Manufacturers and national carriers make it easy to get fixated on ultra high-end smartphone gear, but Samsung is keeping things grounded with the release of the Transfix on Cricket. Loaded up with Android 2.3, the phone's got a four-row QWERTY keyboard and a playful blue-violet shell — but that's about as far as the notable specs go. The 3.2-inch HVGA display really took us back (and not in a good way) — in fact, I was downright surprised how grainy it looked. Needless to say, if you're accustomed to Samsung's gorgeous Super AMOLED Plus components, the Transfix is about as far away from that end of the spectrum as you can get.

As far as build quality goes, the phone doesn't feel particularly cheap — though needless to say, you're not going to find any metal bits here. The back is lightly textured with a matte plastic finish, and the QWERTY keyboard opens and closes with a satisfying level of spring tension. Make no mistake, this is a value-class phone from start to finish, but that's why it's $179.99 off-contract — if you're looking for something a little fancier, you can step up to the Indulge (also on Cricket) for $130 more.