Don't call it a phone, or the Helio people will get mad at you... seriously have you seen the ads? They try really hard to make you think that the thing you are buying from them isn't a phone, but it is a phone, just don't let on that you know that I know and told you that's it's not what they know it is. Ok?
I got one of those Kickflip pho... devices in from Helio to review [because they think we're pretty kick arse] and I have to say that after I got a charger in for the thing [they kinda forgot to include it in the box] I've been having a lot of fun with the device... it not being a phone and all. I started playing around with the Kickflip the moment I got it to test how strong the swivel part actually worked. My major pet peeve with many phones that have the "swivel to reveal the keypad" feature don't use a very strong or stable swivel at all. After opening and closing the Kickflip about fifteen times I was impressed with how sturdy a flip the opening is. The device has definitely earned the name "Kickflip" as the opening swivel [i.e. flip] has some kick to it, and while the device makes the sound of a sword being removed from its sheath when you open it, the more accurate sound would be a compound "whoosh-thwang" kinda deal. What I'm trying to say is that from the get go the device feels solid and not flimsy, so that earns it brownie points to begin with.
My next step was to actually use the pho...device to make a couple of long distance calls. I found the keypad actually nice to use as the keys were backlit [good] and the numbers much larger than the letters on the keypad. This helped me tremendously as I am used to the layout on my Treo smartphone so most phones that do not have QWERTY keyboards piss me off to no end. I have no love for multitap interfaces, period. I still don't like multitap for this phone, but I understand it's not mean to be a smartphone so I'm not going to hold the multitap against Helio. The keypad layout is nothing new, nav button in the middle flanked by the call approve/deny buttons, two buttons at the top in the left and right hand corners as "menu" and "select" options. This part of the pho... device is nothing remarkable. What is worth noting are what are on the sides of the device, that's where some of the fun stuff resides when it comes to the Kickflip.
On one side of the device you have a volume up and down control, a USB port for connecting your device to your computer to sync data, and what I can only figure is a port to somehow connect your pho... device [dammit, did it again] to your TV. [Why else would the icon look like a lil TV set?] Then on the other side of the device are previous, play/pause, and next buttons as well as a camera button. These buttons by themselves don't make up much, but it's how the Kickflip lets you use them that is cool. The Kickflip can playback mp3 audio in stereo [much like the Verizon Chocolate phone] but the Kickflip did it first. Helio even provides you with a stereo headset with mic so you can listen to tunes or make calls without having to switch between headsets or give up on having stereo audio. This I like, as my major complaint about my Treo is that I can't use it to really enjoy music because my current headset is mono only. Bugger!
Moving on.
For me, the greatest fun that I have had while using the Kickflip has been in taking pictures. Because I can hold the device horizontally like I am used to with my digital camera, and use the button on the side to quickly enter picture mode, it's extremely easy for me to take pictures with the thing on the go. Add to this that the camera in the Kickflip is 2 megapixels, can take a single image at up to a 1600x1200 resolution or a series of "snaps" at 320x240 with a flash, and ninja is a very happy little girl. I love being able to take a snapshot of things as I'm on the go because weird shit seems to happen all the time in my area. [Especially when I'm in the district] So having a camera that I can snap a picture or series of pictures with and immediately send it to a friend so they can share in my WTF? moment is just plain cool. It's at this moment of playing around with the device [haha, got it right that time] that I start understanding what Helio means when they say this thing is not a phone... and I do agree with them on that. When it comes to being a phone, the Kickflip is lackluster.
Calls aren't very clear or easy to hear [even with the volume turned all the way up] unless you are using the headset. Loading your address book to the thing requires that you use a web interface that you enter your data into to then connect and sync to your device. Quite the pain in the pooper if you already have your contacts in an existing address book and have, say, over 40 or so people with multiple phone numbers. A sync like that is no fun, to say the least. Purchasing ringtones and screensavers/wallpapers to bling out your ring are just as easy/cumbersome to purchase for the Kickflip so you get no added bonus there. You can set individual ringtones for people in your address book, which has become a lifesaver for me lately, but otherwise it is just a phone.
The saving grace for Helio is that their product is a 3G device, so data transfers to and fro are fast, and, well, the thing is cool looking... and feeling. I got interested enough in this thing to get some wallpapers and ringtones for it, and I don't even get to keep the damn thing!
