AT&T Fuze Cell Phone Review - Tour & Design
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Marianne Schultz Published on April 24, 2009 Comment on this |
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| Despite a catchy name, the Fuze is not a particularly attractive device at all, done in by a too-glossy surface, an inexplicable faceted back cover, and a weight reminiscent of corn-fed cattle. To add insult to injury, it comes with very little in the box despite its $300 price tag. | |
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Front Closed
Most of the front of the Fuze is taken up by the 2.8-inch screen. Above the screen is the earpiece speaker, which has the ambient light sensor hidden in the left corner. To the right of the speaker is the AT&T logo in silver. Below the screen are the control buttons and the D-pad. The control buttons are the Send, End/lock, Home, and back buttons. As with the Touch Diamond, the D-pad is both touch-sensitive and press-sensitive.
The front of the Fuze
Front Open
When opened, the display automatically switches to landscape mode to complement the full QWERTY keyboard that slides out from the rear of the phone.
The keyboard revealed
Left
On the left side are the volume up and down buttons. Below these is the push-to-talk activation button.
The left side of the Fuze
Top
The only feature on the top of the Fuze is the power button.
The top of the Fuze
Bottom
The microphone and the Fuze's only connector port are found on the bottom. This connector serves as the headphone jack, USB connector, and power port to charge the Fuze.
The bottom of the Fuze
Right
There are no buttons on the right side. The stylus is stored in a slot, accessed on the bottom edge on this side.
The right side of the Fuze
Back
On the back of the Fuze are the camera lens and single LED flash recessed in a triangular section made of brushed metal. The plastic cover here is glossy back with several triangular sections with slightly beveled edges to give it the look of a faceted jewel. At the bottom, there is a small hole that allows access to an anchor underneath to hold a wrist strap.
The back of the Fuze, complete with cheesy facets
Battery Out
When the back cover is removed, the Fuze's microSD card slot is accessible on the left above the battery compartment. The SIM card slot is above the battery compartment on the right. The Fuze comes with a 1340 mAh lithium ion battery, part number S5H00111-06M.
The back cover and battery removed
In the Box (4.0)
The Fuze comes with an AC charger, USB cable, 3.5mm headphone adapter, 2 styli, 1 screen protector, and a CD with synchronization software and other information. This is sufficient to get started with the Fuze, but with only 512MB of memory available to you, a microSD card is an absolute necessity if you want to store any media on it, and it's disheartening one isn't included with this expensive smartphone. Also missing is a headset for hands-free use, which is disappointing given how many states are moving to prohibit talking on your cell phone while driving without using a headset.
Handling (5.5)
The Fuze measures 4.02 inches by 2.01 inches and is .71 inch thick. Compared to the HTC Touch Diamond, it's just .02 inch longer and .01 inch wider, so it feels comparatively compact. It is thicker than the Touch Diamond by .11 inch, which isn't a deal breaker, but is still noticeable, particularly since we found the thinner Touch Diamond a little too thick for our tastes already.
The Fuze has a nice width in the hand, making it very comfortable to grip, but the sliding mechanism to reveal the keyboard can be a little distracting here since exerting more pressure on the left side will cause it to wobble a bit. What makes this all worse, however is the glossy plastic surface that makes holding on to the Fuze challenging if your hands are sweaty. Add to all of this that the Fuze is fairly heavy, weighing in at 5.82 ounces, and you have a device that is not the most comfortable to hold on to for long calls.
Portability (3.5)
Our biggest issues with the Fuze are its thickness and weight. It's pretty chunky and is a conspicuous presence in your pocket at all times, never managing to become unnoticeable no longer how long it's there. It's fine in a purse or briefcase, but look elsewhere if you want a phone that will play nicely with your pants pocket.
Aesthetics (3.5)
While the front of the Fuze presents a sleek and minimalist face, the effect is ruined by a glossy surface all around that attracts finger prints and oil like a honey to a bear. The faceted back yielded several references to an ugly stick and a thorough beating of the Fuze with said stick, which was only compounded by how hefty the Fuze feels in the hand. The Fuze tries, but fails miserably, to be an eye-catchingly attractive device.
Durability (5.5)
There are no covered ports with plastic tethers to worry about on the Fuze, and its screen has a plastic covering that provides mental assurance that a shattered screen is not in your near future. What does give us pause is the sliding mechanism for the QWERTY keyboard - moving parts are subject to wear and tear over time and this is the most likely area to cause trouble over the long haul with the Fuze.
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