by George Heymann|@techeadlines
Looking for a mid-range Android smartphone that won’t break the bank? Then the Motorola Triumph deserves your consideration. This smartphone which retails for just under $300 off-contract is powerful enough to tempt those looking to save money on their cellular bills into using a prepaid phone and service.
The CDMA phone which is being offered by Virgin Mobile USA can be paired with one of its relatively inexpensive Beyond Talk plans. These Virgin Mobile plans all feature unlimited web, messaging and email. The $35 per month plan includes 300 anytime minutes, another $10 per month buys you 1200 anytime minutes and the $55 per month plan buys you unlimited minutes along with unlimited data.
The Triumph features a 1GHz processor, 4.1” (800×480) WVGA touchscreen, 5MP rear camera with a VGA front-facing camera, 720P HD camcorder with HDMI output, 3G connectivity, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, micro USB, Bluetooth 2.1 and full Android Market application support without any third party overlays like Motoblur. The Triumph includes 512 MB Ram and 2 GB of internal memory and includes a 2GB Micro-SD card which is expandable up to 32GB.
The phone is slim, and light (Size: 4.8”x2.5”x0.4”/Weight: 143g) while still feeling substantial. The phone case is coated in a soft-touch material that has a very pleasant hand feel.
With all of the positives the Triumph has going for it there are a couple of major issues that are hard to overlook. First the phone comes with Android 2.2 Froyo installed. With the recent introduction of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and the majority of Android handsets being delivered with Android 2.3 Gingerbread, it’s unconscionable to me that this handset is still languishing with an outdated version of the Android OS.
Another major issue for me has been the Triumph touchscreen. At times the touchscreen doesn’t recognize touches, especially when performing multi-touch gestures making the device feel laggy when otherwise the device performs well. It happens often enough that I find myself double-tapping items even though its not necessary and that’s a problem. It’s been reported by other users frequently enough that I’m confident it’s an issue with this model phone and not just an issue with my handset.
The problem may be software not hardware related so it may be addressed in a future firmware update but at this point this is purely speculation on my part. Other lesser issues worth mentioning is that the Triumph comes with a relatively low capacity 1380 mAh battery so depending on your usage you may need to plug-in to get you through the day.
The Triumph uses the Sprint network for connectivity so check the coverage maps available online if you are unfamiliar with the coverage in your area. One final caveat the Triumph uses CDMA 2000 1xEV-Do rev.A for 3G connectivity so transfer speeds may be lower than what you are used to.
In conclusion the Motorola Triumph is a very capable good looking smartphone. Despite the issues I mentioned in my review, it handles all of my essential smartphone tasks, including use of Google Voice, Mail, Maps and phone functions with aplomb. If you decide to try the phone for yourself, make sure you check the return policy from the retailer prior to purchase. You’ll have to evaluate if the cost savings make up for the shortcomings of using a prepaid phone and service.
If you’re interested in signing up for service with Virgin Mobile please use our sign-up code LTIVOT64
Filed under: Android, General technology, Google, Hardware, Review, Software, 4.1-inch, Ampere-hour, Android, Android 2.2, Android 2.3 Gingerbread, Android Market, Android OS, Android phone, Android2.2, AndroidPhone, Beyond talk plans, Bluetooth 2.1, CDMA, CDMA 2000, CDMA network, cheap unlimited data plans, feature, featured, Froyo, gallery, hands-on, Micro USB, Micro-SD card, MicroSD, Motorola, Motorola Triumph, motorola triumph review, MotorolaTriumph, photos, pics, prepaid, prepaid phone plans, prepaid phones, prepaid plans, review, Triumph, video, videos, Virgin, Virgin Mobile, Virgin Mobile USA, VirginMobile, Wi-Fi, WiFi
What are your thoughts on MetroPCS’s recently announced 4G phones, the LG Connect and the Samsung Attain?
Hi PhoneKnack
MetroPCS is not available in this area, taking a quick cursory look at the LG Connect and the Samsung Attain they both seem like good mid-range Android smartphones. Spec wise the the Connect is an upgrade to the Triumph I reviewed on Virgin Mobile with Android 2.3 Gingerbread and is 4G LTE enabled. The Indulge seems to be a side grade to the Optimus V, Faster processor and 4G enabled but downgraded OS with Android 2.2 Froyo onboard. Feel free to elaborate if you’ve personally reviewed either handset.
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