Imagine a phone that has more than 40 buttons, can make a call or send a text message from anywhere in the state and take pictures with a 1.3 megapixel camera. You’re not dreaming. You’re in the world of Pantech.

The Pantech Link is loaded with little buttons. They’re kind of hard to press if you’re a grown man or any species with hands larger than a raccoon. I like to use a pencil.

As far as charging the phone goes, you need to pull off the protective plug over the charging port to do that. It’s difficult to do but there is a small slit on the side of the plug where you can get underneath it to pry it off. Admittedly, it’s kind of hard to pry off if you don’t have raccoon hands. I like to use a pencil.

The Link has another interesting feature. I’m not entirely sure what it is and I haven’t seen any references to it on the Internet.

If I were to guess, I’d say it was some kind of artificial intelligence because the phone actually seems to go through moods.

For instance, sometimes it is in what I call “happy mode.” In this mode, the phone will ring every time someone calls — as it should.

Then there’s “sad mode.” I’m not sure what stimuli makes the phone sad but when it happens, the phone gets moody. It will light up during a call but it won’t ring. It will light up when it receives a text but it won’t vibrate.

I also assume the phone responds to human contact since it sometimes shuts off the second I place it on a surface. It also seems to favor turning off in the middle of me typing a text. It’s an interesting quirk but one I tired of pretty quickly.

The folks at Pantech surely wouldn’t claim the Link as a luxury phone.

Yes, it is inexpensive and surely exists for those of us who can’t afford an Internet data plan (although it actually does have an email feature).

It is simply a phone. It makes calls and sends text messages, period.

If you want fancy, be willing to spend the money on a different phone.

Rating: F

To contact Jake McMahon, email pioneerphotog@occc.edu.