UTStarcom Slice (Virgin Mobile)
Manufacturer: UTStarcom Part number: VM1400UTKITTHN
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The Virgin Mobile Slice is a slim and lightweight phone, but its tiny, hard-to-press buttons, small screen, and lack of features make it less than perfect. However, its affordability still makes the Slice an attractive option for those who want a thin phone without a carrier contract.
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Where to buy
| store | customer rating | inventory | tax & shipping | price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon.com Marketplace |  | In stock | Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price | as of 12/08/2009 |
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CNET editors' review
UTStarcom Slice (Virgin Mobile) price range: $149.99
- Reviewed by: Nicole Lee
- Edited by: Kent German
- Reviewed on: 11/06/2006
The good: The Virgin Mobile Slice is a small and skinny candy bar handset that features a wireless Web browser and a speakerphone.
The bad: The Virgin Mobile Slice has a tiny lackluster screen and a membrane keypad that's too flush to the phone's surface.
The bottom line: The Virgin Mobile Slice is a slim and lightweight phone, but its tiny, hard-to-press buttons, small screen, and lack of features make it less than perfect. However, its affordability still makes the Slice an attractive option for those who want a thin phone without a carrier contract.
The design of the Slice is evident from its name; the sliver of a handset measures a slight 4.3x1.8x0.4 inches and weighs a mere 2.3 ounces. Available in basic black, the Slice feels almost too lightweight, and we could imagine losing it easily if we weren't careful. It feels fairly blocklike in the hand and not quite as contoured as the Slvr L2, but it was comfortable to hold next to the ear. The left spine is home to the volume rocker, while the headset jack is located on the right spine.
We are rather disappointed by the Slice's tiny 1.5-inch, 65,000-color screen. That said, the colors are bright and vibrant for a basic handset such as this, and we were glad we could adjust the screen's contrast as well as the backlight timer. However, you can't adjust the brightness or the font size.
Below the display are the membrane-like navigation controls and keypad buttons, which are substantially smaller than the keys of any of the Slvr models. The navigation array consists of two soft keys, the Talk and End key, a back button, and a four-way circular toggle complete with a middle OK key. The toggle also doubles as a shortcut to My Account (to top up your Virgin prepaid minutes), to text messaging, to recent calls, and to VirginXL, Virgin's proprietary Web browser. Not only are the keys flush to the surface of the phone, they're also tiny, making it quite tricky to navigate through the menu, text message, and dial by feel. The keypad has a blue backlight when the phone is activated.
Besides being skinny in its design, the Slice is pretty thin on features too. Though both the Slice and the Slvr L2 lack a camera, the Slice doesn't have Bluetooth, which the L2 does. Since it's billed as a basic phone, we found the lack of a camera and Bluetooth acceptable, and even found the lack of camera a good thing, as certain businesses might not allow camera phones in the vicinity. The Slice comes with a 500-entry contacts list, with each entry able to hold four numbers, an e-mail address, and a note. You can assign contacts into groups and even assign them to one of four polyphonic ring tones.
Other features of the Slice include text messaging, a calculator, an alarm clock, a scheduler, a stopwatch, a world clock, and a wireless Web browser that allows users access to VirginXL, Virgin Mobile's mobile Web portal. VirginXL also provides access to an array of personalization options such as ring tones, wallpapers, and screensavers, as well as exclusive content from MTV and Comedy Central. You can also activate the speakerphone feature, but only during a call. The phone comes with three games (Midnight Pool, Sexy Poker 2006, and Platinum Solitaire) but they were only demo versions. You'll have to access Virgin XL in order to purchase and download more games.
We tested the CDMA 1900 Virgin Mobile Slice in San Francisco using the Virgin Mobile network. Audio quality on calls was good and sounded clear from both ends. Sound quality suffered a bit with the speakerphone, as callers had to ask us to speak up a few times, but otherwise it was passable.
The Virgin Mobile Slice has a mediocre rated talk time of 3.83 hours and a rated standby time of 11.25 days. Our tests confirmed the rated talk time with 3 hours and 49 minutes. According to a FCC radiation test, the Virgin Mobile Slice has a digital SAR rating of 1.47 watts per kilogram.
