Features:
- Compact, very lightweight design
- Five line caller ID enabled screen
- Easy-to-use menu navigation
- Up to 3.25 hours' digital talk time, 120 hours' digital standby time
- Programmable keys for quick, personalized dialing
Description:
Sometimes, basic is better, as strongly evidenced by the affordable and intuitive Kyocera 1135 phone for Sprint. While not packed with fancy features like a wireless Web browser or voice-activated dialing, the Kyocera 1135 is a reliable, simple-to-use phone that more than meets the needs of anyone looking for a first phone, or who just wants to simply stay in touch. Out of the box, the phone weighs an airy 4.34 ounces--light enough to carry around and almost forget it’s there. The stub of the antenna is about an inch long, allowing you to easily slip the phone into a pocket. During calls, the antenna extends almost 6 inches to ensure that call reception stays strong in a variety of locations. We were pleased with phone’s compact design of 4.72 by 1.89 by 0.95 inches. It rested comfortably in our hand, allowing us to thumb-dial numbers with the greatest of ease. The basic black plastic construction of the body seemed slightly fragile, so this might not be the best phone if you’ve got butterfingers. Once the phone had fully powered on (about 10 seconds), we explored the phone’s capabilities. First, we checked out dialing, and the keypad did not disappoint. The keys, while a bit on the small side, were nicely spaced, and we had no trouble at all with accidental misdials. Calls connected in a snap. The directional key above the main keypad is an excellent tool, helping us access some of the 1135’s most frequently used features with the single touch of a button. Pressing the Left arrow let us lock the keypad, preventing accidental dialing, while the Right arrow switched the phone into silent mode instantaneously. The Down arrow gave direct access to out contact list/phone book, so that it never took long to find the number we needed. Finally, the Up arrow is a programmable shortcut key, letting you choose which menu option you’d like to be able access with the touch of one button. We programmed the key to pull up the ringer volume menu, which came in very handy when we wanted to turn down the ringer quickly on the bus. The five-line screen was crisp and clear whether dialing a number (we liked the oversized numbers) or scrolling through the phone’s menu screen. With caller ID enabled, the screen displays incoming call phone numbers, allowing you to save the numbers right into the contact list. Digging deeper into the menu was a breeze--no need to check out the manual to figure out how any of the options worked. We found that we could choose and view the menu either as a list of words, or as large or small icons through which you can scroll, hitting the OK button to select the option of interest. The menu offers access to tools such as a call history log, which includes incoming, outgoing and missed calls all in one screen, with symbols at beginning of each number indicating whether the call was coming in or going out, or missed. The contact list, or phone book, stores up to 200 entries, with each entry capable of holding up to six phone numbers and 50 characters of information. Adding an entry was easy. Combined with the one-touch access from the phone’s directional key, we were able to grab numbers and call friends quicker than ever. The messages menu was also quite straightforward, making managing voice mails, text messages, and numeric pages painless. Above and beyond basic phone calling, the Kyocera 1135 boasts plenty of features that let you tailor the phone to your personal tastes. We had a bit of a tough time choosing from the 25 ring tones (plus a vibrate mode), but finally our baseball fever took control and we settled on "Charge!" Also included are five screen savers, and a one-touch dialing feature that involves assigning a phone number to one key. We programmed the 1 key to call voice mail, and the 2 to call work, both done and ready-to-use within minutes. One feature we really appreciated was Smart Sound. Much like the TV feature of the same name, the phone’s sound level automatically adjusts to noise around you or the caller, making it easier for you to hear each other no matter where you are, a particularly handy feature on a busy downtown street. Also handy was Call Guard, the option to set the phone to alert you when you’ve gone off of the Sprint network, letting you know that roaming charges will apply on any calls made while in that mode. Cool tools for daily use include a calculator, timer/stopwatch, and an alarm clock. The phone does not include a calendar, Web browser, or other similar PIM capabilities, so it may not be the best choice for the professional who constantly depends on staying in touch via such tools. But, for anyone looking to kill a little time, the 1135 offers the simple yet somehow addictive game, Brick Attack, very similar to the beloved video game of yesteryear, Breakout. In testing the battery life on the Kyocera 1135, we found that the phone’s lithium-ion battery slightly exceeded the manufacturer’s guidelines of 3.25 hours of digital talk time and 120 hours of digital standby time. Plus, fully charging the battery with the included travel charger took us just over two hours, which is a respectable amount of time for any charger. In the end, we were suitably impressed with the Kyocera 1135. While it doesn’t have the technological flash of so many phones on the market, it’s a very affordable, comfortable, and remarkably easy-to-use phone perfect for the casual caller. --Heather Campbell Pros: - Very intuitive menu navigation
- Excellent call clarity
- Programmable keys for quick calling
- Caller ID enabled
Cons: - No Web browser, calendar
- Plastic construction doesn’t feel very solid
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 test 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.
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