Cell Phones & Service review

Samsung Sway Phone, Silver (Verizon Wireless)

2008-12-17T09:07:00.000-08:00

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Samsung Sway Phone, Silver (Verizon Wireless)
From Verizon Wireless

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #419 in Cell Phone Accessories
Color: Silver
Brand: Samsung
Model: Sway
Released on: 2008-10-06

Features

Slim, stainless steel slider phone with digital audio player, 2-megapixel camera/camcorder
Access Verizon's V CAST Music with Rhapsody service as well as VZ Navigator turn-by-turn directions
Bluetooth for handsfree devices and stereo music streaming; MicroSD expansion to 8 GB; access to email and instant messaging
Up to 4.5 hours of talk time, up to 312 hours (13 days) of standby time
Includes: handset, battery, charger, headset adapter, quick start guide, user manual

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Product Description
Make a fashion statement with the Samsung Sway for Verizon, which offers a stainless steel design and a slim form factor that easily slides in and out of your pocket. It's compatible with Verizon's V CAST Music with Rhapsody service, which enables you to transfer music from your Rhapsody subscription on your PC to the phone. You'll also benefit from the phone's A-GPS receiver, which enables you to access Verizon's VZ Navigator service for turn-by-turn directions. Other features include a 2-megapixel camera/camcorder, Bluetooth for handsfree devices and stereo music streaming, MicroSD memory expansion to 8 GB, access to personal email and instant messaging, and up to 4.5 hours of talk time.

Access Verizon's V CAST Music with Rhapsody service as well as VZ Navigator turn-by-turn directions.

Verizon Service Options
This phone is also compatible with Verizon's V CAST Music with Rhapsody, which enables you to access this exclusive digital music service for RealNetworks and for MTV Networks. V CAST Music with Rhapsody delivers unlimited monthly access to music on up to three Rhapsody-compatible mobile phones and players and online on multiple PCs and Web browsers. Note that over-the-air music downloads are not supported.

Verizon's Mobile eMail gives you access to your Windows Live Hotmail, Yahoo Mail and AOL accounts so you can read, write, and reply. Access your address book, receive e-mail alerts and more, right on your Verizon Wireless phone. Getting on the Internet is easy using Verizon's Mobile Web 2.0 package, which allows you to read and send e-mails, exchange instant messages and view your favorite web content on your phone. Verizon's Media Center wireless download service is also fully compatible with this phone. This pay-per-download service features application downloads, games and productivity tools. You can also personalize your handset with ringtone downloads using the Media Center service.

With this GPS-enabled phone, you'll be able to access Verizon's VZ Navigator service (additional charges applicable) for voice-prompted turn-by-turn directions, heads-up alerts, local search of nearly 14 million points of interest in the US (such as landmarks, restaurants and ATMs), and detailed color maps. And Verizon's Chaperone service lets you easily locate your loved ones from your Verizon Wireless phone or PC in real time. After defining a zone, such as an area designating a school or summer camp, you'll be sent an alert via text message when the Chaperone handset enters or leaves the zone.

Phone Features
The slider-style Samsung Sway sports a 2.2-inch LCD screen with a 240 x 320-pixel resolution and support for up to 262K colors. Below the screen you'll find a five-way navigator and send/end and soft navigation keys that lay flush with the brushed stainless steel surface. The internal phonebook can store up to 1000 contact entries with multiple phone numbers per contact as well as the ability to store a picture. The phone displays the last incoming/outgoing/missed calls. It has an internal 64 MB memory, which can be expanded via optional MicroSD memory cards up to 8 GB in size.

The 2-megapixel camera provides multiple resolution options (from 1600 x 1200 to 160 x 120 pixels) and includes up to a 10x digital zoom (depending on resolution adjustment). It also features a multi-shot mode (series, divided, and panorama), brightness adjustment, shutter sound selection, and a self-timer. Additionally, yo can edit photos and add color effects right on the phone. And you can also capture video clips for saving to your PC or sending via messaging.

Stay in touch with friends while you're on the go using SMS text messaging. When used in combination with the phone's built-in still camera, MMS opens up a whole new world of messaging fun. The phone also comes stock with a built-in web browser for downloads and mobile web browsing. T9 text entry, which is a technology that makes it easier for entering text on handsets, is built into the unit--a plus for mobile email and text messaging users.

Other features include:

Digital audio player compatible with MP3, WMA and unprotected AAC/AAC+ formats; manage playlists on the phone
Video format support: MPEG4, H.263, H.264
72-chord polyphonic and MP3 ringtones
Tools: Alarm Clock, World Clock, Calendar, Calculator with Converter, Stop Watch, Notepad, Airplane Mode
Voice Commands: Menu Readout
Bilingual Interface: English/Spanish
Hearing Aid Compatibility = M4/T4
TTY Compatible
Hearing Aid Compatibility = M4
Bluetooth version 2.0 with the following profiles: A2DP (stereo music streaming), AVRC (remote control), HFP (hands-free car kits), HSP (communication headsets), BIP (for sending images to another device), BPP (basic printing profile for text, email), OPP (object push for business cards, calendar items, and pictures), PBA (transfer contacts)

Vital Statistics
The Samsung Sway weighs 3.56 ounces and measures 4.15 x 1.96 x 0.47 inches. Its 800 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 4.5 hours of talk time, and up to 312 hours of standby time. It runs on the 800/1900 CDMA frequencies.

Customer Reviews

My First Phone
Even though this is my first phone, I have to say this phone is amazing.

The speakers are able to play at an extremely loud volume for a phone, which is very appropriate for music playing.

The slim form and aesthetics of this phone are definitely benefits to enjoying it.

My only dislikes are the near requirement to push the phone up by the screen (Causing fingerprints), very little internal memory (50mb according to my phone), and a limit on the amount of text messages allowed in the inbox (

I'm not sure if there is a limit. My phone stops at around 120 messages. I'll try to find a solution for this problem later).

After getting a microsd card, most of the phone's problems go away. =)

great phone
I got this phone about three weeks ago and I think it works great. The screen is very clear, texting is easy, it looks good, phone quality seems to be fine. The menus are easy to use and so are the camera and camcorder. The battery seems okay. Verizon says it gets ~4.5 hours use time and 312 hours standby time. The standby time is stretching it a lot. I usually recharge it every two or three days, but I text a lot. Overall this phone is awesome and I would definitely recommend it.

Loving the Sway :)
I just bought this phone yesterday after spending a few days online comparing phones offered by Verizon. I was debating between LG enV2 and this one, but in the end I liked the Sway more. So far I do not regret my decision: the phone is light, stylish, easy to use, the display is big, the camera and camcorder are fun. Even though I have a semiprofessional camera and an iPod, it is good to know that I can take pictures and listen to my music anytime. And 8GB MicroSD is a big plus, plenty of space to store whatever :) I really like the sound, I am used to playing mp3s on my phone or using them as ring tones. The menu is easy to navigate, easy to customize, texting is easy too. Overall - a great phone!

List Price:	$299.99
Price:	$0.01 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Samsung Instinct Phone (Sprint)

2008-12-17T04:08:00.000-08:00

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Samsung Instinct Phone (Sprint)
From Sprint

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #183 in Cell Phone Accessories
Brand: Samsung
Model: SPHM800ZKS
Released on: 2008-09-01

Features

Award-winning phone featuring 3.1-inch touchscreen with vibrating feedback, GPS navigation, visual voicemail
Access Sprint Mobile Broadband Network via EV-DO Rev. A connectivity; Sprint TV and Sprint Music Store enabled; access personal and corporate email
2-megapixel camera/camcorder; Bluetooth for handsfree devices and stereo music streaming; MicroSD expansion up to 8 GB
Up to 5.75 hours of talk time; measures 4.6 x 2.2 x 0.5 inches and weighs 4.4 ounces
Includes: handset, rechargeable battery, charger, USB cable, 3.5mm headphones with microphone, carrying case with stylus, quick start guide

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Product Description
The Samsung Instinct takes touchscreen phones to the next level with a 3.1-inch touchscreen with haptic feedback, advanced features including Visual Voicemail, and access to Sprint's EV-DO 3G network--perfect for surfing the Web as well as downloading music and video from Sprint's Music Store and TV service. It also includes GPS capabilities for turn-by-turn navigation provided by the optional Sprint Navigation service. Other features include a 2-megapixel camera/camcorder, Bluetooth for handsfree communication and stereo music streaming, MicroSD memory expansion up to 8 GB, voice dialing capabilities, and up to 5.75 hours of talk time.

The Instinct's touchscreen keeps you in touch better than any other, with an interface designed to quickly take you right to where you want to go.

Sprint Service Options
Supporting the EV-DO Rev. A high-speed data standard, Sprint's Mobile Broadband Network provides blazing fast speeds on the nation's largest mobile broadband network (based on covered square miles), covering more than 15,000 cities and 1,400 airports. With EV-DO Rev. A, peak download data rates increase to 3.1 Mbps and peak upload data rates increase to 1.8 Mbps; average download speeds improve to 600 kbps to 1.4 mbps and average uplink speeds increase to 350 to 500 kbps.

The Sprint Music Store enables you to buy, download, and then jam out wherever you are with new songs or old favorites. Offering a growing selection of more than 1.6 million songs, the store provides you two copies of each song--one for the phone and another for the PC, as well as the ability to burn songs to a CD using Windows Media Player. Save your songs to a memory card with a capacity that's right for you. Use the Sprint Music Store to listen to music while sending text messages, browsing the Web, or playing a downloaded game. And get over 30 channels of music--Hip Hop, Top Hits, Latin Pop, music videos and shows from NPR, Sporting News and more--treamed to your phone.

With Sprint TV, you can make your cell phone your always-on source for news, weather, sports and more. This comprehensive video service combines high-quality streaming audio and video from channels including the NFL Network, ABC, The Weather Channel, Fox Sports, E!, CNN, The Discovery Channel, and more.

Whether you use your finger or a stylus, the Instinct responds to every touch with a slight vibration.

Other features include a 2-megapixel camera/camcorder, Bluetooth music streaming, and MicroSD memory expansion up to 8 GB.

Nicely slim, the Instinct measures 0.5 inches thin and weighs 4.4 ounces.

This GPS-enabled phone provides optional access to Sprint Navigation for driving directions on your mobile phone--by voice and onscreen. Along the way, turn-by-turn directions will be announced in a clear voice and displayed on your phone. For example, Sprint Navigation will say, "Go 1.2 miles and turn right on Elm Street." As you approach the turn, you will hear, "Turn right on Elm Street." Sprint Navigation also provides proactive traffic alerts with one click re-routing. And it's easy to find restaurants, banks, cafes, hotels and more from over 10 million points of interest across the U.S.

With Sprint Mobile Email, you'll get easy access to your favorite home email services including AOL, Yahoo!, Gmail, and MSN/Windows Live Hotmail and more. And Sprint Mobile Email Work enables you to access email from corporate servers, including Microsoft Exchange 2000, 2003, 2007 and Lotus Notes Domino versions 6.0, 6.5 and 7.0 (with the latest software update).

Phone Features
Named "Best in Show" in the third annual Emerging Technology (E-Tech) Award competition in April at CTIA Wireless 2008, the innovative Samsung Instinct speeds up the user experience like no other touchscreen phone and brings your most-used applications and contacts within a single finger tap. With the Instinct, you don't have to listen to voicemail anymore. Just one quick glance at the Visual Voicemail display and you'll know who called and when--and even delete messages without having to listen to them first. The device also offers a Speech to Action button providing many functions using speech activation for calling, texting, picture messaging, traffic, movie, sports, news, weather and search.

It has a high-tech look with large, vibrant touchscreen a 240 x 432-pixel resolution and support for 262K colors for excellent depth. And whether you use your finger or a stylus, the Instinct responds to every touch with a slight vibration. This localized tactile feedback, called haptics, transforms the virtual QWERTY keypad and other screen interactions into a sensory experience.

This sleek, stylish device offers three dedicated keys on the lower portion of the device to make operation of the device very straightforward and easy to navigate--phone, back and home. The phone key always takes you back to essential voice calling and features including speed dial, visual voicemail, contacts and the dial pad. The back key is a consistent way to take a step back in the operation. The home key provides quick access to the four menus of functionality included in the user interface:

With Live Search, you can use that GPS technology to search for the nearest gas station by location, price or even grade of gasoline.

Favorites provides one-touch access to the things you do most, making customization and personalization extremely simple. Web sites, TV channels, text messaging friends and much more can be saved in the Favorites menu so the items used most are always at the user's fingertips.
Main includes applications such as Messaging, Voicemail, GPS Navigation and more.
Fun takes you to Music, TV, photos, games and more.
Web provides a fast, real Internet experience and all things Web-related, including weather and news.

This phone provides Bluetooth version 2.0 wireless connectivity, and includes profiles for communication headset, handsfree car kits, audio/video remote control, and printing. With the A2DP Bluetooth profile, you can stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones. When connected to a Bluetooth device, caller information for incoming calls will be spoken through the Bluetooth device. Decide to answer the call without ever looking at your phone.

The 2-megapixel camera can capture images up to 1600 x 1200 pixels for prints up to 8 x 10 inches. It features a 2x digital zoom, "fuzzy picture" warning that lets you know if you're about to take a bad picture, and easy viewing of photos by simply swiping your finger across the screen to move from one photo to the next. It also includes a video camcorder function that lets you record video clips up to 2 MB (approximately 6 minutes) for sending via messaging or for as long as you have space on an inserted MicroSD memory card for saving.

The music player is compatible with MP3, WMA, AAC/AAC+, and KOZ digital audio formats, and it will play in the background even while sending text messages, browsing the Web, or playing a downloaded game. This phone is also compatible with 72-chord polyphonic ringtones, and it includes a vibrate silent mode.

The phone is compatible with text (SMS) and multimedia (MMS) messaging, as well as POP3 personal email accounts. It includes XT9 predictive text entry (the new version of the T9), with such features as a word prediction list and spelling correction that spots transposed letters and missed keys, as well as instant integration into all applications on the device.

Other features include:

Live Search for Sprint, powered by Microsoft, provides easy access to directory information on-the-go, GPS-enabled directions, interactive maps and one-touch click to call access
Store up to 600 contact entries, each with fields for five phone numbers, an email address, a web site, and notes
Organizational tools: Calendar, calculator, alarm clock, world clock, stopwatch and notepad
Speech to Action feature let's you place calls using your voice, store voice reminders, and record voice memos right on your device
Sprint Mobile Sync: Load contact info to your phone and sync with PC, any time you add, edit or remove contacts it auto updates the back-up PC contact list.
Speaker-Independent Voice Dialing: Say the name of any entry in your phone book and the number is dialed automatically without using the keypad. This feature is speaker-independent, so there is no need to train the phone to respond to any one person's voice. Receive an audible status report of your phone's coverage, signal strength, and battery strength.
Hearing Aid Compatibility = M3/T3
Bluetooth version 2.0 with the following profiles: A2DP (stereo music streaming), AVRC (remote control), HFP (hands-free car kits), HSP (communication headsets), DUN (dial-up networking), FTP (file transfer), OPP (object push for business cards, calendar items, and pictures), PBA (transfer contacts)

Vital Statistics
The Samsung Instinct weighs 4.4 ounces and measures 4.6 x 2.2 x 0.5 inches. Its 1000 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 5.75 hours of talk time. It runs on the 800/1900 CDMA/EV-DO frequencies.

Customer Reviews

Did not meet my expectations
The Bad :

Battery Life (grade : F)- short, I can go through 2-3 batteries in a day easily, also once the battery reaches a certain level, no functions work on the device except call effectively shortening the battery functional life even further

Music Player (grade : F)- has quirks that really inconvenience me. rescans the SD card each time you go to the playlist, I only have 345 songs loaded and it has delay time to scan all these songs each time. I imagine if I had more songs it would be even more annoying. You can't re-order songs in a playlist on the device. The software/music manager on the PC is also cumbersome and slow. The most annoying feature is the inability to set a song to stop after playing once. It will automatically continue to play to the next track or repeat itself. I teach a class and during my class, only want to play a song once and not have to return to the device to thumb around and stop things.

Navigation (grade : D): my Garmin is far superior, it has made some mistakes like running me into a cul de sac and wasting about 20 minutes of my time doing so.

web (grade : D): slower than my previous phone Treo 700, it's so slow I don't find myself interested in using the web at all, I just wait until I can reach a desktop

call quality (grade : D): in general Sprint Call quality in my area (NC) is poor, I have tried about 7 different Sprint phones w/ the same result, would change except I am getting a good deal on my plan right now.

The Good :

Camera (B+): picture mail and video mail is cool , my sister reports that the pictures and video are clear

Email (A): very decent interface

Vmail (A+): Very good interface, you don't have to call in to check your voicemail and can scroll through and choose which ones you want to listen to.

Voice to action (B): pretty nice feature, although if you have several names that sound alike Holly, Honey, Bonnie - it ends up taking more time than speed dial

Sports (A): I like sports and the customizable team feature I found to be useful and efficient for my wants, a lot faster than going to [...] or whatever to check scores

Overall interface (A): nice, fun to use, easy to use

Swappable batteries : this is a good feature even though battery life is poor

SD Card : definitely useful, although I haven't found a need to use more than 1 yet.

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Overall Rating :

unfortunately , I would not recommend this phone to anyone. I wish I had gotten it free but I paid over $100 and don't feel that it's worth it. I am sure there are better phones to be had at this point. The music player is extremely aggravating and seems to have been designed in a hurry.

I actually bought the phone b/c I read many favorable reviews on it including reviews that placed it comparable to the expensive iphone. I haven't had an iphone, but I imagine that the iphone music player is solid. My experience with this product has not been good although I can read that other people have had a better experience.

The best phone I've had but...
This is a great phone, but there are a few things that could really turn this phone into an amazing phone.

1. Better music player: The phone comes with a 2gb card which is great for storing music. However I have put on 2gb's worth of music and the phone takes forever to load, probably about 6-8 minutes. I thought this was only going to be the first time it read the music, but that is definitely not the case. Everytime I open the music player it has to go throught this whole process again. I tried taking of a lot of the music and put on about 30 songs to see if it would be faster. Well it was faster, but still not nearly fast enough. It takes about 1-2 minutes to play those songs. I am hoping for a program update to resolve this issue. Until then I am stuck.

2. Viewing of Word, Excel, Powerpoint: This phone is very capable of viewing e-mail and it does a great job of it, even managing 2 e-mail accounts(yahoo mail, and my work e-mail through microsoft exchange server). The only problem is that I have a lot of e-mails that contain attachments of word, excel, and occassionaly powerpoint. There are several other phones, in this class of phones,that have capabilities of doing this and this one should be included. Another thing that I will hope a program update will fix. Until then...

Other than the 2 points above I would say this phone is great! It is by far the best phone I have ever had and everything else that it does is awesome. My favorite feature is the GPS with search. I can pull up the program and say "pizza" and boom within seconds I have 20 pizza places that are close to me to choose from. Even better I can click on the one I want and see the phone number (one click to call), address (one click to start my GPS driving me there), and reviews which I can view and create.

Very Slick with Lots of Potential
I have used many mobile "smartphones" / "featurephones" in the last year trying to settle on something that meets my needs. The list includes iPhone (1st gen), HTC Mogul, Q9C, Palm Treo 755p, Treo 800w and the Instinct.

My needs and expectations might be different from the reader's, so let me lay them out in advance:
* A decent web browsing experience for regular "desktop" sites.
* Sufficient music capabilities to replace my iPod for most purposes.
* Basic email and calendaring capabilities (Outlook "PUSH" is not one of them).
* An easy-to-use and "fun" interface.
* A reliable phone, with good battery life.
* Navigation, if I can get it.
* MMS capabilities, if I can get it.

Here is where the previous devices have fallen short:

iPhone - Bad AT&T service in my area made it challenging to use as a phone. At the time, EDGE data was too slow to enjoy surfing the web. Pages look great once loaded, but who has 3-4 minutes per page to surf. If I am using WiFi, I might as well have my laptop. No MMS offered. Why?

I know the 3G version improves on this, but AT&T 3G coverage is still not up to par with the EVDO offered by Verizon/Sprint. This is simply the case of a good phone on a bad network.

Mogul - Poor reliability with many bugs that have not been fixed with several firmware update releases. This makes it unsatisfactory to use even for basic voice calls. Who can cope with a phone that reboots during a call? Not a good iPod replacement because you have to use the USB jack or an adapter to hook up a good pair of headphones and bluetooth stereo quality was not good enough to replace wired headphones in my experience. No MMS (can't send pictures of kids to my parents while out-and-about without using email).

Q9C - Almost good enough. Just too darn slow. Too little memory. It does run Windows Mobile 6.1 smartphone with some UI enhancements, and includes a 2.5mm headphone jack for audio. A good choice for anyone willing to live with performance drawbacks. Good voice quality and reasonably reliable for a Microsoft-powered device. My back-up device. No MMS (on Sprint).

Treo 755p - Simply not able to get a decent web browser on the device. It does almost everything else OK, even if the interface is a bit too simplistic. The included Blazer browser has difficulty digesting most modern web sites, runs out of memory and is too slow. Although there are J2ME runtime engines that can be used to run Opera Mini, it frequently crashes the phone.

Treo 800w - Does everything, just not that well. Makes a pig of itself with battery use (see my review elsewhere on Amazon). The phone really falls down as an iPod replacement because it does not have an audio jack, only a microUSB connector. Hard to find good headphones for this jack. Stereo bluetooth on the device with my Moto S9 headphones introduces alot of noise. Still no MMS (on Sprint).

Now we come to the Instinct:

WEB BROWSER:

The browser has been greatly improved by the latest MR-3 firmware update, and Samsung/Sprint does seem inclined to continue to roll out improvements. I think the record sales of the device serves as an incentive to continue offering updates to the software. An MR-4 firmware is slated that is supposed to add keyboard support to J2ME applications that should allow the device to run Opera Mini and many other programs. The browser is not perfect, but it is fast enough to surf the web and get a reasonable approximation of most pages I visit. With the latest update you can take advantage of the entire screen for the browser, hiding all controls. Panning is simple with fingertip swipes. Zoom is still a bit clunky but reasonably fast.

A few "web applications" are present under the web tab that offer an attractive interface to some features you would normally use the browser for such as: weather, news, movie times and sports scores. Much better than using any browser to access this data. I would like to see more of these offered, in fact (how about a YouTube front-end?).

You will also find a version of Microsoft's Live Search to use speech to find local business found with the assistance of the built-in GPS. A very nice touch. Once found, you can call them up or get turn-by-turn directions to get there.

MUSIC

Ahh... finally, a phone with a 3.5mm headphone jack. This allows you to plug in standard iPod-like headphones and enjoy music. Bluetooth playback on the S9 headphones is also very good. The music application is nice, and you can use up to an 8GB SD card to store songs. You can buy music over-the-air from the Sprint Music Store which is integrated into the music application. Still not an iPod touch, but plenty good enough for my uses.

EMAIL AND CALENDAR

The email is simple and easy to use. It offers enough features for a mobile device, although a few options such as a custom signature would be nice. It does not render HTML email, but does help you along by including any web links that might be embedded in an HTML message. For my use, this is a faster alternative than asking the phone to download and render a full HTML version with images for my email on the go.

I would appreciate the capability to view some simple file formats, particularly PDF. I understand this is slated for the MR-4 release and the fact they recognize this need placates me for the time being.

Calendering, on the other hand, is the Achilles Heel for replacing a typical smartphone with this device. There is no provision to sync your calendar with the web or desktop. Accordingly, while there is a calendar app built in, I don't even use it. For the present, I muddle through accessing the mobile version of Google Calendar. Sprint needs to do something to fix this. Maybe a front-end to Google Calendar. If not, it is my hope that a more complete Java stack will open the door for third-party solutions. (See more about Java on the Instinct below).

INTERFACE

The interface is attractive and easy to use. Much better than poking around menus with the tiny stylus on a Windows Mobile device. I know about keyboard shortcuts, but I am more of a point-and-click kind of guy. Just personal preference.

The touch screen is very responsive for a non-capacitive sensor, much better than say the Treo. Not as good as the iPhone, but nothing has a better touch interface than the iPhone.

The Instinct does have "haptic" (vibration) feedback that makes it feel almost as if you are touching physical buttons and makes the phone very satisfying to use.

PHONE, NAV AND MMS

The phone sounds great. Call options are right where they should be, with easy ability to add a conference call or mute the microphone, for example. An in-call menu allows you to access common functions such as the address book or notes while in a call. Photos linked to contacts show up during income/outgoing calls.

The phone also has very good "speech to action" capabilities. You can use this to quickly dial a number or call one from you address book. No voice training is necessary and it is very accurate and usable.

Navigation is simply second-to-none. Tell it where you want to go by talking (through the Live Search discussed above) or type an address, intersection or business name and you are off with turn-by-turn directions and an animated moving map. You can also search for close by businesses and the like (such as the closest gas station or fast-food joint while on the road). Easily meets my navigation needs. Apple should take note and try to put something similar on the iPhone. Google Maps is good, but not like this.

