Sprint just released their newest phone, the Katana Eclipse X by Sanyo.  This is the latest in the famous Katana series. The Katana Eclipse X is geared more towards music lovers with the media keys on the front of the handset.

In the box you wont find much, only the phone, charger and microSD card adapter. The packaging is not too fancy either, especially in comparison to other Sprint phones we have seen.  The Katana Eclipse X has a 1.3 megapixel camera that is capable of recording video as well.  Taking pictures leaves something to be desired with the 2” LCD screen, we felt that the screen could have been a great deal larger given the space.

Perhaps the most notable feature that was added to this Katana is the exterior notification lights that line the face of the phone. When calls come in the lights flash in an array of different colors.  You can also assign different colors to contacts so you know who is calling from a distance.  The Katana Eclipse X offers Bluetooth, GPS, turn-by-turn navigation and integrated Google Search.  Included with the Katana Eclipse X is a 1Gb microSD card, you can also upgrade the memory up to 8GB if you like.

The Katana Eclipse X features Microsoft Exchange 2000, 2003, 2007 and Lotus Notes Domino versions 6.0, 6.5 and 7.0.  The main menu is customizable, allowing you to access many features with as little as one press of the button.  The integrated voice dialing works without a problem, we were able to place calls without any voice training at all.

The media keys on the front as well as numeric and directional keys felt a bit stiff.  The buttons were a bit uncomfortable when test messaging or sending email.  The call and end keys were also located in a bit of an odd place that may require some getting use to. Often times when trying to use the directional pad, other surrounding keys were pressed by accident.

All in all this phone is ideal for those who are feeling the effects of the economy.  The phone is priced at just $99 with $50 mail in rebate when you sign a 2-year agreement.  Those who are looking for smarthone features such as exchange email without the smartphone price will really enjoy using this stylish handset.