Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I find it hard to believe, but it's now approaching three years since I published this review. The smartphone market has evolved markedly over that time and there are now quite a few good options in the $200-250 range. If your primary concern is price/performance, then I'd suggest looking at the Motorola Moto G - Universal 4G LTE - Unlocked - 8GB (Black) which, at $200, costs the same as the Exhibit II when I purchased it back in 2011. At $200, the Moto G will give you an unlocked phone with universal 4G/3G, which is critical if you travel internationally. I don't own it, but it appears to have a high quality 4.5" screen and fast performance from the reviews I've read on amazon. You may also like to consider the 2014 successor to this phone, the Motorola Moto G (2nd generation) - Global GSM - Unlocked - 8GB Black which has similar features (same resolution and CPU) but only 3G with a larger screen (5") and better camera for $180. If you like T-Mobile (USA) and want more screen real estate , you may consider the ZTE ZMAX coming out soon, which costs $252 and offers formidable specs, including a 5.7" 720p display, 4G LTE, 2GB RAM, Quad-core 1.2GHz CPU and, perhaps most impressively, a 3400 mAh battery which sets it apart from just about any smartphone on the market. _____ Let me begin by saying I'm an economist. Logos do not impress me. Excellent price/performance ratios impress me. Although I must admit, the Exhibit II is a fairly beautiful phone in real life; don't let the photos scare you. This powerful yet humble device has the same memory (512MB RAM) and CPU speed (1GHz) as the iPhone 4. And, dare I say, it actually makes phone calls. It even has a larger screen than the latest $700+ iPhone 4S. Still with me? Why I bought this phone (with a new prepaid plan): >1. Freedom: With T-Mobile's prepaid plans, you can start or stop your service anytime without any fines. You can switch carriers, sell your phone, and walk away without even saying goodbye. >2. Screen: The 3.7" screen is bigger than the one on the iPhone 4S. The 800x480 resolution makes for a relatively high pixel density (252 ppi) and looks fantastic. >3. Android has developed into a very solid OS. With over 400,000 apps to choose from, I'm overwhelmed. >4. Price: Why spend $500 to $800 on a flagship phone when you can get 90% of the utility/functionality for $200? At $200, if my phone is destroyed, lost, or stolen, it's not the end of the world. >5. Plan: The phone is shipped with a prepaid SIM card, so there's no need to order the $7.00 SIM card from T-Mobile. For $30/month you get 5GB of "4G" data, unlimited texts, and 100 minutes of talk. If you setup a Google Voice # and get either the GrooveIP app ($5.00) or the Google Voice Callback app (free), you'll be able to make unlimited domestic calls for free, over the internet. It works quite well and even allows you to make much cheaper international calls than you would through your carrier. Just make sure to set it up correctly, so you don't accidentally use up all your minutes. Edit: Groove IP/Google Voice is only reliable with a Wi-Fi connection so it may not be a viable alternative to normal voice calls in all situations. >6. ROI: The return on investment is phenomenal. This phone truly represents a breakthrough in information and communications technology. For the first time in history, with a device that costs $200 and service that costs $1 a day, you can have a 3.7" window to the world that goes with you, guides you, informs you, entertains you, wakes you, and connects you to everyone and everything that matters in your life. The list of gadgets that this phone makes obsolete would go on for pages, but let me just say that if you don't have a smartphone yet, get this phone and don't look back. I was finally released after serving a 2-year sentence, I mean, a....contract. I'm free! EDIT: (after 1 week with the phone) Performance (including call quality) is excellent while battery life falls short of miraculous. With more moderate use and battery saving apps, you could easily go an entire day without needing to recharge. The 3Mp camera on the phone doesn't quite replace my old DSLR, but it works flawlessly for bar-code scanning, jpg-to-pdf scanning, and other "utilitarian" applications. By the way, the maximum video capture resolution is 640x480, not 720x480. EDIT 2: (after 4 weeks with the phone) My Exhibit II is still going strong and looks brand new, even after dropping it a few times. I've gotten used to using Samsung's "swype" keyboard which is the only technology I've seen that truly makes touchscreen typing viable beyond a few words. I'm not surprised that the phone is out of stock at both Amazon and Walmart.com. If you're planning to get this phone, good luck finding it in stock! On eBay, the going rate for this phone is $250. Get it on Amazon, if you can. EDIT 3: (After 40 days with the phone) The phone still works perfectly and looks great. Even now, it's easily the best smartphone under $300 and, at $189, has the best price-performance of any phone currently on the market. EDIT 4: (After 10 weeks with the phone) We have had many fruitful discussions in the 100+ comments that have been posted since I first wrote my review 10 weeks ago. If you own this phone, I strongly recommend reading the comments posted by Franquis, Yogi Bear, and others who have become de facto experts on this device. They have surpassed my knowledge of the phone and I have learned from their insights. It appears many of us have been having difficulties with the Groove IP app and various alternatives have been suggested, including Skype. I have dropped the phone so many times and I finally managed to crack the screen but it functions perfectly nonetheless. The Exhibit II is a truly remarkable device (at any price) and I continue to be amazed by its capabilities. EDIT 5: (After 1 year with the phone) I got this phone exactly one year ago today (Nov. 2) and it's still going strong. It has enabled me to harness the power of the internet in my daily life like never before. For anyone still thinking about getting this phone, I would recommend waiting for the LG Nexus 4 which will pack the most advanced specs on the market for the humble price of $299 unlocked, without a contract. The Exhibit II was the best phone for the money in the US market for quite a while, but better options are finally emerging. Thanks for all the continued input in the comments section!