New Virgin Mobile phone a pleasant surprise




I recently broke the LCD on my Virgin Mobile Audiovox-brand flip-phone. So I was unable to navigate any phone menus. Most importantly:

– I was unable to see the prompts necessary to Top-Up my phone with a Virgin mobile retail Top-Up card; and

– I was unable to check my phone balance from the phone as the balance displays on the screen.

Darn.

Well, I still have my supposedly low-end Kyocera non-flip phone (see end of my June entry) that I can use.

I took it out of the closet, plugged it in, turned it on and started navigating the menus. Boy, was I impressed with the elegence of the user interface (menus)! But really impressed! My Audiovox phone was almost impossible to use. So bad in fact that I only had one phone number saved in it–and misfiled at that.

The interface on this Kyocera KE4233 is awesome! The phone even has a white LED flashlight accessible via the button.

I cannot believe how easy to navigate and understand the menus are. And how feature-rich this phone is. The only two things I miss from my Audiovox phone are:

– The Audiovox was smaller; it fit in my Audi’s ashtray (as I discovered after I cracked the LCD).

– The Audiovox had a speakerphone feature, a feature I think is very important on a cellphone, though I admit I never used it.

This Kyocera phone was really designed. Its interface was not an accident. Interfaces like this are the result of long consideration and testing with real people.

I heartily recommend the Kyocera KE433 phone from Virgin Mobile. I also still recommend the Virgin Mobile pre-paid cellular service. I have not been disappointed.

I’m going for a motorcycle ride now.

I’m going to see The Incredibles with Judah et al around 5pm today.