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T-Mobile's MyTouch 4G Slide is a point-and-shoot replacement with QWERTY keyboard

T-Mobile's newest 4G smartphone is a camera and camcorder replacement with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard running Android Gingerbread, that happens to also make phone calls.
Written by Gloria Sin, Inactive

If you are the type who do not carry a dedicated digital camera wherever you go, but demand advanced functions on your phone's built-in camera for quality, spur-of-the-moment shots, T-Mobile's myTouch 4G Slide may just be just the phone for you. T-Mobile just officially revealed the successor to the myTouch 3G, which will land in select stores and online in July.

What separates the 4G Slide from other smartphones is its high-end camera features that make it a "viable replacement for digital point-and-shoot cameras," according to the T-Mobile press release. The phone has an 8-megapixel camera with a dual LED flash, backside illuminated sensor (BSI) and a wide aperture lens (f/2.2) designed to improve the camera's performance in low-light scenarios -- components that only the iPhone 4 and the upcoming Nokia N9 include. Other advanced capabilities are below:

  • Zero shutter lag
  • SweepShot: for capturing panoramic shots
  • ClearShot HDR: for capturing objects in bright settings
  • BurstShot: for capturing multiple photos in a quick burst

Likewise, the built-in camcorder can also give dedicated video cameras a  run for their money as it can record videos in full HD 1080p with audio recording; videos can be edited directly on the phone.

Under its 3.7" WVGA super LCD touchscreen is a 1.2 GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU, with 4GB of internal memory, though it only includes an 8 GB microSD card but the phone will accept up to 32GB. Last but certainly not least, the phone comes equipped with a full, slide-out QWERTY keyboard with well-spaced keys, on an Android phone running Gingerbread with the HTC Sense 3.0 UI.

If this phone is as well-rounded as T-Mobile is claiming, it would certainly lighten my bag from toting all my reporting gear. For those thumb-typers who are on the hunt for a good keyboard on an Android phone, the myTouch 4G Slide is worth a closer look.

According to T-Mobile's website, this 4G phone will be available in either black or khaki for $199 on a two-year contract.

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