Get to know Pantech's U.S. smartphones (pictures)

Pantech has only been making smartphones for U.S. carriers since 2011, with handsets getting better and better.

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Jan. 22, 2013 4:50 p.m. PT

1 of 7 Josh Miller/CNET

Pantech Crossover: The first foray

Release date: June 2011, AT&T.

Pantech's first smartphone for the U.S., the Crossover featured a durable look, QWERTY keyboard, and Android 2.2 OS. With a 3.1-inch screen and flashless 3-megapixel camera, the $69.99 Crossover was very much a starter phone.

2 of 7 Josh MIller/CNET

Pantech Breakout: A Verizon first

Release date: September 2011, Verizon.

Another first, the Pantech Breakout ($99.99 retail) was the company's debut Android phone for Verizon. It rolled out with 4G LTE speeds, Android 2.3 Gingerbread, a 5-megapixel camera, and 720p HD video capture and playback. However, the slow camera and jerky video were issues.

3 of 7 Josh Miller/CNET

Pantech Pocket: Big and awkward, but cheap

Release date: November 2011, AT&T.

A less successful candidate, the awkwardly sized Pantech Pocket

still lacked a camera flash on its 5-megapixel camera, and had trouble with smooth video playback and call quality. However, its $50 debut price tag for a 4-inch Android 2.3 screen made it wallet-friendly.

4 of 7 Josh Miller/CNET

Pantech Burst: The whole package

Release date: January 2012, AT&T.

I was impressed from the first moment I laid eyes on the Burst. Here was an all-around good midrange Android 2.3 smartphone with a dual-core processor, LTE, and a 5-megapixel camera that had worked out the bugs. At $50, there was no better value among the Burst's cohort.

5 of 7 Josh Miller/CNET

Pantech Marauder: QWERTY keyboard action

Release date: August 2012, Verizon.

One of Verizon's first midprice smartphones to ship with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, the Marauder ($99) combined a QWERTY keyboard with an optional "easy" UI. However, the relatively flat keyboard, bulkier design, and pokey processor were trouble spots.

6 of 7 Josh Miller/CNET

Pantech Flex: Edgy design

Release date: September 2012, AT&T.

Pantech's alternative "easy experience" UI made its AT&T premiere with the Flex, an Android 4.0 device notable for its visually arresting back panel and dual-core processor wrapped up in another $50 bow. The 8-megapixel camera missed the mark, though, and the handset lacked NFC.

7 of 7 Josh Miller/CNET

Pantech Discover: Curves in all the right places

Release date: January 2013, AT&T.

Pantech's most technically successful U.S. phone since the Burst, the Discover hits that midrange sweet spot where $50 gets you a full feature set, plus some interesting design perks, like 3D speakers.