The Sanyo Zio is a new entry-level Android Phone (we are a review of Sprint’s version) and one of the first devices with the new Sprint-ID systems have individually. I am a big proponent of replacing feature phones with Android devices, and was quite curious as to what Sprint id can bet on Android, so I was happy, a chance to challenge the Zio. Hit the break to see how it measures.
Make no bones about it – the Zio is the entry level can-as an introduction. This does not mean the quality of construction and building materials has to be poor, though. The Zio provides well designed that look like and feel in the hand like a slightly smaller Samsung Captivate. The ports and external microSD card slot are all covered by tight-fitting doors, they are difficult to open, but should certainly keep dirt and pocket lint from the sensitive areas.
The Zio has the four standard buttons until capacitive style done, and no light trackball to navigate through the operating system. In addition, two physical buttons are present, which serve as power button and buttons for the dialer – open the green button it anywhere in the OS, and the red button hangs up a call. There is an LED indicator (yay!) and a light sensor on the front of the phone and both work as intended. Around back, you start getting into trouble. The backplate is a very thin piece of thin plastic, is impossible without removing tool, and takes three hands to replace properly. It’s a good thing that you do not have to remove it very often.
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The camera checked out at 3.2 megapixels. There is no flash, but the Zio does have autofocus, so barcode scanner. The full specifications of the device – Qualcomm MSM7627 CPU clocked at 600 MHz, 512 MB RAM, ROM unadvertised (but appears to be available to 512 with 256 for the user), A-GPS, Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR, 802.11 b/ g wireless and a 3.5-inch capacitive touch screen. Do you want to see this hardware in action? Of course you do.
Yes, it really is that responding (temporarily), as it seems. Could I have a bad device, or could it just the way I am using the phone be? It certainly could be, but the few people I’ve spoken to using a Zio see the same thing. Hopefully a software problem and not a hardware error because the Zio is frustrating to use as it is. And yes, I have tried putting the battery cover is partially open (at the 44 second mark), it was that the SD card cover open more easily deceived. It did not work.
If there is one saving grace about the Zio, it is the software. They inflate your typical carrier – in this case Sprint NFL, NASCAR, Sprint TV, Sprint and the Zone – and the addition of Sprint ID. Everything else seems to have left as it is, was, with the exception of the Android 2.1 mail client enhanced to better with EAS. No one is complaining about it. They have five home screens, and what can fall on them to leave depends on the IDs that you have installed.
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Sprint-ID is either the best thing that happened Android, or the worst – I have not decided yet. It’s great that you have the choice of basically stock Android have experience, but seem to be missing the currently proposed IDs can download and install. You have an interesting way to discover new applications, and hopefully the requirements involved in creating officially supports Sprint-ID-pack is good for independent developers. The whole concept is interesting and new, so we all have to wait and see how it pans out.
No contribution is without any last impressions complete. The shell and build quality of Zio’s pretty low-end even with cheaper materials – this is something covered by the graceful styling and design that looks really good. The internal hardware sounds like it should be quite good for the audience, but the problems with the touch screen performance drops to a minimum. As it stands, I would not recommend this to anyone in particular with other phones like the Optimus S available from Sprint in the same price range.
