Save 85% on The Economist today!AT&T F160 - black
Manufacturer: AT&T Part number: 6231897
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Accessories
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- A 3G world phone, the free AT&T F160 has a solid design and features. Strong call quality makes it ideal for talk-heavy users, but its camera will deter photographers.
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CNET editors' review
AT&T F160 - black price range: $0.00 - $0.01
- Reviewed by: Jessica Dolcourt
- Edited by: Kent German
- Reviewed on: 01/14/2011
The good: The AT&T F160 is light and comfortable, with good call quality and several user-friendly features. It's a 3G-capable world phone, which should appeal to travelers.
The bad: Photos are grainy and drab on the AT&T F160's 3-megapixel camera, and the speakerphone could be improved. You have to remove the battery to access the microSD card slot.
The bottom line: A 3G world phone, the free AT&T F160 has a solid design and features. Strong call quality makes it ideal for talk-heavy users, but its camera will deter photographers.
A phone need not have every premium extravagance for it to be a good device, and the ZTE-made AT&T F160 illustrates that point beautifully. Sure, as a simple midrange handset, it certainly isn't recommended for power texters or multimedia geeks and with its matte black appearance, it's far from showy.
What it does, however, is competently deliver on features and design with a light, slim, and comfortable body; a responsive keypad; good call quality; and useful usability touches. Best of all, the AT&T F160 is free with a two-year contract, making it an ever more valuable no-fuss phone for callers. The AT&T F160 costs $149.99 without a contract. For ZTE, which has produced several clunkers (like the maligned ZTE Agent), the F160 is a welcome step in the right direction.
Design
ZTE's shadowy AT&T F160 is a nondescript, mostly matte black chassis with subtle design features--slightly rounded corners and a couple of silver accents. Like many ZTE phones, it's tall and lean--4.8 inches tall, 1.9 inches wide, and 0.4 inch thick. We can't think of many pockets or purses too shallow for its lanky profile. The F160 also is light, just a hair under 3 ounces, but without feeling wispy or fragile. Easy to grab up with a soft-touch backing, the F160 feels comfortable in the hand and on the ear.
The 2.4-inch screen seems a good size for the phone's thin face. Its 240x320-pixel QVGA resolution is standard, but with 262,000 colors, it also looks bright and colorful. Navigation is straightforward, with a grid menu that pops up when you press one soft key, and a very handy list of shortcuts for the camera, calling history, and so on that pops up with a press of the other soft key.
Settings let you change the wallpaper, backlight duration, and screen brightness, plus set a boot screen greeting. We just hope you're happy with the font style and size, because it doesn't appear that you can change them.
Below the screen are the two soft keys, the Send and End buttons, and the Clear and Shortcuts key. The latter makes it easy to toggle between screens, like your Menu and the Home screen. A four-directional navigation toggle also is present, along with its central select button. We had no complaints getting around.
The alphanumeric keypad buttons are wide and rather short; however, they're gratifyingly responsive and the domed centers make them easy to press and to dial by feel. Two multifunctional buttons preside over three tasks: locking the screen, turning the phone to vibrate mode, and changing the text mode. Sure, phones with full QWERTY keyboards are better for accomplished texters, but the F160's congenial keypad and easy automatic predictive texting make composition manageable.
As for the other external features, the spines hold the volume rocker, a camera shutter button and Micro-USB charging port, and a 3.5 millimeter headset jack. On the back is a 3-megapixel camera, and beneath the back cover is the microSD card slot that can take up to 8GB external memory. Unfortunately, it's only accessible once you've removed both the back cover and the battery.
Features
Despite the F160's unassuming look, it has more goodies than you'd anticipate, thanks in part to AT&T's bundled services. There's room in the F160's address book for 500 contacts, and each entry can host your contact's name, multiple phone numbers, multiple e-mail addresses, a street address, and a ringtone. Twelve ringtones come on the phone, but you can sub in your own via the microSD card, or buy ringtones in the AT&T store. Ringback tones, while a separate purchase through AT&T, are another option. Unfortunately, attaching a photo ID to your contact isn't--an odd omission for a camera phone.
As with most phones, the essential tools are all here--an alarm clock, a calendar, a calculator, a stopwatch, a world clock, a currency converter, and a voice recorder. Beyond those, the F160 has 3G support, Bluetooth, and GPS. It also has the aforementioned text messaging, plus a heap of other socializing features for instant messaging, e-mail, and communicating over social networks like Facebook and Twitter, all in dedicated apps preloaded by AT&T. Typing out e-mails and prickly passwords on a numeric dial pad is cumbersome, even with predictive text turned on, but it's nice that AT&T made e-mail an option.
