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In a matter of minutes, you’ll have your contacts imported, your social networking sites set up, your Google account activated, your Wi-If connected and your preferences set. Like we said, a Joy. Accessing the dial pad is as easy as pie – there’s a big fat icon at the bottom of the home screen that takes you there. You can then start dialing a number or name (using the TO predictive text method) and Samaritan will work out who you’re aiming for from your contacts. Calls made using the Wildfire could be clearer; although not bad quality, callers’ voices were a touch on the fuzzy side.
We also had a couple of issues with dropped calls even when the reception was perfectly fine. So what do we really make of the ETC Wildfire? It’s a likable handset with a lot going for it. We love the ETC Wildfire’s grown-up looks, proving that low-cost handsets don’t have to look like they should be sold in Toys. You can’t go far wrong with Itch’s Sense interface either, customizing those seven home screens means that no two handsets need be the same and it’ll work for you. The social networking integration will appeal to the younger generations, although some may find the caller-ID functions redundant.
Quick and clever web browsing will be universally appreciated, as will the Google Maps which never let us down. A myriad of little things kept us happy – from app sharing to the easy setup process, the inclusion of a camera flash and the handy flashlight. The thing that kept annoying us while using the ETC Wildfire was the screen. It Just isn’t sharp enough for us, if we’re honest, and if you’ve ever used a handset with an MAILED or Super-MAILED screen, you’ll find yourself hinging the same.
Anyone who wants to watch a lot of video on their handset would be well advised to steer clear. And while ETC has got a lot of things right in its Sense LU but there are still areas that smack of afterthought. We were hoping that lower processing and poorer-quality screen may at least mean a more copious battery life, but that doesn’t seem to be the case; and with delayed messages and multiple see ETC getting a low-cost handset so right and, although there were mingles, we’re convinced that the ETC Wildfire is one of the best mid-range Android phones around.