User reviews
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Definetly a decent phone
by emistherox on August 25, 2008
Pros: Ive had this phone for about 2 months now. its pretty basic, works well for texting (which is pretty much all i do...) and when i do make calls, they always go through. i love that its small, and easy to use
Cons: the paint on the keys is wearing off, probably from too much text haha... and i dont like that it doesnt have a camera
Summary: all in all its not a bad phone. people said theirs died after two months, its probably not the phone.. i ordered off the internet and when i got it ...
Summary: all in all its not a bad phone. people said theirs died after two months, its probably not the phone.. i ordered off the internet and when i got it it wouldnt work, i call the company and they checked the phone, it was fine, the charger was bad so they sent me a new one for free. i really like virgin mobile, though i'll soon be upgrading to the slash, the slice is pretty decent for people who just want the basics.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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it is an o.k phone when u first get it...
by brittany92 on January 8, 2007
Pros: slim & stylyish
Cons: small buttons
Summary: I recieved this phone for christmas. i opened it on christmas eve to activate it. the phone was good for about a week. the second week i started having my ...
Summary: I recieved this phone for christmas. i opened it on christmas eve to activate it. the phone was good for about a week. the second week i started having my calls spontaniously dropped. The third week i had it in my pocket at school turned off and when i took it out of my pocket the red light was on. I tried to turn on the phone but i wouldn't come on. I figured it needed to be charged but it didn't. i have valuable info in that phone but there is no way i can get it out because I WON'T TURN BACK ON!!! Now i have to purchase a new phone. i didn't even have the phone a full month.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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customer service sucks
by fraustrated on July 24, 2009
Pros: I had the LG 150 for over a year and it worked fine. it was replaced by the LG160 on a recall and the 160 quit working within a month or so.
Cons: phone stopped working 6/12. contacted cust ser and have been getting the run around since. I sent phone to them 6/16 as requested. It is now 7/24 and no one knows where the phone is and nobody will call me back as promised.
Summary: I dislike the run around and lack of anyones interest in customer service that i have been without my phone for 6 weeks and no end in sight.
Summary: I dislike the run around and lack of anyones interest in customer service that i have been without my phone for 6 weeks and no end in sight.
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Basic and inexspensive.
by plyhmrp on March 16, 2009
Pros: Small, thin, light, downladable content, cool colors
Cons: Small screen, very basic, cramped buttons
Summary: The Slice is a good phone for people who use it for emergancies and the occasinal phone call.
Summary: The Slice is a good phone for people who use it for emergancies and the occasinal phone call.
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ok for now, upgradeing soon
by ironbam7 on December 5, 2008
Pros: slim,cheap for me i bought it for $5,speakerphone, sends text messages,sexy, sends texts fast
Cons: no AIM, no picture messaging sending or receiving, background are ugly, ring tones suck,bad battery life for me 15hours, slow, if i am typing a text and i receive one it will interrupt me and tell me, and close my text, so i have to type it again
Summary: ok phone though for right now
Summary: ok phone though for right now
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i had this phone it was great....
by brad0101401 on October 28, 2008
Pros: great battery life. everyone who saw it liked it. small and thin
.you can download wallpapers ring tones free with internet.Cons: it froze up a bunch of times. could not download games. the ringtones that come with the phone suck..lol
Summary: basically this phone is very good if you dont have a lot of money. i dont have this phone now b/c it broke. my little brother put a magnet ...
Summary: basically this phone is very good if you dont have a lot of money. i dont have this phone now b/c it broke. my little brother put a magnet on it and destroyed the screen so yeah. very good if its your first phone.
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The Virgin Mobile Slice is an ok Phone.
by jman44235 on September 28, 2008
Pros: Slim Design
Okay size screen
Good VolumeCons: No Camera
Small Buttons
Suckish Graphics
No Bluetooth Connectivity
Horribile Calling Quallity
No Music PlayerSummary: The phone is good for a person who just wants a basic phone.
An Exellent.....Basic Phone
Updated on Sep 28, 2008Summary: The phone is good for a person who just wants a basic phone.
An Exellent.....Basic Phone
Updated on Sep 28, 2008 -
Very good phone, I loved mine
by Reaper10144 on September 19, 2008
Pros: Nice looking, super skinny, easy to make calls.
Cons: No camera!
Summary: I had this phone for like 6 months then I got the Switch_Back. It is a really good Phone, perfect for making calls.
Summary: I had this phone for like 6 months then I got the Switch_Back. It is a really good Phone, perfect for making calls.
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Died after Two Months
by VermontMom on June 19, 2008
Pros: Great signal, easy to use.