Yellow Pages Mobile and turn-by-turn navigation are also preloaded apps. You can visit the AppCenter application storefront to purchase and download more apps and games.
Web browsing is serviceable with the AT&T.net app. CNET's mobile site and subsequent pages loaded in about 8 seconds, with very choppy graphical rendering. Still, it's fine for checking the news and weather, especially over 3G speeds. That said, it won't replace your desktop browser by a long shot.
As for multimedia, that standard headset jack complements music playback. You can subscribe to AT&T Music for $4.99 per month, but you can use the player and storefront for free. Streaming radio and Music ID are two of the common AT&T music features. For your own music, you have basic controls, including power over playlists.
Sadly, photo and video multimedia is more disappointing. The 3-megapixel shooter took indoor photos that were dark, grainy, and devoid of vibrancy and depth. Even after boosting the brightness, pictures were drastically muted. Flood the lens with natural light, though, and the F160's camera did much better. Indoor videos were also dark and grainy, a bit choppy, and hampered by low resolution.
That said, tweaking some of the photo and video options may improve your final picture quality. Photos come in seven resolutions (from 1,536x2,048 down to 480x640), three quality grades, five brightness and contrast settings each, and three color and sound effects. Multimedia messages are capped at 30 seconds, more or less. Quality and brightness settings, and so on are similar to the camera options. The F160 has 150MB internal memory. As we mentioned, it holds up to 8GB of expandable memory.
Performance
We tested the quad-band (GSM 850/900/1,800/1,900) (UMTS/HSDPA (850/1,900/2,100) AT&T F160 in San Francisco using AT&T's service. Call quality was quite good on our side. Voices sounded true to life and clear, though if we concentrated, we could make out some white noise. During some calls, our friends considered us mushy and muffled on their side. Other times, they didn't have any complaints.
AT&T F160 call quality sample
Listen now:
Speakerphone volume was a little low on our end and had every bit the echoey, rather robotic hum that's typical of speakerphone. On their line, our callers heard our voice, but had a hard time distinguishing our words.
The F160 has a rated battery life of 3 hours talk time and up to 8 days of standby time. We tested the F160 ourselves and found that it had talk time of 3 hours and 55 minutes. According to FCC radiation tests, the F160 has a digital SAR of 1.08 watts per kilogram.
User reviews
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A great step backwards in phone features
by rhouse24 on February 20, 2011
Pros: The phone is very slim and the display is clear and bright.
Cons: The software is void of the most basic features expected on a phone five years ago.
Summary: I was looking for a non-smart phone and the F160 was the only phone the dealer had. I was impressed by its overall dimensions and screen size. After hearing the ...
Summary: I was looking for a non-smart phone and the F160 was the only phone the dealer had. I was impressed by its overall dimensions and screen size. After hearing the phone had a 3.0mp camera I thought this phone would be worth trying out. There are no bells and whistles with this phone. Even though the features have been stripped down, navigating through the phone is more cumbersome than a rubics cube. There is no way to truly customize shortcuts. The worst part is trying to make a call. After unlocking the phone you have to push half a dozen buttons to find the correct contact. THERE IS NO SPEED DIAL and scrolling through the call log is limited. There is also a software glitch that keeps the phone from uploading all of the contacts from my SIM. In summary, the phone looks good and disappears in a pants pocket, so only buy this phone if you don't plan to use it.
2 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Phone has NO SPEED DIAL
by TomJetstar on October 7, 2011
Pros: Poorly designed and not recommended; not user friendly
Cons: Phone has NO SPEED DIAL
Summary: Pick a different phone; this one hasn't had a beta testing onfeatures.
Summary: Pick a different phone; this one hasn't had a beta testing onfeatures.
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Good if you just want a phone.
by RedStickHam on September 9, 2011
Pros: Cost(Free with a new contract), small, lightweight, good signal strength. Easy to use. 3G.
Cons: Camera pictures grainy, no speed dial, screen hard to see in bright sunlight, battery drops down to half every 2 days even if I don't make any calls or texts, have to remove the battery to access the memory card.
