Hands on: Plum's Wicked 3G Android phone
updated 11:23 am EDT, Thu May 10, 2012
Another budget handset from newcomer
Plum Mobile, a newcomer to the smartphone market, was one of the only companies to introduce a slew of new devices this week at CTIA. Although the company's large Might handset clearly takes a bit too much inspiration from Samsung's Galaxy Note, the Wicked 3G appears to be a unique design. We stopped by Plum's booth to take a closer look at the compact entry-level Android handset.
The Wicked 3G has a bubbly, rounded shape and a glossy finish that may be a selling point for some younger users, though we find most extra-shiny phones, especially in black, to be fingerprint and smudge magnets. The company also offers a white variant, which might not be as prone to smudging.
A comparatively tiny 2.8-inch display adorns the Wicked 3G, surrounded by a sizable bezel and leaving room at the bottom of the phone for dedicated call buttons. We are fans of thin-bezel designs, however Plum's device is not attempting to compete with high-end smartphones or even midrange offerings.
Connectivity options appear to be one of the highlighted features, as the device integrates a quad-band GSM radio with dual-band 3G support. It is also one of the seemingly cheapest handsets that we've seen with hotspot functionality.
Plum has yet to price the Wicked 3G, though we expect the handset to arrive on the low end and an unlikely candidate for US launch.
