Home › Reviews ›

Review: Pantech Marauder for Verizon Wireless

Menus Communications

Calls

Aside from the lock screen shortcut that takes you directly to the call log, there's little setting the Marauder apart from other Android handsets when it comes to the phone app. The function of the phone dialer, recent calls, and favorites tabs on the top of the screen is exactly the same as on any stock Android handset.

Contacts

The contacts application, too, is that of stock Android. The one thing setting it apart is a really useful home screen widget. The widget lets create a miniature contact list that is accessible from the home page. It holds at least ten people, and includes their thumbnail photo. Press any of the faces, and a second screen appears with info such as the last call, email, and SMS received by that person, as well as links to the phone app, full contact app, and so on.

Messaging

The Marauder covers all of the messaging basics. It runs the stock messaging (SMS), email, Gmail, Google+, Google+ Messenger, Latitude, and Google Talk apps. All of them work well, though they don't present any new features. There's no pre-loaded support for third-party instant messaging, so you'll have to scout through the Android Market to find the right IM apps.

The Marauder comes with both the full Facebook and Twitter apps, as well as some handy widgets for both.

A few words on typing. Aside from the physical keyboard, the Marauder also comes with SwiftKey X for faster touch keyboard input. SwiftKey has its own way to predict words as you type them. I found it to be very accurate — and very necessary. The Marauder's touch keyboard is way too narrow, and the keys themselves are narrow strips instead of nice, round or square shapes. Bottom line: without SwiftKey, typing on the touch screen would be nearly impossible for those of us with fatter thumbs.

Next page: Media

Related

Pantech Marauder Goes Easy On Smartphone Virgins

Jul 31, 2012
Verizon and PCD today announced the Pantech Marauder, a 4G LTE Android phone with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard and a "starter mode" for people new to Android or who prefer a simpler interface. The starter mode has four home screens with preset widgets, including a dialer, and a simplified lock screen.

Samsung Refreshes Galaxy S Series with S Pen, New Cameras

Feb 9, 2022
Samsung today announced its lineup of flagship phones for 2022: the Galaxy S22 series. The top-end S22 Ultra sees the biggest changes as it essentially absorbs Samsung's Note series with an integrated S Pen stylus and a more Note-like shape and design, instead of the Contour Cut design of the other models.

Samsung Refines its Foldable Phones

Aug 10, 2022
Samsung has announced its newest generation of foldable phones: the Galaxy Z Fold4 and Galaxy Z Flip4. Both have similar designs and features compared to their predecessors, with a slew of small updates and refinements across the board.

Samsung Upgrades its Wearables

Aug 10, 2022
Alongside its new foldable phones, Samsung has revealed its newest smartwatches and Bluetooth earbuds, each with significant engineering improvements. The new Galaxy Watch5 has a 13% larger battery and 60% more durable face compared to the Watch4.

iPhone 14 Plus Offers a Big Screen For Less

Sep 7, 2022
Apple has revealed the iPhone 14 series, with new features, improved specs, and new size options. In place of a Mini option, the iPhone 14 will come in the same 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch screen size options as the Pro models.

Pantech Marauder

3.8" display 480 x 800 pixels
Snapdragon S4 MSM8960-Lite processor 1 GB RAM
1,680 mAh battery
Memory Card Slot, Hardware Text Keyboard, Headphone Jack (3.5mm)

more news about: