Entertainment

Solitaire and Bubble Breaker games come pre-installed on the Dash 3G -- as do video applications such as Windows Media player and a direct connection to YouTube.

More than anything, the smartphone was designed for fun with messaging. That means photos, video and text messaging, plus email and instant messaging are all available.

One-touch access to wallpaper, ringtone and music shopping are tucked within the Internet section of the home menu -- deep within a list of 15 Web shortcuts.

The Dash 3G setup makes shopping for music and extras difficult, especially when it offers so few entertainment options out of the box.

Music can be played straight from the home menu in the music player section and video quality is sharp and easy to watch, plus the Dash 3G headset is handy for listening to songs of videos discreetly. But having to comb the Web for new video and song downloads instead of simply clicking on a store icon is a bit of a hassle, especially for users outside a 3G service or Wi-Fi area.

Internet

The Dash 3G is powered by, as is evident by its name, T-Mobile's 3G network. Users can switch to Wi-Fi if they so choose.

The handset also has TeleNav navigation to offer directions and Google Maps to help a person see their destination. QuickGPS uses an Internet connection to help speed up the time it takes a person to find their current location via satellite.

In the home menu, a person will find weather updates for their city, connection to Internet Explorer, articles from CNN and ESPN, access to Facebook, and web2go, which allows users to customize a home page, get the latest information on their account and shop for wallpaper, ringtones, games, applications and icons.

The phone also includes instant access to YouTube, with the home page listing the most popular videos on the site, each of which can be played with varying clarity. All seem a bit pixilated but the audio is great.

Internet speeds are great on the Dash 3G and having the option of mobile or Wi-Fi connection helps make sure service is available. The phone also offers instant connections to some useful sites. But having 15 instant site access options may be a bit much. This is especially the case with shopping sites, which would be more convenient if piled into one place.

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