Summary: I use my cellphone strictly as a phone and for occasional text messaging and wanted just a basic phone and this phone fit the bill. The F160 is easy to ...
Summary: I use my cellphone strictly as a phone and for occasional text messaging and wanted just a basic phone and this phone fit the bill. The F160 is easy to use and the call quality is good. I haven't used its multimedia features, surfed the web with it, etc., so I can't comment on how it works in those areas, but as a phone and occasional text messaging, it works fine. One feature I have found that is seldom talked about in these reviews is signal strength. A few months back, my wife and I went to a resort out in a rural area where there wasn't any 3G coverage, and other coverage was spotty in our hotel. I was able to send out a text message and make a call without any trouble on this phone, while her Pantech Breeze II struggled. For those who travel to or live in remote areas with spotty coverage, this could come in handy. For a basic phone, the F160 is a good choice, and the price can't be beat.
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died after three weeks
by paulie1a on August 17, 2011
Pros: none I can think of
Cons: many too many to list
Summary: battery would no longer charge after three weeks
Summary: battery would no longer charge after three weeks
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Easy to use for those that are only looking for a phone
by FrankTheDuck on August 11, 2011
Pros: Simple interface, large on screen numbers that are readable when driving, great reception and clarity. Single button access to address book. Perfect for those with reading glasses (the Baby Boomer Membership Badge)
Cons: Does not speak the numbers when dialing as my Razr did so it requires more attention when dialing. Has a cluttered menu screen for functions that I do not need and there seems to be no way to remove the icons
Summary: A great phone for those that just want to make and receive calls and don't care to text or web surf or add "apps". I am very pleased with ...
Summary: A great phone for those that just want to make and receive calls and don't care to text or web surf or add "apps". I am very pleased with the overall size and screen clarity. I selected this phone specifically because I neither require nor desire more than a mobile telephone. I have a PDA and a laptop for other functions and intrusions. I think you will find that those over 40 have limited phone choices that are actually useable without reading glasses and this is one - a definite boost to the star rating. I had the horrible Verizon Android and found that without an answer button that is tactile I could not answer calls in the sun as the screen washed out. Got rid of that and got this and am much happier. I guess if you are using a phone for other than speaking to your contacts it may not be the best choice but for my use it is ideal. Did I mention that it was free as well? Exactly what a phone should cost when you pay for air time.
I am surprised by the comment on poor battery life as I get over four hours of talk time on a charge. Maybe everyone has odd expectations of what a free phone should be? Contacts require two buttons - a down arrow and then a character input to get to the letter. Quite simple I think . Perhaps you didn't get assistance in the AT&T shop to understand the workings? I was a Verizon customer for 14 years and I never once was billed correctly so this is a much better experience and about half price with unlimited minutes.
Updated on Aug 11, 2011 -
Awful- returning it tomorrow
by TheShakes on August 2, 2011
Pros: Light weight, decent quality camera
Cons: Where to begin? No speed dial, texting always defaults to T9, cannot turn off camera shutter sounds, even when phone is on silent. Call quality is nothing to brag about.
Summary: One of the worst pieces of technology I've ever bought. I feel like a simple software update could fix many of the problems with this phone, but so far ...
Summary: One of the worst pieces of technology I've ever bought. I feel like a simple software update could fix many of the problems with this phone, but so far I haven't seen anything.
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Gets the Job Done!
by jbooger3 on July 10, 2011
Pros: Slim, Light, Expected Features
Cons: Basic, The height of the phone is a little akward
Summary: I don't have texting, so my sole purpose of using this phone is for calling, checking the time, and using it as an alarm clock.
I like the candy ...Summary: I don't have texting, so my sole purpose of using this phone is for calling, checking the time, and using it as an alarm clock.
I like the candy bar style, and as a college student this phone is definitely budget friendly, and cute/decent enough so that I don't feel embarrassed to be seen with this phone. -
Dud-This phone is going back!
by johnyon on May 21, 2011
Pros: Light weight. 3 mp camera. Cheap. Nice finish on the back.
Cons: NO SPEED DIAL!!! Cumbersome to navigate
Summary: This is a cheap, basic phone. Very light weight. Nice finish on the back of the phone. Very nice display. BUT it is very difficult to use. If you manually ...
Summary: This is a cheap, basic phone. Very light weight. Nice finish on the back of the phone. Very nice display. BUT it is very difficult to use. If you manually dial everything, then it's fine. BUT if you want or need Speed Dial, then this is not the phone for you. For me, it's a deal breaker.
