Features:
- Web-enabled
- Dual-mode for widest coverage
- Larger-than-average display in an average-size phone
- Battery talk time exceeds maximum rating
- Includes Lithium-ion battery, adapter, and desktop charger
Description:
The Denso Touchpoint 120 was designed specifically for Internet access and personal information management, and its dual-band CDMA technology will let you place and receive calls in most areas of the U.S. With a seven-line screen, large, easy-to-use navigation buttons, and easy-to-follow menus with screen prompts, the Touchpoint 120 packs considerable functionality into a moderately sized phone. The Touchpoint 120 is a half-flip phone, with a cover that flips up to protect the keypad, but leaves the display and main navigation buttons exposed. The phone measures 5.2 by 2.1 by 0.9 inches and has a 1.2-inch stubby antenna. With battery, the Touchpoint 120 weighs a moderate 5.8 ounces. Overall, this is a rugged and cleverly simple phone with a sliding power button, standard 2.5-millimeter headset jack, 25 distinctive ringer types, and vibration mode. The phone book has 98 locations and each entry can hold up to nine phone numbers, as long as the total number of phone number entries doesn't exceed 300. A call history feature logs the last 10 each of incoming, outgoing, and missed calls. A big button, called the mouse key, provides four-way screen and menu navigation. Two additional navigation controls, called OK and CLR, are positioned on the left and right of the mouse key, respectively. The "1" key performs double duty as a message key: you hold it down to access your voice mail, assuming your carrier and plan provide this service. Volume control keys are located on the left side, and the large backlit display has a generous display area with an eye-pleasing font. The Touchpoint 120 supports caller ID, call waiting, voicemail alerts, three-way calling, e-mail, SMS text messaging, and wireless Internet access. You should check with your prospective carrier to make sure it supports the features you want. Our test phone, provisioned by Sprint PCS, included all of the above features and proved to be quite functional and simple to use. The Touchpoint 120 won't replace your Palm Organizer or Pocket PC, but it can store 100 appointments, 15 alarms, and 20 to-do items. If you buy an optional data kit, you can use the phone as a digital modem for PCs or download crucial PIM data from your computer. The minibrowser takes advantage of the generous screen space to display more menu items and text than with most Web-enabled phones. The phone also has a built-in calculator function and three mildly amusing games. Security features in the Touchpoint 120 include phone locking, restricted incoming calls, restricted outgoing calls (with three special memory spots for exceptions), phone book erase, and full reset mode, which erases personal information in all applications. During battery testing, we were happily surprised when the Touchpoint 120's lithium-ion battery, which is rated for a maximum 195 minutes of digital talk time, held a connection for 242 minutes. Our 130 hours of digital standby time rating proved to be almost 20 full hours less than the maximum rating, but these figures can be heavily influenced by local conditions (see How We Tested Battery Talk/Standby Time below). While it's not the sleekest or fanciest digital Internet-enabled phone, the Touchpoint 120 is, in many ways, the best designed. The combination of a great screen, simple keys, and intelligent menus makes for a fast learning curve. --Testing and evaluation by Brown Consulting Associates, edited by Thom Arno Pros: - Stellar display
- Intuitive controls
- Better-than-expected talk time
Cons: How We Tested Battery Talk/Standby Time When reading our reviews, you should view the test results of mobile-phone battery talk time and standby time as relative information only. Many variables, including carrier signal strength at your location, signal consistency (including incoming and outgoing calls), display and ringer settings, and battery charging methods and history, will affect performance. When handset manufacturers and mobile phone carriers list talk-time and standby-time ratings, they usually include disclaimers about variable performance and often refer to the times they publish as maximum times. Some quote expected battery life ranges, and in this case you're probably safe to assume you'll experience at least the minimum rated range. Note that manufacturers of dual-mode digital and analog handsets publish battery-life rates for both digital and analog modes, as analog mode consumes much more power than digital mode. Our Tests: We tested digital-mode talk and standby times with each phone. Prior to each test, we fully charged the phone's battery according to the manufacturer's directions. To testt digital-phone talk time, we turned the phone on, established a digital carrier signal, dialed a number in our test lab, and, when the call rang through, took the receiving phone's handset off the hook. When all went well, we didn't do anything else except record the time when the phone died. In a couple of cases, the phones lost the signal and dropped the calls. If we were right there and could redial, we did so immediately and continued running the test. Otherwise, we halted the test, recharged the battery, and started the test over. Assuming consistent carrier-signal strength, this test should represent best-case talk time. And it's worth noting that several phones' talk-time performance significantly exceeded the manufacturers' ratings. To test digital-phone standby time, we turned the phone on, established a carrier signal, and left the phone in standby mode. We checked the phone every few hours (for what was often days on end) until the phone finally cut out. Since no outgoing or incoming calls occurred during testing and because the phone was not moved, this method should represent best-case standby time, again assuming consistent carrier signal strength.
| 
