At year end promotional sale prices, the Helio Ocean is a GREAT value. I got one for about 75% off the full retail price after signing up for a Helio two year new acct activation.
Ocean's formfactor sort of resembles a much smaller version of the Apple iPhone or iPOD touch. But at $399 for either of those, they are well beyond my budget.
The Ocean's display screen is not touch sensitive but still adequate at 2.4", for cellphone apps like text messaging, IM'g, address book lookups for email and calling your contacts.
Where the Ocean really shines is its dual slider design, similar to the Sidekick, only more of dual personality phone.
For truly mobile phone handheld use, the Ocean's lower (end) section slides down to reveal a traditional keypad for typical cell phone functions. Alternatively, you can slide out horizontally a full length QWERTY keypad, for intense texting, that instantly reorients the LCD to a landscape mode. SLICK!
The Ocean has so many features - too many really - that, unless you have too much time on your hands, most cell phone users would never bother to learn to use all of them. Nevertheless, this phone is feature rich and suffice to say can be used far in excess of an everyday mobile phone.
It has elaborate built-in "wireless" networking technologies, Voice, GPS, Bluetooth and Internet access, plus can be used as a portable device for multimedia applications (music file downloads, streaming video).
The Ocean is really a smart mobile phone that doubles as a Do-It-All-In-One, extremely versatile device. In addition to a cellphone, it can be used for viewing or just listening to a variety of online news sources and multimedia entertainment. It even can be used to play colorful, "3D" games, with sound effects, although somewhat crudely on such a small handheld device.
The sound heard through the built-in speakers (with manual up/down volume control buttons on the side of the case) is more than audible. The Ocean comes with stereo earbuds for "private" listening.
Helio provides a generous amount of internal memory (209MB) for downloadable applications and user files. The Ocean can be upgraded to an additional 2GBs with an optional microSD plugin memory module.
Like most digital cameras, the Ocean's built-in 2 megapixel camera can capture color photos and short videos for sending to friends and relatives. If this feature is used frequently as well as downloading a lot of web based pictures and music files is desired, having additional 2 gigabytes of extra memory storage capacity will come in handy.
The Ocean is currently available as the flagship of Helio's cellular products. Other Helio models with designs much like many others from other cellphone companies, are also available (and at lower prices).
For example, the Helio Fin recently came out as an ultra slim, flip phone with almost the same features as the Ocean. The Fin excludes a full set of text messaging keys of course, in a lightweight, far less bulky case compared to the dual slider Ocean.
Is there anything to criticize? Sure, I don't like Helio's rate plans with start at $65 for unlimited data services and only 500 anytime minutes. I think a lower cost plan with fewer minutes would appeal to a lot of subscribers who already have a "regular" cellphone.
Also, Helio's family plans are too costly as well, because to have even one added line, you must move up to a 1000 anytime minute plan.
This brings me to one truly unique GPS related feature built-in to all Helio mobile phones, called "Buddy Beacon". This allows all members of a shared family plan to know where everyone else is located, (I should say, where the phones are located), at any given time. This could be a very useful feature for parents with teenage children, each with Buddy Beacon enabled cellphone with them when they are away fro
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