Sanyo Incognito SCP-6760 Phone, Black (Sprint) Review

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(More customer reviews)I got this along with a new 2 year contract with Sprint in Austin Texas. So all my observations are based on that network.
When i was looking for a phone there were several key features. I wanted a full keyboard for Texting. I wanted a real number pad on the front so I didn't have to hunt and peck on sub sized keys to use my cell phone for actually making a call. I didn't want it to be too big because I always carry it in my pocket. I wanted a good keygaurd to prevent accidental calls from my pocket (previously I had used flip phones). Beyond that reception and battery life were important.
The Sanyo Incognito seems like the perfect combination of what I wanted.
Overview
The Icognito is a slick looking phone, when not active the key face is totally slick black with beveled edges. When you activate the front face they "keys" light up. The Front keys are touch sensitive spots on the face, you don't really press them so much as tapping them on a keyboard. The keys are electostatically activated which means that you can't peck them out using a pencil or a glove, it takes a bare finger or other body part (or special devices).
The screen can be locked or unlocked with a slider switch on the left hand side (you flick it and it returns to position automatically). I find the switch to be a little on the small side but your unlikely to flick it by accident. If you have keygaurd on you have to flick this switch to answer or make a call and at the end of the call (because the keygaurd goes back on after a number of seconds) you have to flick the switch again if you want to hit end call. Slightly annoying.
Pressing the keys takes a little getting used to, they are VERY sensitive. Each time you tap a key it activivates the vibrate mechanism so that you get some type of tactile feedback (the whole phone vibrates) when you tap a key.
After a few days use you begin to get used to the whole thing (hitting the right keys, using the keygaurd, not hitting keys by accident). Its not as good as a real keypad with real buttons but its slick.
One downside I found is that if you are in a very, very high moisture environment (I just got out of the shower in steamy bathroom) the front keypad will not work. The condensation on the unit prevented it from detecting the bodys electrostic signals. I took it out of the room and wiped it off and it worked fine.
Another issue I have with the front keypad is it doesn't have full functionality. You can't T9 Text, assign functions to the arrows and some other stuff I could do with a conventional sanyo keypad. Also the "glow" goes away after a few seconds of not using it (saves power) but if your tapping in PIN numbers or navigating a phone menu this key be annoying (hit 2 to leave a message, ahhh, where is 2?) as you have to do something to activiate the light, then hit your buttons.
Looking at the right side of the phone (the left side has nothing other than keygaurd) there are several buttons. One seems to call up most recent history, there is the volume control, the Micro SD card slot (comes with a 1Gig card) and the charging/data port. Uses the Micro USB format charger.
Flipping it open revels the real beauty of the phone. A generously sized QWERTY keyboard (be cell phone standards) and a nice 320x240 screen. They keys on the keyboard have a nice tactile response. There are keys dedicated to common IM/Texting things (smiley face, @, ? and period. For less common symbols there is a FN key that lets you use the marked symbols on the key. Clicking FN will make your next key click the symbol, you don't have to hold it down uless you want multiple symbols. There is a 4 way navigator pad with central OK button. One touch buttons for camera, text messaging and speakerphone.
The screen and UI are nice. Its not an Iphone but nice. There is a floating strip (called the carosel) across the bottom that lets you have shortcuts to items like the web, facebook, any of the phone tools, settings, other websites etc. Really nice if your doing facebook or twitter updates. It can be personalized. The screen is sharp and crisp. In BRIGHT sunlight it is still a little dim as are the keys on the front keypad. Still usable but not vibrant.
The back of the phone contains the camera and the speaker. The camera is a 2mp CMOS unit and doesn't take especially great pictures. The speaker is pretty good. No flash or mirror for self portraits. Also the placement of the camera is such that when you activate it (By opening the keyboard and pressing buttons) your finger is usually covering it. You have to remember to move your finger. The placement of the camera button while using it is a little awkward as well. If taking really great camera phone pictures is your thing this isn't your best choice.
Functionality
So it's a cool phone but how well does it work. The answer is pretty good.
As a cell phone it has decent reception and battery life. My previous Sanyo (a basic flip model and a earlier version of the Katana) had slightly better reception but this one is pretty good. No real complains in the Austin area. The volume and clarity of the speaker are average, it could certainly be louder and clearer. It is comfortable enough in the hand and thick enough to clamp between the check and shoulder. T
Battery life is good, seems to run about 3.5 days of normal use (at least 5-10 calls and 10 texts a day). Recharge time is a few hours.
Texting is great. The full keyboard with generously sized keys makes typing a breeze (for a cell phone). The screen is nice and easy to read. Texts are threaded by contact and date. Adding attachments to a text would be fairly easy but they do consume KB and are not covered under just the text plan.
As far as web surfing, GPS and internet use, I don't know. I didn't subscribe to the data package because its not worth it right now. Looks like status updates and uploading pictures from the phone would be a breeze and I'm sure email would be nice.
So to Recap
Pro's
Slick design, very clean lines
Full QWERTY Keyboard with great keys and a few extras
Decent reception and battery life
Good UI
Excellent Texter
Cons
Front touch panel has issues and lacks some functionality it could have.
Keyguard is a bit annoying
Camera is poorly placed and pictures are not top quality (even for a cellphone).
(All relate to compromises for the slick design).
Conclusion
If you are looking for a cool slick phone and you do a lot of texting and/or email this phone is an excellent choice. It's a texters dream. Its got a rich feature set, good UI, decent reception and battery life and the best cell phone keyboard I've ever pecked on. Its not a one trick wonder either, it handles all of its tasks well and doesn't leave you wanting for much.
If your not doing significant texting or email there are better choices for phones unless your just in love with the style. It's a capable web browser but other phones with a larger touch sensitive screen would work better.
But for what I wanted and what I use it for this phone was one of the best phones out there.

