In my earlier review of Panasonic T31, I wasn’t really expecting much out of a low cost android phone. However it turned out to be just the opposite. That was a low cost device. With Panasonic T21, things are different. It is price at approximately Rs. 13,200 and at this price point the competition is stiff. So let’s get on with Panasonic T21 review and see how well does it fare.
Build Quality
Panasonic T21 features an all out plastic body with chrome finish on border, at the front of device. Though essentially plastic build, the tinge of chrome finish gives the device a premium look. Plus the button less front panel adds to clean, “premium” look. In terms of overall build quality, the device doesn’t feel fragile at all. Another worth mentioning aspect is unlike majority of devices in the market with plastic body, T21’s back panel doesn’t attract finger prints.
On to the design aspect, unlike T31 which had a greater degree of curvature around the corners, T21 is only slightly rounded around the edges, just enough to distinguish the device from a regular bar design. All in all T21 is comfortable to hold with a single hand and slides in your pocket easily!
As far as button placements are concerned, T21 features on-screen buttons rather than capacitive buttons. The left sideline of device is button less with right sideline containing volume rocker button at top and dedicated camera key at bottom. The multi-purpose power on/off, screen lock button has been placed at the top next to 3.5 mm audio jack and USB/charging slot.
And in line with what I mentioned about placement of screen lock button in T31, with T21 the same applies i.e I didn’t face any problem reaching out for it despite that fact that screen measures 4.5″ inch.
Display
Panasonic T21 carries a 4.5″ inch IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen measuring 720 x 1280 pixels (approximately 326 ppi pixel density). With such a high density display, there’s no arguing the fact that the screen indeed looks crisp. And thus watching videos, viewing high quality images and playing games is a pleasure.
On a side note, just a suggestion, it would be unfair to compare the display on this device with those of Samsung phones. IPS panel has it own set of advantages as against Super AMOLED screens. Just a pointer. Alright moving on to performance of device.
Performance
Panasonic T21 comes with 1 GB RAM, 4 GB internal storage (expandable up-to 32 GB via microSD card), supports dual-sim, A-GPS, GPRS, EDGE, 3G, WiFi, Bluetooth and USB connectivity. It is powered by 1.2 Ghz dual core processor with Android version 4.1.2 Jelly Bean. Following are the results of AnTuTu benchmark.
Speaking of performing the day to day tasks, the phone played along nicely for the most part. I was able to watch full hd videos (via MXplayer), play games like Temple Run, Angry Birds and more heavy duty ones like Asphalt without any issues. Though I did find the device getting hot and minor lag while running Asphalt but that’s understandable. As far as other daily apps are concerned, T21 accommodated Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, Gmail (2 accounts), Hangouts background sync without any problem.
One point I’d like to bring to your notice is the severely limited internal storage. It comes with just 4 GB of internal storage out of which usable portion is even lesser. I was forced to use a microSD card for installing games and storing media.
Battery
Panasonic T21 comes with a removable 1700 mAh Li-Ion battery which delivers a days usage with mild usage. Under my test involving continuous WiFi connectivity with 50 minutes of YouTube video streaming, an hour of music play back, some wild runs of the game Temple Run, and background sync turned on for Facebook, Twitter, Gmail (multiple accounts), WhatsApp, Viber, Hangouts, I was able to extract nearly 13 hours of battery by the end of the day with ~10% still left in the tank. For a regular user, a more judicious use would yield more battery time.
Concluding Lines
Comparing the device in terms of specifications with the likes of LG Optimus L5 II, Micromax Canvas HD A116 or Samsung Galaxy Core, Panasonic T21 doesn’t really have much to offer. There’s nothing wrong with device but it’s just that Panasonic T21 doesn’t give an answer to Why should you buy T21 and not go for well established brands like Samsung, LG or even Micromax.
Panasonic T21 In Pictures
1. To take care of the storage issue try and move applications to external SD card. That’s the only way to get rid of this issue.
2. If you have previously installed applications from Google Play store then login to Play store (on your device) using the same account and reinstall the applications from under “My Apps”.
i love this phone…….but am currently in trouble because of this message i keep having that storage space is running out. i have tried almost everything………. deleting all my apps but i still have the message. the most annoying part is that i cant reinstall previous apps i have installed before. i have tried factory reset too and that is not working. Can someone please help me????