Monique's Sharebook 

Your first choice for a smartphone is probably along the lines of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 or the iPhone 5, or whatever the major brands like Samsung, HTC, and Apple are cooking up. But if you do not have the budget, you are stuck with mid-tier phones with mid-tier specs.

That is if you have not discovered Pantech. This Korea based manufacturer has been producing great phones but have been slipping under the radar and their new device, the Discoverer, is no different.

On the Outside

This phone is pretty great to hold. It has an ergonomical design that includes a comfortable rear panel with materials that are pretty softly textured. What stands out about its design, however, are the 3D surround speakers on the sides of the device. It promises great sound just from the looks of it.

The device features a 1280x720p HD screen. The phone is a bit on the heavy side at 4.8 ounces, but with its ergonomic design, the extra weight is not really a factor. Curiously, it doesn’t feature the 3 capacitive buttons that usually appear on other Pantech Android devices. These appears as on-screen buttons instead.

Other hardware feature to note is its volume rocker that has a somewhat asymmetrical shape that contours with the curves of the phone. It is a very unique look and surprisingly makes it easier to adjust the volume; who knew it was not all to look cool. The Micro USB charging port is located at the bottom part and you have to remove the back panel to find the Micro SD and Micro Sim slots.

On the Inside

This device packs a 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm MSM8960 Snapdragon S4 Pro chip and is pretty fast. Unfortunately, it is still running Ice Cream Sandwich, but there are plans for Jellybean updates.

Pantech also customized Android on the Discoverer to make it simpler and easier to use. It features larger icons and uses a single pane on the home screen to replace the usual multiple home screens that you usually find in other Android phones. This makes the device not only a great business phone, but also a recommended choice as a personal phone for Android beginners. 

To complement its big side speakers, the device features sound controls that includes an equalizer, treble and bass settings, and “loudness maximize.” Compared to other phones in the market, this may have the best audio quality.

Another cool thing about the Discover is its motion recognition feature. Through the front-facing camera, you can play music, flip through images, and even answer calls with just a flick of a finger.

Speaking of cameras, these baby features a 12.6 MP rear shooter. It includes continual autofocus, LED flash, 4x Zoom, and a bunch of settings including resolution adjustment, and white balance. It has several modes including HDR, Panoramic, and best face; the latter selects what it takes as the most correct face from a group.

While the camera on this phone will not be competing for the best captured image award, users who are not really very particular with the details will be pretty satisfied with it. After all, this is still a 12.5MP camera in a very low-priced phone.

Conclusion

While the specs will not be competing against the top flagship phones in the market, it definitely is at the top of mid-tier phones. And with a very low price tag, this phone is a steal especially once it gets a Jellybean update.