Samsung Craft (MetroPCS)

-I'm Jessica Dolcourt, Senior Associate Editor at CNET.com and today, I've got a first look at the Samsung Craft from MetroPCS. This phone has the distinction of being the first ever commercial 4G handset to run on the LT Technology---- that is, as long as you're in a MetroPCS 4G-supported area. San Francisco wasn't at the time of the review, so we were stuck with 2.5G speeds. The Craft is a nice-looking phone. It's totally black and glossy which means that it's also smudge-prone. There's a very nice 3.3-inch AMOLED touch screen with a talk and end and clear buttons below; and on the back, there is a 3.2 megapixel camera plus camcorder with a flash and a vanity mirror. Slide the face to reveal a spacious QWERTY keyboard. The keys felt pretty flat but we didn't have any problems typing. Inside, there's a lot to like about the Craft. It's about the Touch Wiz Interface with Widgets and three home screens. We like to trace for readily accessing widgets and programs. There's Wi-Fi and bluetooth, music player, and support for HD video playback. You will also find e-mail, IM, and a social network app. The e-mail app supports web mail but not Microsoft Exchange and the app is too cramped for the touch screen. On the whole, it's pretty easy to get around the Craft and we like the look and feel of most of the native apps. There's also a slew of MetroPCS services on board like the navigator, a backup app, and stores. Keep in mind though that while the Craft has a lot of features, it is a feature phone and not a smartphone. The lack of 3G support is the biggest drawback for those who aren't in the carrier's 4G network area, and the Craft was often slow to response to touch. We also noticed a pretty bad echo during more than one of our test calls, but call quality was okay overall. However, it is one of the most advanced feature phones you can get from MetroPCS. The Craft costs $299 including a $50 instant rebate and it requires no contract. I'm Jessica Dolcourt and this has been the Samsung Craft from MetroPCS.