Cons: 2 Month Life Span? It's Ridiculous.
Summary: I was completely shocked when my Slice died after two months. The phone was working fine and then the battery ran low and now it won't charge at all. ...
Summary: I was completely shocked when my Slice died after two months. The phone was working fine and then the battery ran low and now it won't charge at all. I don't even mean it won't hold a charge, it won't charge. You plug in the adapter, attach the phone to it and nothing. We figured maybe the screen saying "charging" just wasn't appearing so I left it plugged in for a few hours and nothing. The adapter was warm, so I knew it was working, but the phone won't charge.
Worse is that the warranty is very minimal and if I want the phone fixed under warranty, I have to pay shipping both ways and then the company will determine if the phone died because of something I did or just that it's poor quality. They said humidity often kills the phones and that they bet that's the issue. I have A/C, so I can't believe humidity was what killed the phone. And for a phone to die because of a couple days humidity the phone shouldn't die.
Shipping alone in the method they told me to use will be more than the phone cost me. I've never had issues with Virgin Mobile before, so it has to be this phone's quality! -
Inexpensive, slim basic phone
by harperfox on May 19, 2008
Pros: slim size, good quality hearing, good phone for someone who just needs a basic phone
Cons: Nothing overly fancy. Heats up when used for long calls. Could probably hold a charge longer.
Summary: I've had this phone for well over a year. All I need is basic communication, though I do text at times. I'm not a heavy phone talker, and ...
Summary: I've had this phone for well over a year. All I need is basic communication, though I do text at times. I'm not a heavy phone talker, and this holds a charge for days if you only use it now and then (as I do). I use the alarm daily, and make sure to charge it up often. There's a problem that I wonder if others have noticed. If I do have a conversation that lasts more than a few minutes, the phone begins to heat up. Uncomfortably so. I thought it was going to burn the phone up the one time I used it more than 10 minutes, so I had to cut my call short. Since then, I've been careful only to use it for brief conversations. Though I love the phone's slim looks (I have a red one, which is actually pretty gorgeous), I don't think it's a phone for people who talk a lot. It doesn't seem to be made for a high degree of use (though for my purposes--the occasional quick call or for emergencies--it's fine). I've been a Virgin Mobile customer for a few years and have been satisfied with their service. I've never experienced dropped calls, and texts always get through to me, etc. I'm on the pay as you go plan, and for someone who doesn't use their phone constantly it's a great way to go. The last phone I had was a Kyocera Rave (K10 Royale) and though it was fine, I do like the Slice better for its slimness and appearance. By the way, the small buttons are fine for someone with slim fingers, but it took a while to "break in" the on/off button. I actually took it back to the store at first, thinking it was broken, but it was just that I needed to get used to the feel of the buttons. The Slice strikes me as a good "for a while" phone and I'm looking for an upgrade soon.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: UTStarcom
- Part number: VM1400UTKITTHN
- Description: Games, ringtones, wallpaper, video footage from Comedy Central and exclusive MTV content with the VirginXL service makes this the phone everyone wants to see - and be seen with.
General
- Product Type Cellular phone
- Service Provider Not specified
- Width 1.8 in
- Depth 0.4 in
- Height 4.3 in
- Weight 2.3 oz
Cellular
- Technology CDMA2000 1X
- Band CDMA2000 1X 1900
- Phone Design Candy bar
- Antenna Internal
- Vibrating Alert Yes
- Polyphonic Ringer Yes
- Voice Dialing Yes
- Call Timer Yes
- Conference Call Capability Yes
- Caller ID Yes
- Speakerphone Yes
- Additional Features TTY compatible, E-911 compliant
Messaging & Data Services
- Messaging Services Yes
- Internet Browser Yes
- WAP Protocol Supported WAP 2.0
- Platforms Supported BREW
Organizer
- Alarm Clock Yes
- Calendar Yes
- Reminder Yes
- Calculator Basic
Display
- Type LCD display
- Technology CSTN
- Display Resolution 128 x 128 pixels
- Color Support Color
- Color Depth 16-bit (65000 colors)
- Multi-language Menu Yes
- Display Languages English, Spanish
Power
- Type Power adapter
Battery
- Technology - Lithium ion
- Capacity 900 mAh
Manufacturer info
- UTStarcom
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse UTStarcom products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://www.utstar.com/
- Phone: (510) 864 - 8800
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