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Photos: Velocity 103

At CTIA Fall 2008, Velocity Mobile announced that it started shipping its first smartphone, the Velocity 103, and we were lucky to get our hands on a review unit. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a bit of a disappointment. Check out our hands-on gallery for some eye candy and then read our full review to see its pros and cons.

CNET Reviews staff
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1 of 9 Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks
Unlike the HTC TouchFlo interface, you can add and remove applications to the toolbar on the Velocity 103. With a longer swipe of your finger (from bottom to top), you can access a full menu of programs. However, our biggest complaint without reading the user's manual, you wouldn't know any of this functionality exists.
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2 of 9 Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks
In practice, we found that the Velocity Odyssey interface isn't as intuitive as one would hope. We had a much easier time using the HTC Touch Diamond for Sprint (right).
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3 of 9 Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks
Below the display, you get Talk and End keys and a trackball navigator. You can press the trackball to select an item, but we had some trouble since it was set fairly deep beneath the phone's surface.
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4 of 9 Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks
The Velocity 103 features a 2-megapixel camera with video recording capabilities. Picture quality was pretty decent, as objects were clearly defined and sharp. Our only complaint was that some colors looked slightly flat.
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5 of 9 Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks
Back at CTIA Spring 2008, a new company called Velocity Mobile caught our eye, impressing us with a fresh approach to the user interface. The company finally released its first model, the Velocity 103, at CTIA Fall 2008.
6 of 9 Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks
Recognizing that Windows Mobile isn't the easiest operating system to master, Velocity Mobile developed the Velocity Odyssey interface where you can access your frequently used applications through a shortcuts toolbar and perform actions with various finger swipes.
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7 of 9 Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks
The Velocity 103 is slightly larger and heavier than the HTC Touch Diamond, but has a solid construction and nice soft-touch finish on the back.
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8 of 9 Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks
The Velocity 103 is a fairly attractive smartphone with a sleek, all-black chassis and compact frame (4.4 inches tall by 2.2 inches wide by 0.5 inch deep and 4.5 ounces).
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9 of 9 Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks
On the right side of the smartphone, there's a microSD expansion slot. However, to access it, you have to take off the back cover and open the protective flap.

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