Unlocked Cell Phones - Sony Ericsson T290a Prepaid GoPhone (AT&T)

Sony Ericsson's T290a is a tough entry-level handset that doesn't feel like a rock in your pocket. As a handset that is often available with prepaid calling plans, it isn't filled with the most modern technology on the market today, but it still will make a great and inexpensive replacement phone or a nice starter phone.

The T290a weighs a mere 2.9oz (81g), which makes it lighter than 95% of the phones on the market today. Its candy-style form factor is also fairly compact at 4.0" x 1.7" x .8". The body of the phone is made of a tough plastic that feels quite solid considering the T290a's low weight. The rubber keypad on the front of the device is not going to attract a lot of praise concerning its feel, but the 4-way d-pad directional controller is great, and the volume control on the side of the phone is pretty nice as well.

The T290a is tough, lightweight, and ready for business.

The T290a's color LCD display is 101 x 80 pixels and is capable of displaying over 4,000 colors. But since it is a passive matrix LCD, the colors are quite muted when compared to higher-end displays found on more expensive devices. Still, the colors make the phone more interesting than it would be if it had a monochrome display. If you lower the contrast setting a bit, it looks much better. When it comes to sound, the T290a can hang with the best of them thanks to its 32-voice polyphonic sound system. Complex ringtones come out loud and clear on the T290a, and you even have the ability to compose your own simple ringtones or record them with the phone's voice recorder function.

The T290a makes use of a 3 by 3 grid of icons for its main menu, through which you can use either the d-pad or numeric keys to navigate. Using the number keys that match up with the icons lets you move through the menu quickly, without the need for a series of up/down/left/right taps on the d-pad. The numbers also work in the lower level menus, which don't make use of icons. But even though you can quickly move through the menus with the keypad, the response of the user interface overall is still slow at times.

Where you most notice the sluggishness, though, is in the messaging system. Though T290a has a great messaging system otherwise, the T9 predictive text system is quite slow when compared with other phones on the market. It isn't a deal-breaker, but it can be annoying. But if you can get past that issue, the messaging system on the T290a is otherwise top-notch. The MMS editor is fully featured with multi-page message support and all the trimmings, and there is support for POP3 and IMAP4 e-mail as well.

The sleek T290a is a solid entry-level handset.

One other thing that shines on the T290a is its battery. Thanks in part to a decent internal antenna, the T290a managed over 10 hours of talk time in our tests--a number that is among the best on the market when it comes to non-PDA style phones. The call audio quality was not as fantastic, though. The T290a didn't have problems with dropping calls, but the audio on the calls can sound kind of rough. The lack of a proper profiles system is also a bit of a disappointment, but at least the silent mode (with vibration alert) is only a quick keypress away.

So while the T290a has a few issues that we'd like to see dealt with, it still comes across as a nice handset overall--especially considering the price. It is tough, small, and lightweight. The color display is decent, even if the keypad beneath it is less so. But overall, I think it is a solid entry-level handset.

Pros:

• Low weight
• Small
• Great battery life

Cons:

• Poor keypad
• Slow predictive text entry

What's in the Box
T290a handset, lithium-ion battery, power supply/charger, user's manual.

--Reviewed by Michael Oryl, editor in chief of www.MobileBurn.com

Design
The T290a adopts the tried-and-true candybar form factor and the phone's 101 x 80 display boasts 4096 colors. Most of the phone's features and on-screen menus are controlled by a five-way center button on the handset's control pad. Up/down keys on the side of the device allow you to control volume, and there's also a port to accept a hands-free headset. USB support is provided for transferring data to and from the device.

Calling Features
The phone's built-in address book that can store up to 250 contacts for quick and easy management of phone numbers and other contact information. The T290a also comes with built-in polyphonic ringtones and more can be downloaded from Cingular's MEdia service. There's even a built-in composer so you can fashion your own ringtones. A voice recorder function also allows you to fashion voice-based ringtones. Picture caller ID allows you to assign pictures to your contacts, and an integrated speakerphone makes it easy to conduct calls hands free. A silent vibrate mode is available, too, for times when you want to keep things discreet. Voice dialing is provided, as well, allowing you to dial contacts with the sound of your voice.

Messaging, Internet and Tools
Packed with valuable mobile technologies, the T290a is sure to please the mobile messaging aficionado. Sending messages with text, sound and photos is a snap with the phone, thanks to support for the Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS). The phone also ships with an email client that allows you to access POP3 and IMAP4-based accounts. There's a built-in web browser for MEdia downloads and mobile web browsing. Cingular's MEdia service lets you receive and send emails, read news headlines, get weather updates, download games and ringtones, and more. T9 text entry, which is a technology that makes it easier for people to enter words and text on handsets, is built into the unit-- a plus for mobile email and text messaging users.

A number of handy software tools are bundled with the T290a including a voice memo recorder, a calculator, a calendar and an alarm clock.

Entertainment
The T290a is built for fun, thanks to its use of the Mophun gaming platform. One game, V-Rally, ships with the phone and more are available from the MEdia service.

Vital Statistics
The T290a weighs 2.79 ounces and measures 4.00 x 1.71 x .71 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 12 hours of digital talk time, and up to 300 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the 850/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS frequencies. The phone comes with a one year limited warranty.

What's in the Box
T290a handset, lithium-ion battery, power supply/charger, user's manual.