Telstra BubbleTouch (T930) Review

hyp4mhz
Welcome to the 2010 Telstra BubbleTouch T930 review. The Bubble Touch was released in mid-2010 to cater for those who want a very cheap 'touch screen' phone.  When we first saw it on the shelf we didn't realize it was a Telstra branded ZTE model, we thought it was made by some other manufacturer!  The construction quality of the Bubble Touch is excellent. Very tidy seams, nice metal frame and buttons. It is certainly one of the better quality phones we've seen to date (2010) from Telstra/ZTE and at a bargain price.  The only thing that spoils it is the cheapish screen surround and the stylus.  Mind you for less than $100 you can't really complain. The BubbleTouch is clearly a fashion phone, its slim shape and small overall size and design will attract many to this phone.  Held in the hand it feels like a smooth and light rock or like a smaller iPhone.  We think its a great design. Along with the design is a very good display that has the standard 240 x 320 pixel resolution but slightly larger in size than the normal.  It is not pin point sharp buy good enough considering the price. Other features like Bluetooth and micro SDcard slot and a 3MP pixel camera with a flash makes the Bubbletouch well equipped for the price range. However not all is as it seems.  This may be a touch screen but it requires you to use a stylus to use it properly.  The stylus slot is cleverly hidden in the back.  It does work with your finger but the stylus is more precise.  The menu system unfortunately has not been sufficiently redesigned to accommodate for the new interface - it is like the standard Telstra/ZTE menu system with widget abilities tacked on for the main standby screen.  It is simple enough to use though. The biggest problem though is the on screen keypad.  The keypad is a regular numeric one so typing in the letter 'c' means tapping the '2' key 4 times.  Very frustrating - since there doesn't seem to be any easier option!  That said they have tried to make thing easier by offering a dictionary function. Regardless it is a huge problem when it comes to texting or anything involved with the input of letters.  The other annoying thing is the sluggishness of the interface.  While slow it isn't laggy if you get our meaning.  There is a simplistic gesture control system that also requires stylus to work properly. Functionality included does not expand beyond the basics, but like all NextG phones the BubbleTouch has access Telstra's app portal so you can get additional apps but at a hefty price.  They cost about $7 each! so it is very pricey.  The BubbleTouch also has tri-band 3G frequencies along with quad-band GSM which means it will work overseas - unlike past cheap mobiles. Overall the BubbleTouch has all the basics you need for voice, video calls, SMS, picture messaging and emails. With the built in browser you can access mobile versions of Facebook, Myspace and even Twitter.  This is perfect for the fashion conscious or those wanting something different but only need to do the basic - namely voice. Older folk will not like it but the the BubbleTouch should give something for the younger customer another model to consider. Conclusion All up the Telstra BubbleTouch is a different phone from the rest, it looks good and works well to a certain extent.  We think the BubbleTouch is one of the best pre-paid packaged deals currently available.  It is a combination of design and price but with a huge flaw. If you can live with that then go for it. Specifications
  • Telstra BubbleTouch T930
  • Network Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800 /1900 MHz Tri-band UMTS 850/1900/2100 MHz 3G HSDPA 3.6
  • Design Touch screen 92mm x 53mm x 13.5mm Weight 100 grams
  • Display/s 2.4 inch 240 x 320 pixel TFT
  • Camera 3MP main camera 2nd video call camera
  • Connectivity USB Bluetooth V2
  • CPU
  • Memory 64MB internal memory 40MB available to user Up to 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 1000mAh Li-ion battery
  • Package contents XP/Vista Compatible PC suite Mac OSX Compatible software Personal hands free kit Stylus Travel charger USB cable
  • Price history Less than $99 AUS Mid-2010 (Pre-paid pack)