Pantech Marauder

“Putting aside its bulky size and flat keypad, the Pantech Marauder is an excellent QWERTY phone. In addition to running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, it has a no-brainer UI for beginners, and operates on Verizon's 4G LTE speeds. More importantly, it won't break the bank. As previously mentioned, it's currently being offered for free, but even without the promotions and discounts, it'll still just be $100 under a two-year contract.”

“Let's be honest: most of the people reading this review probably aren't likely to purchase a Marauder. Most tech lovers shoot straight for the top, or if they can't afford it, they shoot for what was the top of the last generation. 6 months or a year ago, that made sense, as high-end devices maintained a performance edge for 12+ months, and a software support edge for far longer.It's not such an easy decision anymore, and I suspect it will only get harder as the technology continues to advance. In fact, I'd go so far as to suggest that those looking for a budget option choose the Marauder - or the coming wave of phones similar to it - rather than a second-hand generation-old flagship.Of course, there's a caveat. The question is whether or not you're looking for a phone to hack and mod, or whether you're looking for a phone that you can buy new for the same price. If you're looking for the former, you're probably better off with last year's flagship. But if you just want to buy a phone that works well and that's that, then the Marauder is a damn fine choice.”

“When we recently reviewed Verizon’s BlackBerry Curve 9310, we mentioned that for the same price of $49 on-contract, there are better options. The Pantech Marauder is one of them. Not only does it have the advantage of running Android ICS, but also can use Verizon’s 4G LTE data network. Overall, the Pantech Marauder fits in the $49 price category just fine, but keep in mind that some of its features, such as the display and camera, can’t compete with devices costing $200+. Our only real let-down with the Marauder is with its QWERTY keyboard. It had the potential of being really good, but with its flat keys that have very little spacing between them, anything more than a short email or message will be a challenge to type without pressing a wrong key. For the same price, the Samsung Stratosphere has a better designed keyboard and a 4” Super AMOLED display, so keep that in mind.”

“The Pantech Marauder comes with a lower tier mindset: simplicity for new and basic users, cheap plastic parts, and minor changes to Google’s AOSP. It brings a keyboard to the 4G market for the dwindling keyboard-using crowd. Maybe ICS covers up a few of the Marauder’s problems, but this phone runs circles around apps and tasks. When you’re using the phone itself with blinders to anything but Angry Birds and Temple Run, the Marauder can hang with any phone, even the big boys.If you’re looking for a phone that will replace your camera, that you won’t feel in your pocket, or a phone to watch movies on, the Marauder probably won’t be for you. Even it’s main selling point, the keyboard, isn’t as solid and spacious as I would like it, but regular keyboard users or smaller handed individuals may find it acceptable. The Marauder breaks down the new arguments for cost effective vs full feature phones. The software is easily the best part of the phone and the most apt to keeping the phone feeling new. The feel and corner-cutting exemplifies the low budget market.”