MMS is the cherry on top. You can easily send and receive pictures and short video clips. I use this all the time to send quick snapshots to my wife's phone (a Centro) or my parents. The Treo 755p is the only phone listed above that has this capability. Why such a common innovation is left out of Sprint's smartphone lineup is simply beyond me. There are hacks to do it on Windows Mobile, but it is not the same as having it built into the phone's UI.

MISC

In terms of other attributes, I find the phone has enough battery power for my needs. It is attractive and easy to slip in/out of your pocket. Bluetooth pairing is simple (Widows Mobile -- take note). The speaker is loud enough for ringers. Physical controls are easy to understand. Sprint includes a generous accessory package with the phone: Music syncing application (Windows only), USB cable, wall charger, 2 batteries, a spare battery charger, a handsfree stereo headset, and a 2GB SD card.

The camera is perfectly fine for a phone. Nice pictures and a simple interface. If I want something better I'll use my Nikon dSLR. It records video and the quality is actually surprisingly good for what it is. I always wished Apple would put this on the iPhone, but they just don't want their customers to have it for some reason.

_______________________________________________________________
CAVEATS
*******
Now the downsides, many of which I hope to see remedied:

JAVA

This phone is advertised as being based on an "open" platform in that J2ME applications can be run on the phone, opening the door to many third-party applications. The problem is that Sprint inexplicably does not offer the standard text input libraries developers expect to have present on a J2ME device. This means you can load Opera Mini, but you can't use the on-screen keyboard to enter a URL. Sprint knows this was a gaff, and they assure that a fix is in the works for this year.

CALENDAR

As mentioned above, I consider the calendar next to useless without some syncing ability. It's an internet-connected mobile phone -- why does the user operate the calendar on an "island?" If Sprint doesn't fix this, a J2ME app likely will take its place. If not, I'll write one.

BROWSER STILL NEEDS WORK

As much improved as the Instinct's Teleca OBIGO-based browser is with the recent update, it still falls short in many areas. It seems to have a problem rendering either PNG or GIF images with alpha transparency, leading to some ugly looking logos and the like on pages.

An option to save images from the browser to the SD card would be nice. More granular zoom control would be nice (currently just 1/2X, 1X and 2X). Ability to change the font size would be nice (some fonts are too small).

Rather than hope that Sprint/Samsung will perfect this browser, I would prefer work be done to make this a first-class J2ME platform so we can run Opera Mini. Samsung should make phones, and leave browser design to a browser software company.

STILL A BIT SLOW

The specifications on RAM and processor type are hard to find, so I am not sure what kind of speed improvements to expect.

I can say that some of the most frustrating slow aspects of the device ARE the result of poor software design. For example, the media player is compelled to rescan your SD card for music each time it is opened. Why not just detect when a folder modification date has changed and update then?

In a similar vein, the photo viewing application is slick enough, but it slows considerably with any reasonable number of photos loaded onto the card. The reason? It does not appear that the software caches photo thumbnails for later use. It appears to generate thumbnails on the fly each time you open the photo application. This demands considerable processor power and slows the whole works down to a grinding halt. Solution? Simply create a folder with a thumbnail cache on the memory card. Generate a hash for each photo for tracking and only create a new thumbnail when a photo is added. This is Software Design 101 people.

Finally, although the internet is fairly fast on the device, it does not appear to be reaching the potential of Rev A.. I have tested the device side-by-side with my Treo 800W (another Rev A device) at www.dslreports.com/mspeed. The result: Instinct - 369kbit/sec; Palm - 865kbit/sec. Big difference. Why?

THE SPRINT TV APP IS BROKEN, FIX IT...NOW

Sprint TV is a nice service included in their newer plans. You can watch CNN live, full episodes of ABC TV series, and many, many other quality programming options with your plan.

The device has an included TV application to take advantage of this programming. With speedy Rev A and a nice large screen, the Instinct should be ideal for this purpose. It's not. The video is either a mosaic of color blocks, or a low-quality slideshow. Audio is OK, but video just cannot keep up.

This is not a function of the Sprint TV service. Other devices listed above render much better picture quality.

Whatever the reason, the Sprint TV application is a very poor showcase of what should be one of the phone's best applications. Sprint, you need to fix this feature. It's an embarrassment. If you want to compete in the iPhone space, you need to learn a few lessons from Apple: do not advertise a feature on the device if it doesn't work. It just pisses people off. Fix it now.

CONCLUSION

Despite several limitations, I really like the Instinct as a whole. It shows great potential and it does not look like Sprint has abandoned hopes of making it better -- YET. This is what makes the difference between a three-star and four-star review. A few key fixes and it will do everything I want it to do.

It is really important that Sprint delivers on making this phone live up to its marketing expectations. If the Instinct never really works the way it was touted, I won't be buying the Instinct II or whatever replacement you roll out for it. Don't convince me that Apple or the OHA are the only entities that can deliver the promise of a quality, converged device by failing to clean the Instinct up.

Even without the hoped-for upgrades, this is the phone to get if you want a smooth user interface and don't want to deal with AT&T or T-Mobile GSM networks with spotty 3G coverage.

List Price:	$449.99
Price:	$99.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Samsung Behold t919 Phone, Brushed Espresso (T-Mobile)

2008-12-16T22:08:00.000-08:00

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Samsung Behold t919 Phone, Brushed Espresso (T-Mobile)
From Samsung

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #567 in Cell Phone Accessories
Color: Brown
Brand: Samsung
Model: T919
Released on: 2008-10-08

Features

Slim touchscreen phone for full web browsing and multimedia playback; compatible with T-Mobile's 3G network (available in select markets)
T-Mobile's MyFaves service provides unlimited calling to your five most called contacts
5-megapixel camera/camcorder, Bluetooth stereo music streaming, MicroSD expansion to 16 GB, access to personal email and instant messaging
Up to 5 hours of talk time, up to 288 hours (12 days) of standby time
What's in the Box: handset, battery, charger, 1 GB MicroSD memory card, USB cable, wired stereo handsfree headset, quick start guide

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Product Description
An advanced touch screen phone with premium multimedia features and full web browsing capabilities, the Samsung Behold phone also supports T-Mobile's HSDPA 3G network (in select markets), which provides fast web downloads and multimedia messaging. It will also keep you connected to your closest friends and family members with T-Mobiles myFaves.

This touchscreen-enabled phone has a large, brightly colorful 3.1 inch screen, and it includes Samsung's intuitive and easily customizable TouchWiz user interface. And you'll enjoy high-resolution photos and videos thanks to the built-in 5-megapixel camera/camcorder with flash and autofocus. Other features include Bluetooth connectivity for both handsfree devices and stereo music streaming, MicroSD memory expansion (up to 16 GB), digital audio player and FM radio, access to personal email and instant messaging, and up to 5 hours of talk time.

The Behold enables fully colorful web browsing and multimedia on its 3.1-inch touchscreen display.

T-Mobile Service
The Behold operates on GSM 850/900/1800/1900 networks and is compatible with T-Mobile's UMTS/HSDPA 3G network, which operates on the 1700/2100 MHz AWS spectrum. This phone is designed to automatically connect to the best available network (3G or GSM/GPRS/EDGE) to provide faster data speeds when accessing the Web or downloading content from the T-Mobile t-zones content portal. T-Mobile is currently rolling out its 3G network, and it expects by year's end that its high-speed data network will be available in those cities where a majority of its subscribers currently use data services.

In areas where the 3G network is not available, you'll continue to receive service on the via T-Mobile's EDGE network (which stands for "Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution"). This high-speed, mobile data and Internet access technology is fast enough to support a wide range of advanced data services (with average data speeds between 75-135Kbps), including full picture and video messaging, high-speed color Internet access, and email on the go.

While this phone is optimized for use with T-Mobile’s high-speed 3G network, many of its functions will also work well on the moderate-speed EDGE network. If you plan to access the Internet extensively on your phone, 3G network coverage may serve you best.

Activities that work well on EDGE or 3G networks:

Email, instant messaging, and texting
Downloading ringtones, CallerTunes, wallpaper, light data files
Sending photographs via e-mail or picture messaging

Activities that work best on a 3G network:

Viewing content-heavy websites (lots of images or videos playing)
Viewing YouTube and other video files (they will play on EDGE, but require loading time)
Uploading large files (photos, videos, presentations) to sharing websites
Downloading large files from an e-mail or a website

Call your favorite people with T-Mobile's myFaves service, which allows you to call up to five of your most common contacts--on any network, even landlines--without using any of your minutes. You'll also get free domestic long distance and no digital roaming charges anywhere across the US on all calls. (All myFaves plans require a two-year contract.) Learn more about myFaves from T-Mobile.

The TouchWiz interface has specially designed widgets to customize and personalize the way you use your phone.

Phone Features
The slim Samsung Behold smartphone delivers impressive images on it large 3-inch LCD color display (240 x 400 pixels, 262K colors) and offers haptic responsive feedback that vibrates when you press a button. For easy operation and navigation, the stylish Behold features three dedicated keys--call, end call and back--on the front of the device under the touch screen. The Behold also provides quick and easy access to a customer’s favorite features through Samsung’s innovative TouchWiz user interface, which has specially designed widgets to customize and personalize your phone. The quick and simple drag-and-drop feature provides instant access to your favorite functions, such as the clock, music player, instant messaging and photos and a custom widget for myFaves.

The phone has a 180 MB internal memory, which can be expanded via optional MicroSD memory cards (up to 16 GB in size). The internal phonebook can store up to 2000 contact entries, each with multiple numbers per contact and support for caller groups as well as picture/ringer ID. You can download MP3 real-music and 72-chord polyphonic ringtones, and the phone also includes a vibrate function for when you need to keep things silent.

The 5-megapixel autofocus camera produces crisply colorful still photos, and it features an LED flash, smile detection, shake reduction, multi-shot capabilities, brightness and white balance controls, spot metering function, and a self-timer. You can also share them with family and friends by sending them to any e-mail address, T-Mobile camera phone, or MyAlbum. The phone can also capture video clips up to QVGA resolution (320 x 240 pixels). The digital media player is compatible with MP3 and AAC/AAC+/eAAC+ audio formats and H.264/H.263/MPEG4 video formats.

Capture great snapshots on the go with the 5-megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash.

Other features include:

Virtual, landscape QWERTY touchpad
Built-in A-GPS navigation allows access to location-based applications
Access to personal email with document viewer for attachments
Instant messaging via AOL, ICQ, Windows Live, and Yahoo!
Organizer tools: Calendar, alarm, calculator
Sync contact with Outlook
USB connectivity with USB mass storage capabilities
Voice dialing: Call someone with simple voice commands to keep your hands free for activities like driving.
Bluetooth version 2.0 with the following profiles: A2DP (stereo music streaming), AVRC (remote control), HFP (hands-free car kits), HSP (communication headsets), BPP (basic printing profile for text, email), FTP (file transfer), OPP (object push for business cards, calendar items, and pictures)

Vital Statistics
The Samsung Behold weighs 3.9 ounces and measures 4.1 x 2.1 x 0.5 inches. Its 1000 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 5 hours of talk time, and up to 288 hours (12 days) of standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 MHs GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies as well as 1700/2100 MHz UMTS/HSDPA 3G frequencies.

Customer Reviews

My first touchscreen phone
I signed up with TMobile for a two year term and got this phone. This is a cool touchscreen phone but has a few limitations. One is with TMobile, which doesnt have 3G coverage everywhere and I just have to access the internet by whatever slow connection they offer right now. Pages load slowly, but they ultimately do. The operating system, being a proprietary one on this phone, doesn't have too many application written for it and available on the internet (compare, for example, with Windows Mobile based phones where there are scores of apps available, best one being the windows live search for GPS. You will have to pay 10 dollars a month to TMobile to get the TeleNav running on this phone).
The user manual that comes with this phone is a total trash. It doenst tell you ANYTHING about what to do with this phone. You will have to figure out everything yourself. Great Idea - may be I should call Samsung tech support - right? WRONG. They dont know too many things about this phone either. When I called, they dont even have one phone of this model with internet connection (data plan) so that they can try what I am trying to explain to them, on that phone. My question was simple. How do I enter text in a textbox on a web page (like, when you go to [...] and want to search, how would you input your keyword into the search box)? The support person went around and couldn't figure out and said they will call me. Anyway, I just accidentally figured it out. You will have to double-tap the textbox so the keypad opens up and you type.
The music player is nice, playlists etc are good. Call quality is fine, it is taking time for me to switch from my little Sony Ericsson w810i, the way it handles bluetooth. The video player is another let down, it only plays certain resolution, certain bitrate and of course, certain formats and the user manual and the [...] doesnt have any of this information. I went on internet forums and asked other people to find that it supports 320X240 resolution mp4 files with bit rate of no larger than 256 Kbps for video or 128 Kbps audio. And on top, there is no conversion software for video provided from Samsung so you are on your own. I hope Samsung fixes these things soon!!.

Impressive Phone from T-mobile!
Finally!! I think that T-mobile is heading in the right direction when it comes to new phones, I had the Razr2 V8 and I was dissapointed with the fact that t-mobile stripped out most of the capabilities that that phone could do. It seems that with the Behold they are letting the phone operate like it should. I have only had this phone for a week and I like it so far I didn't really want it for the music functions so I don't use that. I wanted a slim discreet touch phone that has all of the variuos functions even if I chose not to use them I satyed with t-mobile because I like the minute plans that they offer, and I just can't afford the Iphone. In my opinion I think this is a good alternative from T-mobile. Thanks for not stripping this phone. Tha t being said for functionality I think the G1 might be a better choice, I just found it to be too bulky.

I love my new Behold!
I just got this phone and a few days ago and I absolutely like it. My friends are trying to buy one now, but it is expensive. I'm still getting used to the touchscreen and the only problem I'm having trouble with is the phonebook search where you have to scroll up and down with an alphabet. Otherwise, I really love this phone. It's a big upgrade from a razr.

List Price:	$399.99
Price:	$149.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Samsung EPIX i907 Smartphone, Black (AT&T)

2008-12-16T17:08:00.000-08:00

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Samsung EPIX i907 Smartphone, Black (AT&T)
From AT&T

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #467 in Cell Phone Accessories
Color: Black
Brand: Samsung
Model: i907
Released on: 2008-10-22

Features

Tri-band 3G, GPS-enabled smartphone with Windows Mobile 6.1 for MS Office document editing and easy Outlook email and contacts
Compatible with AT&T Navigator GPS, Video Share, AT&T Mobile Music, and streaming video from Cellular Video service
Wi-Fi networking; 2-megapixel camera/camcorder; stereo Bluetooth streaming; MicroSD expansion to 32 GB; IM via AIM, Windows Live and Yahoo!
Up to 7 hours of talk time, up to 336 hours (14 days) of standby time
What's in the Box: handset, battery, travel charger, USB cable, 3.5mm headset adapter, user guide CD with desktop synch software, quick start guide

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Product Description
While it doesn't carry forward its name, the slim, sleek Samsung Epix is the spirtual successor to the popular Blackjack smartphone series, and it adds innovative new features including and advanced touchscreen and new optical mouse technology. It also features a full QWERTY keyboard, integrated Wi-Fi networking and GPS for use of AT&T Navigator turn-by-turn directions, a 2-megapixel camera/camcorder, Bluetooth for handsfree devices and stereo music streaming, MicroSD memory expansion, and a long battery life with up to 7 hours of talk time.

With the Windows Mobile 6.1 operating system, the Samsung Epix supports Microsoft System Center Mobile Device Manager, which provides single-point access to line of business and corporate data such as applications, files and other information located on the corporate network. It also provides push email for immediate send and receive on Corporate Microsoft Exchange servers as well as editing of Microsoft Office documents.

The Samsung Epix smartphone runs the Windows Mobile 6.1 OS and features an innovative combination optical mouse/navigation pad.

AT&T Service
This AT&T phone can handle high-speed data connectivity via AT&T's 3G mobile broadband data network, which is available in most major metropolitan areas. The AT&T 3G network uses the tri-band UMTS/HSDPA 850/1900/2100 MHz network, which provides download speeds ranging from 700 Kbps to 1.7 Mbps, and upload speeds ranging from 500 Kbps to 1.2 Mbps. This makes it possible to enjoy a variety of feature-rich wireless multimedia services, and it gives you the advantage of offering simultaneous voice and data services.

In areas where the 3G network is not available, you'll continue to receive service on the AT&T EDGE network, which offers availability in more than 13,000 US cities and along some 40,000 miles of major highways. Providing average data speeds between 75-135Kbps, it's fast enough to support a wide range of advanced data services, including video and music clips, full picture and video messaging, high-speed color Internet access, and email on the go. You'll also enjoy quad-band GSM connectivity, which allows you to make calls in more than 190 countries and access data applications in the more than 135 countries where AT&T offers international data roaming.

With 3G connectivity, you'll be able to access AT&T's Video Share service, which enables you to send a live, one-way video stream to another compatible phone during a standard voice call. The service also allows you to switch the direction of the video stream during the same phone call. (Customers must be in an area served by the company's 3G network and have a Video Share-enabled phone.) A majority of users in the architecture, engineering and construction industries rated the ability to share live video through Video Share highly, according to research commissioned by AT&T. Video Share lets you see progress on a job site or review the day's work without having to drive from an office or other site to do so.

You can take advantage of the AT&T Navigator GPS software and service, a full-featured premium navigation application that includes audible turn-by-turn directions, real-time traffic updates and re-routing options, and 3D moving maps (additional charges applicable). AT&T Navigator offers several other features to make your commute more enjoyable and reliable, including mobile access to Yellowpages.com. Additionally, AT&T Navigator is the only mobile phone-based GPS service that provides integrated speech recognition for address entry and points of interest search.

With 3G connectivity, you'll be able to access AT&T's Cellular Video (CV) service and the Internet while on the go. Cellular Video features content from CNN, The Weather Channel, iFilm, Comedy Central and exclusive premium content from HBO and much more. And you get access to AT&T Mobile Music, which enables you to buy tracks while on the, access the Napster and eMusic subscription music services, stream music video, discover what's playing with Music ID song-recognition software, and find out what's hot with The Buzz music news portal. (A MEdia Max subscription bundle is recommended for accessing AT&T's Internet, video, and music services.)

It's also pre-loaded with AT&T's Mobile Banking application, which is compatible with accounts from banks including Wachovia, SunTrust, Synovus, and BancorpSouth. Mobile Banking from AT&T affords you the flexibility to stay on top of your banking needs while you're on the move, enabling you to check your account balance, securely transfer funds between your eligible accounts, view and pay bills, and review your transaction history. AT&T customers pay no additional fee to access mobile banking and, because the application resides on the handset, the service is optimized to reduce the number of new page views necessary to complete a transaction. Minimal data usage charges apply and vary based on individual use.

Phone Features
The Samsng Epix makes it easy to navigate menus with its large 2.5-inch touchscreen (65K colors, 320 x 320-pixel resolution) that features haptic feedback when pressing buttons. It also includes the first-ever implementation of optical mouse technology on a phone sold in the U.S. Located in the center of the device between the right and left soft keys, the optical mouse allows for quick and easy navigation by simply sweeping a finger over it. To make a selection, a single click will bring you to your desired location within the phone's menus. The optical mouse can also be switched to a four-way navigation key for more traditional navigation.

With Windows Mobile 6.1, the Epix brings a powerful personal computer experience to the small screen. You'll be able keep track of schedules and contacts through Outlook Mobile, browse the Internet by using Internet Explorer Mobile, as well as manage Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents using Office Mobile. Windows Mobile 6.1 also supports HTML e-mail so that you can view and compose e-mail messages in their native format with live links to Web sites, support for images, tables and bullets.

In addition to a robust feature set, the Epix provides access to multiple e-mail accounts, both personal and business, through Microsoft Direct Push technology with Outlook Mobile and AT&T Xpress Mail, which includes most major POP3/IMAP providers. The BlackJack II also offers over-the-air synchronization of contacts, calendar and task lists with Microsoft Exchange Server or AT&T Xpress Mail.

This phone provides Bluetooth version 2.0 wireless connectivity, and includes profiles for mono and stereo headset, handsfree, dial-up networking, object push, file transfer, and basic print. With the A2DP Bluetooth profile, you can stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones. You can connect your laptop (either via Bluetooth or wired USB) and enjoy dial-up networking--surf the Internet, send email, and access files from a server. It also offers USB 2.0 wired connectivity and USB mass storage capability.

Other features include:

Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g)
2-megapixel camera with video capture, digital zoom, and multi-shot capabilities
Multiple digital audio file format compatibility, including MP3, WAV, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, WAV
MicroSD/MicroSDHC memory expansion compatible with media up to 32 GB
624 MHz processor; 256 MB ROM / 150 MB RAM
Email: Microsoft Direct Push, Good Mobile, IMAP4, POP3, Outlook
Messaging: SMS, MMS, IM (Yahoo, AOL, MSN)
HTML browser with RSS feeds
Bluetooth version 2.0 with the following profiles: A2DP (stereo music streaming), AVRC (remote control), HFP (hands-free car kits), HSP (communication headsets), BPP (basic printing profile for text, email), DUN (dial-up networking), FTP (file transfer), HID (support for mice or joysticks), OPP (object push for business cards, calendar items, and pictures), PAN (personal area networking), PBA (transfer contacts), SPP (serial port profile)

Vital Statistics
The Samsung Epix weighs 4.4 ounces and measures 4.6 x 2.4 x 0.5 inches. Its 1800 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 7 hours of talk time, and up to 336 hours (14 days) of standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies and 850/1900/2100 UMTS/HSDPA frequencies.

Powered by Windows Mobile 6.1
Microsoft's Windows Mobile 6.1 offers a number of handy features that make searching through email, editing Microsoft Office documents, and staying on top of your most important communications even easier. Emails can now be viewed in their original rich HTML format and now offer the ability to visit embedded links. It also includes Windows Live for Windows Mobile, which provides a full set of Windows Live services, such as the Windows Live Messenger IM application, which now enables you to chat with more than one person at one time or send a file.

With Windows Mobile 6.1, your phone will finally be able to emulate the power and features of your PC's Microsoft Office suite. You'll be able to neatly view, navigate and edit Word documents and Excel spreadsheets in their original formatting--without affecting tables, images or text--as well as view PowerPoint presentations.

Microsoft Office Word Mobile features include spell-check, Find and Replace commands, bulleted lists, text formatting, and support for tables for the first time.
With Excel Mobile, you're not just confined to editing charts: with the new Chart Wizard you can create charts quickly and easily.
PowerPoint Mobile allows you to view the full presentation, rehearse timings, check the order and any live links you may have in your presentation. You can then email comments back to the team or communicate via MSN Messenger for an immediate response.
After creating or editing a Word document or Excel spreadsheet, you can synchronize it with your PC and it will automatically be converted to the PC version.

All Windows Mobile 6.1 powered devices include Direct Push Technology for up-to-date e-mail delivery and automatic synchronization of Outlook calendars, tasks and contacts through Microsoft Exchange Server. It also offers a set of important device security and management features that include the capability to remotely wipe all data from a device should it be lost or stolen, helping ensure that confidential information remains that way.

Customer Reviews

4 Stars for SAMSUNG 1 STAR for WINDOWS MOBILE 6.1
I'm a PC person, i dont own anything Apple except an iPod. But i can see why people are not Microsoft fans. This phone and anything Windows Mobile related is the reason why. I can see that Microsoft likes to make things complicated. Simplicity is not in their dictionary and that word was not on anyone's mind when they created Windows Vista. The only perk about this phone over the Blackjack 1 and 2 is that this phone has an option to change the main menu style over to the Samsung menu. That seriously is the best thing on here. I cant stand the WINDOWS MENU STYLE. The PDA screen is not a 20 inch flat planel screen, so having the menu resemsble Windows XP or Vista makes no sense. No grown adult has an index finger the size of a 2 year baby. So in short, the WM 6.1 is AWFUL! However the main menu is the only thing you can change that is Samsung related in terms of a different menu interface. Other then that this phone is actually really good, except Windows has to GO AWAY!!! They ruin everything. The samsung menu is so appetizing. I wish the Samsung Instinct was on the AT&T network but it isnt.

The device also has a new touch screen with an optical mouse which functions just like the scroll ball but theres no ball, its a flat surface, you put your finger on it and an arrow appears on screen for you to select features etc. Still a 2.0 mega pixel camera. A 5.0 would be nice by now. The battery is bigger so it last longer. It includes a USB Charger and a wall charger. Also comes with a 3.5 MM headset jack converter so you can use your own ear phones. Other then that this phone would be a 5 star winner if it had the Samsung user interface. Microsoft gets ZERO stars. The handset is also a bit pricey if you buy at the AT&T store. But if you go to Radioshack its under $100.00.

