Gone are the days when QWERTY keypads used to be an exclusive feature of high end business phones. Today Qwerty keypads are found on phones ranging from the very basic ones to the advanced business phones.
The Byond Q99 is a perfect example of a low end phone that has got good features. The dual SIM phone has a nice and comfortable Qwerty keypad.
Rather than adding to the looks company has decided to give this phone a very basic and simplistic looks. The single color black tone with a glossy piano finish looks good but adds to the problem of accumulating dust and finger prints. The silver outlines of the phone add a sophisticated look to the device as well.
When it comes to the display this phone features a smaller 2inch QCIF display which is good and vibrant. The phone also features an optical track pad like the one found on the Micromax Q7 and in the BlackBerry too.
By far the track-pad on this phone has out performed track pads found on other phones in the same price band. The Qwerty keypad is nice and big so people with fat fingers should not have a problem with it. The feedback is accurate but the pitch should have been more to make it a little more comfortable.
The 1.3 Megapixel camera does the job well. Surprisingly the phone supports PictBridge technology which allows users to print pictures directly from a compatible printer without the need to download it on a computer.
However, the hardware fails to enthuse.
Feature wise this is a great phone, it has got all the features what a user can expect from a phone in this price bracket.
To begin with you get a dual Memory card slot which helps in transferring content between the cards and increasing the memory of the phone as well. And you get a flash light as well and a bright one too.
Q99 features integrated social networking with Facebook, twitter and even MSN. For chatting or messenger services, this is probably the first low cost phone to feature Skype and yahoo messenger.
Call quality wise this phone is an average performer but does the job where most phones fail. Voice quality is loud and clear with an above average loudspeaker.
The most commendable feature is the battery which simply refuses to die. Even after keeping the phone functional for two days the three bars of the phone appear as it is!
The Q99 sports a multi format music and video player and with its expandable 8GB memory you can store a snapshot of your world in it.
With the 3.5 mm jack you can also connect any Headphone with this device. The bundled hands-free does the job but you might want to upgrade after you buy this.
To sum it all up the Byond Q99 is a nice and not to forget lightweight Qwerty keypad based dual SIM phone that has got a lot of features both hardware and software wise.
With a price tag of Rs 3500, it gives ample value for money. If you are looking for options the Micromax Q3, Q5 and Spice QT61 can also be considered for the same amount.
The company Byond is, however, not well known in Indian market and is one of the newest entrants.