The Samsung Gravity T enters T-Mobile's lineup as a nice mid-range option for someone that needs a device for calling and text messaging. Like most of the featurephones in the carrier's lineup, the Gravity T ships in the typical T-Mobile box with the phone, battery, and home charger. The Gravity T is 4.29 inches long by 2.23 inches wide by 0.59 inch thick, and weighs 4.23 ounces, making it perfect for the pocket or briefcase. The device is very sturdy given the price point - the hinge opens and closes with a strong "click" each time I access the keyboard, and it feels sturdy in the hand.
On the topic of the keyboard, the Gravity T offers a nice QWERTY with a dedicated row for the space bar and commonly used symbols. The keys are tactile and large enough to type with ease, and I was pounding out messages within a few minutes of picking the device up. The only irritation I encountered was the placement of the "back" key - it's situated where you would expect the "L" to be, so I found myself unintentionally misspelling words that had an "l" in them.
The volume rocker on the left side of the device, and the microUSB charging port, camera, and lock buttons on the right. The camera and speakerphone are on the back, and the microSD card slot can be found under the battery door. The Gravity T offers a 2.8-inch resistive touchscreen, and like any other resistive touchscreen, the experience seems to be rather frustrating. Perhaps I'm used to capacitive displays, but I found that touching the screen wouldn't register in some instances, and in other cases, it seemed to be a bit laggy. It's just inconsistent, and I find it irritating with extended use.
I've been testing the Gravity T in the Charlotte area, and overall voice quality has been very good. In all of my test calls, participants told me that they could hear me well, and I had no challenges understanding them. I took the device to a T-Mobile trouble spot yesterday, and while the call was a bit choppy, I was able to complete a call without dropping it. The speaker is loud and clear, and worked well in a busy coffee shop. I was able to connect my Plantronics Bluetooth headset, and callers reported good sound quality.
I'm still testing official battery life numbers, but in my limited time with it, I've been impressed. I've put it through its paces yesterday and today, and has been on par with other featurephones thus far. The device was fully charged yesterday morning, and as of this afternoon (about a day and a half of use), I've only lost one battery bar. The Samsung Gravity T offers 3G connectivity, so browsing the internet was snappy. The CNN mobile homepage loaded in about 11 seconds, and PhoneDog.com loaded in 32 seconds.
The featurephone/smartphone divide continues to evaporate as smartphones drop in cost and carriers bundle data services into their respective price plans. The Samsung Gravity T is a decent mid-range device for the person that calls and messages on an occasional basis, but at $150 out the door (before a $75 mail-in rebate), I would be looking at T-Mobile's smartphone options. If you're set on a featurephone, the device is worth considering, but be sure to check out the (resistive) screen prior to purchasing. Full review to come soon!
