Pantech G500

HAVING only owned and reviewed handphones from mainstream brands like Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Siemens and Motorola, I felt that I had to keep my expectations in check when the Korean brand Pantech sent in its latest clamshell, the G500, for a test drive.

There's a flood of smaller players coming in the mobile market. Big players like Nokia may still rule the roost, but now with the variety of phones available by the not-so-famous brands, the market is finally beginning to see beyond the hype. Pantech,...