Kyocera Koi KX2
Phone Scoop Review
Apr 6, 2005 by Eric Lin
In-depth review of the Kyocera Koi swivel megapixel camera phone for Verizon and other CDMA carriers. read review ›
User Reviews
Average Ratings
Great Phone
I have used this phone for three weeks now. It is a great phone with many useful features. I have read several reviews before I decided to try this phone. A few earlier reviews contain incorrect information about the phone itself. The speaker phone can be used in closed position, but you must open the phone to switch it to speaker first. The microphone pick-up drop slightly when the phone is closed.
I took a few pictures in different lighting conditions and send it to an email account. The user interface for this function is quite intuitive. The camera itself can be used while the phone is closed and can be held sideways like a camera. There is a lens cover, which is not available on most camera phones, to protect from dirt and grimes. There is also a reflector on the lens cover for people trying to take a self-portrait.
The signal level and sound quality was great. My carrier is Verizon in central Ohio. I did noticed that the number of bars on the phone tends to be a little lower than other phones from the same carrier in the same local, but I feel that the ability to make/receive calls, the sound quality and the ability to maintain a call is more important than the number of bars on the display.
The phone had not locked up on me yet. I used to have Motorola T720 phone which locked up several times requiring me to remove the battery to restart.
PROs
Great sound quality
Easy to use interface
Most of the menu function can be access while the phone is closed
Contact list can be sorted based on frequently used numbers
One of the best quality pictures for a camera phone
CONs
Earphone jack is covered by a stylish but flimsy plastic
Could not switch to speaker-phone when the phone is closed
Currently, text size could not be configured
I would have rated the phone a 4.5, but there were so many incorrect negative reviews early on that I feel the average rating needs a boost.
First Impressions continue
Oops, I put my Koi review in the VX-7000 reviews by mistake. My bad.
Here's the proper place
I've had this phone for three days now and played with it constantly.
First off, I rarely have to open the phone now except if I need/want to start the speakerphone or dial a non-contact.
Second, though I'm somewhat of a fat fingered "rightie", I can open it with my left hand easily enough after some practice.
Pro:
IMHO The best of the tri-banders.
Far easier to see in the sun than the Moto 265
BIG screen
Adequate camera, especially in the sun. Good enough to document an accident or incidental photos. I didn't buy it for the camera anyway.
Reception equal to my V60 so far. Drops out where the V60 dropped out.
Con
#1 ! battery capacity and the non-availability of extended batteries.
Cheezy battery cover.
Did I mention it needs a BIGGER battery?
It just "feels" big, but coming from a V60, that can be expected, I guess.
Room for improvement:
The ability to toggle the video between acting as a high contrast black/white screen or a color screen. I'm often on my boat and sunny days, white boats, water glare and color screens do not mix well.
perfection
i've had this phone for 2 weeks, i had every phone you can imagine, this one blew me away. this is a masterpiece.
pros:
everything
camera
video
style is the best
can answer w/o opening phn
speaker phn
great big screen
easy menu
eye catching
cons:
yea right there are no cons this phone
is perfect.
KX2 FOR U
I am a long time sprint user because I believe that they have the best phones, but as of lately I've been able to get more knowledgeable of other companies and phones. I like the KY KX2 bc it has everything I look for in a phone:
-picture (quality is very good)
-video messaging
-speaker phone (pretty good)
-unique design (swivel design is awesome)
-tri mode
-versatility (use open or closed)
-Multi-media (download of real ring-tones through Sony music box)
-navigation (easy screen selections)
Only thing I find upsetting is talk time battery life.. You need the extended battery
That is something I can deal with, thats why they make chargers!
Initial Review
I used the phone a bit at the VZW store. I thought the call quality was excellent, the features were very easy to use and the layout of the features to be very intuitive. I currently own another Kyo and I think Kyo's are excellent phones for the money. This one is no different. I didn't get a chance to use the speakerphone. The only drawback was I thought the swivel was a bit chintzy, but the menu feature on the side letting you access your last 15 calls and the camera and such means that you won't use the swivel as much as you would normally. The other drawback that some people may not like is this is a big phone... like the size of a Tungsten device closed. I personally like big phones because it means I won't lose it.
KX2
I've had the KX2 for about a week now and I can honestly say that this phone is great.
Here are my thoughts:
Pros
- cool swivel design
- great user interface (menu system very easy to use)
- speakerphone is loud and clear
- large color screen
- ability to use phone with swivel open or closed
- sound quality
- trimode
Cons
- signal strength seems to be weaker than with my old Samsung.
