UTStarcom
GSFT779

The GSFT779 featured the Fastap text keypad. This was the defining feature of the device and was conceived to make it faster and easier to enter text via the keyboard. The design saw each standard numeric button on the phone flanked on its four corners with one of 26 black letter keys. These were laid out in alphabetical order rather than in a qwerty format. At launch Louis Antoniou, vice president of international sales at UTStarcom Personal Communications Division, stated that the device reflected the company’s “dedication to developing innovative mobile devices that are fashionable, affordably priced and simple-to-use”. A Telus Mobility client survey found that those who bought the Fastap-enabled phone sent 120 per cent more text messages than those with other types of phones.