Sanyo Katana Blue Review - Introduction & Design
Introduction & DesignSanyo's new phone, the Katana, is named after the beautifully and brilliantly crafted swords used by Japan's legendary Samurai warriors. While comparing the design and workmanship of this phone to that of a Japanese master swordsmith might be a bit of a stretch, there are some areas of similarity. Katana swords are not about excessive detailing; they are about perfecting the general form to improve the function. In these areas, Sanyo's Katana is much like these ancient swords: unencumbered by unnecessary features, but well-structured for its primary purpose – communication.
The Katana is an important addition to the Sprint family of phones, offering sleek style and solid performance in an affordable clamshell phone. With its availability in several trendy colors and features like a VGA camera, several Bluetooth profiles, and diverse messaging capabilities, this phone is designed for the fashion-forward consumer.
The Katana is Sanyo's answer to the Motorola RAZR – compact, stylish, and available in a vibrant color palette. With dimensions of 3.88" x 2.02" x 0.58" and a weight of 3.40 ounces, its specifications are almost identical to those of the RAZR, but somehow the phone feels more substantial. It fits nicely in the palm of my hand, and the crisp click I hear when I open or close the phone is oddly pleasing.
The Katana is a beautiful phone. It has a rectangular shape, with curving edges and sharp angles melded together to create a look of technology blended with high-fashion. The camera lense is discretely located on the front of the phone, above the crystal-clear external screen, and the antenna is internal, so it doesn't distract from the appearance of the phone. (However, since the internal antenna is located in the bottom edge of the phone, you could interfere with the quality of your service if you cover the antenna with your hand or cheek.)
You can really show your personal style with one of the four rich and gorgeous color choices: Blue Sapphire, Mystic Black, Cherry Blossom Pink, and Polar White (available only at RadioShack). The Cherry Blossom Pink and Polar White phones are accented in gray, the Blue Sapphire phone is accented in black, and the Mystic Black phone is all black. The interiors of the phones complement the exterior colors, using combinations of the primary color and the accent color. The background color shows through the transparent keys, which are illuminated with a pleasant blue backlighting.
The numeric keypad and associated operational keys fill most of the bottom half of the phone. A navigation panel is situated above the keypad. It includes a central, dual-purpose key (the Menu / OK key) and the navigation keys you use to move through the menus, which also function as shortcuts for quick and easy access to Send Quick Text (up), My Content (down), Voice Memo (right), and the Web (left). The navigation panel is flanked by four additional keys, three of which perform standard operations and one that is a camera shortcut.
The charger jack and volume control buttons are located on the left edge of the phone, and the headset jack and a camera shortcut button are located on the right edge of the phone. The design of the external features is a bit of a disappointment. When you open the phone, the buttons flank the interior screen on the top half of the phone rather than the keypad on the lower half of the phone. It just isn't comfortable or practical to use the keys in this position. This is not such a big deal for camera operations because the internal camera key is a more logical choice when the phone is open, but it is an unnecessary difficulty when it comes to volume control. If you are like me and have to adjust the volume of the phone depending on who's on the other end of the line, the location of the external keys is a real bummer.
The Katana's buttons are flush with the phone, which I typically dislike immensely, but these buttons are an exception. They depress with authority, and I have no problems using them with ease. Most importantly, the Menu / OK key is elevated slightly higher than the navigation keys that surround it, so I never accidentally hit an adjoining button. It is possible that the flat keys could still be a hinderance for people with large fingertips, but I don't encounter any difficulties associated with the design of the keys.
Next: Features »Fetch me more...Quickly jump to more information about related topics, cell phones, carriers or phone manufacturers mentioned in this In-Depth Review by using the links below. About our in-depth cell phone reviewsWe take great pride to ensure that the our reviews are thorough and accurate. In no way are our editors directed or influenced by any manufacturers, advertisers, or partners; we believe that honest, opinionated reviews -positive or negative - are the only way to maintain credibility and serve our users. Reviews by companyApple, BenQ, BlackBerry, Eten, HTC, LG, Motorola, Nokia, o2, Palm, Pantech, Samsung, Sanyo, Sharp, Sony EricssonThe Katana is a dual-band/tri-mode phone, which means that you get the combined coverage of dual-band and digital dual-band networks. For digital service, this phone operates on CDMA networks in the 800 MHz and 1900 MHz bands, so you can roam on other carriers' networks in addition to your Sprint PCS network coverage. For analog service, this phone operates in the 800 MHz band, which allows you the possibility of coverage in places without... You can easily access the Katana's VGA camera using either the internal or external camera shortcut key. As a security measure to avoid accidentally turning on the camera, you have to hold down the external button for approximately 3 seconds to activate the camera. The external key allows you to shoot a photograph without opening the camera, which makes for painless self-portraits. Since the lense is flipped 180 degrees when the camera is open,... The Katana's displays are two of its best assets. The external screen is a full 1.0" (90 x 64 pixels) in size. It is a 65,000-color TFT LCD display that provides a crisp and clear picture and allows you to quickly view signal strength, battery strength, date and time, a screensaver (if selected), picture caller id, Bluetooth connectivity, and more. The interior screen is more or less a bigger version of the external screen at 2.2" (240 x 320... This phone supports the SMS messaging protocol for sending basic text messages. It has the predictive (T9) text input option, as well as a personalized dictionary where you can save unique words (like names, places, or slang) you regularly use in text messages. I am thrilled by the time-saving, editable preset messages that come installed on the phone. Some of them I use as is, while others I edit to suit my messaging habits. With twenty preset... The Sanyo Katana is a smashing phone for those who want a lot of style but don't need a lot of excess features. All the basic functionality is there, and it's wrapped up in a pretty package at that. With its expansive messaging and Bluetooth capabilities and its crystal-clear voice quality, this phone does a great job of keeping you connected.
