Review: Kyocera Verve for Sprint
Screen
The Verve has a 2.4-inch LCD with 320 x 240 pixels. It's not going to set anyone's heart aflutter, nor is it meant to. It's a low-cost screen to help keep the Verve's price affordable. That means everything you see on the screen looks pixelated and jaggedy. Owners of today's high-def smartphones would be horrified, but those most likely to pick the Verve will be more than happy with what their eyes see. I do wish it were a bit brighter, as I had trouble seeing the screen outside on sunny days.
Signal
The Verve is limited to Sprint's CDMA network and does not support LTE. After testing the device in and around New York City, I can say that it has no trouble finding Sprint's 3G network and connects tightly. The Verve was able to make calls even when the signal indicator showed zero bars. I always connected on the first dial and didn't drop or miss any calls. Data speeds are limited, of course, but that's not all that important for a device that really isn't meant for serious web browsing. It suffices when it comes time to deliver mobile web pages, but just barely.
Sound
Voice calls patched through the Verve sound very good. Quality of calls is among the best I've heard on a Sprint device in recent memory. Voices are warm, clear, and have an enjoyable tone. It's a shame, then, that they are so quiet. I was just barely able to hear calls in a coffee shop or the car. The same goes for the speakerphone. Quality is downgraded a little bit via the speakerphone, but that's not as big an issue as the lack of volume. It works in quiet places, but pretty much nowhere else. My kids' raucous bedtime behavior easily drowned out the speakerphone. The Verve could really benefit from Kyocera's Sonic Smart Receiver technology, which uses bone conduction to make calls easier to hear. Oh well. The ringers and alert tones could also use a bit of boost, but the vibrate alert works really well.
Battery
This is a feature phone with a small, low-res screen and no 4G. Therefore it's no surprise that the battery lasts forever by today's standards. I charged the Verve once and used it for almost a week. Even heavy users won't have to worry about charging it more often than once every few days.
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Kyocera Verve / Contact
