Review of Panasonic's Slim SC3

Panasonic SC3

Panasonic SC3

Panasonic SC3

The SC3 is the latest entry-level colour phone from Panasonic. Featuring a 65K colour TFT display, an integrated VGA camera, and GPRS, the SC3 is a sleek and slim dual band (900/1800 MHz) GSM mobile phone. Clad in black and silver, the SC3 should appeal to a wide market, but does it work well? Let's find out.

But first, we would like to thank Panasonic Malaysia for lending us a pre-production unit for our review.

Physical Aspects

The SC3 measures 91.5mm x 45mm x 16.8mm (3.6" x 1.8" x .7"), and weighs a mere 76g (2.7oz). It feels quite comfortable in the hand, and its slim form factor makes it easy to slip into a jeans pocket. Although a little boxy and simple in design, I really liked the way it looked. The black plastics used aren't glossy or shiny, which is good as it won't attract fingerprints. On the front of the phone, you will find the squarish TFT screen, which is capable of displaying up to 65K colours at a resolution of 128 x 128 pixels. The screen is bright and viewable under sunlight. Below the display you will find an "Indicator Light". This light is capable of displaying 7 different colours, and can be set to flash a certain colour when a contact of your choice calls or sends you a SMS. Pressing on the keypad also lights up the indicator in random colours. It looked pretty cool at first, but after awhile, it's more of a distraction. Fortunately, you can turn it off.

The blue backlit keypad is set flush against the front cover. The buttons were also flat, making it really difficult to press on them. I had to use my fingernails to press on the smallish buttons. This resulted in a lot of missed key presses, which was rather annoying. The 4-way Navigation key is flanked by the Left and Right softkeys, and Call and End keys. The End key also functions as the Power button. Overall, I didn't like the keypad at all as it was too flat, and difficult to use.

On the left of the SC3, you can find the headphone jack at the top along with an eyelet for you to attach your favourite wrist strap or lanyard. On the right, you can find the infrared port next to the camera shutter key. The charging port is found on the bottom of the phone. There's nothing on the top of the phone. On the back, you will see the VGA camera beside the self-portrait mirror. The loudspeaker is cleverly hidden around the mirror. The battery cover is latched on securely.

Overall, the SC3 is a solidly built phone. I did not find any squeaks or creaks, and I really like the stardust effect of its black casing. The raised silver margins around its sides provide good grip, too. The SC3 is a case when simplicity can also be stylish.

 

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