The Mobile Phone Saving Network

Kyocera K10 Royale

Wireless/Mobile Phone/Cell Phone

Rated 3.0 out of 5

Hot on the heels of the popular Kyocera K9 Rave phone comes the new K10 Royale, now with a brilliant color screen and support for Virgin Mobile's enhanced wireless Internet services, known as VirginXL. The sporty K10 also features Superphonic ringtones, two-way text messaging support, voice dialing, and a flashlight. There's no better way to take advantage of your Virgin Mobile service.

Take a closer look at the K10 Royale's functions.

Design
The K10 features a 104 x 80, 4,000-color color screen that displays call information, games, wireless content, and more. A stub antenna extends from the top right side of the phone while a charging port is positioned on the bottom of the unit. A 2.5mm headset jack is also provided. Most phone features and on-screen menus are controlled by a five-way center button on the handset's control pad. Detachable faceplates are available, so you can dress up the phone's case to suit your style.

Calling Features
The K10's built-in address book can store up to 200 entries for quick and easy management of your contacts. The phone comes with built-in Virgin Mobile Superphonic ringtones plus a vibrating alert. Superphonic ringtones feature real music tracks; even more are available via Virgin Mobile's VirginXtras service. Voice dialing of up to 10 contacts is supported, as are voice commands, so you can dial numbers and control certain functions of the phone without ever touching it.

Messaging and Internet
The K10 covers the messaging basics with support for sending and receiving text messages easily and quickly (Virgin Mobile text messaging charges apply). eZitext text entry, which is a technology that makes it easier for people to enter words and text on handsets, is built into the unit--a plus for mobile e-mail and text messaging users.

The phone fully supports Virgin Mobile's enhanced wireless content service, VirginXL. Use the pay-per-use service to download Superphonic ringtones, animations, and voices of the hottest recording artists. Get content and vote in TV-based polls with the MTV area of your phone, or get jokes and updates from Comedy Central. Pick a celebrity voice to answer your voice mail, or get a SpongeBob thought of the day. Need to jog your memory? Use Virgin's song ID service. Press the Song ID command, point your K10 toward a song that's playing in the room, and within minutes a text message appears identifying the song's title. There's even a "Rescue Rings" service to help get you out of sticky dating or other personal situations. The list of cool content features goes on and on.

The K10 ships with a number of handy tools, including a calendar, a calculator with a tip calculator, and an alarm clock.

Imaging and Entertainment
The phone features custom Virgin Mobile graphics--screen savers, wallpaper, and menu icons--that let you dress up your phone to suit your personality. There's even a built-in flashlight for when you're fumbling with your keys in the dark. For gamers, the K10 comes preloaded with two games, and more are available via the VirginXL service.

Vital Statistics
The Kyocera K10 Royale weighs 3.52 ounces and measures 4.42 x 1.92 x 0.92 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 3.5 hours of digital talk time and up to 180 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the CDMA 1900 frequency. The phone comes with a one-year limited warranty.

What's in the Box
K10 Royale handset, lithium-ion battery, AC charger, user's manual.

Features of Kyocera K10 Royale:

built-in polyphonic ring tones and vibrate alert - download actual song clips
full color screen with backlit keypad
limit 5 phones per customer.
one-touch and voice dialing
palm-friendly design features a rubberized grip with built in flashlight
prepaid phones

Reviews:

VM SUCKS AND CONTINUE TO SUCK

Rating: 1

VIRGIN MOBILE IS A RIPOFF AND YOU GUYS ARE GETTING RIPOFFED

Rating: 1

For all those who don't think that there VM does not think the Minute 2 Minute plan contains a hidden fee. I'll just have to explain it again.

On the minute 2 minute plan you pay 25 cents for the first 10 minutes and after that it's just 10 cents after. What it means is that if you want 10 cents a minute, you would have to spend $2.50 for the first 10 minutes. The $1.50 is already tacked on for the first 10 minutes assuming the standard price per minute is 10 cents per minute for the, minute 2 minute plan, which explains why it's $2.50 for the first ten minutes and 10 cents after that even though VM doesn't say that there is a fee. Basically you guys are paying 15 cent more for the first 10 minutes (10 cents + 15 additional cents)= 25cents for the first 10 minutes. Any right minded person can look at the plan and see this clearly.

This review is based on average usage of 300 minutes per month.

I hope that all of you guys are reading this because you guys who own a vrigin mobile phone are getting ripoffed big time.
Virgin Mobile really knows how to screw you bigtime. Trust me I did the math and you guys are not getting your minutes worth. All the plans suck because you guys are just paying fees, fees, and more fees. I explain in details why each plan sucks and how they are ripping you off. You'll soon learn why in the end you guys are really paying more than an average plan.

1. The Minute 2 Minute: This plan charges 25 cents for the first 10 minutes and 10 cents after. What you don't know is that there is actually a $1.50 access fee for the first 10 minutes. $1.50 a day for 30 days comes out to be $45 alone for 10 minutes each day.Basically you will have to spend $2.50 first to get 10 cents per minute. Assume that you just use 10 minutes everyday for 30 days. That comes out to $75 for just 300 minutes. Out of that $75 is $45 in hidden access fees.