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Featuring a unique external glow-thru keypad that disappears when not in use, the Sanyo Incognito mobile phone for Sprint also flips open to reveal a large 2.6-inch display and full QWERTY keyboard easy composition of longer messages and updating your favorite social network like Facebook or MySpace. You'll enjoy high-speed connectivity via Sprint's dependable 3G network (EV-DO Rev. 0.) as well as such optional services as Sprint Navigation for GPS turn-by-turn directions and Sprint TV's video-on-demand with full-motion video and vivid sound. See more details on optional services below.
With the intuitive Sprint One Click interface, you can customize the Incognito with the things you use most like, including e-mail, TV, music, GPS navigation, and Web with Google Search. Other features include a 2-megapixel camera/camcorder, Bluetooth for hands-free devices and stereo music streaming, microSD memory expansion with included 1 GB card, threaded SMS text messaging, digital audio player, access to mobile e-mail, synchronization with Outlook on your PC, and up to 5.1 hours of talk time.


Key Features
Fast 3G connectivity thanks to Sprint's EV–DO, Rev 0 network
GPS using Sprint Navigation for turn by turn directions, and points of interest searches
Fully customizable home screen with Sprint One Click for quick access to your favorite features. You can add, remove, and rearrange tiles in the Carousel. Choose up to 15 from up to 46 available tiles, including social networking (Facebook), sports, entertainment, weather, finance and more. (Learn more)
Sleek design with unique external glow-thru keypad and OLED screen that disappears behind the mirrored finish when not in use. The external full, glow-through keypad offers haptic vibrating feedback as keys are pressed to help reduce extra or accidental taps.
Flip-open full QWERTY keyboard
Internal 2.6-inch display (320 x 240 pixels)
2-megapixel camera with video capture capabilities.
Digital audio player allows you to transfer music files from a PC or download from the Sprint Music Store and listen to your songs via the speakerphone or a stereo headset accessory.
Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity with stereo music streaming (A2DP) capabilities as well as hands-free headsets and car kits.
Memory expansion via microSD card slot with support for optional cards up to 16 GB. A 1 GB card is included with the phone.
Threaded SMS text messaging enables you to see the full conversation for each contact in a chat-like interface. Never send a reply to the wrong person again--organized conversations make it easy to go back and see the history of any conversation.
Sprint Mobile E-Mail supports push e-mail from popular sites such as Yahoo!, Google, AOL, MSN as well as IMAP/POP3 accounts. Also stay up-to-speed with work e-mail if you have either a Microsoft Exchange or Lotus Domino corporate e-mail server. Supports Outlook calendar sync and some attachment viewing.
Instant messaging via popular services including Windows Live Messenger, Google Talk, Yahoo Messenger, AOL Instant Messenger
Voice activated dialing capabilities
Organizer tools including alarm clock, calendar, to-do list, calculator, stopwatch, countdown timer, world clock, and voice memo recording.
Airplane mode allows you to listen to music while the cellular connectivity is turned off
Micro USB connector
2.5 mm headset jack
Speakerphone with dedicated access key
Hearing aid compatible (M4/T4 rating)

