When choosing a cell phone, you look at price and features with the former being the biggest player, right? Ok, calling/data plans are also a big deal, but most consumers just want a cheap phone regardless. That much we can agree on. But what happens when you don’t want to deal with one of the larger carriers and you’ve got MetroPCS in the area, a carrier that offers unlimited plans?
Since MetroPCS offers unlimited plans with no contracts, it basically boils down to the device. They’re not subsidized so you won’t be getting anything for free. So now what? Well, you can always go for one of the big players like Samsung or Motorola, but a little known company out of China has quietly infiltrated the US market with a relatively feature-rich clamshell. ZTE’s C88 isn’t necessarily the prettiest thing to look at, but its feature set is pretty decent. It includes Bluetooth, IM, a VGA camera, an MP3 player, Web browser and a few other things.
But is it any good?
Pros
Call quality is perfect. I didn’t have any issues and others I phoned didn’t know I was on a cell phone. And most of my calls were roaming so I’m sure it’s even better, if that’s possible, in MetroPCS areas. I can’t vouch for most of the other features as it’s limited because of roaming, but I don’t see them being terribly great or bad, for the most part. The hardware seems pretty solid and the OS is fairly snappy. For a basic handset with some decent features, the C88 performs well.
Cons
To be perfectly honest, there isn’t a whole lot about the phone that I don’t like other than its looks. It looks like your typical no-frills clamshell, but it does what it’s meant to do well, so I guess I can get past its looks. I’d say its other downfall is that it’s on MetroPCS. Once you go out of the area, you’re pretty much screwed because anything involving data goes out the door. But then again, if your carrier is MetroPCS then you may not leave the immediate vicinity all that often.
Conclusion
The C88 retails for $139 and that may seem like a lot, but you have to consider that MetroPCS plans are cheap and you have no contracts to sign, either. That is, in and of itself, worth it. It fits in well as a mid-tier device and chances are I’d go with it if I were in the market for a phone on MetroPCS. I’m sure as heck not going to fork over $179 for a Moto SLVR, which is the next phone in the line-up and the UTStarcom 1450M basically has the same features but it’s a candybar shape and is only $10 cheaper. ZTE positioned this phone well for the limited market within which it finds itself. I’m curious to see what else they bring to the market and if their devices will hit major carriers.
zte c88 sucks!!!! Can’t download ringtones or wallpaper unless you buy them from metro web.
this shit sucks like f*&# u cant do shit thats why i have the phone phone of metro pcs
This phone is REALLY HORRIBLE!!! I have onli had it 4 exactly a month and my earpiece (the top part that u hear out of) has gone completely OUT!!! I have 2 put my phone on speaker in order 4 me 2 hear wat the person on the other side is saying. I have seen and heard TOO MANY complaints on this phone. I personally think its a FV(K!n waste of your money… so if u happen 2 read this b4 u buy it…. DONT trust me when i say it!!!! They shuld jus stop sellin it or recall it or sumthin. I have actually noticed that they dont display it on the website anylonger, but stores are continually sellin them… THATS ALSO SUM Bu11$#!t …..
I’ve had this phone since feb. and haven’t had any problems with it. The ringtone thing does suck but I found a way to work around it. My friend will send me a ringtone in a text message and then I just save the file to my phone. It works just fine and I can set it how I want it.
I just bought my phone about three days ago and it s a piece of crap. The back light went out. It works when it wants to, No ring tones AND the earpiece is barely working. You cant hear anything. Like Kesa said you have to put it on speakerphone to hear anything. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THIS PHONE!!!! Metros service isn’t all that bad but half of their phones suck! DO NOT waste your money on the ZTE C88
yea i have to agree wit everyone this phone does suck..
you cant save anything on it..
i dont know about u guys but im emberassed to ask my friend to send me stuff.I would get annoyed if i had to be sendin ringtones to people all the tme..so i recommend not uying this phone cuz it sucks like crap..=[..
i want ma money bak..
diz fone HELLA sucks!!!!!!!!! i agreee with everybody too cuz itz nothing but a waste of money!!! you cant save ringtones,it works when it wantz too.uggh its just annoyin ima go back to my motorola!!!!!!!!!!
every body is rite i jus got this pjone 4 50 bucks its used n when i dropped it the sound went out n whn i played with the v olume on the side and kept hitting it against my palm the sound came back
I looks like to me that Metro’s clientel is a bunch of misspelling, English wrecking, ebonic talking pieces of shit. I could be wrong.
Who else but poor minorities would buy this crap. iPhone wanna-bees.
hey the phone looks kool but it SUCKS!!!u cant hear shit so dont FUCKEN BUY THAT FUCKEN SHIT good thing i got a new phone but i cant download or save my ringtones and if any1 knows how to download and save the ringtones? email me to thedarkaguilar@aol.com!!!oh n by the way my new phone is UTstarcom 1450M kk? byez
i agree also this phone does suck in order to use the mp3 player you have to open the file location and then drag it on to your file folder but you cant save ring tones in order for me to get ring tones i had to record them like my phone is a tape player and then set them as a ring tone which suck cause you got to hold the damn phone i wish i could get my money back i hate it i hate it i hate it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
after u get a ring tone on a message hit browse then hit options click use highlighted object then save it…. it will be saved in the same place as ur recorded ringtones…… in “my tunes”
a gud place to go 2 get them is
MYTINYPHONE.COM click on ringtones and find the song u want… then click on the song, and send 2 email…. ur email would be the number 1
(area code) then ur number@mymetropcs.com Example 19043334444@mymetropcs.com
and hit send as attachment…..
some will send and sum wont… G.L.
this phone suxxxxx omg i want my money back