I just bought this phone last night. By the time I got home and figured out that there was no Speed Dial, I decided that it is going back.
A HUGE step backwards in my opinion. -
Shipping Container for SIM card disguised as cell phone
by flake99 on May 20, 2011
Pros: Large screen, gmail friendly(through paid subscription, though),came with SIM I can put in my Tundra, configurable shortcut keys
Cons: I could overlook no speed dial, short battery life, no ringtone ID capability,you can't dial while in any other screen other than the home page, and a rudimentary settings menu, because I really got it as a burner phone so that work couldn't find me, and
Summary: Really, not much to say except that this phone must have been part of a Chinese government program to put people to work building an example of how not to ...
Summary: Really, not much to say except that this phone must have been part of a Chinese government program to put people to work building an example of how not to design a cell phone.
Half of my review disappeared!
Updated on May 20, 2011
Updated on May 20, 2011The part left out was the atrocious camera sounds that cannot me muted or disabled.There was a lot more witticisms, but suffice to say I will send it back if possible -
Free upgrade with contract renewal was a downgrade.
by baxleymfg on April 26, 2011
Pros: Good looking, light and slim.
Cons: Not user friendly...texting is a nightmare. Push the wrong button when you pick it up and it automatically goes to the internet (pay-per-minute on my plan) unless you activate keypad lock feature. Hard to answer calls at night or in dark...keys don't l
Summary: Totally dissatisfied with this phone. Is there a "0" star rating ? Fortunately, I kept my old flip phone (the one with all the good features and performance).
Summary: Totally dissatisfied with this phone. Is there a "0" star rating ? Fortunately, I kept my old flip phone (the one with all the good features and performance).
Specifications
- Manufacturer: AT&T
- Part number: 6231897
- Description: Full text, picture, video, and IM support including AOL, Windows Live and Yahoo! messengers. You can access to the music news and more via AT&T music. Listen to stored music or tune into streaming radio for a mobile music experience. View pictures and video taken with the 3.0 MP camera. You can access to personal email including AOL, Yahoo!, Windows Live.
General
- Product Type Cellular phone
- Form Factor Bar
- Phone Design Candy Bar
- Integrated Components Digital camera,
Digital player - Width 1.93 in
- Depth 0.44 in
- Height 4.57 in
- Weight 2.96 oz
- Body Color Black
Cellular
- Technology WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM
- Band WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM 850/900/1800/1900
- Mobile Broadband Generation 3G
- Service Provider AT&T
Messaging & Internet
- Cellular Messaging Services SMS
- Instant Messaging Services Yahoo! Messenger,
AOL Instant Messenger Service (AIM),
Windows Live Messenger (MSN Messenger) - Messaging & Data Features Text messages,
Multimedia messages (MMS),
Instant messages,
E-Mail - Mobile Services AT&T Music
Communications
- Data Transmission HSDPA,
GPRS,
EDGE - Wireless Interface Bluetooth 2.0
- Communication Features Internet browser,
Mobile Email client Phone Features
- Phone Functions Call timer,
Conference call,
Speakerphone,
Vibrating alert - Polyphonic Ringer Yes
- Additional Features TTY compatible,
Multitasking,
Software updates FOTA (Firmware Over The Air),
Intelligent typing (T9) Organizer
- Personal Information Management Calendar,
Alarm clock Media Player
- Supported Digital Audio Standards MP3
Memory
- Bult-in Memory 150 MB
- Supported Flash Memory Cards microSDHC - up to 8 GB
Digital Camera
- Sensor Resolution 3 megapixels
- Digital Zoom 5
- Features Video recording
Display
- Type LCD display - Color
- Technology TFT
- Diagonal Size 2.4 in
- Display Resolution 240 x 320 pixels
- Color Depth 18-bit (262000 Colors)
- Features Wallpaper
Connections
- Connector Type USB
Battery
- Capacity 900 mAh
- Run Time Details Talk - up to 180 min,
Standby - up to 192 hour(s) Miscellaneous
- Compliant Standards HAC(Hearing Aid Compatible)
- Included Accessories Power adapter , Power adapter
Accessories
Manufacturer info
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse AT&T products on Shopper.com
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- Manufacturer:AT&T
- Address:
5565 Glenridge Connector, Atlanta, GA 30342 - Phone: 1-800-331-0500
