantech Matrix Pro is a well rounded smartphone with plenty of business capability and a lot of fun services thrown in. Its size made it a little bulky to carry in my pants pocket. The included protective sleeve was great for protecting the phone but slowed down my answering time. The Pantech Matrix Pro is a fine messaging and business phone. Those who like Windows Mobile and want a good sized QWERTY keyboard will love it!

For more info on AT&T products CLICK HERE.