From the Labs: Samsung Rant

I purchased the Samsung Rant a little over a month ago from my nearest local Sprint store at the full retail price of 299.99. I had my eye on the phone after seeing the initial CNET FirstLook video for it at CTIA. I must say that I wasn’t necessarily planning on buying the Rant, but I’m weak; I fell for the advertising.
Phone Design
The one thing I immediately noticed about the Samsung Rant is that it looks almost exactly like the LG Rumor. Both phones are candy bar style phones with sideways, slide out QWERTY keyboards. Both phones are clearly geared towards people who are texting and IM fanatics who don’t want or can’t afford the expensive data plans with smart phones. Both phones are on the heftier and wider side, probably due to the sliding keyboard; however, I actually found that I like the phone’s thicker width, which makes it more comfortable for me to hold while talking without my headset. I also found that the Rant differs from the LG Rumor with a sexier design, especially the red version. It’s clear that the Rant is the successor to the Rumor, which has been around for well over a year now. In some ways, I’m a little disappointed that Sprint and Samsung couldn’t come up with a design that wasn’t so similar to the Rumor. It’s a clear copycat, but it’s something I obviously can live with since I purchased the phone. (more…)