Without a doubt the Kickflip has some very cool other uses than just being a phone, but what I need most out of a device that I'm going to have in my pocket is that it be a good and solid phone that I can easily get my contacts and email on... anything else is just gravy.Taking it all into account I'm going to have to give the Kickflip from Helio a 3 out of 5. One teal one because it's a sexy little device. I mean, the sound effect on opening it up is a nice little touch Helio. I'll give it a light blue candy as it's obvious that Helio has tried to make this device too cool and one white one because at it's core it's a decent phone whose future could be very bright.
I got one of those Kickflip pho... devices in from Helio to review [because they think we're pretty kick arse] and I have to say that after I got a charger in for the thing [they kinda forgot to include it in the box] I've been having a lot of fun with the device... it not being a phone and all. I started playing around with the Kickflip the moment I got it to test how strong the swivel part actually worked. My major pet peeve with many phones that have the "swivel to reveal the keypad" feature don't use a very strong or stable swivel at all. After opening and closing the Kickflip about fifteen times I was impressed with how sturdy a flip the opening is. The device has definitely earned the name "Kickflip" as the opening swivel [i.e. flip] has some kick to it, and while the device makes the sound of a sword being removed from its sheath when you open it, the more accurate sound would be a compound "whoosh-thwang" kinda deal. What I'm trying to say is that from the get go the device feels solid and not flimsy, so that earns it brownie points to begin with.My next step was to actually use the pho...device to make a couple of long distance calls. I found the keypad actually nice to use as the keys were backlit [good] and the numbers much larger than the letters on the keypad. This helped me tremendously as I am used to the layout on my Treo smartphone so most phones that do not have QWERTY keyboards piss me off to no end. I have no love for multitap interfaces, period. I still don't like multitap for this phone, but I understand it's not mean to be a smartphone so I'm not going to hold the multitap against Helio. The keypad layout is nothing new, nav button in the middle flanked by the call approve/deny buttons, two buttons at the top in the left and right hand corners as "menu" and "select" options. This part of the pho... device is nothing remarkable. What is worth noting are what are on the sides of the device, that's where some of the fun stuff resides when it comes to the Kickflip. On one side of the device you have a volume up and down control, a USB port for connecting your device to your computer to sync data, and what I can only figure is a port to somehow connect your pho... device [dammit, did it again] to your TV. [Why else would the icon look like a lil TV set?] Then on the other side of the device are previous, play/pause, and next buttons as well as a camera button. These buttons by themselves don't make up much, but it's how the Kickflip lets you use them that is cool. The Kickflip can playback mp3 audio in stereo [much like the Verizon Chocolate phone] but the Kickflip did it first. Helio even provides you with a stereo headset with mic so you can listen to tunes or make calls without having to switch between headsets or give up on having stereo audio. This I like, as my major complaint about my Treo is that I can't use it to really enjoy music because my current headset is mono only. Bugger!
Moving on.
For me, the greatest fun that I have had while using the Kickflip has been in taking pictures. Because I can hold the device horizontally like I am used to with my digital camera, and use the button on the side to quickly enter picture mode, it's extremely easy for me to take pictures with the thing on the go. Add to this that the camera in the Kickflip is 2 megapixels, can take a single image at up to a 1600x1200 resolution or a series of "snaps" at 320x240 with a flash, and ninja is a very happy little girl. I love being able to take a snapshot of things as I'm on the go because weird shit seems to happen all the time in my area. [Especially when I'm in the district] So having a camera that I can snap a picture or series of pictures with and immediately send it to a friend so they can share in my WTF? moment is just plain cool. It's at this moment of playing around with the device [haha, got it right that time] that I start understanding what Helio means when they say this thing is not a phone... and I do agree with them on that. When it comes to being a phone, the Kickflip is lackluster. Calls aren't very clear or easy to hear [even with the volume turned all the way up] unless you are using the headset. Loading your address book to the thing requires that you use a web interface that you enter your data into to then connect and sync to your device. Quite the pain in the pooper if you already have your contacts in an existing address book and have, say, over 40 or so people with multiple phone numbers. A sync like that is no fun, to say the least. Purchasing ringtones and screensavers/wallpapers to bling out your ring are just as easy/cumbersome to purchase for the Kickflip so you get no added bonus there. You can set individual ringtones for people in your address book, which has become a lifesaver for me lately, but otherwise it is just a phone.
The saving grace for Helio is that their product is a 3G device, so data transfers to and fro are fast, and, well, the thing is cool looking... and feeling. I got interested enough in this thing to get some wallpapers and ringtones for it, and I don't even get to keep the damn thing!
Labels: Cell-Phone, Gadgets, Helio, Ninjasistah