List Price:	$299.99
Price:	$115.44 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Samsung Behold t919 Phone, Brushed Rose (T-Mobile)

2008-12-16T10:09:00.000-08:00

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Samsung Behold t919 Phone, Brushed Rose (T-Mobile)
From Samsung

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #2455 in Cell Phone Accessories
Color: Rose
Brand: Samsung
Model: T919
Released on: 2008-10-08

Features

Slim touchscreen phone for full web browsing and multimedia playback; compatible with T-Mobile's 3G network (available in select markets)
T-Mobile's MyFaves service provides unlimited calling to your five most called contacts
5-megapixel camera/camcorder, Bluetooth stereo music streaming, MicroSD expansion to 16 GB, access to personal email and instant messaging
Up to 5 hours of talk time, up to 288 hours (12 days) of standby time
What's in the Box: handset, battery, charger, 1 GB MicroSD memory card, USB cable, wired stereo handsfree headset, quick start guide

Editorial Reviews

The Behold enables fully colorful web browsing and multimedia on its 3.1-inch touchscreen display.

Activities that work well on EDGE or 3G networks:

Email, instant messaging, and texting
Downloading ringtones, CallerTunes, wallpaper, light data files
Sending photographs via e-mail or picture messaging

Activities that work best on a 3G network:

Viewing content-heavy websites (lots of images or videos playing)
Viewing YouTube and other video files (they will play on EDGE, but require loading time)
Uploading large files (photos, videos, presentations) to sharing websites
Downloading large files from an e-mail or a website

The TouchWiz interface has specially designed widgets to customize and personalize the way you use your phone.

Capture great snapshots on the go with the 5-megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash.

Other features include:

Virtual, landscape QWERTY touchpad
Built-in A-GPS navigation allows access to location-based applications
Access to personal email with document viewer for attachments
Instant messaging via AOL, ICQ, Windows Live, and Yahoo!
Organizer tools: Calendar, alarm, calculator
Sync contact with Outlook
USB connectivity with USB mass storage capabilities
Voice dialing: Call someone with simple voice commands to keep your hands free for activities like driving.
Bluetooth version 2.0 with the following profiles: A2DP (stereo music streaming), AVRC (remote control), HFP (hands-free car kits), HSP (communication headsets), BPP (basic printing profile for text, email), FTP (file transfer), OPP (object push for business cards, calendar items, and pictures)

Customer Reviews

Amazing Phone !! Way better than Apple I Phone!!!
I absolutley love this phone, I am a huge electronic junkie, and this just amazes me...Perfect in everyway!!!

Software for phone needs work as does Samsung Customer Service
My biggest gripe with this phone is the bug in the pda software. The input fields are nice, but once one presses save, the software mixes all of the fields up. The address display is a total mess.

The camera is soooo slow that it's really difficult to take any non-blurry photos unless the subject can stay absolutely, perfectly still for SEVERAL seconds.

The battery life does not seem to be anywhere close to what the specs state. I'm charging this phone AT LEAST once per day.

Samsung's customer service was HORRIBLE. Apparently the support staff (located in India) doesn't understand about firmware updates. When they were notified about the software bugs, they told me to send the phone in to see if they can fix it. Since I have this phone on a 30 day trial ---- that's not really an option. All I had wanted to do was to report the bug so that it could be addressed with the first software update...... the Samsung support staff couldn't grasp that concept (I guess it wasn't in their "script"). T-Mobile was able to duplicate my issue on 3 separate Beholds.

There are some features that I really like about this phone (the size, the touch keyboard, the color, the speaker phone use), but I'm so frustrated about the negatives, I may end up exchanging if for the Google phone.

Good Phone
I bought the phone about a week ago....I actually went to purchse the G1 but while waiting for a sales person to come help me I noticed the Behold.....started messing around with it and liked it instantly......especially love the 5.0 megapixel camera on it. I liked the looks of this phone better than the G1 because it isnt as bulky.....BIG PLUS FOR ME.....The only thing that I DO NOT really like is the fact that when you are trying to look for a number in the phonebook...it doesnt scroll down very easily....it goes back the letter you need......but all in all I am very pleased with my purchase.

List Price:	$399.99
Price:	$149.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Motorola RAZR V3 Prepaid Phone (T-Mobile)

2008-12-16T05:09:00.000-08:00

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Motorola RAZR V3 Prepaid Phone (T-Mobile)
From Motorola

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #659 in Cell Phone Accessories
Color: Black
Brand: Motorola
Model: RAZR V3
Released on: 2008-11-10

Features

Razor-thin clamshell phone in gray with sleek anodized aluminum construction
Pay for just the minutes you use with no annual contract--easy refill via Internet or prepaid cards
VGA camera, video clip playback, Bluetooth connectivity for communication headsets
Up to 6.7 hours of talk time, up to 250 hours (10+ days) of standby time
What's in the Box: handset, battery, charger, wired handsfree headset, SIM card, English/Spanish user guide

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Product Description
At just over a half-inch thick, the Motorola RAZR V3 is the perfect combination of sleek design and powerful features. Stay in touch with all your contacts and keep your busy life organized with the RAZR V3, and pay the way you want with prepaid and postpaid calling plans from T-Mobile Pay As You Go. An impressive quad-band GSM phone (great for global travelers), the RAZR V3 includes a VGA (640 x 480) camera, Bluetooth connectivity for communication headsets, dual LCD screens, video clip playback, and up to 7 hours of talk time.

T-Mobile Pay As You Go Prepaid Service
T-Mobile prepaid plans give you wireless access with less commitment, so you can pay--and talk--as you go. With no annual contract, no credit check, and no monthly bill, prepaid plans are a simple, direct way to go mobile. There are many ways to conveniently refill your T-Mobile Prepaid Plan so that you can stay continually connected with the people who matter most, including using web2go directly from your phone, via the T-Mobile web site, or using refill cards available at over 90,000 locations nationwide.

With Pay As You Go, you get wireless service exactly how you like it--there's no long-term contract, no credit checks, and no surprises. Add $100 in refills with Pay As You Go and you'll become a Gold Rewards customer, which gets you 15 percent more minutes on all refills and your minutes won't expire for a year after the time you refill.

You can also pay only $1.00 per day for unlimited nights and unlimited nationwide calling to any T-Mobile number. All other domestic calls you make are just 10¢ per minute.

T-Mobile includes the following services with this T-Mobile Pay As You Go phone:

Nationwide long distance (including calls to Alaska and Hawaii)
National roaming on the T-Mobile USA network
T-Mobile web2go (free shopping for HiFi Ringers, MegaTones, wallpapers, and more; not available on all devices)
VoiceMail, caller ID, call waiting, three-way calling
Free e-mail address (10digitnumber@tmomail.net)

Additional services available for additional fees:

Text messaging ($0.20 to send, $0.20 to receive)
Picture messaging ($0.20 to send or receive)
Download ringtones and wallpaper (prices vary)
Download games and applications (prices vary)
411 & More directory assistance ($1.49 per call plus airtime)
International dialing to over 150 countries (international rates apply)
Prepaid international roaming rates

To keep your mobile number active, refill within 90 days after your minutes expire. After 90 days, your account will be canceled and you will lose your phone number. If you want to restart service after that time, you will need to activate new service.

Easy to use yet packed with powerful communication tools, the prepaid RAZR V3 from T-Mobile Pay As You Go lets you pay the way you want.

Phone Features
The RAZR V3 has a large 176 x 220 color display with 262,000 colors dominates the inside of the top cover, and a supplementary 96 x 80 full-color display on the outside that can display pictures, time, call information, battery and signal strength, and more. Most of the phone's features and on-screen menus are controlled by a five-way center button on the handset's backlit control pad, which is precision cut from a single sheet of nickel-plated copper alloy. A charging port and USB data cable port is placed on the bottom of the phone.

The RAZR V3's internal phone book can hold up to 1000 contacts, while the phone's picture ID system allows you to assign pictures to your most common callers. It also supports polyphonic ringtones as well as MP3 ringers, allowing you to use portions of your favorite songs to alert you to incoming calls. There's even an included application, MotoMixer, that lets you mix your own ringtones. For times when you want to be discreet, there's a vibrating alert. A built-in speakerphone makes it easy to talk without having the phone to your ear while voice activated dialing makes calling your friends, family and associates as easy as saying their names.

The RAZR V3 is a messaging and wireless Internet powerhouse. Support is built in for sending and receiving pictures, text, graphics, sound and video via messages. When used in combination with the phone's built-in still and video camera, MMS opens up a whole new world of messaging fun. Instant messaging is also included (with support for AOL, Yahoo!, MSN, and ICQ), and the phone ships with a built-in email client with support for POP3, IMAP4 and SMTP protocols. iTap text entry, which is a technology that makes it easier for people to enter words and text on handsets, is built into the unit-- a plus for mobile email and text messaging users.

A number of handy software tools are bundled with the RAZR V3 including a voice memo recorder, a calculator with currency converter, a calendar and an alarm clock. Use the phone's Bluetooth capability to set up a wireless link with a Bluetooth accessory or connect to a computer or hand-held device to exchange and synchronize data. The phone also supports the SyncML PC synchronization standard, can be used with Motorola's Mobile Phone Tools PC application to manage and synchronize contacts, calendar and other data with your PC.

The phone's VGA camera features a 4x zoom, image quality options, and an auto-timer so you can be in your pictures, too. Capture stills and then send them to your friends via MMS messaging or email, or to your PC via USB or Bluetooth. The phone is capable of MPEG4 video playback when you receive a video message, or if you upload video to the phone via USB or Bluetooth. The RAZR V3 also supports custom graphics for wallpapers so you can dress up the phone to suit your fancy.

Vital Statistics
The Motorola RAZR V3 weighs 3.35 ounces and measures 3.86 x 2.09 x 0.54 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 6.67 hours of digital talk time, and up to 250 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS frequencies.

Price:	Too low to display & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Price:

Too low to display & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Samsung A747 SLM Blue Phone (AT&T)

2008-12-15T21:10:00.000-08:00

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Samsung A747 SLM Blue Phone (AT&T)
From AT&T

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #866 in Cell Phone Accessories
Color: Blue
Brand: Samsung
Model: A747
Released on: 2007-11-14

Features

Quad-band clamshell phone with high-speed 3G network connectivity for multimedia streaming
Download tracks from AT&T Mobile Music and Napster over the air; pre-loaded with AT&T Mobile Banking application
2-megapixel camera with video capture; MicroSD expansion; Bluetooth connectivity with music streaming
Up to 3 hours of talk time, up to 250 hours (10.4 days) of standby time; measures 3.96 x 1.99 x 0.51 inches (WxHxD)
Includes:

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Product Description
Sporting an ultra-thin clamshell design--so thin, in fact, that they had to subtract a vowel from the name--the Samsung SLM (aka, A747) can take advantage of AT&T's wealth of rich multimedia services, including music downloads, streaming Cellular Video, and Video Share between phones. The SLM is also the first AT&T device to support Napster music purchases over the air (OTA) so you can easily purchase and download music directly to your phone rather than waiting to transfer from your PC. Exuding sophisticated style, the SLM is also packed with loads of must-have phone features, including Bluetooth connectivity for headsets and stereo music streaming, a 2.0-megapixel camera/camcorder, mobile email and instant messaging, and MicroSD memory expansion.

In addition to downloading from AT&T Mobile Music, you can make over-the-air purchases from Napster on the Samsung SLM.

A portable personal assistant as well as cell phone, the SLM includes a full range of personal organization applications and access to AT&T Mobile Banking.

AT&T Service Options
This AT&T phone can handle high-speed data connectivity via AT&T's 3G mobile broadband data network, which is available in most major metropolitan areas. The AT&T 3G network uses the dual-band UMTS/HSDPA 850/1900 MHz network (also known as WCDMA), making it possible to enjoy a variety of feature-rich wireless multimedia services with speeds up to 3.6 Mbps. It also gives AT&T the advantage of offering simultaneous voice and data services.

It's packed with multimedia streaming and download capabilities. AT&T's Cellular Video (CV) service features content from CNN, The Weather Channel, iFilm, Comedy Central and exclusive premium content from HBO and much more. And you get access to AT&T Mobile Music, which enables you to buy tracks while on the, access the Napster subscription music service, stream music video, discover what's playing with Music ID song-recognition software, and find out what's hot with The Buzz music news portal. (A MEdia Max subscription bundle is recommended for accessing AT&T's Internet, video, and music services.)

The phone has a built-in web browser for MEdia Net downloads and mobile web browsing. AT&T's MEdia Net service enables you to receive and send emails, read news headlines, get weather updates, download games and ringtones, and more.

Mobile Banking from AT&T
The SLM is one of the first phones pre-loaded with AT&T's Mobile Banking application, which is compatible with accounts from banks including Wachovia, SunTrust, Synovus, and BancorpSouth. Mobile Banking from AT&T affords you the flexibility to stay on top of your banking needs while you're on the move, enabling you to check your account balance, securely transfer funds between your eligible accounts, view and pay bills, and review your transaction history. AT&T customers pay no additional fee to access mobile banking and, because the application resides on the handset, the service is optimized to reduce the number of new page views necessary to complete a transaction. Minimal data usage charges apply and vary based on individual use.

Phone Features
Weighing just 3.17 ounces and measuring about one-half of an inch thick, the SLM features a 96 x 96-pixel, 65K color external screen and a 176 x 220-pixel, 262K TFT internal color screen. The 50 MB internal memory (shared with the MP3 player and camera) can store up to 1000 contact entries, with each entry supporting 40 digits and 16 characters. It also features eight one-touch dialing numbers for quick access to your most frequently dialed pals, and a view of the last 30 incoming/outgoing/missed calls. The phone is compatible with 64-note polyphonic and MP3 ringtones, and it also provides a vibration alert for when you need to keep things quiet.

You can load up your MP3 files on optional MicroSD cards (up to 4 GB in size) via a USB connection from your PC, or download music from AT&T Mobile Music. If you have a Napster membership, you can easily search its music catalog of 5 million songs, preview samples of each song, and purchase and download songs directly to the SLM in less than a minute. The SLM also supports the full AT&T Mobile Music suite of services, including XM Radio Mobile, Pandora, MusicID song-recognition service, and VIP access--a mobile fan club and music-discovery service.

This phone provides Bluetooth version 2.0 wireless connectivity, and includes profiles for communication headset, handsfree car kits, object push, file transfer, audio/video remote control, and basic printing. With the A2DP Bluetooth profile, you can stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones. You can connect your laptop (either via Bluetooth or wired USB) and enjoy dial-up networking--surf the Internet, send email, and access files from a server. Send contacts, calendar events, and pictures/videos/voice memos wirelessly.

The 2.0-megapixel camera can capture still images in four resolution settings (1600 x 1200, 1280 x 960, 640 x 480, and 320 x 240 pixels), and it features a multi-shot mode (up to 9 images), a self-timer, and brightness controls. It can also capture audio and video clips up to 1 hour in length (saved to a MicroSD card).

In addition to voice calls, text messaging, and MMS capability, the phone is also compatible with mobile email as well as instant messaging (IM) from AIM, Windows Live, and Yahoo!. T9 text entry, which is a technology that makes it easier for entering text on handsets, is built into the unit--a plus for mobile email and text messaging users. Other features include:

Speakerphone
Backlit keypad
Call timer
Alarm and world time
Multi-lingual text display (English, French, Spanish)
Pre-loaded games, with more downloadable via AT&T
Headset jack
Personal organizer: calendar, calculator, currency converter, tasks, notepad

Vital Statistics
The Samsung SLM weighs 3.17 ounces and measures 3.96 x 1.99 x 0.51 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 3 hours of talk time, and up to 250 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies as well as 850/1900 WCDMA (3G) frequencies.

Customer Reviews

Forewarned is FOREARMED!
Samsung phone is OK. AT&T is OK - unless you expect them to honor the one year warranty. They won't. They just glibly state that the phone has water damage and the customer has no recourse whatsoever. For starters, the warranty SAYS NOTHING ABOUT WATER DAMAGE. Under the cover next to the battery is a white square. If that square ever turns red, it proves to them [but certainly not the world] that the phone has water damage. My phone was never dropped in water, never rained on, never steamed, never sprayed and never spat upon. It quit working properly after 8 months. When asked, at the AT&T store, to honor the one year warranty they held their pompous noses high and refused any negotiations whatsoever. I believe they have a cozy way of skirting the warranty. The white square is designed to slowly change to red by virtue of the moisture in one's breath while talking on the phone and/or the high humidity conditions generated in one's pocket from his body warmth and mild perspiration. They blatantly blame the customer instead of admitting this cozy little subterfuge then refuse to honor the warranty. They should be arrested and incarcerated.

Spend the extra $5 per month to get the insurance and maybe you will get a fair deal when your phone stops working properly and the ALMIGHTY white square under the cover has turned to scarlet [in their eyes, proving the hapless customer damned and sinful].

great phone, easy to use
I wish I had selected this one for myself. The A747 has a bigger screen than the A737 (comparing both phones my kids have), and has clear menus. The central control area lets your finger just slide easily around to all the compass points to hit your shortcuts. Good sound & picture quality, uses a standard mini SD card you can get cheaply nearly anywhere. Holds lots of mp3s. Keypad is excellent size for large fingers (and moms with blurry eyesight) just the right size for typing, and this model feels right in your hand. This flip phone is easy to open and feels solidly made. My teenager has it, but I'd like to swap. Too bad he won't appreciate my phone; it's pink!

wish i'd never bought it
I'm on my second one - the first was replaced under warranty because it would drain the battery - it would act as if a program were running, even when it wasn't supposed to be, thus draining the battery. On the replacement, I've deliberately drained the battery, plugged into the charger overnight, and when I unplug it in the morning it says "low bat'. However, if I turn the phone off and turn it back on, it shows a full battery. Unfortunately, I'm stuck with this phone for another 19 months under my ATT plan. Wish I'd never bought it.

List Price:	$299.99
Price:	$0.01 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Samsung Blast Phone (T-Mobile)

2008-12-15T16:10:00.000-08:00

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Samsung Blast Phone (T-Mobile)
From T-Mobile

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #748 in Cell Phone Accessories
Color: Black
Brand: Samsung
Model: Blast
Released on: 2007-08-05

Features

Slim slider phone with hybrid QWERTY keypad with SureType technology for quick, easy emails and text messaging
Provides direct access to personal e-mail, including AOL email, Yahoo! Mail and Gmail
Access to popular instant messaging services as well as text and multimedia/picture messaging
Bluetooth connectivity for communication headsets and stereo headphones; 1.3-megapixel camera
Includes: Battery, Charger and Hands-free Headset

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Product Description
Perfect for people who want to stay on top of their email as well as stay connected wherever they roam, the crimson and black Samsung Blast slider-style phone is an affordable alternative to smartphones. Available exclusively from T-Mobile, it communicates over GSM/GPRS and EDGE networks and offers quad-band network capabilities for global connectivity. It's first T-Mobile phone to provide direct access to personal e-mail--including AOL email, Yahoo! Mail and Gmail--in addition to text and instant messaging. Composing messages is easy thanks to the hybrid QWERTY keypad that uses SureType technology, also found on RIM's BlackBerry smartphones. (See more about SureType below.) Other features include stereo Bluetooth connectivity, MicroSD memory card expansion, 1.3-megapixel camera/camcorder, speaker-independent voice control, and an integrated digital audio player.

The front of the compact Samsung Blast slids up to reveal a keypad with a hybrid QWERTY keyboard.

Using the integrated SureType technology, you'll be able to write and respond to emails, text messages, and IMs quickly and easily.

Here's the biggest bonus--with the Blast you can send and receive e-mail for the same cost as a text message. No data package is required! With a basic voice plan and text messaging option, the Blast becomes your ultimate communication device with text, picture, video, and instant messaging as well as email--without the monthly cost of a data plan.

The Blast also is the first phone to feature compatibility with T-Mobile's myFaves service, which allows you to call up to five of your most common contacts--on any network, even landlines--without using any of your minutes. Blast users who are myFaves subscribers can now also send an audio postcard--a photo accompanied by a voice message--as well as send an e-mail or launch an IM client, in addition to a text message, right from the myFaves home screen. Learn more about myFaves.

Compatible with IMAP4, POP3, and SMTP email protocols (including integrated access to AOL email, Yahoo! Mail and Gmail), the Blast makes it easy to check in with your inbox. It also includes access to instant messaging--with built-in support for AOL Instant Messenger (AIM), ICQ, Windows Live Messenger and Yahoo! Messenger services--in addition to SMS text, MMS multimedia/picture messaging. For added convenience, email messages on the Blast can be read and responded to for the same pricing as text and picture messagesÑmeaning there's no required data package to purchase.

The bright TFT display has a 176 x 220-pixel resolution and support for up to 262K colors. Below the screen resides a four-way navigation pad and dedicated shortcut and T-Zone keys, with the numeric keypad available by sliding phone's front upward. The QWERTY-like keypad provides ample space to let fingers move at a faster pace, making typing more intuitive, with greater control over the letters and words being entered.

The slim Samsung Blast measures just 0.5 inches thin.

The 1.3-megapixel camera shoots still photos in seven resolutions (from 176 x 144 to 1280 x 1024 pixels) and it offers up to a 4x digital zoom, self-timer, multi-shot capability, and five picture modes (auto, daylight, incandescent, fluorescent, and cloudy). It can also capture video clips in two resolutions--176 x 144 (QCIF) and 128 x 96 pixels--at a length dependent upon the available space on an inserted MicroSD memory card. The digital audio player supports playback of MP3 and AAC files saved to memory card.

This phone provides Bluetooth version 2.0 wireless connectivity, and includes profiles for communication headset, handsfree car kits, audio/video remote control, and printing. With the A2DP Bluetooth profile, you can stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones. You can connect your laptop (either via Bluetooth or wired USB) and enjoy dial-up networking (DUN)--surf the Internet, send email, and access files from a server--using T-Mobile's EDGE network.

The built in memory provides room for up to 1000 contact entries in the phone's address book. A voice dialing feature makes calling friends and associates as easy as saying their names. Enjoy easy, hands free communication with a full duplex speakerphone that lets you hear callers loud and clear. It comes with a number of handy tools including a calendar, notepad, alarm clock, to-do list, tip calculator, and unit converter. It also sports an airplane mode feature, which allows the user to safely use the non-wireless functions of a phone (such as music, games, or organizer functions) on an airplane during flight. Other features include an 11 MB internal memory, four pre-loaded games (Forgotten Warrior, Cannonball, Midnight Casino, and Brain Challenge) with more downloadable from T-Mobile's T-Zones, USB connectivity (with mass storage capability), and a built-in Web browser.

SureType Hybrid Keyboard
Through an integrated keyboard and software system, SureType effectively combines a traditional phone keypad and a familiar QWERTY-based keyboard to create an efficient and familiar typing experience. When you type on the Samsung Blast, SureType technology automatically changes the letters on the screen and lists suggested words below the text.

SureType allows you to quickly and accurately compose messages using single-handed operation or two-handed thumb-typing--without the limitations of traditional phone keypads. There are no dual keypads, peripherals or hardware transformations required and there is no need to learn a new way to type. Since the software understands what you're typing, you can concentrate on composing your message rather than on the input method. To help facilitate easy spelling and composition, SureType includes intuitive software with a word list of over 35,000 words and the ability to increase that list based on the frequency of use and the names and addresses in the smartphone's address book.

Vital Statistics
The Samsung Blast weighs 2.8 ounces and measures 4.16 x 2.04 x 0.5 inches. Its 800 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 5 hours of talk time, and up to 199 hours (8.3) of digital standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies. The phone comes with a one year limited warranty.

Customer Reviews

Excellent T-mobile phone
This is an excellent phone. It has a nice big, bright screen, nice 1.3 megapixel camera, music player, great button layout, and an qwerty keyboard. And it looks awesome in black and red.

If you're not so sure about the qwerty keyboard thing, just give it some time and you'll get used to it. It took me about 2 weeks to be able to type at a normal speed, and now that I've had it for a while i can whip out text messages like it's my job.

So overall it's a great choice if you're looking for a t-mobile phone with a decent amount of features and you do a lot of texting.

PS i recommend buying a micro sd card for storing/transfering your pics (and music)

One of the best phones I've ever owned
After hating my Motorola PEBL for the last 2 years, I was finally eligible for a discounted upgrade and I chose the Samsung Blast. After having it for about a month, I have to say it's one of the better phones I've ever owned. It's thin, light, sleek, and I love the keypad. It takes some getting used to, but once you get the hang of texting with it, it's amazing.

The predictive text is also better than on many of the phones I've owned, though if a word isn't in the dictionary, it's easy enough to turn off predictive text and enter it manually (at which point, the word gets added to the dictionary). I realize that some people don't like predictive text, so for them it's a bit lame that there's no setting to leave it turned off by default. I also love the fact that it has a MicroSD slot; makes it really easy to add new ringtones and wallpapers.