This phone is not designed for technophiles or people who organize their entire lives through their... IntroductionSanyo's new phone, the Katana, is named after the beautifully and brilliantly crafted swords used by Japan's legendary Samurai warriors. While comparing the design and workmanship of this phone to that of a Japanese master swordsmith might be a bit of a stretch, there are some areas of similarity. Katana swords are not about excessive detailing; they are about perfecting the general form to improve the function. In these areas,...
|

|
New & coming soon phonesHot off the presses... here's what's available now and expected to come to market soon! - HTC OzoneCarrier: Verizon Wireless
Retail Price: $119.99 Contract Price: $49.99 Hot Features: WiFi, full QWERTY, IM features - Motorola Karma QA1Carrier: AT&T Wireless
Retail Price: $129.99 Contract Price: $79.99 Hot Features: Full QWERTY, great social networking features, Access to your favorite IM - Samsung AxleCarrier: U.S. Cellular
Retail Price: $159.95 Contract Price: $49.95 Hot Features: One-Touch speakerphone, stereo Bluetooth - HTC SnapCarrier: Sprint
Retail Price: $399.99 Contract Price: $149.99 Hot Features: Windows Mobile 6.1, Full QWERTY, WiFi - LG LX370 SilverCarrier: Sprint
Retail Price: $299.99 Contract Price: $99.99 Hot Features: Sprint Social Zone, Facebook Mobile, GPS - Samsung ExclaimCarrier: Sprint
Retail Price: $299.99 Contract Price: $79.99 Hot Features: Dual slider, full QWERTY, Sprint OneClick interface - BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8230 Silver Carrier: Verizon Wirless
Retail Price: $149.99 Contract Price: $79.99 Hot Features: Music Player, 2.0MP camera, GPS - Apple iPhone 3G S 16GB BlackCarrier: AT&T
Retail Price: $199.99 Contract Price: $199.99 Hot Features: upgraded 3MP camera, MMS, video capture, faster processor - LG TritanCarrier: Alltel
Retail Price: $449.99 Contract Price: $79.99 Hot Features: GPS, 3MP camera, full QWERTY - LG Neon GreenCarrier: AT&T
Retail Price: $79.99 Contract Price: $29.99 Hot Features: Music player, 2MP camera, AOL Windows Live and Yahoo! IM feature
- BlackBerry TourTechnology: CDMA
Announced Carrier: Verizon Wireless Expected: Pre-Order starting today/July 12th in stores - HTC OzoneTechnology: CDMA
Announced Carrier: Verizon Wireless Expected: June 29th on-line/July 13th in stores - HTC myTouch 3GTechnology: GSM
Announced Carrier: T-Mobile Expected: Late July 2008 T-Mobile customers can begin reserving their HTC myTouch starting July 8th. - BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8230Technology: CDMA
Announced Carrier: Verizon Wireless Expected: Friday June 19th, 2009 - LG enV3Technology: CDMA
Announced Carrier: Verizon Wireless Expected: Friday May 29th, 2009 - LG enV TouchTechnology: CDMA
Announced Carrier: Verizon Wireless Expected: Friday June 5th, 2009 - LG GlanceTechnology: CDMA
Announced Carrier: Verizon Wireless Expected: Friday June 5th, 2009 - Samsung SGH-A167Technology: GSM
Likely Carrier: AT&T Expected: Q2 2009 - Samsung JackTechnology: GSM
Likely Carrier: AT&T Expected: May 19th, 2009 - Sony Ericsson W518aTechnology: GSM
Likely Carrier: AT&T Expected: Q2 2009

|