Review: Sharp FX
The FX's targeted demographic is messaging-crazed users. Does it provide all that they need? Almost. Email, IM, SMS/MMS, and some limited social networking are on board. Let's see how they each measure up.
First, SMS/MMS. Messages are arranged in a conversational, threaded format with colored bubbles differentiating the sent/received messages. Composing messages is a little awkward because there are two panels that need to be filled in for each message: the recipient and the message itself. The default action when you open a new message is not to add the recipient first, but to create the content. I prefer it the other way around, but that's just me.
Each message can be enriched with picture, video and audio content. These all appear in-line with the other messages, including microscopic thumbnails of the content. You have to open each individual text message to get a better view of whatever was attached. Messages can be grouped together and deleted in batches, which is convenient for those who need to dump their message history in a jiffy.
The email client is bare bones and works with POP3 and IMAP4 email systems. I had no trouble adding a Yahoo account to the FX, but it's unbelievably lame that AT&T charges $5 a month to access email. For a messaging device, email should be included in the data package. Weak sauce, AT&T, weak sauce.
The FX also comes with support for AIM, Windows Live and Yahoo Messenger for the IM-addicted. It is the same client that AT&T has used on its feature phones for a long time. It works well enough, and each network can handle multiple conversations, though the clunky user interface makes it a chore.
Want to hit up Facebook? The FX has a dedicated menu shortcut to the Facebook mobile web site. This is functional, but only barely so. It is a meager experience at best, and frustrating at worst. The FX is also preloaded with AT&T's Social Net software. This client lets users bundle Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace content into a single spot. It's not good for much more than posting status updates, though, and reading through a stream of what your friends are up to. There are no advanced social networking features to speak of.
It's obvious that AT&T is drawing a line between what QMDs can do and what its more advanced smartphones can do with it comes to social networking. I don't see why the QMD crowd continually gets the short stick.
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Sharp FX