2. The Day 2 Day plan: This plan charges you 35 cents a day even on days you don't use your phone. That comes out $10.50 a month in access fees.Assume that you use 300 minutes a month. It will actually cost you $40.50 for just 300 minutes. A year will cost you $126 in access fees alone. That's $126 of minutes that you guys have lost by paying the access fees.

3. The Month 2 Month: This plan is the worst. There are 3 levels to this plan but they really know how to screw yo and take your money on this plan. This plan also charges you applicable sales tax too which means more lost airtime for you guys.

Level 1: They start you off with 300 minutes for $30. Here's how they get you. They divide your 300 minutes in daytime minutes and night & weekend minutes. You only get 150 daytime minutes and the other 150 minutes is assigned to night & weekend minutes. How you move on to the next level depends on the the daytime minutes. In order to move to the next level you would have to use up all your daytime minutes which is 150 minutes in this level. For an additional $10 you move on to the next level.

Level 2: This level for $10 more you get 950 minutes. Sounds good doen't it but it's really not. Guess how many daytime minutes you really get only. JUST 100 daytime minutes while the other 850 minutes is assigned to night & weekends. For $40 you only get 250 daytime minutes but 1000 night & weekend minutes. That's just too many minutes assigned to night & weekend. Once you use up that additional 100 minutes in level 2 you move up to level 3 for an additional $10.

level 3: An additional $10 gives you an additional 100 daytime minutes but once you use all your assigned night & weekend minutes it is free after that. Now come on that's just not right. For $50 and applicable sales tax you only get 350 daytime minutes???? You can get more daytime minutes (1000 minutes & free nights & weekends)at t-mobile with a regular plan for about $50 a month. You're getting ripoffed at Virgin Mobile here people.

They also found out how to take your money away at this level too. Once you use all your daytime minutes, you can get more daytime minutes by paying an additional 20 cents per minute. That's just too high of a rate per minute.

4. Inner circle: This plan is really stupid. It allows a person to have unlimited nights & weekends. This plan will cost you $21 a month whether you use your phone or not and all other minutes are 10 cents each. A 70 cent fee is assessed everyday whether you use your phone or not which is $21 a month. Here's how they get you too also. Assume you use 300 minutes a month. That comes out to $51 a month. $21 in access fees and $30 for daytime minutes. THEY ALSO LIMIT YOU TO ONLY 3 NUMBERS. They let you change the numbers though but you can only do it 2 times a month. After 2 times they charge you $3.99 each time.

Virgin mobile also charges you just to look at how much is in you account. Other prepaid companies don't charge you to look at your account.

I've just explained to you why Virgin Mobile has the worst prepaid plan. If you think that you are getting a good deal you should read this again and do some freshing up on your math skills.

poor display and GUI; only demo games

Rating: 1

I had to replace my K9 phone. I thought K10 will be an improvement. Was not. The interfaces are NOT the same and K10's is not as intuitive as K9's is. The color display has a poor contrast. Can barely see it when the backlit is not on. The two games are demos. K9 allows you to play Tetris and Brick attack and has a doodle program as well. K10's ring tones are a subset of K9's. In short, a more powerful phone with many of the features removed and only made available for $$$.

Minute to Minute plan is very good for me; VM phone support poor; K10 is OK

Rating: 4

After using the Minute to Minute plan for just shy of 3 month, I still have $4.05 left of the $20.00 I put into my account on the first day. I don't use the phone much. It is perfect for me. For the first month, though, I could not access network services on my K10. VM's first level of telephone support was useless in solving the problem. I averaged 2-3 calls a week to the VM's support line with no results. During the first week, my case was escalated to an "investigation". I had several phone comversations with the escalation level staff with promises of results, but I got no results. Finally, in the 3rd phone coversation with an escalation guy (a different guy each time) at the end of the 4th week, this fellow did one thing and network access was possible on my phone. Now I was able to check how much money was left in my account without going to VM's web site! VM's phone support staff, as a group from my encounters, seem to be less than competant in troubleshooting cell phone technology!! Before getting the Kyocera K10, I had several other phones that came with much pricier plans. They were better designed phones, but VM's low service cost to me given my low phone usage more than offsets the shortcomings of this K10 phone. ws ps: I bought this phone directly from VM online, not through Amazon or a local vendor. Next time, I might buy the phone through a local vendor (Radio Shack). ws

BEWARE of "Accessing" Virgin Mobile "Extras"!!

Rating: 1

Virgin Mobile has a little, low-profile, money-making scam up their sleeves for their loyal customers:

If you use your phone to even just take a LOOK at the Virgin Mobile "Extras" menu - they'll start charging your account 10 cents a day until you call, or go to the website, to cancel the fee.

How's that song go: "Just one look - that's all it took?"

Right, it's only 10 cents a day (forever) until you cancel; so multiply that times their unsuspecting user base, and VM's business ethics begin to look a little "questionable."

Way to skim your people, VM!

Excellent

Rating: 5

People here are complaining about the VM service. This is for the cell phone not what network it is on!!!! This cell phone has awesome features and has never let me down. Now I am gona say one quick word on the network. You think it costs a lot and it has tons of hidden fees. I per month use about 100 minutes - 300 and I pay very little. On average I pay 10 dollars for the minute2minute plan. I have never had a dropped call and I always have full bar reception even in buildings. If you are saying this service costs alot look at boost mobile and verizon.

By Kyocera