By David Klein

Using the Helio Mysto is very unusual for me. Why? It's like taking a step back from the modern cell phone experience. For the past couple of years I have been spoiled by large, touchable screens and interfaces that have moved way beyond up-down-left-right navigation. Although the Mysto comes loaded with many applications, including a well-equipped Yahoo suite, it maintains a dying mobile experience.

The Internet browser is constrained by the phone's untouchable display, it has one thing that no other phone I have used has: SPEED. This is what 3G is supposed to be. Using the Mysto to check GMail, use Yahoo's various sites, and read news headlines is actually possible, unlike so many other phones which claim to have 3G connectivity. My previous review of the Verizon Voyager is a great example of 3G disappointment.

The Mysto's hardware is very unusual. The force feedback is nice, but some buttons are touch sensitive while others actually need to be pressed with effort. The lack of consistency is very confusing. Even after several hours of use I have to hesitate to see if my button press did something or if I have to press harder a second time. If you are just starting out with the Mysto, be patient. It took me several hours before I could confidently send a text message without accidentally erasing it halfway through. The right arrow key almost overlaps onto the go-back-to-the-previous-menu key. You can only imagine how frustrating this is while composing a full sentence message.

I use the phone's sliding ability more often than I should. Basically, whenever I am stuck inside a menu system that does not offer an exit option, I have to slide the phone shut and start over again. Unfortunately, the phone is totally unusable when slid shut. This makes no sense to me since the primary buttons are still exposed. Sliding the phone closed only hides the keypad which is not crucial while accessing most of the applications.

The Helio service is ideal for mobile entertainment. There are many eye-catching services throughout the video page including The Onion, eBaum's World, iFilm, etc. Personally, I browse around the Bush Bites section the most. After that comes the Baywatch videos which show original Baywatch clips dubbed over with a new script and a stereotypical, offensive French accent. Hilarious! There is an extensive offering of free streaming videos. They load quickly and the quality is surprisingly good. You can even play video full screen horizontally. The built-in speaker is loud enough to not require headphones.

I believe it is safe to assume that the Helio software and services are available on all of their phones. If that is the case, then I highly recommend checking out the service if you are fed up with your current carrier. It is clear what Helio's business strategy and marketing teams focused on while developing the brand: partnerships. There is an abundance of popular Internet services built into the phone's software. This creates an enjoyable internet experience even when you are away from your computer. Mobile browsing usually consists of poor content, slow speeds, and awful quality. Not for Helio. In my opinion the Mysto got in the way of Helio's amazing features. I look forward to trying out the Ocean sometime soon since it has a larger screen and a QWERTY keyboard. That will allow me to enjoy the Helio service the way it was intended.