Pantech Element hands-on

Pantech just pulled the covers off of a device that they call the Element which is an Android-powered tablet that will run on AT&T’s 4G LTE network when it launches on January 22 for the price of $299 with a two-year agreement.

The Pantech Element runs on Android Honeycomb and is actually a pretty decent piece of hardware. Despite being made of mostly plastic, it didn’t feel like a tablet that would be easy on the wallet. The finish was smooth and it felt nice when held with two hands. However it is a bit on the heavy side, despite featuring only an 8-inch display.

Speaking of the display, it left much to be desired like the Pantech Burst smartphone that they also announced earlier today. Colors and text were okay, but nothing to write home about. Viewing angles were decent enough but might not get the job done in the event that there are multiple people trying to watch a video on the Element at the same time.

Powering the tablet is a dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon Processor. It seemed speedy enough and could probably handle everyday use without a hiccup. Apps and menus opened without much hesitation and navigating between screens was fluid.  The Element features two cameras. The back of the device has a 5 megapixel camera with flash while the front has a 2 megapixel shooter.


What is really impressive about the Pantech Element is the fact that it is waterproof by definition. Yes we said waterproof, not water resistant. It can withstand being one meter underwater for a half an hour. Not too bad at all.

The Pantech Element is launching on January 22 for $299 with a two-year contract with AT&T. Given that it launches on the same day as the Pantech Burst, AT&T will actually be offering a special promotion in which anybody can pick up both the Element and the Burst for a combined price of $249. Of course, that is with a two-year contract for each. Tell us what you think about the Pantech Element in the comments below.