Qualcomm QCP-860

This was a great phone when it was new. Some keypads had a weakness - the numbers would rub off. This could be addressed under warranty.

I've now just worn out my FOURTH Qualcomm QCP-860 mobile phone. The internal time-bomb seems to be set at exactly 4 months. If the microphone dosen't fail, the earpiece will. I've used models made in Mexico and USA and both failed.

My husband and I have each had a Qualcomm 860 mobile phone for three years. We have never had any problems with them. We recently upgraded to a tri-mode phone and were so disappointed with it we "downgraded" back to our faithful Qualcomms. It is really too bad they discontinued the model. Maybe they did becasue it was too good and people were holding on to them and not buying new phones.

The Qualcomm QCP-860 is the best cell phone I have ever owned. Going on 3+ years, I have had no problems. I wish I could find a new unused phone to put away when this one does die. Bad idea to discontinue.

THE QUALCOMM QCP-860 PHONE IS MORE CAPABLE THAN MANY THINK IT IS AS THE GENUINE CAR KIT IS NOT AS GOOD AS IT COULD BE (I MODIFY THE CAR KIT TO GET 20-30% BETTER COVERAGE)

Cuts in and out on phone calls. Hangs up on people. Battery last no longer than a year and a month. All of the numbers have worn off the phone.

I'll be honest, when I first got my Qualcomm, I thought "What was I thinking!?" It's ugly, it's got an extending antennae, and it was the cheapest model. I changed the banner on the screen to read "Crapcomm". I've had my 860 for over a year now, and it's more than proven it's worth. I was originally thinking of getting an additional clip on battery for it, but after the first few weeks, I figured "Why bother!?". The internal battery on this thing is fabulous. I have friends with the latest model of Nokia who whine incessantly about needing to get to a charger. Maybe I don't use my phone as much as them, but in the year that I've had it? I've never had to worry about needing it, only to find a low battery alert. The reception is good for such an inexpensive phone, and the features work flawlessly. My only complaint is that it's ugly as all hell, and there are no dress up items for it like there are for the Nokia phones. If Qualcomm introduces a nicer looking phone? I'll totally buy it.

I really like the QCP-860 for it's sound quality and the thin form factor. People are always amazed to learn I am on a mobile phone. I'm not sure if this is due to the Airtouch CDMA network I use or the high-quality microphone.

This is the only phone I know of that has an internal rechargeable battery. True road warriors can also purchase an extra-capacity battery that clips on the back of the phone. The design is well-thought out and allows simple charging of the optional battery through the plug at the bottom of the phone. I also recommend the desktop charger that allows charging by simply resting the phone in the cradle.

Airtouch has recently introduced internet access at 14.4Kbps. The service allows access via the phones 4 line display but this is really too small for anything other than weather, sports, stocks and other text based applications. The scroll button on the side of the phone allows the reading of longer text based messages 'on the fly' by simply holding the scroll button down. The speed allows comfortable reading and the 14.4 speed is more than adequate for this type of application.

The Thinphone can also be plugged into the serial port of a laptop computer which allows two way internet browsing just like at home although at the slower speed. Still, it's a big improvement over other cellular data solutions and works very well even in marginal reception areas. The only drawback is the data cable plugs into the same port used for charging so make sure you have adequate charge for your browsing needs before going on-line.

All in all a fine phone at a reasonable price.