It's not a perfect phone though. Of the major gripes I have, the biggest is the 30-message limit in the text inbox (the last Samsung phone I had 4 years ago had this issue as well). Why text messages can't be stored on the memory card is a mystery, especially for a phone that's so focused on texting. Also a mystery is is the fact that the phone can store 200 messages in the text message outbox. At the very least, those two should be reversed (200 in the inbox and 30 in the outbox).

The inability to change the text message tones is also very annoying. I've seen numerous phones that give users this freedom, and with the memory card slot and the ability to add your own ringtones, it's simply unforgivable that you can't change the tone for incoming text messages. Especially since the sones that come with the phone are all incredibly annoying. As a result, I set the phone to just vibrate when I get a text.

I've also occasionally had connection issues where the phone will show a full signal but I won't be able to make/receive calls or text messages. But I've found that turning it off and turning it back on usually solves that problem. Otherwise, call quality is fine and I haven't really had many other issues with reception.

I tried using the phone to check my gmail, and it was slower than I would have liked. I probably won't be making use of that feature very often. I also don't plan on using it to listen to music, so the lack of a standard 3.5mm headphone jack doesn't bother me.

Overall, the good far outweighs the bad. For a phone so focused on texting, it falls a bit short in that area but it still does texting better than most other phones and it's still a great phone.

nice phone
I like this phone, it is easy to use, though I have not used the music features much. It takes nice video and pic. Has lots of fun extras, tip calculator and such.

List Price:	$179.99
Price:	$0.01 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Samsung BlackJack II Red Wine Smartphone (AT&T)

2008-12-15T09:10:00.000-08:00

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Samsung BlackJack II Red Wine Smartphone (AT&T)
From AT&T

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #3833 in Cell Phone Accessories
Color: Red
Brand: Samsung
Model: BlackJack II
Released on: 2007-11-23

Features

Quad-band/3G smartphone with Windows Mobile 6 for MS Office document editing and easy Outlook email and contacts
Internal GPS receiver with support for TeleNav software; music and video downloads and streams via AT&T Mobile Music and Cellular Video
Full QWERTY keyboard; Bluetooth stereo music streaming; 2.0 megapixel camera; MicroSD expansion
Up to 7 hours of talk time, up to 14 days of standby time
Includes: Charger, USB Cable, Battery and Getting Started CD

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Product Description
The successor to the original, highly popular Blackjack smartphone, the Samsung Blackjack II (SGH-I617) retains the thin, lightweight design, QWERTY keyboard, and large screen from its predecessor while adding the power of the Windows Mobile 6 operating system, integrated GPS, and upping image capture quality to 2.0 megapixels. It can access AT&T's tri-band HSDPA/UMTS high-speed 3G network, which makes it easy to download music purchased from AT&T Mobile Music, stream tunes from Napster and eMusic, and watch video streamed from CNN and Comedy Central via AT&T's Cellular Video. It also supports AT&T's Video Share service, which offers a one-way video stream during a mobile-to-mobile phone call.

The Windows Mobile 6 Professional operating system offers a familiar office experience and the ability to read and edit in applications such as Word or Excel as well as review PowerPoint presentations. You can also receive Outlook email and update your contacts and calendar on the go. Other features include quad-band global connectivity. And you'll be able to get to where you're going fast with the integrated GPS receiver and support for TeleNav GPS Navigator software. Other features include Bluetooth connectivity for headsets and stereo music streaming, MicroSD memory expansion, speakerphone, instant messaging, and simultaneous voice and data capabilities.

The easily pocketable, ultra-thin Samsung Blackjack II measures just 0.4 inches and weighs 3.52 ounces.

AT&T Service
This AT&T phone can handle high-speed data connectivity via AT&T's 3G mobile broadband data network, which is available in most major metropolitan areas. The AT&T 3G network uses the tri-band UMTS/HSDPA 850/1900/2100 MHz network (also known as WCDMA), making it possible to enjoy a variety of feature-rich wireless multimedia services with speeds up to 3.6 Mbps. It also gives AT&T the advantage of offering simultaneous voice and data services.

With the power of Windows Mobile 6, you can easily stay in contact via email as well as edit Word and Excel documents.

Phone Features
Glossier than its predecessor, the Samsung BlackJack II impresses immediately with its striking looks, thin frame, and larger 2.4-inch LCD screen (320 x 240 pixels, 65K colors). The Samsung BlackJack II makes every aspect of your life look easy. The full QWERTY keypad gives you every letter at a touch. And the Jog Wheel lets you quickly access, scroll through and select whatever you're searching for.

With Windows Mobile 6, the BlackJack II brings a powerful personal computer experience to the small screen. The BlackJack II helps you keep track of schedules and contacts through Outlook Mobile, browse the Internet by using Internet Explorer Mobile, as well as manage Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents using Office Mobile. Windows Mobile 6 also supports HTML e-mail so that you can view and compose e-mail messages in their native format with live links to Web sites, support for images, tables and bullets.

BlackJack II will be among the first Windows Mobile 6 devices from AT&T to support Microsoft's System Center Mobile Device Manager 2008, which offers companies an end-to-end solution for managing and securing Windows Mobile devices. Employees will also have access to company information and a line of business applications from a single, secure place behind the firewall by using a cutting-edge Mobile Virtual Private Network (VPN).

In addition to a robust feature set, BlackJack II provides access to multiple e-mail accounts, both personal and business, through Microsoft Direct Push technology with Outlook Mobile and AT&T Xpress Mail, which includes most major POP3/IMAP providers. The BlackJack II also offers over-the-air synchronization of contacts, calendar and task lists with Microsoft Exchange Server or AT&T Xpress Mail.

Other features include:

Memory expansion via MicroSD cards up to 4 GB
PIM tools: Calendar, clock, world time, alarm, currency converter, unit converter, calculator, stopwatch
Instant messaging via AOL, Windows Live, Yahoo!
Hands-free loudspeaker and microphone
Fast loading HTML browser; RSS reader
2.0-megapixel camera with 4x zoom and multi-shot capability
256 MB ROM / 128 MB RAM

Vital Statistics
The Samsung Blackjack II weighs 3.52 ounces and measures 4.4 x 2.3 x. 0.4 inches. Its 1700 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 7 hours of talk time, and up to 14 days of digital standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies as well as 850/1900/2100 WCDMA (3G) frequencies.

Powered by Windows Mobile 6

Windows Mobile 6 adds power to your mobile office with up-to-date e-mail delivery and automatic synchronization of Outlook calendars.

Edit Word documents and Excel spreadsheets on your phone, just as you would on your desktop/laptop PC.

Microsoft's Windows Mobile 6 updates the Windows Mobile 5 platform with a number of handy features that make searching through email, editing Microsoft Office documents, and staying on top of your most important communications even easier. Emails can now be viewed in their original rich HTML format and now offer the ability to visit embedded links. It also includes Windows Live for Windows Mobile, which provides a full set of Windows Live services, such as the Windows Live Messenger IM application, which now enables you to chat with more than one person at one time or send a file. This device runs Windows Mobile 6 Professional, which is designed for smartphones with touchscreens

With Windows Mobile 6, your phone will finally be able to emulate the power and features of your PC's Microsoft Office suite. You'll be able to neatly view, navigate and edit Word documents and Excel spreadsheets in their original formatting--without affecting tables, images or text--as well as view PowerPoint presentations.

Microsoft Office Word Mobile features include spell-check, Find and Replace commands, bulleted lists, text formatting, and support for tables for the first time.
With Excel Mobile, you're not just confined to editing charts: with the new Chart Wizard you can create charts quickly and easily.
PowerPoint Mobile allows you to view the full presentation, rehearse timings, check the order and any live links you may have in your presentation. You can then email comments back to the team or communicate via MSN Messenger for an immediate response.
After creating or editing a Word document or Excel spreadsheet, you can synchronize it with your PC and it will automatically be converted to the PC version.

All Windows Mobile 6 powered devices include Direct Push Technology for up-to-date e-mail delivery and automatic synchronization of Outlook calendars, tasks and contacts through Microsoft Exchange Server. It also offers a set of important device security and management features that include the capability to remotely wipe all data from a device should it be lost or stolen, helping ensure that confidential information remains that way.

Customer Reviews

Pretty Good Basic Phone
Before my original iPhone bit the dust (my own dumb fault) I had been awaiting the arrival of the Blackberry Bold (I had been a religious Blackberry user for just about ever) but since the release date kept getting pushed back and my phone died I had to get something. A lot of people I know have a Blackjack II and swear by it. So I gave in. I got this neat-o red one with the faux leather back, I must say it's a pretty nice looking phone. It works well for me. Texting is a breeze, the calendar is amazing, the software is pretty basic. It's a great basic PDA. Honestly it's better for me and what I need than the iPhone. I even synced it to my Apple with the MissingSync software. The only complaint is the delay when you get to typing fast. It's nothing too terrible but it can be annoying. Also could have used a car charger but it oddly did not come with one. Other than that it sounds great and works well.

Noticable improvements
I skipped the first gen. back then as I was using a Treo at the time, and I almost got an iPh but after much debate and comparisons I chose the new 3G Blkjk ii in blue!
Overall, I'm satisfied.
The downloads are noticably faster with 3G!
Display and kbd are all good and actually I find the thumb-wheel very handy, not sure why so many folks dinged the review of that!
I admit I don't playback vid or mp3 songs on this as I mainly use it to stay connected and read eMail while on the road, so I don't have an opinion on the odd-ball headphone jack.
My experience with eMail and calendar updates sync' over the air without the need to sync using USB cable is excellent. In that respect it scores 5 stars as the client installation went without a hitch on first try!
Voice quality of calls is good too.
For future models, my only suggestion is to re-vamp UI and take advantage of some touch technology to drop the soft-keys but do keep the querty kbd intact.

Better than my BlackBerry
I purchased this phone about 6 months ago. I have enjoyed it so much more than my last BlackBerry (7100i). More intuitive, easier to use and I have not had any problems with it whatsoever. I highly recommend it to anyone with average or smaller than average fingers - the typepad may be a bit small for larger hands.

List Price:	$499.99
Price:	$0.01 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Nokia 2760 Prepaid Phone (T-Mobile)

2008-12-15T04:11:00.000-08:00

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Nokia 2760 Prepaid Phone (T-Mobile)
From Nokia

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #989 in Cell Phone Accessories
Color: Black
Brand: Nokia
Model: 2760
Released on: 2008-11-10

Features

Affordable dual-band GSM clamshell phone with dual LCDs
Pay for just the minutes you use with no annual contract--easy refill via Internet or prepaid cards
Bluetooth for communication headsets, VGA camera/camcorder, access to instant messaging
Up to 3 hours of talk time, up to 264 hours (11 days) of standby time
What's in the Box: handset, battery, charger, wired handsfree headset, SIM card, user manual

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Product Description
Stay in touch with all your contacts and keep your busy life organized with the Nokia 2760, and pay the way you want with prepaid and postpaid calling plans from T-Mobile Pay As You Go. Perfect for those looking for an easy-to-use, affordable handset to stay connected to friends and family, the dual-band GSM/EDGE Nokia 2760 is a svelte, stylish phone that's a great mobile companion. Belying its entry level status, the 2760 comes packed with such must-have bonus features as a digital camera with video capture capabilties and Bluetooth connectivity for easy handsfree communication. Other features include dual LCD screens, speakerphone, 2.5mm wired headset jack, access to personal email and instant messaging, and up to 3 hours of talk time.

You can also pay only $1.00 per day for unlimited nights and unlimited nationwide calling to any T-Mobile number. All other domestic calls you make are just 10¢ per minute.

T-Mobile includes the following services with this T-Mobile Pay As You Go phone:

Nationwide long distance (including calls to Alaska and Hawaii)
National roaming on the T-Mobile USA network
T-Mobile web2go (free shopping for HiFi Ringers, MegaTones, wallpapers, and more; not available on all devices)
VoiceMail, caller ID, call waiting, three-way calling
Free e-mail address (10digitnumber@tmomail.net)

Additional services available for additional fees:

Text messaging ($0.20 to send, $0.20 to receive)
Picture messaging ($0.20 to send or receive)
Download ringtones and wallpaper (prices vary)
Download games and applications (prices vary)
411 & More directory assistance ($1.49 per call plus airtime)
International dialing to over 150 countries (international rates apply)
Prepaid international roaming rates

Easy to use yet packed with powerful communication tools, the prepaid Nokia 2760 from T-Mobile Pay As You Go lets you pay the way you want.

Phone Features
The clamshell Nokia 2760 has a blue monochrome screen on its exterior (96 x 68 pixels) that displays current time as well as incoming calls. Flip it open to reveal its large, easily accessible keypad and brightly colorful main LCD (128 x 160 pixels, 65K colors). In addition to an oversized five-way navigation pad, it includes send/end keys and two soft keys. The phonebook can store up to 1000 contact entries in its 11 MB of internal shared memory, and the phone can display the most recent 20 dialed/received/missed calls.

This phone provides Bluetooth version 2.0 wireless connectivity, and includes profiles for communication headset, handsfree car kits, and file transfer. You can connect your laptop (either via Bluetooth or wired USB) and enjoy dial-up networking--surf the Internet, send email, and access files from a server.

The affordable clamshell Nokia 2760 includes Bluetooth connectivity and access to instant messaging and email.

The 2760 offers a full range of email, text, and multimedia messaging options. It includes support for IMAP4, POP3, and SMTP email. In addition to SMS text and MMS multimedia messaging, you can send and receive instant messages with AOL, Yahoo!, Windows Live Messenger, and Google Talk.

The VGA digital camera can capture stills at up to a 640 x 480-pixel resolution, and the camera includes a 4x digital zoom to help you get closer to the action. You can also capture short video clips (at up to 2 minutes) in sub-QCIF resolution (128 x 96 pixels, 8 fps). Personalize your phone with MP3 or 24-voice polyphonic ringtones.

Other features include:

PC synchronization for contacts, calendar, and images
PIM tools: Calendar, expense manager, calculator, converter
WAP 2.0 web browser (xHTML)
T9 predictive text input
Hearing Aid Compatibility Rating: M3/T3
Language support: American English, Spanish, Canadian French
Bluetooth profiles: HSP (communication headsets), DUN (dial-up networking), FTP (file transfer), OPP (object push for business cards, calendar items, and pictures), PAN (personal area networking)

Vital Statistics
The Nokia 2760 weighs 2.84 ounces and measures 3.43 x 1.76 x 0.81 inches. Its 700 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 3 hours of talk time, and up to 264 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the 850/1900 GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies.

Price:	Too low to display & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Price:

Too low to display & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Samsung Slash Prepaid Phone (Virgin Mobile)

2008-12-14T22:11:00.000-08:00

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Samsung Slash Prepaid Phone (Virgin Mobile)
From Brightpoint (Virgin)

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #5017 in Cell Phone Accessories
Color: Black
Brand: Samsung
Model: Slash
Released on: 2008-08-13

Features

Svelte slider phone with access to text and instant messaging, personal email, and web sites
Pay for only the calling time you use with Virgin Mobile's minutes or monthly plans--no annual contract required
VGA camera (4x zoom) for still photos; Bluetooth for handsfree communication; speakerphone
Up to 3.5 hours of talk time, up to 170 hours (7+ days) of standby time
Includes: handset, battery, charger, user manual

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Product Description
Whether it be voice, email, IM, or text messaging, stay on top of all your communications with the Samsung Slash from Virgin Mobile, a svelte, stylish slider style phone that's packed with the most popular features. You'll be able to snap still photos on the go with the VGA camera and enjoy handsfree communication via the speakerphone or with an optional Bluetooth headset. With Virgin Mobile, you can choose a pay-as-you-go plan where you pay for just the minutes you use, or select from one of several monthly plans--including an unlimited option. Other features include a web browser, Spanish language menus, personal organizer, and up to 3.5 hours of talk time.

The slider-style Samsung Slash includes a VGA camera for snapping still photos on the go.

Virgin Mobile Service
With Virgin Mobile, you can pay only for the calling time you use. You can choose a plan that's based just on minutes (with rates between 5¢ and 10¢ per minute, depending on the amount of minutes you buy). Or, you can choose a monthly plan with no annual contract, including Total Unlimited Calling for $79.99. Pay-as-you-go users can easily Top-Up your Virgin Mobile account right from your phone. First, buy a Top-Up card at one of the thousands of retailers that carry them; or register your debit card, credit card, or PayPal account at the Virgin Mobile USA web site in order to add minutes to your account directly from your phone.

Additionally, you can choose from a variety of mobile messaging plans, which includes text and picture messaging, email, and IM (via AOL and Yahoo!). Virgin Mobile USA's national coverage is powered by the nationwide Sprint PCS network.

Virgin Mobile contributes 5 percent of profits from downloadable content to The RE*Generation, its pro-social initiative to help homeless teens, as well as provides postage-paid return envelopes in every new package for customers to recycle old phones.

Enjoy handsfree communication with the speakerphone and Bluetooth connectivity.

Phone Features
Light and compact, the Samsung Slash weighs in at just 3 ounces for easy pocketability. The face has a 1.9-inch LCD screen with a 128 x 160-pixel resolution and a 65K color depth, and it's complemented by a five-way navigator as well as send/end and soft keys for navigation. It smoothly slides up to reveal a standard alpha-numeric keypad. The internal phone book can store up to 499 contact entries, with up to five phone numbers, two email addresses and one website per individual as well as one picture. The phone can download a maximum of 10 MB of data, and the phone also features a list of the most recent 20 incoming/outgoing/missed calls.

In addition to a speakerphone, the Slash includes Bluetooth connectivity for communication headsets and handsfree car kits. Snap still photos on the go with the VGA camera, which includes a 4x digital zoom.

Games such as Gameloft Jukebox and Superscape Demo come preloaded, while the VirginXL portal provides access to a wide array of Virgin Mobile USA content, including animated and real music ringtones and ringback tones, and Headliner--Virgin Mobile USAs' exclusive mobile music magazine with on-demand access to music-related content like artist news, charts and concert dates.

Other features include:

Voice-activated dialing
Any key answer
Organizer tools: Calendar, alarm, calculator
Messaging options: SMS text, personal email, instant messaging (additional charges applicable)
WAP 2.0 web browser
T9 predictive text entry technology makes it easier for you to enter words and text on handsets
Vibrator alert, 72-chord polyphonic ringtones

Vital Statistics
The Samsung Slash weighs 3 ounces and measures 3.8 x 1.8 x 0.7 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 3.5 hours of talk time, and up to 170 hours (7+ days) of standby time. It runs on the 1900 MHz CDMA frequency.

Customer Reviews

Great phone for the price, stylish!
This is a great phone, considering its retail price. For $80 full price, you get Bluetooth capability (although Virgin Mobile prevents the phone from transferring files between devices; you can only connect to headsets), an okay camera, and some nice, solid style.

The phone is sturdy in terms of build. Some elements of the body are not the best and give away its affordable, basic nature. The battery gets practically red-hot after about seven minutes on a voice call. I talked for about 20 minutes once and almost singed my fingers. Perhaps indulging in a bluetooth headset for longer calls is warranted.

The keys are comfortable and responsive, and the T9 text entry is very good. The T9 dictionary is the best I've used, and I've used phones from nearly every manufacturer, including other Samsungs.

You'll hear talk of how the screen is not full of vibrant color; this is true. It has a limited number of colors on the screen, but I have not noticed this negatively affecting my enjoyment of the phone, especially at this price.

If you want to know about Virgin Mobile service, I find the website relatively easy to use (although not the best I've used; it doesn't quite measure up to T-Mobile or AT&T in terms of ease of use). They have many many options in terms of how you buy your minutes, and their pre-pay monthly plans and minute packs are VERY affordable. They also have a program called SugarMama, where you can earn free minutes by giving your feedback on advertisements.

All in all, I am happy with this purchase. The phone's not fancy, but it's sturdy, stylish, and fits my needs well.

List Price:	$99.99
Price:	$79.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Samsung U900 FlipShot Red Phone (Verizon Wireless)

2008-12-14T17:12:00.000-08:00

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Samsung U900 FlipShot Red Phone (Verizon Wireless)
From Verizon Wireless

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #6971 in Cell Phone Accessories
Color: Red
Brand: Samsung
Model: SCHU900ZRV
Released on: 2008-01-25

Features

Uniquely designed camera phone with rotating display and 3-megapixel auto-focus camera
Access Verizon's V Cast Music and Video services via fast EV-DO data network; GPS-enabled for turn-by-turn directions
MicroSD expansion; Bluetooth connectivity with music streaming; mobile email and instant messaging
Up to 3.5 hours of talk time, up to 250 hours (10+ days) of standby time; measures 3.76 x 1.83 x 0.73 inches (HxWxD)
Includes: Standard Li-Ion Battery, Travel Charger, Camera Strap, and User's Guide

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Product Description
Combining a cellular communications powerhouse with a powerful digital camera/camcorder, the uniquely designed Samsung Flipshot for Verizon includes a rotating display for optimal viewing while capturing still images and video clips on the go. Looking like a typical digital camera on the back with its round silver lens housing and flash, the Flipshot offers a 3-megapixel imager as well as a 10-step digital zoom, PictBridge printing right from the phone, and a wide variety of settings for capturing the perfect picture. Additionally, it's compatible with Verizon's V Cast Music service, which enables you to purchase songs through your phone and download them via Verizon's fast EV-DO data network, as well as V Cast Video for streamed video clips from a variety of channels. Other features include Bluetooth stereo music streaming, mobile email and instant messaging, MicroSD memory card expansion, and a built-in GPS receiver for use with the optional VZ Navigator turn-by-turn direction service.

The Flipshot's display rotates 180 degrees for optimal viewing in camera mode.

Verizon Service
With support for the EV-DO high-speed data standard, you'll enjoy fast access to the Internet and Verizon's multimedia services (additional charges applicable), with average download speeds ranging from 400 to 700 Kbps and peak rates up to 2 Mbps. (Learn more about where EV-DO coverage is offered.) The V Cast Music service enables you to download songs instantly to your phone, or purchase music through your PC and transfer the files to your phone. If purchased from your phone, you'll receive two copies of the song: a Windows Media Audio Pro Plus format at 64Kbps stereo is sent to your phone, and a Windows Media Audio 9 format at 160Kbps stereo is sent to your account in the V CAST Music online store for downloading to your PC. V Cast Music offers nearly 2 million songs, with more being added all the time.

With the V Cast Video service, you can stream or download video clips to your phone from a variety of news, entertainment, sports, and weather channels, including CNN, ABC News, E!, CBS Sports, The Weather Channel, and VH1.

Getting on the Internet is easy using Verizon's Mobile Web 2.0 package, which allows you to read and send e-mails, exchange instant messages and view your favorite web content on your phone. Verizon's Get It Now wireless download service is also fully compatible with this phone. This pay-per-download service features application downloads, games and productivity tools. You can also personalize your handset with ringtone downloads using the Get It Now service.

This compact clamshell phone measures 0.73 inches thin and weighs 3.88 ounces.

Phone Features
The Flipshot features a traditional clamshell design with a swiveling display that can rotate 180 degrees, enabling you to close the phone so that the large 2.2-inch internal display faces outward and activates the camera mode. This internal display has a 240 x 320-pixel resolution and support for up to 262K colors, while the external 65K-color screen offers a 128 x 96-pixel resolution (1.2 inches) and provides call information, signal strength, and a digital version of an analog clock. You can also change the display wallpaper and the clock style. The phone also includes dedicated play/pause music controls.

The 3-megapixel camera snaps pictures in eight resolution options from 2048 x 1536 (2 MP) to 160 x 120, and it includes a 10x digital zoom, three quality settings, brightness and white balance controls, multi-shot capability, night mode, spot metering, and ISO selection. For video capture, the Flipshot records clips in MPEG4 format in two resolutions--320 x 240 and 176 x 144 pixels. You can shoot video as long as your memory card has available space, and videos shot for MMS messaging are capped at 30 seconds. View your pictures and videos on your home theater system with the TVâ€"out option.

This phone provides Bluetooth version 1.2 wireless connectivity, and includes profiles for communication headset, handsfree car kits, and audio/video remote control. With the A2DP Bluetooth profile, you can stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones. You can connect your laptop (either via Bluetooth or wired USB) and enjoy dial-up networking--surf the Internet, send email, and access files from a server.

A messaging and wireless Internet powerhouse, support is built in for sending and receiving pictures, text, graphics, sound and video via messages. When used in combination with the phone's built-in still and video camera, MMS opens up a whole new world of messaging fun. Instant messaging is also supported, and the phone ships with a built-in email client. The Flipshot also comes stock with a built-in web browser for downloads and mobile web browsing. T9 text entry, which is a technology that makes it easier for entering text on handsets, is built into the unit--a plus for mobile email and text messaging users.

