Gadgetell Review: Mobile ESPN (Sanyo MVP handset)

Product: Mobile ESPN
Price: $99.00 for the Sanyo MVP Handset, plans start at $34.99 per month
Rating: Very Good 7.0/10.0
Pros: Screen graphics, access to up to the minute scores, ESPN news stories and columns, tracking favorite players and teams, daily videos, alerts, and the ability to manage fantasy teams.
Cons: Currently limited handset options, lacked Bluetooth, non-major sports are not included in the service (such as tennis, Olympic sports, and NASCAR).
Overall:This is the ultimate service for the sports fanatic. Mobile ESPN is one of the best MVNOs out there, lets just hope they add some better handsets in the future (though the MVP for $99 is a great buy).

Mobile ESPN is the essential MNVO for die hard sports fans, fantasy addicts, and anyone else you know that spends more time watching the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network than out with their friends. The software currently comes on Sanyo’s, less than impressive, MVP handset and is provided wireless service by Sprint.

The experience – 8.5 – The dedicated ‘E’ button on the 5 way navigation buttons brings you to the Java enabled sports lair where your boyfriend (or you) can get lost for hours. It takes a few seconds to load but nothing to complain about, they even offer a trivia tidbit while loading. Mobile ESPN has the ability to get favorite teams, ESPN News, ESPN alerts, scores, game-casts, SportsNation, columns, Answer Guy, ESPN Video, track fantasy teams, Hot Corner, and an ESPN search all in the palm of your hand. The service is easy to navigate through by making use of a left-docked vertical menu bar and constant updates are given across the scrolling ticker. It took some time to download any of the 15 video clips available. You can line up a cue for downloading which is good, but the video function is currently over rated, especially compared to other carriers video offerings. Scores will refresh, player to team tracking is a cinch with tons of information and links, as long as you are looking for a major sport (NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, NCAA). Read on for the rest of the review.

Design – 5.5 – The MVP is currently available for $99, which makes it worth the price, but also makes one wonder if a new handset will be released shortly. The flip phone is based on Sanyo’s MM-9000. I was very impressed with the main LCD screen, sporting 262,000-color internal LCD, but the 1.1-inch external LCD was certainly no touch down. The phone also has a 1.3 MP camera, and a Mini SD slot. The MVP requires a pitch hitter in the Bluetooth department. The phone came in extremely nice packaging and with tons of accessories. The MVP itself is covered in a slick black gloss and red accents. As stated above, the keypad features a dedicated ‘E’ button to launch the ESPN service as well as web, call history, shop, and settings keys.

Service – 7 – Pricing plans for Mobile ESPN range from $35 a month for 100 minutes to $225 for 4,000 minutes. All of these plans come with unlimited data bandwidth and allow you to use Mobile ESPN as much as you want. Unfortunately, alerts sent to your phone are sent as text messages and only 100 come with a plan, a number we wish was raised. This stacks up well against other MVNO plans and the major carriers. You should find yourself with the same service quality as Sprint customers and can purchase the handset/service at Best Buy, over the phone, online, and at select Sprint stores.