The Samsung Galaxy Prevail?($149.99, 4 stars) was the first really solid smartphone?in Boost Mobile's low-cost lineup. The Samsung Transform Ultra beefs things up under the hood, while adding a slide-out QWERTY keyboard for frequent messagers. Call quality isn't top-notch, but it's an otherwise excellent option for users looking to take advantage of the low-cost pricing plans on Boost.?
Design, Call Quality, and Pricing
The Samsung Transform Ultra measures 4.5 by 2.4 by .6 inches (HWD) and weighs 4.9 ounces. It's a lot bigger and bulkier than the Prevail, but it's still relatively light and manageable for a keyboarded phone. The back is made of textured, dark grey plastic with an argyle pattern I find very appealing. There's a shiny silver band separating the back of the phone from the front, which is made of an even darker grey plastic. The 3.5-inch glass capacitive touch LCD has 320-by-480-pixel resolution, which is really starting to look low-res nowadays. Four physical function keys sit below the screen on the face of the phone.
Using the on-screen keyboard felt fine, but really, the big draw here is the four-row slide-out QWERTY keyboard. While the keys feel a bit flat and the spacebar is just right of center, it didn't take long for me to adjust to typing. It's certainly not the best keyboard I've tested, but it should make most users happy after a short period of adjustment.?
The Ultra is a dual band EV-DO Rev. A (800/1900 MHz) device with 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi. It connected to my WPA2-encrypted Wi-Fi network quickly and easily. Reception is average, but call quality is just mediocre. Voices sound scratchy through the phone's earpiece, especially at louder volumes. At maximum volume the case of begins to rattle a bit as well. On the other end, calls made with the phone don't fare much better. Voices are understandable, but a touch muddy, and noise cancellation is mediocre. The speakerphone sounds scratchy, and not loud enough to use outdoors. Calls sounded thready through a Jawbone Era Bluetooth headset ($99, 4 stars), but voice dialing worked well. Battery life was average at 5 hours 28 minutes of talk time.
Pricing, Performance, and Apps
On October 6, Boost began charging an additional $5 monthly charge for its unlimited data and messaging services for Android-powered devices. That means that plans now start at $55, which are reduced by $5 every 6 months you pay your bill on time, until you reach $40. Existing $50 Monthly Unlimited customers with Android can keep their current price plan as long as they don?t let their account expire. These are pretty incredible prices compared with the rates on the major carriers, which can easily cost $100 and up.
The Transform Ultra runs the latest version of Android, 2.3.4 (Gingerbread), and Samsung has done very little to modify it. You won?t find Samsung?s TouchWiz UI extensions here, and there's very little in the way of bloatware or preinstalled apps, aside from Mobile ID. Mobile ID allows you to install "ID packs" on your phone that include applications, ringtones, wallpapers, and widgets. It isn?t for diehard Android purists, but some users may like it.?
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