The Flipshot's internal phone book can hold up to 500 contact entries with five phone numbers and two emails per entry, while the phone's picture ID system allows you to assign pictures to your most common callers. And the Flipshot's voice dialing feature makes calling family, friends, and business associates as easy as saying their names. Other features include:

MicroSD expansion up to 4 GB
USB 2.0 connectivity with mass storage capability
Compatible with 72-chord polyphonic ringtones
PIM tools: Calendar with scheduler, note pad, alarm clock, world time, calculator, unit converter
Stereo speakerphone
Vibrating alerts and silent mode
Supported digital audio formats: MPE, WMA, WMA Pro, WMA Pro+
2.5mm headphone jack
Bluetooth profiles: A2DP (stereo music streaming), AVRC (remote control), HFP (hands-free car kits), HSP (communication headsets), BIP (for sending images to another device), BPP (basic printing profile for text, email), DUN (dial-up networking), OPP (object push for business cards, calendar items, and pictures), PBA (transfer contacts); note that this phone does not support all Bluetooth OBEX profiles
Hearing aid compatibility = M3/T3
TTY compatibility

Vital Statistics
The Flipshot weighs 3.88 ounces and measures 3.76 x 1.83 x 0.73 inches. Its 880 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 3.5 hours of talk time, and up to 250 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the CDMA 850/CDMA 1900 frequencies for voice and Verizon's EV-DO data network.

Customer Reviews

Not as great as I hoped for.
I saved up for a long time before springing for this phone, and chose it based on its appearance and photo ability.
The camera is nice, but still lacking in a lot of ways. The lag time between pushing the button and the photo actually being taken is still horrendous, and often results in a blurry photo or the action being missed. The exposure is not very consistent when using the automatic settings.
The touch sensitive buttons on the outside of the phone caused me a lot of headaches until I found out how to disable them, they were always getting bumped at random times and music would blare out even when the phone was on silent.
Had to purchase the cord for uploading data separately.

And the most upsetting thing is the text messaging.
The problems are in many areas;
The keys are inverted and slippery and many times will miss if you dont push just right on the center, very tempermental and un-user friendly for quickly typing a message.
The word function is missing a lot of common words, and as someone else mentioned, it holds the capitalization and punctuation of everything you enter in ABC mode, so you're forced to cycle through even more words trying to get the correct one. There's no way to add or remove from its word memory that I'm aware of.
Just because I capitalized a word once in a text doesn't mean I need it that way in every single future use of the word.

If texting is important to you, go with a different phone. I cant wait to get rid of this one myself. Serves me right for not checking it out more before purchasing.

found out...
well you all know that the front buttons are touch and if the slightest touch starts music there is a way to stop it. if you close the phone and press and hold the button with the three dots a little lock will come up in the corner next to the battery, therefor it locks the buttons outside the phone. and you can still open the phone and use it without the entire phone being locked. =) awesome idea who ever came up with that!!!

Nifty phone, with terrible texting
I've had this phone for about five months now. I'm not going to reiterate all of the good things about it.

The camera takes good photos, but the lag is terrible. It's also not easy to get a self-shot.

Sound is decent quality. Speakerphone works.

However, the text messaging is abysmal. I mean really, really bad.

First, there isn't a way to edit the dictionary, and words you add (by using them in Abc mode) come first. I once forgot I was in Abc mode and typed in "like", which came out "jgjd". Now, *every* time I try to type in "like", "jgjd" comes up first.

Second, if you capitalize a word, it remembers that as well. So I put in a band name---let's say "The Styx". Now, every time I enter "the" it comes up as capital, no matter what mode I'm in. To get a lower-case "the", I have to hit next. Every time.

Third, it tries to be helpful by learning your punctuation. What this means is that you can *never* rely on the punctuation that's going to come up. If you've typed in "great!" before, and want to type in "great." now, it's probably going to come up with an exclamation point first.

Fourth, and what makes all of this so frustrating, is that it combines all of these. Capitals, punctuation---all of it. Here's an example of trying to type in "good!":

good.
home.
good?
home,
good@
good!

Texting has become a nightmare. I hate it---no, I loathe it.

I want a phone that doesn't capitalize a word unless I tell it to, or it's the beginning of a sentence. I want a phone where I can say, "I misspelled that---please remove it from your dictionary." I want a phone where I know that if I hit 1, and then hit next five times, it's always going to be a comma.

Other than that, and your standard Verizon crippling of the bluetooth and such, it's not bad.

List Price:	$399.99
Price:	$103.37 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Samsung U740 Alias Silver Phone (Verizon Wireless)

2008-12-14T10:12:00.000-08:00

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Samsung U740 Alias Silver Phone (Verizon Wireless)
From Verizon Wireless

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #6375 in Cell Phone Accessories
Color: Silver
Brand: Samsung
Model: SCHU740ZAV
Released on: 2008-04-15

Features

Bluetooth Wireless Technology** - headset, hands-free, serial port and dial up networking profi les supported; OPP (for vCard only)
1.3 MegaPixel Digital Camera with Flash, Auto Focus and 10 Step Digital Zoom
Directional Navigation Key for Ease of Use
T9™ Text Input and full QWERTY keyboard for Easy Text Entry
Includes: Standard Li-Ion Battery, Travel Charger, Headset Adapter and User's Guide

Customer Reviews

Perfect phone for "Joe the Caller"
Sorry about the title. I couldn't help myself. Apologies if this review isn't in depth as most of the others but I guess I use mine a little bit differently than other people.

This was the perfect phone for me because I don't really like cell phones. I can't stand texting and wanted something to make it as painless at possible because, reluctantly, I have to admit texting is useful. At the same time, it seems like all the phones with keyboards are bulky.

The keyboard is supremely handy and makes texting much quicker so I can just get it done and move on with whatever I was doing. The phone it's self has very good sound quality. More important to me, the phone just stays the hell out of the way until it's needed. It's got a nice slim profile and can fit nicely in a jeans pocket, sparing you the indignity of a belt holster.

(I consider the belt holster Gen X and Y's equivalent of a pocket protector...sorry)

My wife has an Env2, which is also a clever little phone, but it's too easy to accidentally unlock her phone because of the button set up. It doesn't really matter to her because she keeps her in her purse and the buttons don't get pressed as much as in a pocket. Mine stays in my pocket and I don't worry about it.

It sounds like from the other reviews this phone has all sorts of bells and whistles that I don't use. What I can tell you is that if you want a handy phone that's got great call quality, makes texting much easier, and is generally just a cool phone that you don't have to worry about, this one comes highly recommended.

The only thing that is only very slighly concerning is the two way hinge. It's necessary for the way the phone opens two ways, but feels slighly flimsy and I'm a little concerned if it'll last two years. I haven't had it long enough to comment accurately but it sounds like some of the other reviewers have said positive things about it's durability so I guess I won't worry. If something happens to it, I'll add it to this review or write another...if you don't read anything, it means the phone is still working for this guy who probably doesn't take care of his stuff as well as he should.

Good phone. I like it.

Durable phone with great features!
I have had my phone for almost two years. It took a short time to get used to it because it has a slim profile, so I actually dropped it several times in both open and closed positions but it has endured. I was concerned about the size of the keys because they are small compared to regular phone keys.

I've since gotten used to the feel of the phone and I like the slim profile. It fits in my purse as well as my back pants pocket without feeling like a packed wallet. I've gotten used to the keys and am quite adept at texting and gaming. I loaded up a microSD card and was able to play music for over 4 hours on the standard battery and still had two bars left. The speakers are great! I normally keep the front touchscreen buttons locked, but they work fine without having to pinpoint the very center.

I like that I can switch from the landscape mode (speakerphone) to the portrait mode without having to disconnect. However, you can't go the other direction without first putting the phone in speakerphone mode.

I've also tried the VZ Navigator feature (added fees associated) and it works as well as many of the stand alone GPS systems on the market. Picture clarity is good, and again, speakers work great.

The camera features a flash and the pictures and video are good quality. If there is one negative thing that I can say about the phone is that it does take a few seconds for the camera/video to setup. Not a big deal if you're just taking a still shot of something or someone posing, but if you're trying to get a photo quick, you might not make it.

Another feature that some may not realize, but I found when talking with a Verizon rep one day, this is one of the few phones that has a feature to block individual incoming phone numbers or email addresses from the phone itself. It's not a quick option, like a one button option when you're reading the message, but it is in the messages settings menu. You might get an error message when it transmits to Verizon (Action not allowed), but it will work.

Overall, I rate this phone as excellent. Not sure what I will step "up" to when it's time for an upgrade. Maybe I'll try another color!

Great Phone
This phone is great; I've had it for about a month. The phone is small considering it has a QWERTY keyboard. The only two downsides of this phone is it takes a lot of time to send picture messages, and the buttons are a bit small (you will get used to it). Otherwise, it is a great phone. I'm really impressed, and I would definitley recommend it.

List Price:	$399.99
Price:	$99.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Samsung T819 Bronze Phone (T-Mobile)

2008-12-14T05:13:00.000-08:00

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Samsung T819 Bronze Phone (T-Mobile)
From T-Mobile

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #6457 in Cell Phone Accessories
Color: Brown
Brand: Samsung
Model: t819
Released on: 2008-01-18

Features

Slider style phone withquad-band GSM connectivity for global roaming--and ready for T-Mobile's 3G network
Compatible with T-Mobile's MyFaves service--unlimited calling to your five most called contacts
Bluetooth connectivity for both communication headsets and music headphones; MicroSD expansion and USB connectivity; 1.3-megapixel
Up to 5 hours of talk time, up to 300 hours (12.5 days) of standby time; measures 3.96 x 2.03 x 0.55 inches (HxWxD)
Included: Handset, battery, charger, SIM card, handsfree headset, user guide

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Product Description
Featuring a slim, slider design and a sumptuous coffee brown color, the sleek Samsung T819 for T-Mobile is a nicely affordable, highly functional phone that will keep you closely connected as you wind through the day and night. In addition to text messaging capabilities, you can chat with buddies using Yahoo!, MSN, AOL, or ICQ instant messaging services. This quad-band GSM phone makes global roaming a breeze, and it's ready for T-Mobile's upcoming 3G network. The phone also includes Bluetooth connectivity for both stereo music streaming and communication headsets, a 1.3-megapixel camera, MicroSD memory expansion, MP3 player with built-in stereo speakers, and a speakerphone.

With T-Mobile's MyFaves service, you'll enjoy unlimited nationwide calling to your 5 favorite people.

T-Mobile Service
The T819 operates on GSM 850/900/1800/1900 networks and can handle high-speed data connectivity via T-Mobile's EDGE network (which stands for "Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution"). It's also one of T-Mobile's first handsets to use its new 3G UMTS/WCDMA network (1700 MHz), allowing you to download ringtones and games, send photos and videos to online albums, access high-speed color Internet sites, and email quickly while on the go. Where UMTS isn't available, the handset will automatically connect to T-Mobile's EDGE network.

This phone is compatible with T-Mobile's myFaves service, which allows you to call up to five of your most common contacts--on any network, even landlines--without using any of your minutes. Learn more about myFaves from T-Mobile.

It also includes the T-Mobile Address Book service, which lets you add or edit contact info online, store it on T-Mobile's server, and then synchronize the changes with your phone. You can import from Microsoft Outlook, .vcf files, or use .csv files to import from Yahoo!, Gmail, etc., as well as back up your phone's address book with enhanced safety features.

The slim slider T819 offers stereo Bluetooth streaming capabilities and a 1.3-megapixel camera with video capabilities.

Phone Features
Measuring just 0.55 inches thin, the Samsung T819 sports a large 2-inch LCD screen with support for 65K colors and a 176 x 220-pixel resolution. The top of the phone includes a standard four-way toggle, two soft keys, and answer/end buttons, and the numeric keypad is found underneath the sliding face. The phone's camera lens requires that the face is slid open. The camera can snap pictures in four resolutions--from 128 x 96 to 1280 x 1024 pixels (1.3 megapixels)--and it offers a 4x digital zoom, night mode, brightness and white balance settings, self-timer, and multiple color effects. It can also record video clips with sound, and both images and videos can be saved either to the phone's shared 30 MB of memory or an optional MicroSD memory card.

Because the T819 is Bluetooth enabled, wireless communication headsets can be configured with the phone for total hands-free operation. It also comes with a speakerphone option for when you don't have a Bluetooth headset handy, as well as voice recording capabilities for short notes to yourself. With the A2DP Bluetooth profile, you can stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones.

In addition to SMS text and MMS picture messaging capabilities, the T429 offers built-in instant messaging with Yahoo!, MSN, AOL, and ICQ services. The T9 predictive text entry technology is built into the unit, which makes it easier for you to enter words and text on handsets. Other features include:

Digital audio player compatible with MP3 and AAC/AAC+ files
Up to 1000 contact entries with five numbers and one email address per entry
Displays 30 dialed/received/missed calls and photo ID for callers
64-note polyphonic and MP3 ringtones
Speakerphone
Voice memo
Voice-activated dialing
WAP web browser
PIM tools: calendar, alarm, to-do list, calculator, world clock, unit converter, currency converter

Vital Statistics
The Samsung T819 weighs 3.5 ounces and measures 3.96 x 2.03 x 0.55 inches. Its 1000 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 5 hours of talk time, and up to 300 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies and T-Mobile's 1700 MHz 3G network.

Customer Reviews

Decent phone but disappointing in areas
I upgraded for free with this phone, a nice phone to get for free. However, I have some major issues with it. The music player cannot be used unless you figure out certain software issues, unlike other cell phone music players which are easier to figure out. Every time I get a new text message, the "unread text message" icon stays lit until I manually delete the text message from my inbox, rather irritating, because you are never for sure if you have any new messages until you delete the old ones. I have not seen a possible way to fix this. The buttons are rather difficult to text with. The ringtones are GOSH AWFUL! I don't like the camera settings, everytime you take a picture it entices you as the user to send the picture to your album, so if you just want to save a picture to your phone, the only way to do what without getting charged is with the red end call button. This is because the options screen does not have any save to phone option, just send to wherever (which is never free)I.E. (picture message, or send to "My Album". In other words, its inconvenient to take a picture just to have it on your phone, and nowhere else. Those are the cons. The Pros include, great battery life, good picture quality, (for a cell phone). Clear reception, (a very important element) nice slider action, and a really cool color. This is a good phone, but I feel that in this day and age, these features should be more user friendly than they are. Thanks, have a great day.

Very Simple & Easy to Use
I have had this phone for about 6 months now. I looked at dozens of phones before deciding on this one. I love that I can set up and edit my phonebook online. I now have more than just phone numbers. I have addresses, too. Makes my life so much simpler. I have added pictures of my friends and family so that when they call their picture pops up and not just their name. I love the camera and video feature. All in all, I think this phone is a great value for the money. It is very stylish and easy to use at the same time.

Nice Phone
I like this phone. It looks stylish, is small but not too small to handle, and the bronze finish is appealing. There are all the usual functions people expect in a phone these days (most of which I personally never use). The only real criticism I'd have of this phone is the reception quality. Now that might not be the fault of the phone. It could just be the areas I frequent the most have poor reception. Overall though this phone is pretty good.

List Price:	$99.99
Price:	$49.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Nokia 1208 Prepaid Phone (T-Mobile)

2008-12-13T21:13:00.000-08:00

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Nokia 1208 Prepaid Phone (T-Mobile)
From Nokia

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #5135 in Cell Phone Accessories
Color: Black
Brand: Nokia
Model: 2760
Released on: 2008-11-10

Features

Affordable candybar-style phone with color display and shortcut keys for SMS messaging, calendar, contacts, and speakerphone
Pay for just the minutes you use with no annual contract--easy refill via Internet or prepaid cards
Integrated flashlight, speakerphone, calendar, calculator, converter
Up to 3.5 hours of talk time, up to 350 hours (14.5 days) of standby time
What's in the Box: handset, battery, charger, wired handsfree headset, SIM card, user manual

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Product Description
Stay in touch with all your contacts and keep your busy life organized with the Nokia 1208, and pay the way you want with prepaid and postpaid calling plans from T-Mobile Pay As You Go. The easy-to-use, unlocked Nokia 1208 lets you access phone features quickly and conveniently with One Touch shortcut keys for SMS messaging, calendar, contacts, and speakerphone. Other features include a flashlight, calendar for keeping your appointments up to date, and up to 3.5 hours of talk time.

You can also pay only $1.00 per day for unlimited nights and unlimited nationwide calling to any T-Mobile number. All other domestic calls you make are just 10¢ per minute.

T-Mobile includes the following services with this T-Mobile Pay As You Go phone:

Nationwide long distance (including calls to Alaska and Hawaii)
National roaming on the T-Mobile USA network
T-Mobile web2go (free shopping for HiFi Ringers, MegaTones, wallpapers, and more; not available on all devices)
VoiceMail, caller ID, call waiting, three-way calling
Free e-mail address (10digitnumber@tmomail.net)

Additional services available for additional fees:

Text messaging ($0.20 to send, $0.20 to receive)
Picture messaging ($0.20 to send or receive)
Download ringtones and wallpaper (prices vary)
Download games and applications (prices vary)
411 & More directory assistance ($1.49 per call plus airtime)
International dialing to over 150 countries (international rates apply)
Prepaid international roaming rates

Easy to use yet packed with powerful communication tools, the prepaid Nokia 1208 from T-Mobile To Go lets you pay the way you want.

Phone Features
The candybar-style Nokia 1208 weighs just 2.75 ounces and easily slips into your pocket at just 0.69 inches thin. It has a 96 x 68-pixel display with 65K colors, and a large numeric keypad that's complemented by an oversized navigation pad. It also includes send/end keys and two soft keys.

A 200-entry phonebook ensures that the largest circle of friends or the biggest of families can always be close at hand, while a generous 7 hours of talktime or 15+ days of standby time means that the 1208 phone will remain a faithful companion, even between charges. Extend your talk time by using the power saver mode to help conserve power when your phone is idle.

Although designed with simplicity in mind, a carefully selected set of features adds to the utility of the Nokia 1208 without adding any unneeded complexity. An integrated speakerphone allows the whole family to join in the conversation at once. For keeping everyday life organized, a built in calendar means that birthdays and anniversaries are never forgotten. It also includes a built-in flashlight for finding your keys in the dark.

Get the right sound for any environment with adjustable ringtone and call volume, and hear more of your calls with the noise cancellation feature, which filters decrease background noise for improved sound quality.

In addition to voice communication, you can also quickly and easily sent SMS text messages as well as MMS picture messaging. The phone features concatenated SMS for long text messages, a storage capacity for up to 60 messages, and multiple message sending to distribution lists you can create on the phone. T9 text entry, a technology that makes it easier for people to enter words and text on handsets, is built into the unit--a plus for mobile text messaging users.

Other features include:

Series 30 user interface
Analog/digital clock, alarm clock, countdown timer, stopwatch, calculator, converter
Reminders for important meetings and appointments
Large digital clock wallpaper so you can keep track of time even while your phone is idle
Personalize your phone with pre-installed MP3-grade or 32-voice polyphonic ringtones
Three pre-installed games
Jumbo font makes it easy to see who you're dialing
Hearing Aid Compatibilty Rating: M1

Vital Statistics
The Nokia 1208 weighs 2.75 ounces and measures 4.02 x 1.74 x 0.69 inches. Its 700 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 3.5 hours of talk time, and up to 350 hours of standby time. It runs on the 850/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS frequencies.

List Price:	$49.99
Price:	$29.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Samsung A137 Prepaid GoPhone (AT&T) with $35 Airtime Included

2008-12-13T16:13:00.000-08:00

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Samsung A137 Prepaid GoPhone (AT&T) with $35 Airtime Included
From AT&T

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #6489 in Cell Phone Accessories
Color: Black
Brand: Samsung
Model: A127
Released on: 2008-09-02

Features

Easy-to-use clamshell phone with access to text messaging, email, and instant messaging
Pay for just the minutes you use with no annual contract--easy refill via Internet or prepaid cards
Speakerphone, web browser, calendar and alarm, downloadable polyphonic ringtones
Up to 5 hours of talk time, up to 250 hours (10+ days) of standby time
Includes: handset, battery, travel charger, quick start guide, user guide

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Product Description
A great choice for those seeking an uncomplicated communications partner, the Samsung A137 gives you high-quality phone calls and has just enough built-in fun and personalization to make this phone your own. And with AT&T's GoPhone pay-as-you-go service, you pay for just the minutes you use without having to sign up for an annual contract--this phone even comes with $35 of airtime included. You can easily refill your minutes via prepaid cards or the Internet, or choose to prepay each month and roll over unused minutes. Other features include a speakerphone, headset jack, text messaging capabilities, access to personal email and instant messaging, and up to 5 hours of talk time.

The easy-to-use Samsung A137.

Send text messages, check email, and chat with IM buddies.

AT&T GoPhone Service
AT&T's pay-as-you-go GoPhone plans are wireless plans made easy. Simply pay in advance for what you need. No long-term contracts, credit checks, or surprise bills--just all the benefits of wireless, with no complications. In addition, AT&T's Rollover Balance feature lets you carry over your unused account balance when you purchase refill minutes before your balance expires. Other great features include no long distance or roaming fees across AT&T's national service area, the ability to track usage via text messages with an updated balance after each call, and the ability to refill your minutes 24-hours a day, 7-days a week. You can also cancel any time without penalty.

With the Pay As You Go option, you'll choose the rate plan that fits your needs and then start dialing. Your balance is lowered each time you make or receive a call or use services such as text messaging. You can then refill the minutes in your account via the Internet, using your phone (by calling 611 from your cell), or purchasing a pre-paid card in denominations up to $100.

With the Pick Your Plan option, you'll set up monthly, automatic payments with your credit/debit card or checking account. If you need to make more calls or you use up your balance during the month, just add minutes to your account at any time--you'll pay the same per-minute rate as your plan. You can buy more minutes in increments of $15 and $25 using your credit/debit card or checking account.

Phone Features
Under the clamshell, the Samsung A137 has a 128 x 128-pixel screen, standard alpha-numeric keypad, five-way navigator, send/end keys, and two soft keys for navigation. The phone can store up to 500 phone numbers with each entry supporting up to 5 numbers (at 40 digits and 40 characters in length). It also includes eight speed dial numbers. The integrated speakerphone provides loud and clear handsfree communication.

Support is built in for sending and receiving text messages. It has a My Business Card feature, which enables you to send a contact card attached to a message. Additionally, you can check your personal email and chat with IM buddies using AOL, Windows Live, and Yahoo! services. T9 text entry, a technology that makes it easier for people to enter words and text on handsets, is built into the unit--a plus for mobile email and text messaging users.

Other features include:

Organization tools: Calendar, calculator, alarm, converter, world time, timer, stopwatch
Compatible with 40-chord polyphonic ringtones
Displays last 30 incoming/outgoing/missed calls
Any key answer
Mute function, vibrate alert
Headset jack
Multi-lingual support: English, French, Spanish
Downloadable ringtones

Vital Statistics
The Samsung A137 weighs 2.86 ounces and measures 3.46 x 1.76 x 0.78 inches. Its 800 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 5 hours of talk time, and up to 250 hours of standby time. It runs on the 850/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS frequencies.

List Price:	$74.99
Price:	$59.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Samsung U900 FlipShot Black Phone (Verizon Wireless)

2008-12-13T09:14:00.000-08:00

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Samsung U900 FlipShot Black Phone (Verizon Wireless)
From Verizon Wireless

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #5640 in Cell Phone Accessories
Color: Black
Brand: Samsung
Model: SCHU900ZKV
Released on: 2008-01-25

Features

Uniquely designed camera phone with rotating display and 3-megapixel auto-focus camera
Access Verizon's V Cast Music and Video services via fast EV-DO data network; GPS-enabled for turn-by-turn directions
MicroSD expansion; Bluetooth connectivity with music streaming; mobile email and instant messaging
Up to 3.5 hours of talk time, up to 250 hours (10+ days) of standby time; measures 3.76 x 1.83 x 0.73 inches (HxWxD)
Includes: Standard Li-Ion Battery, Travel Charger, Camera Strap, and User's Guide

Editorial Reviews

The Flipshot's display rotates 180 degrees for optimal viewing in camera mode.

This compact clamshell phone measures 0.73 inches thin and weighs 3.88 ounces.

MicroSD expansion up to 4 GB
USB 2.0 connectivity with mass storage capability
Compatible with 72-chord polyphonic ringtones
PIM tools: Calendar with scheduler, note pad, alarm clock, world time, calculator, unit converter
Stereo speakerphone
Vibrating alerts and silent mode
Supported digital audio formats: MPE, WMA, WMA Pro, WMA Pro+
2.5mm headphone jack
Bluetooth profiles: A2DP (stereo music streaming), AVRC (remote control), HFP (hands-free car kits), HSP (communication headsets), BIP (for sending images to another device), BPP (basic printing profile for text, email), DUN (dial-up networking), OPP (object push for business cards, calendar items, and pictures), PBA (transfer contacts); note that this phone does not support all Bluetooth OBEX profiles
Hearing aid compatibility = M3/T3
TTY compatibility

Customer Reviews

Decent Phone - ok camera
It's a good phone, a little big, but decent. I had higher hopes or the camera. It would be better if once it's flipped into camera mode, it would act like a digital camera. It doesn't, it acts like a phone with a camera. Which is exactly what it is.