- no bluetooth
Folks, this phone is a keeper. The only reason I didn't give it a full five star rating is because the signal strength is not quite as good as my old Samsung (I have three bars in my house where I had four bars with the old phone). I can say, however, that I have not had any dropped calls and that the phone seems to hold the signal well when the signal is weak.
Koi
I just upgraded to this phone the first day it came out. I have to say i was expecting more from the phone then what i got. My area has very good Verizon coverage however this phone seems to leave me with no signal strenght in areas that most VZ phones are great. so far i had about 5 dropped calls in good coverage areas.Overall the phone itself it pretty cool has nice features and is a eye catching phone.
Pros:
*nice screen
*easy to use
*cool swivel design
*cool camera setup
Cons:
*camera not very good, unless your really close to the object your taking a picture of, resolution not the best(iknowitsaphone).
*voice dialing not very good with background noise.
*backgrounds will not take up the whole screen.
*Reception and dropped calls.
What a beautiful disappointment
This could have been a really, really good phone-but its not. Its a clunky pile of junk-i would not trust this phone to last two years, the average contract length.
Pros:
big Screen
unique design
speaker phone
1.2 meg camera
Sadly, for every pro, there is a con that kills it!
-Big screen...BUT..low contrast, crummy menu graphics, impossible to see in the day light.
-Unique design...BUT...the phone opens the wrong way if you are right handed. if it swivled the other way, you could open it with your thumb. But it doesnt. So, you either drop it trying to open it, or use both hands. Yay! A two handed cell phone! Great. And you trust that hinge to last two years? Remember the slide phone? Right. No way to proctect the screen-brilliant plan.
-Speakerphone...BUT...better hope its quiet, and you dont want to say something the same time they do
-1.2 Meg cam...Right...somehow this "1.2MP" camera can store 40 pics in 16 megs. That is 400k per picture, that does not equal a 1.2 megapixel file size. Remember, there is no regulation on the rating-it can be rated as "appears to be 1.2MP on a computer screen". Computer screens have line doublers in them. Take a 640x480 resolution (about .6m) double it on a computer screen, and you get...a 1.2 Megapixel rating! Its a numbers game, camcorders do it to. And the picture looks like crap.
So tempting...but id rather have a functional phone than a fancy looking piece of junk.
Doesn't meet MY needs
I just got my koi two days ago. i got it because i wanted a phone with a speakerphone and a better camera. i used to own my beloved lg vx6000. i do LOVE the camera and spearkphone on the koi but there are MANY features that have dissapointed me and frankly i think i'm going back to my lg.
the scheduler on this koi is WORTHLESS! you have to set events on a per day basis and you cant have them repeat yearly, or weekly or daily. WORTHLESS!! Also, the alrm clock is the same way, you can only set ONE alarm and you cant have it repeat only on weekdays, etc!! HORRIBLE!!
the EZItext imput style is very frustrating. i'm used to T9 which should be the standard on ALL phones! i can't really explain my reasons for why i dont like the EZItext input, but if you're used to T9, you wont like the EZItext input style.
also when writting a text message, scrolling through the contact list to find who you want to write to, is SLOW. you either scroll through all your entries until you find him or her or for example: if you are looking for "Frank" you can keep the number 3 button pressed and then it will take you to the "E's" then you have to scroll until you find frank. why can't you just press the number three until the "F's" show up? i write thousands of texts a month by the way!! text messaging was less combersome on my lg!!! there is a "RECENT LIST" option to look through but i text so many people!! searching through contact list still needs to be improved!
you can not assign different alert sounds for incoming text messages. you only have a choice of like 5 CRAP alert sounds!! i'd like to be able to assign specific text alert sounds to individual contacts!!!!!!!!!!!
The rest of what's on this phone, i LOVE though!! the menu style is fun, the camera is F*CKING AWSOME!! the flash really is useful!! the speakerphone i have heard at times have an echoy effect but it's really loud and the people i'm speaking to can't tell they're on speakerphone!~!~
Kyoceras keep there reputation
Its a kyocera after all. don't get excited about mega pixel camera or swivel design or even speaker. the phone is garbage just like any other kyocera. i upgraded 2 days ago, and I'm already back to my old vox 8900.
Pros-MP camera. Speaker phone. Big screen
Cons- Blurry camera, lousy speaker phone, flimsy design, only 1 screen, thats easy to scratch and break the first time you drop it.
