Pantech Discover review: Unlikely hero

Bare bones retail box

The Pantech Discover comes in an AT&T branded retail box. Inside it, you will find a USB cable and a charger, along with some booklets.

The retail package

While the smartphone's retail package is hardly inspiring, it is more or less the standard for US bound smartphones.

Design and build quality

The Pantech Discover looks pleasantly understated. The handset features only two hardware buttons - a fact which will be warmly appreciated by fans of minimalist looks. The pleasant curves on the device's back on the other hand, combined with the metal strip and speaker grilles on its edges, throw in a welcome dash of premium credentials.

The Pantech Discover is a nice looking bloke

The smartphone is only available in a gray color scheme at the moment.

Build quality is solid. The phone's body is made of high-quality plastic which appears ready for plenty of daily abuse. Its buttons feel reassuringly solid when pressed.

The measures of the Pantech Discover are 134.2 x 68.6 x 9.1 mm, while its weight tips the scale at 135 grams. Due to its ultra-thin bezel, the smartphone feels narrow despite its massive display.

The 4.8" LCD display of the device offers 720p resolution and RGB matrix - it is a departure from recent AMOLED efforts by Pantech. The HD display offers great viewing angles to go with its solid brightness, so even a picky user will find little to frown at, especially given the device's price range.

A closer look at the HD display

Above the display, you will find the earpiece and an AT&T logo, the front-facing camera, as well as an ambient light and proximity sensors. The mouthpiece and a Pantech logo are located below the display - nothing else.

The view above and below the screen

The volume rocker and one of the stereo speakers are located on the left side of the device. The other speaker sits lonely on the right side.

Taking a look at both sides of the device

The 3.5mm audio jack and the power/lock key are located on top of the device. There is nothing but the microUSB port on the bottom.

The top and bottom of the Pantech Discover

On the back of the Pantech Discover is where the 12.6MP camera and single LED flash are located. Another set of Pantech and AT&T logos are present too.

The back of the device

Once you remove, the battery cover of the smartphone, you will find the microSIM and microSD card slots. The 2100mAh battery is user-replaceable

A peak under the battery cover

With a 2100mAh battery on board, the Pantech Discover did a commendable job in our battery test by achieving a rating of 48h. This means that you will need to recharge you device every two days if you use it for an hour each of telephony, web browsing and video playback daily.

Handling the Pantech Discover is a pleasure. The device is narrow for its screen size which, combined with its grippy plastic back, even offers the possibility for one-handed operation - a rare feat these days.

Handling the device is hassle-free

There is nothing to frown at as far as the look and feel of the Pantech Discover go. Following next is a closer look at the smartphone's software talents.