Good
-reception
-sound quality
-battery for talking, camera eats the battery pretty quick
-flat sides make the phone comfortable to hold
-nice to always have a camera with you

Bad
-The big, ring around the lens that sticks out, is just for show. It may look like a real digital camera, but it's just like any other phone with a camera
-picture quality is good outside in daylight, but bad inside, or in any low light
-slow to focus, slow to next shot
-if you rest your finger on the shutter button waiting for your shot, it will switch to camcorder mode
-Verizon has disabled blue-tooth file transfer, so you can't send your pictures to you blue-tooth enabled PC.
-doesn't automatically save the pictures you take, after you take a picture then you must do an additional step to manually save it.

Warning - how Verizon doesn't help you
The FlipShot is a nice phone - good sound and reception; ringtone volume is very soft; the square-ish shape and placement of side buttons & antenna make the phone awkward to use. An ok camera (nice prints up to 5" x 7") but nothing special and a little annoying to operate - see other posts.
-->> The calendar is defective. Verizon does not communicate this and, although Samsung says software to correct it has been made available, Verizon is NOT providing it to customers (as of this writing: July, 2008). I use this feature a lot, and exchanged my FlipShot for another (LG) model for this reason.

Ok phone, losey camera and scheduler.
It has a 3 megapix camera. I hate the fact that it takes the camera so long to take a pic as it adjusts and focuses. If you want to take a picture but hold down the take picture button too fast it will switch to camcorder mode.

Plus with all Samsung phones, the calendar/scheduler doesn't work as it should and has a nasty habit of replacing data on your calendar. If you set a reminder for a date and set it up with any reoccurring feature (daily, weekly, monthly, yearly) then it will screw up all the rest of the dates as you browse through it. Therefore I have to reschedule every birthday every year individually or it won't work.

List Price:	$399.99
Price:	$99.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Samsung Katalyst Titanium Phone (T-Mobile)

2008-12-13T04:14:00.000-08:00

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Samsung Katalyst Titanium Phone (T-Mobile)
From T-Mobile

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #6525 in Cell Phone Accessories
Color: Silver
Brand: Samsung
Model: t629
Released on: 2007-12-10

Features

Slider phone with Wi-Fi capabilities for T-Mobile's Hotspot @Home service for unlimited nationwide calls
Compatible with T-Mobile's MyFaves service--unlimited calling to your five most called contacts
1.3-megapixel camera/camcorder; MicroSD memory expansion; Bluetooth connectivity for communication headsets, stereo music streaming
Up to 5 hours of talk time, up to 10 days of standby time; measures 3.97 x 1.98 x 0.65 inches (WxHxD)
Total SMS and/or EMS Storage Capacity: Max 200 Messages or 3072 k of space

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Product Description
The latest addition to T-Mobile's Hotspot @Home service, the Samsung Katalyst (T739) offers easy pocketability thanks to its slim slider design. In addition to its quad-band GSM and EDGE connectivity, it includes integrated Wi-Fi connectivity for use with Hotspot @Home, enabling you to make and receive unlimited nationwide calls over Wi-Fi from home or at any US T-Mobile HotSpot location. The phone also features a 1.3-megapixel camera/camcorder, Bluetooth connectivity for communication headsets, MicroSD memory expansion, voice recognition capabilities, and built-in instant messaging via popular services.

T-Mobile's HotSpot @Home service provides unlimited nationwide calls over open Wi-Fi networks.

T-Mobile Service
With T-Mobile HotSpot @Home service, you'll effortlessly transition between Wi-Fi calling and T-Mobile's wireless network while you talk. You can get unlimited nationwide calls over Wi-Fi--at home via your wireless router or at any U.S. T-Mobile HotSpot. You can also use the HotSpot @Home service via most open, or unsecured, wireless routers, as well as any secured wireless router for which you have access to the password from the owner. This phone is compatible with the 802.11b/g Wi-Fi standard. Whenever you're not using a Wi-Fi network, this phone works just like a regular mobile phone, using your Whenever Minutes under your T-Mobile voice plan.

This phone also includes compatibility with T-Mobile's myFaves service, which allows you to call up to five of your most common contacts--on any network, even landlines--without using any of your minutes. Learn more about myFaves from T-Mobile.

Download cool new games, HiFi Ringers (real songs by today's hottest artists), MegaTones (instrumental versions of songs), and wallpapers quickly, as well as stay connected via the Web, instant messaging, and email. And share pictures and video easily with T-Mobile's My Album. You can add picture, voice, and video messages from your T-Mobile camera or video phone using the My Album link built into the send menu or by using a simple short code. You can also upload pictures, video, or sound from a home computer.

The slim slider Katalyst includes a 1.3-megapixel camera, MP3 player, and MicroSD expansion.

Phone Features
The Katalyst offers a generous color LCD with a 176 x 220-pixel resolution and support for 262K colors. The face includes a standard five-way navigation toggle, soft keys, and send/end keys, and it smoothly slides up to reveal the numeric keypad underneath. The phone has an internal 5 MB memory, and it can be expanded via MicroSD memory cards up to 2 GB. You can store up to 1000 contact entries, each with five numbers and an email address per entry.

This phone provides Bluetooth version 2.0 wireless connectivity and comes fully packed with a variety of helpful profiles, including communication headset and handsfree car kits. With the A2DP Bluetooth profile, you can stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones. The phone also includes a full duplex speakerphone for hands-free communication when you don't have a Bluetooth headset available.

In addition to SMS and MMS messaging, the Katalyst also features instant messaging support for AOL, ICQ, Yahoo! and Windows Live Messenger. T9 text entry, which is a technology that makes it easier for entering text on handsets, is built into the unit--a plus for mobile email and text messaging users.

The phone also sports an airplane mode feature, which allows the user to safely use the non-wireless functions of a phone (such as music, games, or organizer functions) on an airplane during flight. Other features include:

Speaker-independent voice-activated dialing enables you to dial a contact just by speaking it when your hands are busy.
1.3-megapixel camera with multi-shot capability, a self-timer, spot metering, and white balance/brightness/ISO controls
Digital audio player
Picture and Ringer ID
Vibrating alert
Polyphonic and MP3 (real music) ringtones
PIM tools: Calendar, to-do list, alarm, calculator, tip calculator, unit converter, voice memo
Java-enabled downloadable games
USB 1.1 wired connectivity with support for mass storage

Vital Statistics
The Samsung Katalyst weighs 4.1 ounces and measures 3.97 x 1.98 x 0.65 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 5 hours of talk time, and up to 10 days of digital standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies.

Customer Reviews

Just a dreadful phone.
Seems to be well built but the menu is hard to navigate thru. The ringtone is very weak and there is no ringer/vibrate combination. It's either one or the other. Forget carrying this phone in your pocket... when a call comes in the front keypad is activated so instead of sliding the phone to answer it, there are 4 buttons to either accept or decline the call. So pretty much your either gonna decline or answer the call before you can dig it out of your pocket... and that's if you hear the ringer at all. Next time I'll pass on slider phones.

Great phone
keep in mind i'm a 20 year old that just needs a simple phone to make simple phone calls and be able to text efficiently and i am not that picky.

this is my first slider phone and i do love it! it's a good upgrade from the motorola razor flip phone.

the only negatives i can think of from this phone is
-i can't personalize all the shortcuts and the soft keys and menu layouts
-default ringtones and wallpapers aren't that great (oh well!)
-it does feel a bit thicker than what i'm used to from my razor, but i can get a better grip on my phone and doesn't feel as flimsy
-the outside gets easily smudged
-looks like it could scratch easily
-sometimes it can lag when going through menus really fast, but i think that's with all phones...?
-doesn't show off a red light or anything like that to show an unread text or a missed call. but you can have a reminder tone of an unread message go off every minute or two

other than that everything is great!
-wifi is an interesting feature, but i'm sure it's not for heavy internet users (like a computer!)
-i haven't tried the music player, but that's what my ipod is for
-texting is easy since the buttons are somewhat big (but i do have small fingers)
-the texting response is really good
-sliding feature is smooth
-i can connect my bluetooth headset easily
-calls are much clearer!
-the camera takes pretty decent photos (for a 1.3 megapixel...keep in mind...it's not a real camera!)and has quite a few fun features for messing around with it
-my razor didn't have this: if you have multiple numbers for one person, you can save it all under one name

overall, even though i've only had this phone for one day and this is my third phone i went through with t-mobile in the past two weeks...i can see that this is the phone for me! it' not a very high-techy phone, but it is enough for a simple user with simple needs!

Good reception
First of all I dont demand much in a phone, so you may want to take that into consideration with my review. The only things I really care about are signal strength, size, and the capacity to take pictures.
The thing I love about this phone is that I have had three or four other phones that get bad reception. They were all good phones, but I live in a hilly area with strange buildings that block antenna signals. This phone has the capacity to transfer to Wifi, but even before I had that set up I was getting and making calls in buildings that previously had NO reception whatsoever. I can't figure why and I'm not one of those people that really knows about these things.. perhaps it's because its a quad band? Any way, I was SO irritated not getting calls or having them cut out all the time with ALL my other phones and this one is great in that respect. The only thing is it echoes sometimes where I can hear my own voice bounce back... not sure why.
Other than that it's a little on the large side for me but not *huge* by any means. Its not much thicker than any of my other phones so at least thats the same. The easiest way to open it is to push on the screen with your thumb so its smudgy a lot which is very apparent with the chrome finish as well but... eh. that doesnt bother me too much, would make my boyfriend nuts though so I thought I'd mention it for you folks that freak over that stuff.
It seems to have lots of features, most of which I dont care about, but one thing I've noticed thats neat is you can record a voice note (or sound, etc.) and set it as the ring for people... so you can have your phone make a farty sound when your ex is calling if you like. hehehe
I wish it had the capacity to move things around and prioritize them like my last phone, that was really nice since I dont use all the features ever, but it doesn't that I can find. Pictures seem good and clear enough.. it's irritating to not be able to use the headphones and the charger at the same time as they share a port. Bad design.
Only had it a week or two so thats all at the moment but man does the thing get good reception in all my trouble zones. That alone makes it worth it to me.

List Price:	$199.99
Price:	$79.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Samsung Juke Red Phone (Verizon Wireless)

2008-12-12T23:15:00.000-08:00

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Samsung Juke Red Phone (Verizon Wireless)
From Verizon Wireless

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #4000 in Cell Phone Accessories
Color: Red
Brand: Samsung
Model: SCHU470ZRV
Released on: 2007-10-18

Features

Digital audio player/cell phone in red with swiveling front cover reveals numeric keypad
2 GB of internal flash memory holds up to 500 CD-quality songs; easy synchronization to your PC via USB
VGA camera, stereo Bluetooth streaming, optional GPS navigation service
Up to 3.5 hours of talk time, up to 250 hours (10.4 days) of standby time
Includes: Standard Li-Ion Battery, Travel Charger, Stereo Headset, USB Cable and User's Guide

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Product Description
At first glance, the Samsung Juke looks like a typical stick-style MP3 player, which it is. But swing open the swiveling cover and you'll find a shiny keypad underneath that unlocks the advanced cellular features of this amazingly compact phone. It's a great way to combine two devices into one, with the Juke offering 2 GB of internal memory and compatibility with a wide variety of digital audio formats. It also features USB connectivity for transferring music from your PC, stereo Bluetooth for streaming to wireless headphones, integrated GPS, a VGA camera, and downloadable games, ringtones, and wallpapers from Verizon's Get It Now over-air service. In addition to red, the Samsung Juke also comes in teal and blue.

Offering powerful digital audio playback features, the Samsung Juke swivels to open up a wide array of cellular communication tools, including text/IM messaging and GPS navigation.

Verizon Service
This phone is compatible with Verizon's Get It Now wireless pay-per-download service, which features application downloads, games and productivity tools. You can also personalize your handset with ringtone downloads using the Get It Now service.

Note that this phone is not compatible with either Verizon's V Cast music or Mobile Web services

Phone Features
The Samsung Juke functions flawlessly as a full-featured digital audio player. A navigation thumb wheel on the front allows for easy searching through music play lists, contacts and settings. The 1.45-inch TFT LCD has a 128 x 220-pixel resolution, support for 262K colors, and displays 10 lines of text. The 2 GB flash memory capacity will hold approximately 500 CD-quality songs, and it's compatible with MP3, AAC/AAC+, and WMA/WMA Pro file formats. You can create and manage playlists on the fly, synchronize music from your PC to the phone, and multi-task using other functions on the phone while listening to your tunes. You can listen to music via the on-board speaker or the included color-matched stereo headset. Other features include a choice of music skins (visualizer or album artwork) and preset equalizer and 3D sound settings.

Amazingly thin and light, the Samsung Juke measures just 1.2 inches wide and weighs 2.82 ounces.

This phone also provides Bluetooth version 2.0 wireless connectivity with the A2DP Bluetooth profile, which enables you to stream music to compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones or speakers. It also includes profiles for communication headset, handsfree car kits, audio/video remote control, and serial port/object push for vCard.

A little flick of the thumb and the display spins up to reveal all the keys you need to dial, text, take pictures or almost anything else you want to do. Support is built in for text messaging and mobile IM. When used in combination with the phone's built-in still and video camera, MMS opens up a whole new world of messaging fun. T9 text entry, which is a technology that makes it easier for entering text on handsets, is built into the unit--a plus for mobile email and text messaging users.

You can also snap photos on the go with the integrated VGA camera, which can capture images in three resolutions (640 x 480, 320 x 240, and 160 x 120 pixels) with variable quality settings. It features a night shot mode for less-than-ideal lighting conditions, a self timer, brightness and white balance controls, multi-shot capability, and choices for shutter sounds (including silent mode). This phone does not offer video capture capabilities.

The Juke's internal phone book can hold up to 500 contact entries with five phone numbers and two emails per entry (as well as notes). You can also pair contact up with a group, a picture for caller ID, or one of 11 polyphonic ringtones. Other features include:

Voice Commands: Voice dial, digit dial readout, call announcement
Personal Organizer: Calendar with scheduler, note pad
Tools: Calculator with converter, alarm clock, stopwatch, world clock
Speed dialing
Speakerphone
72-note polyphonic ringtones
Bilingual user interface: English and Spanish
Hearing aid compatibility: M3

Vital Statistics
The Samsung Juke weighs 2.82 ounces and measures 3.82 x 1.18 x 0.83 inches. Its 750 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 210 minutes (3.5 hours) of talk time, and up to 250 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the CDMA 800/1900 frequencies as well as the CDMA 2000 1XRTT data frequency.

Customer Reviews

Otherwise nice phone with a scammy, crippled camera policy
This phone has many excellent features detailed by other posters, but it really has to be said: the deliberate decision to make a camera phone from which users cannot transfer pictures in any no-extra-fee fashion is a cheap, nasty little surprise that leaves you with a bad feeling about the company. I loved everything about this phone and would have recommended it to anyone until the point came at which I wanted to back up some of the photos to another machine and learned that I couldn't without paying for privilege. Now I have the joy of individually texting them to my husband's phone, which I used to like less in many ways, but which at least doesn't nickel-and-dime me for access to my own pictures.

Very cool!
the phone is a great little gadget! i've had this phone since mid june and i'm very happy with it. i'm very surprised that a phone that is two times smaller than a regular phone can do the same thing as a regular size phone. i'm really wondering how much smaller they can get.

the bad:
-there is an antenna area at the bottom back of the phone (silver part). i usually have my fingers touching it (it even says do not touch this area) and i can't help it while talking on the phone. gives a little static when you touch it, but oh well.
-no indicator if you have a missed call or unread text unless you light up the screen, but can have a reminder go off every 2 minutes or so.
-no cute ringtones, themes or wallpapers. oh well, just download them off the internet

the middle:
-texting: it really just depends on how your fingers are. my fingers are small and i have no problem texting. i do admit the keys are pretty cramped, but got used to it fast. highly recommend to check out the phone in person and try it out. if you don't like it, then don't get it!
-music player is great, but doesn't replace my ipod. i only have 30 songs in it. it comes with neat earphones and a usb cord so you can easily put music in it. very cool thing: while listening to music and you have an incoming call, you can switch over to the call and talk to them with the earphones because it has a mouthpiece attached to it! very smooth! you can also unplug the earphones and have a little jamming session with the music playing out the speakers. not the best, but something to keep you company in an empty office.
-camera is actually decent, but does not replace a digital camera.

the good!
-SWIVEL, SWIVEL, SWIVEL! it's original compared to the flip and sliders phone. you can't help but play with the swivel all day and feel like a secret agent!
-can change all of the soft keys and shortcut keys! great way to be organized your own way!
-the circle navigation thing in the center is nice. i don't see the point in it being able to rotate (except for playing music) since you can just press up, down, left and right but i guess it's ok.
-bluetooth connectivity is easy.
-texting response is good.

overall, the phone is great for simple users with simple needs. i think it's mostly for making phone calls, light texting, and a little music playing.

I love Samsung Juke
I previously owned a LG Chocolate and was very disappointed. Not only the interface is hard to use, it was very difficult to dial from the tiny keypad. Needless to say, it died slightly after the warranty had expired. I am not going back to LG product anytime soon.

The reason I wanted the Juke was that I've had the iRiver MP3 model that is about the same size as Juke. I use the iRiver a lot, and 1 AA battery last a very long time, I think more than a month under normal use. But was having problem with the iRiver beginning of the year, and did not want to buy another MP3 player.

So I gave Juke a try, and I am convinced that this is an excellent MP3 player with phone feature. I love the sound, and the built quality is unmatched to phone nor MP3 player that I had in the past.

I love the phone too, and just paired my Blue Ant Bluetooth headset, it works great. Not only that, when I connected the USB to my laptop, it did not need a driver, Vista recognized as a Samsung Juke Storage device.

Screen is really sharp, and can't believe that Samsung can pack so much into a such a small device. Some Blogs says that the size is bulky... hmm... okay, what are they comparing the size to? And someone also says that the system uses lots of memory out of the 2GB. I can't believe they said that, it only used 15MB, so the total available memory is 1.85GB.

I love this phone, and knowing Samsung, it will last, last, and last!

List Price:	$399.99
Price:	$42.15 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Samsung A127 Prepaid GoPhone (AT&T) with $35 Airtime Included

2008-12-12T18:15:00.000-08:00

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Samsung A127 Prepaid GoPhone (AT&T) with $35 Airtime Included
From AT&T

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #6224 in Cell Phone Accessories
Color: Black
Brand: Samsung
Model: A127
Released on: 2008-04-15

Customer Reviews

bad quality, incompatible with headsets
The phone looks nice, has easy menus and was easy to use. However, it has some serious problems. As others mentioned, the sound quality is not good and the speakerphone is too quiet. And this is what I hate about Samsung - they change the headset jack / power outlet on their phones making the phone incompatible with regular headsets. I spent hours today driving around to electronic shops and there wasn't a single headset I could use with this phone.

Of course I also tried using the headset adapter made for the phone to use with a regular headset. As soon as I plug in the samsung adapter (I don't even plug the headset in yet) it starts calling people on the 'recent calls' list! If I force it to hang up, it will call again and keep calling constantly! Really buggy! And when I've talked to people with the adapter the recipient hears echoing.

If you don't plan on using a headset, and especially if you are a heavy text-message user, this phone might be for you. But if you need a headset like I do, this phone will not work for you.

Great temporary phone:)
I do not understand why people say about bad sound.i am hard of hearing,and I hear just fine on this phone.I broke my 2nd phone from AT&T,and In 2 mos i can get an upgrade.So till then,I am happily using this phone.I paid only 60$ for it,and i am NOT complaining about it.I bought a razor v3 on ebay for 80$ and had to return it @@ it broke in THREE days,no dropping or nothing!!I prefer this one over the razor v3.It is Small,yet it does take pictures(fun to do).No movies(which I enjoyed and sending to my email box:*(.It does give you options of black N white etc,and cute frames that I use as my picture when I open the phone.I rate it 4 stars,because if it was a LITTLE bigger,I honestly think I'd keep it and not even renew my contract:)
SO overall,its a cool phone,and I am glad we have the option to buy a go phone,and put a sim card in it.This option works with ALL gsm phones:)
I like having the insurance,and i'm not giving up cell service,so I will upgrade in 2 mos.Time flies:)
I am not sure what to upgrade to....

OK if your main interest is minimal size.
Voice volume is inside the acceptable range, but nowhere near impressive.

The ringers are not very high quality (very basic MIDI playback, and no MP3), but it's loud enough to be functional in most situations.

Some of the buttons are very stiff, while others are easier to push. Texting would be painful after a short while.

The menu responds slowly, as does the camera when you try to start it.

It is technically compatible with Java games, but is limited to files less than 100k and does not run them smoothly.

The phone feels physically durable.

The display is of good quality.

Overall, the phone looks much better than it performs, with the display being one exception. If you don't mind a less stylish phone for GoPhone service, the Motorola c168i offers the same basic performance for less money.

List Price:	$114.99
Price:	$89.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Samsung A117 Prepaid GoPhone (AT&T) with $35 Airtime Included

2008-12-12T11:16:00.000-08:00

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Samsung A117 Prepaid GoPhone (AT&T) with $35 Airtime Included
From AT&T

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #9538 in Cell Phone Accessories
Color: Black
Brand: Samsung
Model: A117
Released on: 2008-04-25

Customer Reviews

Avoid at any cost
I purchased this phone for $9.99 at a big box store as another reviewer mentioned. The redeeming qualities are it's small size and the exterior is built sturdy. The flip mechanism is secure and the keypad is a nice size and has a blue backlight.

However I agree with the reviewer who said the reception is not good. AT&T says I am in a "best" signal area. However the phone struggles to get even 1 bar whether indoors or outdoors with AT&T. It is however easily unlocked with a code I found online so I tried it on T-Mobile. I am not supposed to be in as good of a T-Mobile area but actually I do get a little better reception with it on T-Mobile, at least outdoors.

Now for the icing on the cake... After a mere month of very minimal use, the power button does not work all of the time. The phone has also frozen and it has shut itself off at random. I have achieved 1 - 8 days battery standby with just 5 or 6 days on standby being common. Less than the battery is rated.

I am so glad I did not pay more than $9.99 for it.

It is much cheaper outside
When Purchased from other large electronics retailer ( B&M, not online), This phone is available for $9.99 or so without Airtime.

Decent
To start out with, this phone seems to have good mechanical design. It feels sturdy, and doesn't squeek, or make creeking noises while in use like a lot of my other phones have. The firmware is decent, and the interface is relatively easy to use. There is no way to set the phone to vibrate, and ring at the same time (a little annoying, in my opinion).

It has an external LCD so that you can see the time, signal strength, mode settings, and caller name (if it's in your contact list) without having to open the phone. Both LCD's seems to be high quality, and are easy to see/read.

Operationally, the phone it's not bad.

Now for the kiss of death. This phone has poor reception. It often does not have any service at my home, where my cheap Motorola phone works just fine. Since my main reason for owning a phone is to be able to make/take phone calls, the poor receiver performance is a major problem! For this reason, I wouldn't buy another one. Maybe mine is just a lemon, maybe not. But be warned, you may be frustrated by frequent dropped calls, and poor service.

If you live near an AT&T cell tower, maybe this phone is OK.

List Price:	$94.99
Price:	$69.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Samsung Juke Blue Phone (Verizon Wireless)

2008-12-12T06:17:00.000-08:00

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Samsung Juke Blue Phone (Verizon Wireless)
From Verizon Wireless

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #8027 in Cell Phone Accessories
Color: Blue
Brand: Samsung
Model: SCHU470NBV
Released on: 2007-10-18

Features

Digital audio player/cell phone in blue with swiveling front cover reveals numeric keypad
2 GB of internal flash memory holds up to 500 CD-quality songs; easy synchronization to your PC via USB
VGA camera, stereo Bluetooth streaming, optional GPS navigation service
Up to 3.5 hours of talk time, up to 250 hours (10.4 days) of standby time
Includes: Standard Li-Ion Battery, Travel Charger, Stereo Headset, USB Cable and User's Guide

Editorial Reviews

Offering powerful digital audio playback features, the Samsung Juke swivels to open up a wide array of cellular communication tools, including text/IM messaging and GPS navigation.

Note that this phone is not compatible with either Verizon's V Cast music or Mobile Web services

Amazingly thin and light, the Samsung Juke measures just 1.2 inches wide and weighs 2.82 ounces.

