Cherry Mobile G1 Review (Conclusion)

So after a week of using the G1, I have a few things to say about the unit that I got which (most of them) were because the unit was buggy.

Some issues with the G1 I noticed:

1.) I cant seem to delete some messages (received recently, sent and located in the phone - not in the sim), even resetting the phone did not help and I would get "Failed" whenever I was deleting the persistent message. They were not locked, locking/unlocking the message did not help, moving them only created a duplicate.

2.)  The the radio is not working since it's asking me to insert a headset (but there isnt a headset plug on the unit) - there is no helping this unless Cherry Mobile issues an update (one that the software would bypass the plug requirement as I've seen other phones work their radio without a headset)

3.) When I change the wallpaper, the image reverts to the original wallpaper after awhile, it happens also when I shut down the unit and turn it on again and when I connect it to the pc.

4.) The supplied bluetooth headset disconnects at random when used, like for one call, it lets me finish the then disconnects after the call ends. Also the unit does not always automatically pair when turned on (always happened), I'll have to pair the bluetooth device again to connect. Just selecting "Activate" does not connect the phone and headset (happens most times).

Please note: 1, 3 and 4 were fixed when I got a replacement unit (I took the 1 week replacement option) and if you are experiencing 3 (an easy to test feature, just bring an sd card with a small picture and place it as your wallpaper. shut down the device and turn it on) number 1 and 4 might be present and your unit could be a candidate for replacement. You can't always test the deleting of text messages not the bluetooth feature for calls.

Pros:
1.) It's small and lightweight, the material is comfortable to wear (soft rubber)
2.) For calls it's reliable (specially when using the bluetooth headset) signals were strong even inside the house and can of course handle two sims.
3.) It's cheap for the package it brings to the table!
4.) Screen is legible, usable even in light sunlight (and easily shaded due to it's size), touch screen is accurate even for a resistive screen.
5.) Battery life is surprisingly usable (for a 400mah battery), it can last you a day with some calls, text, bluetooth open all the time andsome music (please note that even if there are no bars, the phone will still function for around half a bar's worth of time.)

Cons:
1.) Using the watch without the bluetooth headset for calls can be hard as the volume even at max (15/15) is not that loud and placing it to your ear can be a lesson in flexibility.
2.) The camera is more of a gimmick as the resolution is not good, it would have been better if it was omitted to maybe make the phone smaller and cheaper.
3.) Maximum micro SD size is 8gb. If Cherry Mobile had packaged the unit with a micro USB cable and bigger micro SD capacities, it might make for a really good portable flashdisk drive for most people. As it is, it's just an OK thing with me, some may not see this as a con, aside from trying to find an appropriate micro USB cable to use with the unit.
4.) The phone keyboard is pretty small, large fingers will have issues typing, not so big ones will have a challenge, small ones will find it a bit slow. This might have been helped if the keys were not flat and instead had rounded tops.
5.) The battery cover will not protect the insides from sweaty arms as it has no sealing whatsoever. Granted it's not water proof even by a bit, basic watch protection should take into account sweat from the wearers arms. This can be solved by using some cling wrap (doubled over), put it on the back of the phone, and just use a scalpel or a small thin scissor to cut away at the excess plastic, this should at least prevent some of the sweat from entering the device.

Overall, I'd say that the G1 is very usable (as a backup and in a pinch as your main) as long as you're not a heavy texter as the calling function works very well and lasts long enough. You can definitely have your kids use this for their school phone as it's cheap enough to let them have one, you wont have to worry about them wasting too much times on games (it only has sokoban and tetris) or other inappropriate content and their little hands can easily handle texting. For adults, I'd say its still good, I plan on keeping mine for my backup number which I use mainly for calls.

I hope you enjoyed this review, if you want to read the whole review, just click Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.