by
Ted Kritsonis
Faze Technology Editor

What it is: The P207 from Samsung is Canada’s first speech-to-text cell phone. The idea is that instead of typing away on the phone’s keys, you just simply speak slowly into it and it should type the words in on its own by recognizing your voice.

What’s good about it: This isn’t meant to be a flashy phone but it’s got a sleek look to it in both black and white. The obvious feature that makes this thing cool is that you can text someone without ever punching in keys. To do this, you have to go through a setup process where you say 122 words into the phone using a clear voice with three-second pauses in between each word. Once you’ve done that, go to “Create a text message” and you’re good to go. Just hold down the button on the side and say what you got to say. It’s so simple that you might get hooked a little too easily. Oh, and if it doesn’t understand a word, you can “teach” it to the phone by typing it in and saying it.

What’s NOT good about it: You need to be careful how you say things and make sure that you check your message before sending it. If you don’t, you might be sending a message with words that aren’t spelt right, or you could end up with a phrase that doesn’t make any sense. Test it out before you try to get used to it.

What’s the verdict: The P207 gives you an idea on what we can expect in the future as technology improves. Samsung definitely had a good idea in using voice to make texting easier and better, but we still need to see how fast it’ll catch on here.

Manufacturer:
Samsung
Carrier:
Rogers Wireless

Cost:
$50 on 3-year term
$100 on 2-year term
$225 on 1-year term
$340 no term

Rating: 9/10