Voice Commands: Voice dial, digit dial readout, call announcement
Personal Organizer: Calendar with scheduler, note pad
Tools: Calculator with converter, alarm clock, stopwatch, world clock
Speed dialing
Speakerphone
72-note polyphonic ringtones
Bilingual user interface: English and Spanish
Hearing aid compatibility: M3

Customer Reviews

A soild phone, but not great long term
I bought the Samsung Juke in May of 2008. I liked the features it did have (MP3 player with 2 GBs of memory and a sleek design). So I got it for a pretty cheap price. When I first started using the phone I loved it. Very compact and has a cool swivel design.

After extended use of the phone though, i've come to the conclusion that it is just too small for its own good. It's a pain to text/dial numbers. The MP3 player works good but the interface to use it is laggy and slow. It lacks many features and forget downloading any games on it, the screen is way to small.

The phone itself doesn't feel like it's built very soild. The speaker quality is very low and hard to hear on both speaker phone and when just talking phone to face. The battery life is excellent though, and the best i've had on a phone.

I found the phone just too frustrating to use now and converted to a different phone. I wouldn't reccommend the phone to any one who is going to text often. If your just going to make occasional calls and use the MP3, it is a good buy. Otherwise stay away.

Basic phone that works, but...
The phone is attractive, quite compact, and is essentially an imitation IPod MP3 player.

Not too much innovation, just a blending technologies. My opinion of the Juke is mediocre.

On the positive side, it IS compact. Battery life is great. Pretty factor is a 9. USB connectivity and software work well. No visible antenna (yay). Bluetooth.

Negatives: Feels under-engineered. The swivel doesn't feel very sturdy. Cable and headphone covers feel like they'll pop off if they're pulled just a little too hard. With a compact phone, keys are very small, not for manly fingers. Software not very intuitive. Keys have icons which (unless you study the manual), seem abstract. There is only one small screen. NO VIDEO. My biggest beef with the Samsung Juke is you have to pay your wireless company to TRANSFER YOUR PHOTOS. If you like having a camera close at hand to take quick snapshots, you'll have to pay to retrieve them. You can however, look at your snapshots on your small phone screen for free.

Overall, it works. I'm neither blown-away or disappointed. Just another phone.

Low price = Worth it
I had been a Palm Treo user since they came out years ago, needing a PDA for my work, I had downloaded software to use it as a MP3 player, and found that now is a nessesity for me. I tried out the Juke (red, not blue) and for the most part love it. I use opensuse exclusively on my home and business system, have no problem mounting or transferring files to the phone. The only real issue (beside small screen with bad eyes)has been building playlists for it. The onboard format for doing this is a bit clunky, but, for the price of the phone, how well it works and it's size, I am happy with it. Now to see how it stands the test of time (had mine about a year now)

List Price:	$399.99
Price:	$41.25 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Samsung i760 Black Phone (Verizon Wireless)

2008-12-11T21:17:00.000-08:00

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Samsung i760 Black Phone (Verizon Wireless)
From Verizon Wireless

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #8132 in Cell Phone Accessories
Color: Black
Brand: Samsung
Model: SCHi760ZKV
Released on: 2007-11-01

Features

Smartphone with Windows Mobile 6 Professional for MS Office document editing and easy Outlook email and contacts
Slide-out QWERTY keyboard, 2.8-inch color LCD, Bluetooth with stereo music streaming, Wi-Fi (802.11b/g)
MicroSD memory expansion; 1.3-megapixel camera/camcorder; Windows Media Player 10 for music and video
Up to 3.5 hours of talk time, up to 150 hours of standby time
Includes: Standard & Extended Batteries, USB Data Cable, Travel Charger, Stylus, Companion CD, VZAccessManager CD, Quick Reference Guide, Quick Start Guide and WirelessSyncGuide

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Product Description
Increase mobile productivity and get better integrated mobile business performance with the Samsung SCH-i760, which is powered by the Windows Mobile 6 Professional operating system for a familiar office experience and the ability to read and edit in applications such as Word or Excel as well as review Powerpoint presentations. You can also receive Outlook email, update your contacts and calendar, and stay securely connected with your office via Wireless Sync or ActiveSync. You'll be productive wherever you roam thanks to the integrated Wi-Fi connectivity for use at wireless hotspots and access to Verizon's BroadbandAccess Connect service (which lets you use your phone as a modem to your laptop).

Styled for performance, the i760 features a slide-out QWERTY keyboard on the side and a stylus for quick and easy navigation on the large 2.8-inch touchscreen. Other features include a 1.3-megapixel camera/camcorder with flash, Bluetooth connectivity with stereo music streaming, MicroSD memory expansion, and speakerphone.

Loaded with communication options, the Samsung i760 offers EV-DO, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth connectivity.

The slide-out QWERTY keyboard makes it easy to compose emails, edit Word and Excel documents, and send instant messages via MSN Messenger.

Verizon's Wireless Sync always-on email service, you can stay connected and get the job done while away from the office--without a delay and in a secure environment. Email is delivered to your device in real time across the National Enhanced Services Rate & Coverage Area, and you get the ability to forward large attachments via email as well as access both your personal and corporate emails on one device. Wireless Sync offers strong security with AES encryption (Advanced Encryption Standard) technology so that unauthorized parties cannot access or alter application data transmitted over wireless networks.
With BroadbandAccess Connect, you can use your smartphone as a modem for your notebook when you connect the two using a USB cable--or open a Bluetooth connection--enabling you to access the Internet or your company intranet. The tethered modem capability is ideal when you're traveling and need to use your notebook to check email, access corporate networks, or download large files like presentations and reports. And with BroadbandAccess Connect, you won't have to buy an extra PC Card or other devices.

Phone Features
The successor to Samsung's i730 PDA phone, the i760 continues its predecessor's slide-out full QWERTY keyboard--but now it slides out to the side and provides a larger typing area. The phone's numeric keypad also offers a unique design, with the navigation scroll wheel placed at the bottom left (with soft keys placed above) and the numeric keys tilted at an angle on the right side. The large 2.8-inch touchscreen has a 240 x 320-pixel resolution with support for 65K colors, and it offers portrait and landscape orientation. The screen also features up to 17 lines of dynamically-sized text and adjustable backlight settings.

This phone provides Bluetooth version 2.0 wireless connectivity, and includes profiles for mono and stereo headset, handsfree, serial port, dial-up networking, object push, file transfer, basic print, phonebook access and human interface device. With the A2DP Bluetooth profile, you can stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones. You can connect your laptop (either via Bluetooth or wired USB) and enjoy dial-up networking--surf the Internet, send email, and access files from a server. Additionally, this phone comes with integrated Wi-Fi connectivity (802.11b/g) for seamless movement between your corporate and home WLANs and open wireless hotspots.

It's loaded with a full range of Microsoft applications, incoluding Microsoft Office Mobile editions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, MSN Messenger Mobile, Internet Explorer Mobile, and Windows Media Player 10 (for MP3/WMA digital audio playback and viewing of downloaded and streaming videos. (See more details about Windows Mobile 6 below.) It's also embedded with Picsel Viewer software, which supports a variety of file types--MS Office, Text, PDF, PNG and HTML--providing access to business-critical information in a seamless and graphically rich environment.

Other features include:

Contacts offer up to 11 phone numbers and 3 email addresses per entry as well as work, home, and personal information locations.
1.3-megapixel camera with LED flash and video recording capabilities (up to QCIF resolution)
Memory: 64 MB RAM/128 MB Flash
MicroSD expansion for optional memory cards
Stereo speakers
Four application launcher keys (1 programmable)
T9 predictive text entry
Digital audio compatibility: AAC, AAC+, MP3, WMA (no DRM), ASF
MP3 ringtones
PIM organization applications: MS Outlook Mobile, clock, worldtime, currency converter, calculator, stopwatch
2.5mm headset jack.

Vital Statistics
The Samsung i760 weighs 5.29 ounces and measures 4.48 x 2.28 x 0.77 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 3.5 hours of talk time, and up to 150 hours of digital standby time. It operates on Verizon's 850/1900 CDMA frequencies and EV-DO data network.

Powered by Windows Mobile 6

Windows Mobile 6 adds power to your mobile office with up-to-date e-mail delivery and automatic synchronization of Outlook calendars.

Edit Word documents and Excel spreadsheets on your phone, just as you would on your desktop/laptop PC.

Microsoft Office Word Mobile features include spell-check, Find and Replace commands, bulleted lists, text formatting, and support for tables for the first time.
With Excel Mobile, you're not just confined to editing charts: with the new Chart Wizard you can create charts quickly and easily.
PowerPoint Mobile allows you to view the full presentation, rehearse timings, check the order and any live links you may have in your presentation. You can then email comments back to the team or communicate via MSN Messenger for an immediate response.
After creating or editing a Word document or Excel spreadsheet, you can synchronize it with your PC and it will automatically be converted to the PC version.

Customer Reviews

2nd Dead Phone in 6 mos; Service Just Stops Working
Like a few of the other reviewers, I've mostly liked the phone and originally bought it to consolidate a Palm PDA and a phone. First one lasted 6 months. This one has lasted 2 mos. I am easy on phones. Even bought the darn $50 leather case for this thing extra adapters - Samsung has its own plug so don't plan on using other mfr's adapters. Problem is that the phone suddenly stops receiving signals. Screen now reads no signal again. I am so disappointed with this thing. Today I was within a 1/4 mi. of a cell tower and phone was indicating no signal. Then I could not connect with other Verizon users driving in car next to mine even though they had 3 bars on their Motos. This phone is frustratingly unreliable for the price and I definitely DO NOT RECOMMEND it. We have 4 users in our household, each of which uses a Motorola. I traded my KRZR which was a sleek, fine phone -- for this POS. The Moto KRZR can practically pick up signals under water. Save yourself from agony. Go Moto or Blackberry instead. I'm switching back this week.

Can't synch with a Vista PC? - read this.
I just got this phone a few days ago. I read all the reviews here at Amazon and at phonescoop. I was already with Verizon so I purchased it as an upgrade from Verizon. Why did I choose this phone: 1) Windows Mobile: I wanted to be able to store and access Word and Excel documents as well as synch email and contacts. Yes there are other PDA platforms that can support this but not natively. 2) I wanted 802.11 wireless access the internet easily without always having to power up my laptop AND I didn't want to pay for data access be it from Verizon or any other carrier. With 802.11 connectivity I didn't have to use the carrier's data connection and pay their fees. typically I would have an 802.11 wireless available at the locations I would want to do so. This reduced my choices to two units (with Verizon) this one and the VX6800 which was $100 more expensive. Both units had users who loved their unit and both units had users who switched from the other one.

With regard to this unit... I wanted to synch it with my laptop. It took me a few tries and some research. 1) Verizon's documentation is not entirely correct. It's user manual indicated that ActiveSynch can be used with Vista which is NOT correct. After the first installation I kept wondering why I only saw Windows Mobile Device Center installed and could not find the ActiveSynch application. If you have Vista you will be using Mobile Device Center and not ActiveSynch (per Microsoft). 2) Even after realizing I was to use Mobile Device Center, this application still did not see my phone as being connected to my PC/laptop. The installation instructions from Samsung for Mobile Device Center are terrible. they basically refer you to Microsoft. Here is the issue... Windows will provide you the standard instructions on how to install and get the first synch going BUT... there is a critical SAMSUNG specific configuration step that the samsung manual does NOT mention. If Windows Mobile Center does not detect your i760 then you need to change the following: On the i760 you must a) from the START menu select "Settings" b) click on the tab marked "connections" c) select "USB to PC" d) UN-check the box marked "enable advanced network functionality". As long as that box is checked (default)... Windows Mobile Device Center on your PC will NOT detect your physically connected i760. It will indicate that no device is connected. Fortunately on Amazon one reviewer (and only one) happen to mention this as part of their review. I'm not sure if this applies to every PC or every laptop but least on my laptop and on the other reviewer's PC, un-checking the box was necessary.

Within the manual on page 86 under the small brief section labelled "USB to PC" it say this is where you can change the type of USB connection if you have problems with ActiveSynch. No explaination of what "advanced networking functionality" is or what it does. Within the "Synchronization" section no mention of this so just like me you may be wondering why your PC and Windows Mobile Center says your phone isn't connected.

some reviews mention poor signal strength... so far I haven't experienced that... least not any different than my previous two Verizon phones.

Some have complained about having to reboot and slow response after a while. I believe here is the reason for this: I read on reviews at phonescoop that ending a program by clicking on "X" in the upper right corner does not actually terminate the program. You need to go to task manager and stop the selected program. otherwise you're going to continue to tie up memory slowing down your response time eventually causing you to have to reboot. Clicking on "X" basically hides the application allowing you to be able to access where you left off via task manager or the start menu. Yes that's counter-intuitive because "X" on a PC terminates the application.

I've never hated a phone before
I've owned this phone now for about 8 months. I hate it so much. Here's why:
1. It's incredibly slow, especially after it's been on awhile
2. Don't expect to get anything done with your fingers, you have to use the stylus for everything!
3. Windows Mobile is a POS. It constantly crashes, freezes, displays random crap. I can't believe someone made a cellphone/PDA OS this terrible.
4. Did I mention it's slow? Sometimes flipping between keyboard mode and upright mode takes 4 or 5 seconds to update the display.
5. It's weak. Cracked the LCD screen in it (thankfully Asurion insurance is awesome and overnighted me a new one). I had a screen protector and I still don't know how it happened. I just picked it up one day and the screen was somehow destroyed.
6. ITS TOO BIG! At first you think "oh yea, this thing aint that big!" but just wait till the first few times you struggle to pull the hulking thing out of your pocket and accidentally hang up on the person calling and accidentally flip out the keyboard. This phone is huge.

Good Stuff:
1. Battery life is excellent with the extended battery, but its so HUGE with it on.
2. There's some UI improvements on the internet you can download to make it more touch friendly.
3. reception and sound quality are good.

List Price:	$749.99
Price:	$203.75 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Samsung Juke Teal Phone (Verizon Wireless)

2008-12-11T16:17:00.000-08:00

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Samsung Juke Teal Phone (Verizon Wireless)
From Verizon Wireless

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #8839 in Cell Phone Accessories
Color: Teal
Brand: Samsung
Model: SCHU470GBV
Released on: 2007-10-18

Features

Digital audio player/cell phone in teal with swiveling front cover reveals numeric keypad
2 GB of internal flash memory holds up to 500 CD-quality songs; easy synchronization to your PC via USB
VGA camera, stereo Bluetooth streaming, optional GPS navigation service
Up to 3.5 hours of talk time, up to 250 hours (10.4 days) of standby time
Includes: Standard Li-Ion Battery, Travel Charger, Stereo Headset, USB Cable and User's Guide

Editorial Reviews

Offering powerful digital audio playback features, the Samsung Juke swivels to open up a wide array of cellular communication tools, including text/IM messaging and GPS navigation.

Note that this phone is not compatible with either Verizon's V Cast music or Mobile Web services

Amazingly thin and light, the Samsung Juke measures just 1.2 inches wide and weighs 2.82 ounces.

Voice Commands: Voice dial, digit dial readout, call announcement
Personal Organizer: Calendar with scheduler, note pad
Tools: Calculator with converter, alarm clock, stopwatch, world clock
Speed dialing
Speakerphone
72Ðnote polyphonic ringtones
Bilingual user interface: English and Spanish
Hearing aid compatibility: M3

Customer Reviews

THE BEST 1ST PHONE!
WOW i was very inpressed when i opend the box! its not as small as you think but i tottaly agree with all the other reviews the sound for the music is amazing! crystal clear Speakerphone! And a great camera and its great to text on! if you are going to verizon or already with them BUY THIS PHONE!

I like this phone. Good for active people.
This is a great little phone. It pairs well with the Oakley OROKR sunglasses. The pair wit a good playlist makes running fun.

It occurred to me while running with the Juke that it would be really cool if a cell phone had a glucose monitor built into it as well. Apparently there is some new optical technology that can check blood sugar. The old reliable pin prick unit could be built into a cell phone, it is tried and true, and has been on the market for years. The cell phone/glucose monitor could dial into a national database each time you test your blood sugar. This data could be compiled for you, and looked over at your next Dr. visit. An even cooler idea is to incorporate the national data from everyone using the new cell phone/glucose monitor into a large GIS database. A coordinate can be provided using cell phone tower triangulation, the health data provided by the new built in monitor, and a time stamp is placed with each dial up to the national server. The data could then be looked at nationally, and one could look for problematic areas, problematic groups, etc. What makes it cool from a GIS standpoint is the time stamp and triangulation abilities a cell phone has. With time stamped data on a coordinate, you can show trends dynamically.

Very tiny phun phone!
The JUKE phone is a marvel of brilliance! I needed a smaller phone that could fit into my blouse pocket, and be discreet when recieving calls in places that one should not be on the phone. (Haven't we all needed to recieve a call in discretion?)
This cute phone really delivers in terms of being small.
If you are a person who takes good care of their possessions, and is able to handle small items with care, this phone is a good match for your cell phone needs.
I don't need a clumsy PDA or bigger phone.
Just basic service and the JUKE gives me that plus the music features.
I love the huge 2 gig memory card which comes inside the phone for free. It also comes with a home charger, matching teal earbuds, connector cable from laptop to phone, and this JUKE will pair up with Bluetooth recievers.

That's about all I need in my day to day business at work.

I highly recommend this hot little phone.
The sound quality is amazing too.
I was very pleased with the performance of this sleek phone.

Try it and see how good a simple, but hardworking device can serve you.

Teal is the cutest color too,
I was able to buy a Dooney & Bourke leather pouch that matches the teal impeccably! How stylish!

List Price:	$399.99
Price:	$54.17 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Samsung M620 Upstage Phone, Red (Sprint)

2008-12-11T09:18:00.000-08:00

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Samsung M620 Upstage Phone, Red (Sprint)
From Sprint

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #13914 in Cell Phone Accessories
Color: Red
Brand: Samsung
Model: M620
Released on: 2007-07-17

Features

The UpStage is the first product that's both a dedicated music player and a dedicated phone. And at only .37" slim, it's bound to pick up a ton of dedicated fans
You can load up the UpStage with music from your PC or downloads from the Sprint Music StoreSM - then listen to it all through the stereo speaker or a stereo Bluetooth headset
With the big, beautiful, 262,000-color display so you can watch music videos or Sprint TVSM. Just hit "play
The UpStage has a sweet 1.3 megapixel camera and camcorder so you'll never miss a photo op again
Includes: Battery, Travel Charger, USB Data Cable, Extended Battery Wallet, 3.5mm Headset Adapter with Microphone, Sprint Music Manager Software and 64MB Micro SD Memory Card

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Product Description
The Samsung SPH-m620, affectionately dubbed the "UpStage," is so unique, you have to see it (and hear it) to believe it. On one side, it's a slim, stylish Samsung phone with stereo Bluetooth wireless technology, and a 1.3-megapixel camera. On the other side, it's a slim, stylish Samsung music player with touch-sensitive media controls and a stereo speaker. Other great features include a memory card slot, advanced voice control with dictation capabilities, EV-DO high-speed data, and a 1.3-megapixel camera. With the ability to store up to 2000 songs, the m620 is the perfect choice for tech-connected power users and music lovers who need the speed of the Power Vision Network to access information while on the go.

This amazing two-faced phone does double duty. See it in 3D (requires Flash).

Design
The extremely unique m620 features a candy bar form factor with two faces. One side offers the typical look and feel of a modern looking MP3 player, and includes advanced music and media control keys, as well as a large 2.1-inch full color 176 x 220 display--perfect for watching optional Sprint TV media. The "phone side" sports a secondary screen (1.4 inches, 176 x 65 pixels) that can display time, call information, battery and signal strength, and more. The 1.3-megapixel camera lens is housed directly above this display. Up and down buttons for volume control are placed on the left side, while most of the phone's features and on-screen menus are controlled by a five-way center button on the handset's control pad, also located on the "phone side." The phone includes 53 MB of internal memory--plenty of memory for running the music player and other advanced applications--and micro SD cards can supplement the phone's memory with its built-in memory card slot. And because the m620 has an internal antenna, there's nothing to snag or break off. Charging and USB data cable connectivity are available on the phone's bottom edge. Samsung was even nice enough to throw in support for PictBridge direct-to-printer printing (via USB).

Calling Features
The m620's internal phone book can hold up to 500 contacts, and the phone's picture ID system allows you to assign pictures and ringtones to your most common callers. The phone ships with built-in polyphonic ringtones, but for those times when you want to be discreet, there's a vibrating alert. A built-in speakerphone makes it easy to talk without having the phone to your ear, and advanced voice activated dialing makes calling your friends, family, and associates easy. Simply say the name or number of the person you want to call and the number is dialed automatically without using the keypad. No prior voice training is needed. Lastly, because the m620 is Bluetooth enabled, wireless headsets can be configured with the phone for total handsfree operation.

Impressively slim and stylish.

Messaging, Internet, and Tools
The m620 is a messaging powerhouse, and comes with support for Sprint's PCS picture and video mail services. You can shoot high quality pictures and video clips with sound and instantly send them to email addresses and other Sprint PCS phones that are compatible with picture and video mail services. Or, upload them to the Sprint PCS pictures Web site to create albums. You can also use the m620 to send and receive email, exchange text messages, or join a chat room. T9, a predictive text entry system, which is a technology that makes it easier for people to enter words and text on handsets, is built into the unit--a plus for mobile email and text messaging users.

The real power of the m620 comes alive with Sprint's PCS Power Vision services. Relying on Sprint's new EV-DO high speed data network, Power Vision allows you to enjoy full-color video clips or live TV of the latest news, sports, and entertainment from CNN, Fox, The Weather Channel, and more (Sprint Power Vision charges apply).

You can also stream or download music to your phone with Sprint's Music Store service. Download digital tracks instantly to your phone. Choose from hundreds of thousands of full-length songs from virtually every genre. Select songs directly from the phone and listen to them wherever you go. Even download them to your PC.

With a USB connection, the m620 can also be used as a mass storage device. And last but not least, personalized news and information tickers, and downloadable screen savers and ringtones are also available through the Sprint Power Vision service.

The m620 is packed with useful tools to make your life more productive and fun. A message dictation system lets you speak your SMS text messages into the phone, while a voice memo recorder lets you record spoken voice notes. The phone also includes an alarm clock that can be set one time or daily, a calendar with a to-do list and a scheduler, a calculator, a stopwatch, and a world clock.

Imaging and Entertainment
As mentioned, the m620 features a powerful 1.3-megapixel camera that can be used to capture and send video and still images. The m620's built-in media player lets you see and hear streaming and stored media. The m620 supports MP3, AAC, and AAC+ audio files. And where will you put all those pictures, videos, and songs? Straight onto the phone's 50 MB of mass storage, or on memory cards. The phone takes gaming to the next level, too, with support for advanced Java-based games.

The m620 is also Sprint Music Store Enabled. That means you can easily download stereo-quality tracks instantly to the phone. Choose songs from thousands of artists in virtually every genre, and listen wherever you go (additional Sprint charges apply). The m620 sports an airplane mode feature, as well, which allows you to safely use the non-wireless functions of the phone (such as music, games, or organizer functions) on an airplane during flight.

Vital Statistics
The Samsung SPH-m620 weighs 3.25 ounces and measures 3.98 x 2.05 x 0.49 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 3.50 hours of digital talk time; the included Extended Battery Wallet provides up to 3.5 hours of continuous talk time and up to 16 hours of listening time. It runs on the CDMA 850/1900 frequencies. The phone comes with a one year limited warranty.

Customer Reviews

Save your money!!!
I, too, thought this phone looked really cool - I love red and I don't particularly like the flip phones - so I thought this would be great. I've had it for three weeks but haven't had it activated yet. Too confusing to figure out. It shuts off on its own, keys can be difficult to press, tiny screen on front is lousy, overall - a pain in the butt. Going back to Sanyo Katanya.

Cool Accessory
I always get comments on how cool it looks but this is a bad phone. Like most are saying it looks cool but that's it. The touch screen never does what it is suppose. The pictures it takes are the worst quality and the person to person sound quality echoes. You can go to web sites but are unable to click on links. I have had it for about a year and it won't keep a charge. I have to have the battery pack attached all the time and even then it will only stay charged half a day with out any use!

Great Little Phone When You Get Used To It
I don't really think opinions about Sprint Customer service are very relevant to the review of this phone. I think this phone is a great little phone, It's small, slim, and is super unique. Of course anyone should realize that since you have to flip back and forth from side to side while you use it for some functions, it takes a little getting used to. Personally I liked it after the first day or so. What I liked was that I could text using only the small screen side, and I really liked having a full keypad on that one side. Admittedly, the large screen side was a little hard to use at first, but hey a phone this size with two screens and all these features is bound to have some drawbacks. The good thing is that the drawback- having to flip the phone regularly- is something you can easily anticipate before purchasing the phone, so I don't feel a shred of sympathy for anyone who purchased the phone and ended up being totally dissatisfied with it.

