Close, But No Cigar

After checking out the Gizmodo review of the Helio Ocean I'm pretty disappointed in what it has (or rather, doesn't have) to offer. I don't know if it's due to my being spoiled with what the 770 has to offer, but lacks the features one would expect in a 2007 mobile.

I have to admit, I was pretty excited about the Ocean when I first heard about it. The awesome dual-slide design, direct search feature, and great contacts integration were just what I'd need in a phone. However, with all the shortfalls I've seen in my brief encounter with the actual device as well as Gizmodo's review, I couldn't see myself buying one. I think the keyboard is much too small, the battery life seems way too short, and the web browser and multimedia presentation pales in comparison to the large Internet Tablet screen. I didn't get enough time with the phone to see if the bluetooth connection worked with the 770 for Internet use, but I did find the interface to be quite nicely implemented. Overall, I didn't find the Ocean to be the right fit for my needs. It's close, but "almost" doesn't count when it comes to my money.

It was a very noble attempt by Helio, and I think the dual slide idea is still a great one. Maybe they'll get it right with the next version, but until then I'm holding out for something a bit more polished. But like I said before, after some time with an Internet Tablet like the 770, it's hard to like anything without even the basic luxury of such a large touchscreen and software capability. And so, my search for a new phone continues...