Pantech Burst
Key specs
Critic consensus
“There is plenty to like in the Pantech Burst. The smartphone packs one of the most powerful CPU and chipset combinations on the market, a Super AMOLED screen, and LTE connectivity, all wrapped into an unpretentious looking package. The Pantech twist on Android Gingerbread is a surprisingly nice touch as well. Throw in a $49.99 price tag, and the handset shapes up as a seriously compelling entry package into the LTE world. Of course, the phone is far from perfect. Its unpretentious look is actually rather dull, while the Super AMOLED screen falls a tad short of the expectations, because of its PenTile matrix. The camera and battery performances are also rather questionable. In short, those are the negatives of the low price, which the Pantech Burst sports.”
“The $49.99 Pantech Burst is the first smartphone on AT&T's 4G LTE network to debut with a sub-$100 price tag. What it lacks in wow factor compared to our current Editors' Choice, the gargantuan Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket, it makes up for with a great balance between price and performance. And if you're looking for a tablet, AT&T is currently offering the Pantech Burst and the Pantech Element together for $249.99 with appropriate two-year contracts. But even on its own, the Pantech Burst is a solid smartphone for users looking to tap into AT&T's 4G LTE network on a budget.”
“The Pantech Burst is hands-down one of the fastest phones anywhere for $49. The 4G LTE speeds are fantastic, and the tweaks Pantech made to the Android interface makes the UI more intuitive. The slow camera is a letdown, and we wish the battery lasted a bit longer, but overall, this smartphone is a great value. While some first-time smartphone owners on AT&T might prefer the more affordable and even more pocket-friendly Samsung Focus Flash running Windows Phone, Android fans will appreciate the Burst's true 4G data rates and larger Super AMOLED display.”
“I was pretty impressed by what Pantech did with the Burst. While it does have its shortcomings, they are easily out shadowed by the extremely low price. If you're looking for decent smartphone, but don't want to shell out a few hundred dollars and can deal with not having the best of the best, then the Pantech Burst should be right up your alley.”
Watch before you decide
In Depth
The Pantech Burst is a serious contender for the title of the best 4G LTE-enabled entry-level smartphone on the market. It offers speedy performance at a bargain price point and runs the open source Android operating system by default.
There are a number of good hardware features worth noting about this phone from Pantech. For starters, it comes with a 4-inch 480×800 touchscreen display, a 5MP camera, and a 1,650 mAh battery which gives it up to 4.5 hours of talk time in 3G. It also comes with the right amount of wireless features which include Bluetooth 3.0 with A2DP, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, and GPS with A-GPS. All of its features are kept running smoothly with a 1.2GHz dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM inside a casing that measures just 11mm thin. And at 122 grams, it’s very easy to carry around.
Overall, the Pantech Burst works quite well. And as long as there are no problems with network coverage, it can deliver superb voice quality during phone calls. Of course, that changes if you are in an area where AT&T network coverage is rather sparse. Also, the default operating system is kind of limited in terms of features especially when compared with later versions of the Android software.
Indeed, there are plenty of other smartphones on the market that will outrank this one in terms of both hardware and software. But then again, it doesn’t really cost that much to begin with. So if you’re working with a tight budget, you might find that it offers the right combination of features for your hard earned dollars.
Need to Know: Pantech Burst
1. Fast mobile processor and ample amount of RAM for multi-tasking. (The Good)
2. Internal storage is at 16GB and can be expanded further with microSD cards. (The Good)
3. Uses Android 2.3 Gingerbread, an older version of the Android software, as its default operating system. (The Bad)
4. Display quality and camera performance seem lacking. (The Bad)
What people actually want to know
When was the Pantech Burst released?
The Pantech Burst was released on January 22, 2012.
How long does the battery last on the Pantech Burst?
The Pantech Burst has a 1,650 mAh battery.
Where can I download the Pantech Burst manual?
You can view and download the Pantech Burst manual on our dedicated manual page.
Questions & answers
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