Review: Pantech Jest
Browser
The browser on the Pantech Jest is a true mobile browser. It will not load HTML pages, only more basic WAP mobile sites. Pictures are mostly hidden, but that's a good thing, since most buyers will want to skip the more expensive data plan and will probably load Web pages paying a la carte fees for data. Keeping things simple cuts down on those data fees. The browser is remarkably slow. It took more than 10 seconds to simply load the Verizon page where you enter a URL address. Sites like CNN and the New York Times take more than a minute to load their simplified mobile versions. Browsing pages was also clumsy and sluggish. Problems with the touch pad made scrolling very difficult, even when I had fast, smooth scrolling enabled in the browser settings. To add a final insult, even quitting the Web browser could take a long time. It took six seconds or more to exit the app, during which time I couldn't start a phone call or do anything else on the phone. Overall, I would say browsing on the Jest is for true emergencies only.
Customize
I wasn't expecting many customization options from the Pantech Jest, but for a feature phone, the Jest does have a few nice options. You can change up many of the notification and action sounds on the Jest. The main menu is a 3 by 3 grid of app icons, and four of those are replaceable, so you can bring your favorite features up top for faster access. There are three display themes to choose from, each unique in color and style. You can also choose from three different system fonts, including "Sleek Modern Font" and "Dandy Round Font," and two different font sizes. There are even separate fonts for dialing. The phone offers a small selection of clocks for the standby screen, but none of these were large enough for my taste.