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The dialer in Windows Phone leaves much to be desired; it's not terribly feature-rich, and it takes an eternity to track down a contact and make a call. RapDialer, free in the Windows Phone Marketplace, replaces the stock dialer app, and it does a fine job of it.
On initial startup, RapDialer introduces its lengthy list of features, only three of which are worth pointing out; the rest are superfluous. When the (too) lengthy tutorial ends, the user is presented with a T9 keypad. This is the crux of the search functionality. Tapping the keypad searches through stored contacts in terms of both numbers and letters, so tapping 1 also searches for contacts that begin with A, B and C. The search is startlingly quick, returning results instantaneously.
Once the contact is found, the options open up a bit. Tapping the contact prompts to make a phone call. Swiping to the right across the contact opens a blank SMS message to the contact. Long-pressing the contact opens a range of options, one of which is the third useful feature referenced earlier. There's an option to view the contact's profile and send the contact's complete information in an SMS, email or even display it in a QR code. Smart features like this help the working individual network and share information quickly and effectively.
From independent developer RapTek, RapDialer performs a few tasks well, but the large feature set can make the app a bit intimidating on first use. Stick with it. RapDialer, bloated as it is, has enough brilliant ideas to forgive the quirks.
PUBLISHED NOV. 29, 2012
