The SmallBizWindows Pantech Matrix Pro Review

The Pantech Matrix Pro is a dual-keyboard, dual-slider smartphone running Microsoft Windows Mobile v6.1 Standard.

This is truly a world phone, with quad-band GSM, and tri-band UMTS radios.

I have been using the phone as my primary phone for the past six weeks, for which my 2-week thoughts can be found here.

Unboxing & Looks
The smartphone came in a standard AT&T orange-hued box, which contained the phone, a AC power supply, a USB dongle, manuals, etc.

The Matrix Pro is a handsome, bluey slider phone with dimensions that extremely deceptive in real life.

It has a very good feel, thanks to the rounded edges, and a high resolution screen.

Reviewing
In order to review this unit, I decided to test the unit against an HTC Excalibur running Windows Mobile 6 Standard, and an HTC TyTN II (Windows Mobile 6 Professional).

I installed the usual: Windows Live Search mobile, Microsoft My Phone (beta), Microsoft Recite, And Microsoft Tags. PPCPIMBackup is my backup utility of choice, so that was installed as well.

Telephone: As a telephone, the Matrix Pro is an excellent mobile. Reception was peerless in all areas I used it in, from rural Colorado to Breckenridge, to NoCal, and the wilds of downtown Los Angeles. It worked. And very well at that.

GPS: the Matrix Pro has the fastest-acquiring GPS radio I have ever seen, period. Amongst the phones in question, and with a Verizon Wireless VX6900 as a non-AT&T reference unit, the Matrix Pro beat them in acquiring a GPS lock every single time.

Email: I used this device to connect to the Exchange Server, and it kept me in touch. I also downloaded the Hotmail Mobile client and used that to stay tethered as well.

Web Browsing: The web browsing experience on the Matrix Pro is as good as you can get using Windows Mobile. I cannot wait to use a jail-broken ROM of WinMo 6.5 with the next IE Mobile release on this unit.

Dislike(s)
The use of a proprietary USB power/data connector.

Conclusions
The Pantech Matrix Pro is a Business Ready device.

For the primary thing you want a cellphone for, which is making calls, the Matrix Pro excels. The use of both keyboards, the numeric, and the QWERTY, make is simple, with single-handed phone operations available.

Contact management, web browsing, IM, and other Intertube functionalities all work swimmingly.

As a result, I now use it as my primary cellphone, and I hope to make it that way for a long while.

Resultantly, it has been awarded the SmallBizWindows Business Ready Award.

BTW, AT&T has dropped the price on this baby to $99 with a contract, and Amazon.com, not to be denied, has it for $49.99, all in USD.

Announcement
AbsoluteWindows will be giving away a Pantech Matrix Pro early next month. 
25 other sites will be giving away a Matrix Pro as well starting very soon!
Stay tuned for details.