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Welcome to the 2010 Telstra Glide T870 mobile phone review. Released in mid 2010 as a pre-paid model it is targeted at people who want a cheap QWERTY based slider mobile phone. We where surprised at the release of this model because not only does it have a slide out keypad but it is also has a touch screen! Priced at around $129 for a pre-paid package when released it is a very good deal.
The construction of the Glide was another surprise. It doesn't feel bargain basement but a level or two up. The quality plastics and the keypad although quite hard to press also good. Besides the slide out keypad you also get a touch screen. The screen is a bit bigger than the category norm and is a good quality. Not the sharpest image but better than many in this category.
In terms of operation the menu system has been updated with a widget capable standby screen. There are not very many widgets available but at least it is an effort. Overall the touch screen with a form of gesture control works it is not very responsive. In some parts the system is sluggish but not laggy. Interestingly when you slide out the keypad the screen changes into landscape mode. However if you use it for text or SMS the on screen keypad is not the easiest to use.
The Glide like all of Telstra models has all the basics you need voice, video calls, text, picture messaging and emails. With the built in browser you can get mobile versions of Facebook, Myspace, Twitter and so forth. Since it has a QWERTY keypad you can use the Glide for more than just the message notification. Sending emails, Text, Twitter and even Facebook become easy to send or update.
Technically, the Glide has the major 3G and GSM frequencies so you'll be able to use it overseas or anywhere Telstra has a roaming agreement.
We think the new Telstra Glide is a perfect first mobile phone or replacement for an older model. It is not perfect but there are very few phones from any other brand that has the same level of potential to make your mobile communication easier. That said the market is always changing so our opinion at the tiem this written.
Conclusion
All up the Telstra/ZTE Glide T870 a interesting model. It works well and has all you need for a new mobile phone in 2010. Sure it could work a little faster and have a better web browser but all up its quite a good phone. You could do much worse.
Specifications
- Telstra Glide (T870)
- Network
Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800 /1900 MHz
Tri-band UMTS 850/1900/2100 MHz
3G HSDPA 3.6
- Design
QWERTY Slider
92mm x 53mm x 13.5mm
Weight 83 grams
- Display/s
2.4 inch 240 x 320 pixel TFT
- Camera
3MP main camera
0.3MP 2nd video call camera
- Connectivity
USB
Bluetooth V2
- CPU
- Memory
Up to 130MB available to user
8Gig MicroSD or Trans Flash cards
- Ring tones
MP3, MIDI, Vibration
- Features
FM Radio
Media Player
SMS, MMS, WAP, EMAIL
JAVA MIDP 2.0
Speaker Phone/Hands free
Customizable backgrounds
Picture Viewer
Voice memos
Calender and organizer
200 Hrs Standby
150 Mins Talk Time
1000 mAh Li-ion battery
- Price history
Less than $129 AUS Mid-2010 (Pre-paid pack)
