Virgin Mobile Announces New Android Phone - Motorola TRIUMPH

Carrier: Virgin Mobile USA
Model: Motorola Triumph
Release Date: July 20th 2011
Price: $299.99
Many have heard rumors that a new phone would be coming out for Virgin Mobile USA with specs that would blow away its current lineup.  Well the time has come, and we are not disappointed.  Featuring a 4.1" display, front VGA and rear 5.0MP cameras, Flash Support, a form factor that is less than 0.4 inches thick, HDMI output, Android 2.2(and I'm sure updates beyond that), and the power to back that all up.  This phone is what we all have been waiting for.  If this phone is released for a reasonable price with the current plans, lets just say, watch out Apple.

KEY FEATURES:

·       5MP back-facing camera and VGA front-facing camera

·       HD video capture and playback in 720p, both on device or over HDMI

·       Massive 4.1” display (800x480 WVGA) and ultra-thin at .0.4”

·       1400 mAh battery

·       512MB RAM with 2GB ROM and SD card slot for extended

·       Froyo (Android 2.2) with Flash support for enhanced browsing (download from Android Market)

·       Soft touch design for comfort in hand

SPECIFICATIONS:

·       Software Platform: Android - Froyo

·       Messaging/web/apps: MMS, SMS, email

·       Camera: 5MP AF with flash, VGA front facing

·       Video: 30 fps @ 720 p decode

30 fps @ 720 p 14 Mbps encode

·       Connectivity: microUSB, 3.5mm , HDMI port

·       Browser: Android Webkit Browser

·       Bluetooth: BT V2.1 + EDR

·       Memory: 512MB RAM/ 2GB ROM, uSD Slot

·       Location Services: aGPS

·       Form Factor: Tablet

·       Experience Category: Media Centric

·       Baseband: Qualcomm MSM8655

·       Weight: 143g

·       Dimensions: 4.8” x 2.5” x 0.4”Display: 4.1” 800 x 480 WVGA

·       Battery: 1400 mAh

·       Bands/Modes: CDMA 1900 MHz EVDO RevA, 802.11 b/g/n

Low cost android phone service - Virgin Mobile

I know the amazingly low price service from Virgin Mobile has been covered by many, but I wanted to give you a users expeariance so far. I for one swiched over to Virgin Mobile back in Oct of 2010. When I called to get my number switched the customer support was friendly and easy to work with. They took down all my info and told me it could take up to 72hrs for my new Samsung Intercept to become active. To my plesent surprise I received a text about 2hrs later welcoming me to Virgin Mobile.

Is the phone reception perfect?

No. But so far I've only found one place that the service drops completely, which also happens to be surrounded by 2feet of concrete. Shortly after getting the phone activated I took a trip out to Los Angles California and found the reception to be great, and the GPS navigation on the Samsung Intercept to be a life saver.

What's the catch?

If you are looking for the hidden fee's you won't find them. The only thing on top of the $25 a month plan I picked up was sales tax. Which you will be paying on any other carrier as well. No incoming text fee's, no roaming fee's, no data fee's, nothing.

Do the phones suck?

The Android phones currently available from Virgin mobile are considered low end phones. So I will not lie, you won't be completely blown away by them. So far I've had the opportunity to use both the Samsung Intercept(My personal phone) and the LG Optimus V. Both phones are great entry level Android phones perfect for someone looking to move up to a smart phone without paying an arm and a leg. I hope to write reviews of them later on but I will give you a few pro's and con's of the two below.

Samsung Intercept

Pros

• Slide out Qwerty keyboard(for those that like to have a physical keyboard)
• Great Low light photos (Thanks to the Intercepts "Night" shot mode)
• Optical pad for navigation(Amazing how big a difference this makes over the Optimus)
• 2GB microSD card
• Good sound(The speaker on the Intercept looks larger in comparison, gives you more bass, and overall is louder than the Optimus)

Cons

• Sometimes feels sluggish(sounds like the Android 2.2 update improves this a lot).
• Poor Battery life like most of these phones.
• Not the best for graphics as they can sometimes be a little choppy(again sounds like 2.2 will give this a slight improvement).

LG Optimus V
Samsung Intercept Full Review

Pros

• Dedicated graphics chip makes gaming a whole lot smoother
• Higher resloution screen
• Overall feels fairly fast
• 2GB microSD card with adapter to make it a standard size SD card

Cons

• Poor low light photos(Comparing the two phones several photos came out black on the Optimus in low light and only dark on the Intercept.)
• Weak speaker (I found cranking it all the way up gave you a tinny sound and really wasn't that loud)
• No optical pad(When editing text you must switch keyboards to the arrow keys which is a pain)

Which phone is right for me?

Well, that all depends. If you are an avid gamer, I recommend the Optimus as it has the dedicated graphics chip. For those looking to take photos and listen to music, I would tend to lean towards the Intercept.

Will Virgin Mobile get better phones?

Rumor has it they may be picking up a 4.1" 1ghz smart phone. Which I think could be a big seller for Virgin Mobile. I for one would consider upgrading.

Overall I am extremely satisfied with my service so far. I highly recommend checking out Virgin Mobile for your cell phone needs.