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Review Of The Pharos Traveler GPS 137

by Jerry1973 on May 17, 2010

The Pharos Traveler GPS 137 comes with hefty price tag, but that buys GPS capabilities, 3G support, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and a 5-megapixel camera. However, this phone’s sluggish performance and less than stellar navigation software make the cost seem less than worth it. Perhaps it would be better to purchase a good performing smartphone and a separate GPS system.

The Pharos Traveler GPS 137 comes with maps and navigation software, which negates the need to subscribe to a location-based service. However, on a phone that costs approximately $500-$650 unlocked, one would think the navigation software would be more intuitive and provide directions that are more accurate. Entering addresses, finding points of interest, and pulling up recent destinations are tasks not easily accomplished on the Traveler 137. Submenu navigation within the software is also rather complex. To top off the experience, the route summary sometimes fails to include key turns in the travel plan.

Aside from features like 3G support, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth, the highlight of the Traveler 137 is its full touch screen characterized by a sharp, vibrant display. The screen measures 3.5 inches, allowing clear viewing of maps and Web pages. The onscreen QWERTY keyboard displays in both portrait and landscape modes. The only problem with this feature is that the phone’s built-in accelerometer can be slow or non-responsive on occasion. The camera included on the Traveler 137 is a bit more of a win-win situation. It is 5-megapixels, yields images of good quality, and includes several resolutions, editing options, and video recording.

Despite having a faster processor and more memory, this phone can be very slow and the software is not exactly user friendly. Applications are slow to launch and the phone frequently pauses when changing from one task to another. In addition, calls are sometimes characterized by an annoying hiss in the background and voices sound tinny when using the speakerphone feature. However, callers report great quality on their end.

Despite having the highly desired GPS functionality, 3G support, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a 5-megapixel camera, the Pharos Traveler GPS 137 is kind of a disappointment. The GPS software is difficult to use and does not always provide accurate directions. In addition, general performance is characterized by both slowness and freezing, making the phone frustrating to use. For such an expensive smartphone, one would think the user experience would be much more pleasurable.