Telstra Easytouch 4G Review

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Welcome to the 2012 Telstra Easytouch 4G ( T82) mobile phone review. For Christmas 2012 Telstra and ZTE have released ‘bargain’ priced reasonably high specified Android smartphone. The new Easytouch 4G release took us by surprise, likewise the smaller Telstra Frontier model. The Easytouch 4G is currently only available on a monthly plan at around $35.

The Telstra Easytouch 4G at first use is a great experience. In terms of construction the overall build quality is very good. The only thing we can comment on was that the metal surround looked a little ‘cheap’ and a little on the toy side in terms of feel but better than the original iPhone though! and clearly much better than the models we’ve seen from Telstra in the past 12 months.

In terms of hardware specification, the Easytouch 4G’s CPU is fast likewise the graphics system. The screen is the 4.3 which is a reasonable size and above the average. There is nothing deficient or particularly low end abut the phone which is nice change. The technology is about the level of the Samsung Galaxy SII.

In terms of operation the  user interface is often where the Telstra phones fall down. However we can thankfully say that Easytouch 4G interface works really well and that’s due purely to the fast CPU. There are a few customisations we noticed apart from the large menu widgets on its Android (Jelly bean) version of the software. In fact there are only a few image transition effects which were missing. Presumably this is why Apple is suing every other phone company for. It is a bit rich coming from a company that out right copied the clock design of the Swiss clock. What else have Apple copied that they haven’t owned up to yet? Regardless we really don’t care about legal battles and you won’t miss the power hungry effects.

There are plenty of Apps in the Google Play store these days and there is always something new to try. Admittedly some apps though are quite old and primitive to look at . Of note is that the Angry Birds games are free.

Overall the Telstra Easytouch 4G is definitely the best model released by the company under its own branding for the Christmas 2012 period but we understand there are better ones planned for 2013. The Easytouch will do everything you want with the speed and stability you expect on another brand name smartphone. It appears to be almost as polished as any other phone running Andriod 4.0 – but at a cheaper price on a monthly plan. It is the best one we’ve tested from Telstra to date. Forget the other cheaper Telstra Urbane, Uno etc.. Just remember to compare the Nokia 800 and 900 which run Windows Phone 7.5 you may change your mind since they are now priced the same even on plans.

Specifications

  • Telstra Easytouch 4G T82
  • Network
    Tri-band GSM 900/1800/1900 Mhz
    Tri-band 3G 850/2100 Mhz
    4G LTE 1800/2600 Mhz
    HSDPA 7.2 Mbps data speed (download)
    HSUPA 2 Mbps (upload)
    4G LTE 1000Mbps 50 down Mbps Up
  • Design
    Touch screen
  • L120 x W63.6 x D108 mm
  • Weight 140 grams
  • Display/s
    4.3 inch 540 x 960 pixel
  • Camera
    8MP
    LED Flash
    Forward camera 1MP
  • Video Camera
    640x 480 pixels @ 15fps
  • Connectivity
    Wi-Fi
    Bluetooth V3
  • CPU
    1.5 Ghz Dual core ‘Krait’
    Separate Adreno 225 Graphic CPU
  • Memory
    Up to 2.5 Gig for user
    Up to 32Gig micro-SD expansion
  • Ring tones
    MIDI, MP3, Video, vibration and others
  • Features
    A-GPS
    AndroidApp store
    Free Google Navigator (requires data plan)
    FM Radio
    Compass
    Accelerometer
    Proximity Ambient Light
    Music and Media player
    MS-Word, Excel and Powerpoint, PDF, ZIP compatible
    Organiser/Calender
    SMS, MMS, IM, Email
    Speaker Phone/Hands free
    Li-Po 1900 mAh battery
    Up to 300 hours Standby
    Up to 6.5 hours Talk Time
  • Price history
    Approx $35 AUD December 2012 (Plan only)