Pantech Burst review: LTE on a budget

Google Maps

Google Maps is a standard part of the Android package and we've covered it many times before. It offers voice-guided navigation in certain countries and falls back to a list of instructions elsewhere. You can plan routes, search for nearby POI and go into the always cool Street View.

Google Maps

The app now uses vector maps, which are very data efficient and easy to cache. It will reroute you if you get off course, even without a data connection.

The latest version also supports indoor navigation for popular shopping destinations and airports across America. It is still in Beta though.

Google Play Store replaces the Android Market

Google recently changed the name of the Android Market in the United States to Google Play Store. The idea behind the move was to put all content, available for your Android device under the same roof.

Quite frankly, the new name and launch icon aside, you will be hard pressed to find any major differences between the old and new setup. See for yourself below.

Google Play Store

Final words

There is plenty to like in the Pantech Burst. The smartphone packs one of the most powerful CPU and chipset combinations on the market, a Super AMOLED screen, and LTE connectivity, all wrapped into an unpretentious looking package. The Pantech twist on Android Gingerbread is a surprisingly nice touch as well. Throw in a $49.99 price tag, and the handset shapes up as a seriously compelling entry package into the LTE world.

Of course, the phone is far from perfect. Its unpretentious look is actually rather dull, while the Super AMOLED screen falls a tad short of the expectations, because of its PenTile matrix. The camera and battery performances are also rather questionable. In short, those are the negatives of the low price, which the Pantech Burst sports.

We looked really hard, but could not find another dual-core, LTE phone for the price of the Pantech Burst. For $99.99 however, you can hop on the premium Android wagon, represented by the LG Nitro HD and HTC Vivid. Both devices are also running on AT&T's LTE network. The HTC offering will entice you with an ICS update, which is already available, to go with more upscale hardware. The LG Nitro HD, as its name suggests, has arguably one of the best screens found on a mobile device at the moment. If you have spare change, both handsets are worth a close look.

LG Nitro HD • HTC Vivid

The key to the Pantech Burst's success on the market is the timeframe of the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update. If it happens sooner, rather than later, the event will add a massive dash of appeal to an already attractive device.