Ironically enough, for something meant to be a fashion phone it’s taken more than a few seasons for Sprint to retire Sanyo’s Katana II. Almost ten months later, we’ve now got the Katana LX to replace it. But do only good things really come to those who wait? Back in July 2007, in our review of the Katana II, we described it as “a serviceable, dependable cellphone with more than a minor nod to fashion”; since then, though, both fashion and functionality have changed, and expectations of new handsets are far greater.
First impressions are good. Sanyo have shaved both length and width off of the Katana II, but added a little girth: the LX measures in at 94 x 48 x 18mm and its glossy plastic body weighs 96g. Sprint are offering it in three colors: pink, blue and the dark grey we have here. In the hand it’s never going to be mistaken for a luxury cellphone, but build quality seems fair and the hinge is sturdy. Opened up, and the Katana LX’s keys are well-spaced and easily pressed; there’s a dedicated camera shortcut and speakerphone button. Although at first glance the LX would seem to lack an external display, there’s actually a greyscale OLED screen hidden beneath the mirror-finish fascia.
Sadly, that new OLED display is one of the few improvements from the previous model. If the Katana II was a basic phone raised by virtue of its appearance, then the LX is a disappointingly mediocre one hoping its looks will blind buyers to its shortcomings. Yes, there’s GPS and tagless voice-dialling (the latter another of the rare new features), but the camera is still the same VGA unit that, at a time when 2-megapixels seems lacking, is hopelessly outclassed.
Inside, and Sanyo have even taken a step backward with the Katana LX’s main display. Where its predecessor packed a QVGA 240 x 320 screen, the LX makes do with 128 x 160 resolution. Although relatively vivid and clear, it’s noticeably blocky and the resulting larger text size makes using the Katana’s browser less than pleasant. Not that the 1xRTT connection would encourage massive web use; again, if you want Sprint’s Power Vision EV-DO hook-up then you’ll have to look elsewhere. The browser itself is a basic WAP-compatible app and, though you’re able to tether the LX as a modem, Sprint obviously aren’t expecting many Katana users to do that as they no longer include a USB data cable.
Is it all bad news, then? No, to be fair, not entirely. Call quality through the handset, the speakerphone or Bluetooth with a variety of headsets was decent, with little echo, and although we’re still putting the Katana LX through its power-paces the 840mAh battery is rated at a fair 4.8hrs of talktime. GPS – including turn-by-turn directions courtesy of the Sprint Navigation system – is straightforward and very usable, as is text messaging and MMS media messaging thanks to those sizable keys. The odd omission of email from the Katana II has been corrected, although this is certainly no hardcore (or even moderate) messaging phone.
Price and appearance are the biggest draws for the Katana LX. While Sanyo seems to have wilfully ignored the ever-heightening spec levels of the modern cellphone, it’s left them with something reliable and, arguably, usable for the entry-level users this handset is targeted at. Anybody with more than mild expectations in web access, messaging or imaging should look elsewhere, but if cheap and cheerful are your top priorities then the Katana LX might just fit the bill.
The Sanyo Katana LX for Sprint is available now, priced at $49.99 (courtesy of a $150 ‘instant saving’ and a $50 wretched mail-in rebate) with a new contract.