Vital Statistics The Sanyo Incognito weighs 4.3 ounces and measures 4.2 x 2.2 x 0.7 inches. Its 840 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 5.1 hours of talk time. It runs on the 800/1900 CDMA/EV-DO Rev. 0 frequencies.
What's in the Box Sanyo Incognito handset, rechargeable battery, charger, 1 GB microSD card, quick start guide, user manual

Sprint Services

Broadband-like 3G network: Supporting the EV-DO Rev. A high-speed data standard, this phone enables you to download and stream high-quality video, straight onto your phone. Where coverage is available, EV-DO Rev. A connectivity provides average download speeds ranging from 400 to 700 Kbps, with peak rates up to 2 Mbps.

Sprint TV enabled: With Sprint TV, you can make your cell phone your always-on source for news, weather, sports and more. This comprehensive video service combines high-quality streaming audio and video from channels including ABC, The Weather Channel, Fox Sports, E!, CNN, The Discovery Channel, and more.

Sprint Music Store enabled: The Sprint Music Store enables you to buy, download, and then jam out wherever you are with new songs or old favorites. Offering a growing selection of more than 1.6 million songs, the store provides you two copies of each song--one for the phone and another for the PC, as well as the ability to burn songs to a CD using Windows Media Player. Save your songs to a memory card with a capacity that's right for you.

GPS capable with Sprint Navigation: This GPS-enabled phone provides optional access to Sprint Navigation for driving directions on your mobile phone--by voice and onscreen. Along the way, turn-by-turn directions will be announced in a clear voice and displayed on your phone. For example, Sprint Navigation will say, "Go 1.2 miles and turn right on Elm Street." As you approach the turn, you will hear, "Turn right on Elm Street." Sprint Navigation also provides proactive traffic alerts with one click re-routing. And it's easy to find restaurants, banks, cafes, hotels and more from over 10 million points of interest across the U.S.

Stay Sporty with Sprint: With NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile, instantly connect to the NASCAR information you want, when you want it. Follow NASCAR action from practice to race day with real-time leaderboard and alerts. Get exclusive access to your favorite NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver with real-time driver stats, breaking news and more. Live in-car audio, race radio, NASCAR on SPEED and other audio/video only available on select phones. Visit sprint.com/speed for details.
To access, just text "NASCAR" to 7777 on your Sprint phone or visit the Sprint Digital Lounge to download NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile (standard text messaging and data rates apply).
This phone also provides access to Sprint Football Live--free for any phone with a data plan. You'll be able to follow all the live play-by-play action with the Live Game Center for both pro and college football games, as well as stay on top of the pro football draft with a Live Draft Tracker and in-depth analysis and bios on nearly 500 top prospects. Access by texting "FOOTBALL" to 7777 on the handset to download Sprint Football Live from Sprint Digital Lounge (standard text messaging and data rates apply).



Learn More
Sprint's Award-Winning One Click InterfaceThis phone features Sprint's One Click navigation interface, which places eight shortcut tiles along the bottom of the home screen. Instead of navigating through endless phone menus, you can put the things you use the most--features like call logs, texting, Web access and GPS navigation--right up front with instant information related to each feature. For example, when you scroll to text messaging, you'll see the number of new messages received and a single click takes take you to the newest messages. Here's how it works:
Add your favorite items to the carousel, which is a row of tiles along the bottom of your phone's home screen.
The carousel can hold up to 15 tiles, which you can add, remove and rearrange to suit your needs.
Highlight a tile to reveal its menu on your home screen.
Add up to 8 "bubbles"--at-a-glance items that display on your home screen, like the weather or your daily horoscope.
Browse and download new tiles from your phone's "Personalize Home Screen" tile. New tiles are available every two weeks.
Press your navigation left or right key to select a tile; up or down to select a bubble or menu item.
The "Home" tile always stays put, so you can easily get back to your default display.

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