Camera

There are cell phone cameras that can boast quality several megapixels-higher than the Renown's mediocre 2.0-megapixel camera. But photographs on the Renown come out exceptionally colorful and clear as long as there's enough light on the subject.

The Renown has an option to brighten a photo or video by up to four, but it is a poor substitute for a real flash.

The camera includes self-timer, zoom, night shot and multiple-shot options. Photo resolution is available in 1600 x 1200 px, 1280 x 960 px, 640 x 480 px, 320 x 240 px and 160 x 120 px.

Snapping photos or recording videos is simple. The camera turns on at the tap of a button on the phone's right side. Once the image is captured, it can be sent, sorted and stored on the phone and photos can be arranged into a slide show.

In camcorder mode, the Renown can send up to 30 seconds of video or record longer in standard mode. Night shot is also an option for the camcorder. Videos can be shot with one of two resolution options: the standard 176 x 144 px, which is a common mid-range option, or 320 x 240 px, which is a high but not the highest resolution out there. Videos appear fluid and colorful on the phone, but also a bit grainy. A common complaint is the Renown's poor streaming video quality as well.

Photos and videos are easy to shoot and come out vibrant on the Renown. It's a solid camera for everyday use. But those looking to do more with their photos or videos may meet a stopping block with this phone. Editing software is sparse on the Renown and so is memory. Videos and pictures can be saved to the phone, but there's not much room with just 64 MB of storage, so a microSD memory card may be an advisable purchase if users plan to save a lot of images.

The Renown does well in well-lit areas, but the lack of a true flash limits its usefulness in dim areas.

Basic Features

The Renown doesn't have a multitude of features, especially when compared to smartphones. Fun applications to pass -- or waste -- time are not to be found here. Games have to be downloaded, all music that is not synced from a home computer has to come from one source on the phone -- VCAST Music/Rhapsody, and VCAST Videos stream with iffy quality.

However, the phone's Media Center isn't entirely empty. There are still some music and video options, as mentioned above, the ability to download ringtones, and the ability to connect to Mobile Web 2.0 for news and information. The Renown also connects to the Web for email and instant messaging.

The phone includes an alarm clock, stop watch, calendar, calculator and notepad. For the avid traveler, the phone also includes a world clock with times across the globe and a "Current Country" features that allows users to select the country they happen to be in that day and get the accurate time there.

All the usual details for a phone are here, but there's not much new or fun to explore. Those looking for a basic phone will be pleased to find the Renown isn't cluttered with what they see as superfluous options. But anyone who's come to expect more from a phone will be disappointed with the lack of excess-ories to be found here.

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