Sharp FX

“Though the Sharp FX Plus, certainly looks like T-Mobile's classy smartphone, it’s a less ambitious device. Available exclusively through Walmart, the FX Plus is a good choice for AT&T texters looking to save a few bucks, and it’s the best keyboarded Android phone available on AT&T, so it makes the cut for our list of The Best Phones on AT&T. Just keep in mind that it isn't a do-everything, high-end super-smartphone.”

“Since the Sharp FX is a mid-range offering priced at $99.99 after rebates, its performance and set of features make it a compelling offering over its rivals like the LG Vu Plus on AT&T. Not only are we witnessing a rebirth of some sort with the Sidekick line, especially when Sharp manufactured them, but they were able bring along all the things we loved about the youth oriented device – specifically the design and keyboard. However, the combination of an inaccurate touchscreen and confusing homescreen interface substantially shows off its inability to be a completely well rounded device. Naturally the Sidekick line of handsets catered to youthful individuals with its unique integration of services, but since the social networking experience on the Sharp FX is no different from other AT&T feature phones, it clearly doesn't have anything compelling to make it a superior offering. In addition, being priced at $99.99 does make it a difficult purchase for some since the same experience can be found on other AT&T handsets that are priced lower.”

“The QMD lineup at AT&T is a puzzling mix. They all have QWERTY keyboards, and some have touch screens as well. The FX falls into this latter category. I suppose the primary target for QMDs -- tweens and teens -- might like the SMS/MMS and IM capabilities, and not care much about the weak (and costly) email support. I have a harder time believing that same demographic is going to be as happy about the limited support for social networks, such as Twitter, Facebook and MySpace. Yes, they'll be able to read what their friends are up to and post their own updates, but the real interactivity of social networks is missing here. The phone also fails at a lot of the basics. Phone calls were inconsistent, data speeds were slow, and the screen was just not competitive.”