List Price:	$249.99
Price:	$59.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Samsung Glyde Phone (Verizon Wireless)

2008-12-11T04:18:00.000-08:00

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Samsung Glyde Phone (Verizon Wireless)
From Verizon Wireless

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #12981 in Cell Phone Accessories
Color: Black
Brand: Samsung
Model: SCHU940DBV
Released on: 2008-05-06

Features

Sleek multimedia phone with 2.8-inch touchscreen and slide-out, full QWERTY keyboard
Access Verizon's V Cast Music and Video service via fast EV-DO data network; GPS-enabled for turn-by-turn directions
2-megapixel camera with video capture; Bluetooth for headsets and music streaming; microSD memory card expansion (up to 8 GB)
Up to 3.5 hours of talk time, up to 250 hours (10+ days) of standby time; measures 4.09 x 1.98 x 0.71 inches (HxWxD)
Includes: handset, rechargeable battery, charger, USB cable, quick start guide, user guide

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Product Description
A powerful and sleek multimedia and messaging phone, the Samsung Glyde for Verizon boasts a robust feature-set, an innovative and colorful touchscreen, and full QWERTY keyboard. The 2.8-inch advanced touchscreen offers a tactile response as you tap onscreen buttons, and the slide-out QWERTY makes it easy to stay in contact via text and instant messaging. It's compatible with Verizon's V Cast Music Service, which enables you to purchase songs through your phone and download them via Verizon's fast EV-DO data network. You'll also stay on course thanks to the VZ Navigator GPS turn-by-turn direction service. Other features include a 2.0-megapixel camera, microSD memory expansion (up to 8 GB), Bluetooth connectivity for both communication headsets and stereo headphones, and up to 3.5 hours of talk time.

The 2.8-inch display doubles as a state–of–the–art interactive touch pad for more user–friendly navigation.

Verizon Service Options
With support for the EV-DO high-speed data standard, you'll enjoy fast access to the Internet and Verizon's multimedia services (additional charges applicable), with average download speeds ranging from 400 to 700 Kbps and peak rates up to 2 Mbps. (Learn more about where EV-DO coverage is offered.) The V Cast Music service enables you to download songs instantly to your phone, or purchase music through your PC and transfer the files to your phone. If purchased from your phone, you'll receive two copies of the song: a Windows Media Audio Pro Plus format at 64Kbps stereo is sent to your phone, and a Windows Media Audio 9 format at 160Kbps stereo is sent to your account in the V CAST Music online store for downloading to your PC. V Cast Music offers nearly 2 million songs, with more being added all the time.

The V Cast Video service enables you to stream or download video clips to your phone from a variety of news, entertainment, sports, and weather channels, including CNN, ABC News, E!, CBS Sports, The Weather Channel, and VH1.

With one quick slide, enjoy a large QWERTY keyboard to text or IM friends with lightening speed.

Phone Features
The combination touchscreen, slider keyboard design of the Samsung Glyde provides a variety of ways of interacting with the phone's features. The large touch-enabled LCD measures 2.8 inches vertically and has a 240 x 440-pixel resolution and support for 262K colors. The front of the chassis has a single button (much like another, often talked about touchscreen phone), and the phone offers most of its controls via the touchscreen--which provides adjustable haptic vibrating feedback, so you know when you've pressed a button.

The front of the Glyde's face slides open from the left side of the phone and it's easy to open and close with just one hand. When the keyboard is opened, the display automatically changes to landscape orientation. The keyboard offers no dedicated numbers, so you'll do your dialing via the numeric keypad that appears on the or touchscreen.

The Glyde can store up to 500 contacts, with each entry able to store five phone numbers, two email addresses, notes, and a picture ID. It's compatible with saving contacts to groups and pairing contacts with a ringtone (polyphonic or real music ringer). The phone has a 45 MB internal memory, which is expandable via optional microSD memory cards (up to 8 GB in size). It also provides speaker-independent voice activated commands, including dial, menu readout, text message readout, and call announcement.

A speakerphone means you can easily talk hands-free, while Bluetooth (version 1.2) allows you to use your favorite wireless headset. With the A2DP Bluetooth profile, you can stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones. It also includes profiles for printing images directly to printers, dial-up networking, and sending vCard and vCalendar items to other phones.

The 2-megapixel camera has six resolution modes for still photos (from 1600 x 1200 for printing to 176 x 144 pixels for sending via MMS). It features a 9x digital zoom, an integrated flash, self-timer, multi-shot mode, and customizable settings for brightness and white balance. The camera can also capture video with sound and it offers two resolution settings (320 x 240 and 176 x 144 pixels). You can shoot for up to 30 seconds for sending or as long as you have space on your optional memory card.

You can easily add new music to your collection while on the go from Verizon's V Cast Music service and listen to them on the integrated digital audio player, which offers compatibility with MP3, WMA, AAC/AAC+ file formats. You can sync your tunes from your PC (Windows Media Player 11 or higher), as well as create and manage playlists right on the phone. The enV2 can also play video clips from Verizon's V Cast Video service, and ti's compatible with WMV, MP4, 3GP, and 3G2 formats.

The Glyde weighs 4.2 ounces.

The Glyde has all the bases covered when it comes to messaging, too, with support for sending and receiving text, picture, and video messages as well as mobile instant messaging (IM). There's also a complete e-mail client on the device for POP- and IMAP-based accounts. And of course, the QWERTY keyboard makes it a snap to type your messages. The Glyde ships with a number of handy tools, including a calendar and a voice memo application. An alarm clock and calculator are also included. The Glyde supports V Cast 3-D games, as well as other 2-D-based games, which are available from Verizon's Get It Now service. You can also customize the phone's wallpapers and screen savers to give your phone a look that suits your style.

Other features include:

Bluetooth version 1.2 with the following profiles: A2DP (stereo music streaming), AVRC (remote control), HFP (hands-free car kits), HSP (communication headsets), BIP (for sending images to another device), BPP (basic printing profile for text, email), DUN (dial-up networking), OPP (object push for business cards, calendar items, and pictures), PBA (transfer contacts)
Music Player for WMA, MP3, unprotected aac and aac+ formats
Full HTML browser
Instant messaging via AIM, MSN, and Yahoo!
Personal organizer with calendar, calculator, notepad, currency converter, alarm clock, world time and stop watch
TTY compatible
Hearing Aid Compatibility = M4

Vital Statistics
The Samsung Glyde weighs 4.2 ounces and measures 4.09 x 1.98 x 0.71 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 210 minutes (3.5 hours) of talk time, and up to 250 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the 850/1900 CDMA/EV-DO frequencies.

Customer Reviews

Don't waste your time
I had this phone for a week and tried to let it grow on me, but instantly disliked it. The touchscreen was greatly lacking usablity and functionality, the keyboard was awful, the screen was too narrow and elongated, etc. I wanted to like it...I was really stoked about getting it and I've always enjoyed Samsung phones. But this phone changed that for me. I've never liked LG, but just returned the Glyde last night and got the Voyager instead...I instantly loved the Voyager! When I was returning the Glyde, another customer next to me was trying to do the same thing. He was on his second Glyde and was still having major problems. The only thing that I didn't find horrible about the Glyde was the camera, other than how long it took to get the phone to switch into camera mode. It's a bummer I had to waste $35 on a restocking fee for such a worthless phone, but I think the Voyager is already making up for it.

This is the best phone!
I love this phone of mine. I will say some things are bad but most of them are good. The glyde's call quality is great, and the texting is easy thanks to the keyboard. The camera is OK, but the color is a little drab. The background and menus are exquisite. The touch screen is great even on medium sensitivity level. I think that it is better than the Voyager, personally. The only other bad things is that if you accidentally touch the screen, it will 99.9% of the time react on any sensitivity. The screen size is perfect, and the call and txts are amazing, touch screen's fine, and the camera is exceeding it's expectations. If you want a sexy phone that is user-friendly, I strongly recommend this phone.

The Worst Phone EVER. DO NOT BUY UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.
This is the worst phone in the history of phones...ever. You think I'm exaggerating, but I'm not.

To be fair, I absolutely love the QWERTY keyboard. I'm a chronic texter and the format makes life a lot easier. However, lots of phones now feature QWERTY keyboards. Go for one of those.

The camera on this phone is also extremely excellent. However, once again, lots of phones these days have nice cameras.

The touch screen phone is terrible. Half of the time the touch screen doesn't respond to my commands, and the other half of the time it activates itself and goes completely haywire. There is no easy way to manually input commands, so this is a major drawback. If you are on the phone and the keypad is not locked, your cheek hits the dial pad and will either make that annoying button sound on the other end of the call, or will hang up on whoever you're talking to.

The memory on the phone is awful unless you are willing to shell out for an extra memory card. You can't have more than 100 texts in either your inbox or outbox. If you hit the maximum, not only does it send you frequent (and annoying) reminders, but you also literally will NOT be able to send or receive texts. On a QWERTY phone, and on a phone that proclaims itself as being for the 'texting generation', this seems like something of an oversight.

PLEASE, SAVE YOURSELVES THE FRUSTRATION. DO NOT BUY THIS PHONE. IT IS CERTAINLY NOT WORTH $150. Maybe $5, but if you're feeling sorry for Samsung and Verizon for producing such a phenomenally terrible product.

List Price:	$399.99
Price:	$148.17 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Samsung SCH-i830 Smartphone (Verizon Wireless)

2008-12-10T22:20:00.000-08:00

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Samsung SCH-i830 Smartphone (Verizon Wireless)
From Verizon Wireless

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #33890 in Cell Phone Accessories
Color: Black
Brand: Samsung
Model: i760
Released on: 2007-11-01

Features

Smartphone designed for international business travelers with dual-band CDMA/GSM connectivity; fast EV-DO data connectivity
Powered by Windows Mobile 2003; slide-out full QWERTY keyboard; 2.8-inch touchscreen; expandable via SD memory cards
Bluetooth connectivity for communication headsets; personal and business email access
Up to 2.2 hours of talk time, up to 130 hours (5.4 days) of standby time; measures 4.49 x 2.28 x 0.97 inches (HxWxD)
Includes: rechargeable lithium-ion battery, travel charger, user guide, quick reference guide

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Product Description
The perfect telecommunications tool for global travelers, the Samsung SCH-i830 from Verizon features dual mode, CDMA/GSM functionality, allowing you to make calls as you wander the globe (where networks are supported). Designed for business professionals, it's powered by Windows Mobile 2003 and offers full QWERTY keyboard that slides out from the bottom and access to email and documents. It also features SD card memory expansion (including SDIO), Bluetooth connectivity for communication headsets, Windows Media Player software for playing music and video, and fast data connectivity via Verizon's EV-DO network.

Powered by Windows Mobile 2003, the SCH-i830 communicates on CDMA frequencies in the US and GSM elsewhere.

Phone Features
Designed for business travelers who want to stay productive while on the road, the SCH-i830 is powered by Windows Mobile 2003 (Pocket PC 2nd edition), which enables you to work on documents and spreadsheets with the Pocket versions of Word and Excel, access the Web with Internet Explorer, and send email via Outlook. It also includes the Picsel Browser application, enabling you to view PowerPoint slides as PDFs and images.

The SCH-i830 allows international travelers to keep one phone and one phone number almost anywhere they go via its dual mode, CDMA/GSM functionality (850/1900 MHz CDMA, 900/1800 MHz GSM). Because GSM networks in the United States operate on 850/1900 MHz frequencies, you'll only be able to access GSM networks when out of the country (such as in Europe and Asia).

The large 2.8-inch touchscreen offers a 240 x 320-pixel resolution with 65K colors, and it's supplemented by a five-way navigation toggle, send/end keys, and four customizable shortcut keys. The full QWERTY keyboard, revealed by sliding the phone's screen, makes developing and maintaining critical documents a breeze.

Enjoy handsfree communication via the speakerphone as well as Bluetooth connectivity for communication handsets and handsfree car kits. Additionally, the i830 features an SD I/O expansion slot for increasing the phone's memory, as well as stereo speakers for improved sound quality when viewing videos or listening to MP3 files via Windows Media Player (version 10, which provides access to PlaysForSure WMA-DRM music files purchased from online stores and subscription services)). Other features include:

Speaker-independent voice dialing
Infrared (IR) wireless connectivity can control home entertainment equipment
Email support: POP3, IMAP4, SMTP
2.5mm headset jack
128 MB ROM, 64 MB RAM
64-chord polyphonic and MP3 ringtones
USB 1.1 wired connectivity
Bluetooth profiles: HFP (hands-free car kits), HSP (communication headsets), DUN (dial-up networking), FTP (file transfer), HID (support for mice or joysticks), OPP (object push for business cards, calendar items, and pictures)

Vital Statistics
The Samsung SCH-i830 weighs 6.4 ounces and measures 4.49 x 2.28 x 0.97 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 2.2 hours of talk time, and up to 130 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the CDMA 800/1900 MHz frequencies as well as Verizon's EV-DO data network in the United States; in foreign territories, it's compatible with 900/1800 MHz GSM networks.

List Price:	$749.99
Price:	$349.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Samsung U700 Gleam Black Phone (Verizon Wireless)

2008-12-10T22:19:00.000-08:00

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Samsung U700 Gleam Black Phone (Verizon Wireless)
From Verizon Wireless

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #9489 in Cell Phone Accessories
Color: Black
Brand: Samsung
Model: MOTW755
Released on: 2007-10-04

Features

Slim clamshell phone with unique living wallpaper capability that changes with the time of day
Access Verizon's V Cast Music and Video services via fast EV-DO data network; GPS-enabled for turn-by-turn directions
2-megapixel camera with video capture; MicroSD expansion; Bluetooth connectivity with music streaming
Up to 3.5 hours of talk time, up to 250 hours (10+ days) of standby time
Includes: Standard Li-Ion Battery, Travel Charger, Quick Reference Guide and User's Manual

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Product Description
Nicely slim and featuring a unique new living wallpaper user interface, the Samsung U700 Gleam is your mobile telecommunication and entertainment partner. It's compatible with Verizon's V Cast Music service, which enables you to purchase songs through your phone and download them via Verizon's fast EV-DO data network, as well as V Cast Video for streamed video clips from a variety of channels. Other features include a 2-megapixel camera with video capture, Bluetooth connectivity with stereo music streaming, MicroSD memory card expansion, and a 2.1-inch screen.

The Samsung Gleam features V Cast Video and Music capability, a large 2.1 inch TFT main screen, and a rich, high gloss finish.

The slim clamshell phone offers a unique living wallpaper user interface that changes with the time of day.

Phone Features
The Samsung Gleam has a glossy metallic silver and black exterior and a unique living wallpaper capability that enables you to easily see the phoneâ€™s status with either a driver's view of an animated country or city street with dashboard-like dials that changes with the time of day. An external LCD (96 x 96 pixels, 65K colors) also displays an analog clock in addition to signal strength, current time, and battery life. The internal 2.1-inch LCD has a 240 x 320-pixel resolution, support for 262K colors, and 8 lines of text.

The 2-megapixel camera snaps pictures in six resolution options from 1600 x 1200 (2 MP) to 176 x 144 (QCIF), and it includes digital zoom, three quality settings, brightness and white balance controls, multi-shot capability, night mode, and spot metering. For video capture, the Z6tv records clips in MPEG4 format in two resolutions--320 x 240 and 176 x 144 pixels. You can shoot video as long as your memory card has available space, and videos shot for MMS messaging are capped at 30 seconds. The digital audio player is compatible with MP3 and WMA files and offers a shuffle mode.

A messaging and wireless Internet powerhouse, support is built in for sending and receiving pictures, text, graphics, sound and video via messages. When used in combination with the phone's built-in still and video camera, MMS opens up a whole new world of messaging fun. Instant messaging is also supported, and the phone ships with a built-in email client. The Gleam also comes stock with a built-in web browser for downloads and mobile web browsing. T9 text entry, which is a technology that makes it easier for entering text on handsets, is built into the unit--a plus for mobile email and text messaging users.

The Gleam's internal phone book can hold up to 500 contact entries with five phone numbers and two emails per entry, while the phone's picture ID system allows you to assign pictures to your most common callers. The RIZR's voice dialing feature makes calling family, friends, and business associates as easy as saying their names. Other features include:

MicroSD expansion up to 4 GB
PIM tools: Calendar with scheduler, note pad, alarm clock, world time, calculator, unit converter
Speakerphone
Vibrating alerts and silent mode
Hearing aid compatibility = M4

Vital Statistics
The Samsung U700 Gleam weighs 3.35 ounces and measures 3.88 x 1.91 x 0.55 inches. Its 800 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 3.5 hours of talk time, and up to 250 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies.

Customer Reviews

Not so good
I got this phone last November, and it still (as of June) gives a chemical odor, quite noticeable when you open it to the face. I don't know what's wrong with its plastic.

Its MP3 player is a joke. As another commenter said, too, it doesn't understand directories (even though the music is kept in regular FAT filesystem), and to load it you need to use its horrible VCAST program, which, by the way, doesn't work for Limited User account(programmer folks, it's not Windows ME anymore!), and I refuse to give Administrator privileges to my family members, to save me from grief with crapware installation. Or you need to remove the memory card, which is a hassle. Why not make the card accessible through USB as a drive? Other phones can do that.

Its battery only holds about 5 days on standby time.

It also doesn't allow to use a MP3 file as a ringtone. I don't understand why. Is it conspiracy to get the users buy the tones? There is no technical reason. Other phones can do that.

Fun Phone and easy to operate
Just got this phone about a week ago and love it. The keypad buttons are a good size,well lit. The sound for the music is just fine. Best flip type phone I have owned. The shiney gold trim makes it look sheek and sophisticated.

Regarding music
The phone seems alright as a phone, the menus are easy, etc., no particular problems. But I bought this phone (from the many on the Verizon list) because it has a 2GB music player that doesn't require one of those stinking pay download services, like the horrific vcast.

Unfortunately, as a music player it has problems:

1. The cord input is a size down from that used on any decent earphone set, which requires a kludgy stub transition cord (not supplied with the phone).

2. To edit the card requires removing the stubborn battery cover and the battery itself, which is clumsy to say the least, and inexplicable in design. A USB cord (not supplied with the phone) will only work to synch with WMP, and who the heck would use that piece of Evil Empire garbage to work with MP3's?

3. The card is too small, at the same time they put out this phone the chip industry was moving to high capacity mini-cards, and this is a generation behind. Note the 2GB card does NOT come with the phone, but be sure not to buy a high capacity card, you must use the MicroSD card, not the HC, despite what some supplier websites say.

4. The music directory doesn't allow subdirectories, which is really, really, stupid. After some working with a tag editor, jamming all the music together does work, so long as the tags are suitable to your organization. But any kind of mixed playlist can't work in the usual way, just by putting single songs into a directory, creating a playlist and assigning all the songs in the directory to the playlist. Just dumb. Who wrote this software?? Not someone who plays around with MP3's much.

5. The sound is rather flat and hollow.

6. There's an annoying little flap over the jack port. For what reason? To keep grit out or something? Logical to a point, but if I used the port much I probably would just rip it off.

7. The volume rocker is broken up into only a few levels, and naturally one level is too low, the next too high. The volume rocker should be (seemingly) a continuous scale, and progressive. At least give credit to the forward and reverse functions, which do work as they should.

For all these reasons, I bought a Sansa clip, which sounds much better, allows for the usual directory organization, and whose (supplied) USB cable makes it just another drive on the PC. Therefore, I didn't need the music player in this phone at all, and the choice was pointless. My advice is obvious, select the phone if you like it, but forget about the music player except for the odd occasion when you leave your ipod or whatever behind.

List Price:	$399.99
Price:	$24.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Samsung A820 Prepaid Phone (STi Mobile)

2008-12-10T17:19:00.000-08:00

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Samsung A820 Prepaid Phone (STi Mobile)
From Samsung

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #21579 in Cell Phone Accessories
Color: Blue
Brand: Samsung
Model: A820

Features

Mobile phone with Press & Talk – provides instant nationwide walkie-talkie style communications in addition to normal mobile phone calls
Lightweight clamshell design boasting an internal 65,536 color LCD display that is 128 x 160 pixels
Built-in speakerphone gives you true hands free operation when speaking with just one or on a group call
External LCD for Quick Access to Caller ID
Limit 5 phones per customer.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Product Description
The Samsung A820 features a lightweight clamshell design boasting an internal 65,536 color LCD display that is 128 x 160 pixels. There is also a large 96 x 96 pixel external black and white LCD display which shows time, date, signal strength, battery life while in standby mode. When the phone receives a call, the external LCD displays Caller ID. For ease of use the phone has side volume keys and a one touch access to activate the speaker phone. There is a dedicated Press & Talk button on the side of the phone so that you can use the walkie-talkie style communications option with the flip either open or closed. Inside the phone you will find a 5-way navigation key and two soft keys that make this phone extremely user friendly and easy to operate.

Click here to see information on available STi Mobile rate plans.

Calling Features
With the Samsung A820 you can not only make cellular calls but it has the unique ability to make walkie-talkie style calls with the Press & Talk feature. You can connect with one or many STi Mobile Press & Talk users and with Sprint PCS Ready Link users. The phone also has 32 chord Polyphonic Ringtones and vibrating alert. Unique ringtones and pictures can be assigned to specific callers so that you don’t have to look at the phone to see who is calling. The built-in speakerphone makes it easy to talk without having the phone at your ear and the voice activated dialing makes calling your friends, family and associates easy and safe by just saying their names. There are two phone books in the phone: one for the phone and the other for Press & Talk. You can store up to 300 entries for use with the phone and up to 200 entries for use with the Press & Talk feature. Messaging, Internet, and Tools
The Samsung A820 supports both text messaging and web browsing. T9 predictive text entry is included on the phone which enables you to easily send text messages and emails. While browsing the web you can download ring tones and wall papers to personalize and customize your phone. Web browsing gives you the ability to look up sports scores; read headline news; check the weather report by zip code or city; get the latest stock quotes and financial news; or enter your own URL and browse the web.

The Samsung A820 also includes several tools to enhance your life such as a scheduler which gives you the ability to set appointments in your calendar with reminders; an alarm clock; a notepad for jotting down things you wont want to forget; a world clock; easy tip calculator; and calculator.

Imaging and Entertainment
Browse the web and download ringtones, pictures and games on sites like www.3gforfree.com.

Vital Statistics
The Samsung A820 Press & Talk phone weighs only 3.14 ounces and measures 3.56 x 1.88 x 1.06 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 3 hours of talk and 190 hours of standby. It runs on the CDMA 1900 frequencies and the phone comes with a one year limited warranty.

What's in the Box
Samsung A820 handset, AC charger, lithium-ion battery, user’s manual, STi Mobile user’s guide.

Customer Reviews

STI is the worst service carrier ever.
STI is the worst service carrier ever. I called twice to make sure they can transfer the promotional air minutes to another existing account. But after I activated my cell phone, they ate their words.
At the same time, I found whenever I made a phone call, they charge me once the phone call is connected, even though no one answers the phone. This is one of their hidden charges.
My experience is so bad, I will never use their service again.

Defective Phone & Poor Customer Service
I've previously had subscription cell phone services with a variety of providers, but found I rarely used the number of minutes I was paying for. A prepaid phone service seemed like the way to go, and STI Mobile sounded like a good alternative because the price was competitive and minutes don't expire. I signed up and shortly after received my Samsung phone. It arrived, however, defective - the port for recharging the phone was damaged. Per the STI Mobile web site, I contacted them within 14 days to arrange for a replacement phone. This resulted in a number of email exchanges with customer service. In the first one, the rep told me that I was mistaken, and must have been sent the wrong charger. No offer was made to replace the charger, strangely, which was included as part of the package deal. After additional emails where I reassured her that I did in fact have the right charger (I took the phone in to a local merchant, who showed me the charger I was shipped worked with an identical model phone - it was the port on the shipped phone that was defective). At this point, the rep apologized and told me I would have to contact Samsung for a replacement phone! This entire process took several weeks.

In short, I guess you get what you pay for. If I had been shipped a working phone STI Mobile probably would have met my needs, but I was turned off by the poor customer service and have since found another prepaid phone provider.

Affordability Plus! $3/month
If you don't use this phone, it costs $3/month. Normal hours til 9 p.m. it's 12 cents per minute, which is a bit less than half of what most prepaid phones cost. Perfect for my occasional use and for locating family members when I'm in transit and feel that I simply must know where they are and what they are doing. I don't use cell phones much, but if I must have one, I might as well have one that doesn't make me worry about another huge bill. For kids who think they can mangle the budget, forget it cuz when the card is used up -- that's it kiddo. Once they use up the card, the only number they can dial is 911, but that's it. Bonus features: clock is always accurate and it has a great alarm which tells me when to get up to go to work and another to tell me when to go home at the end of the day. At some point, I might not be able to live without this.

List Price:	$199.99
Price:	$149.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Samsung Renown U810 Phone, Brown (Verizon Wireless)

2008-12-10T05:20:00.000-08:00

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Samsung Renown U810 Phone, Brown (Verizon Wireless)
From Verizon Wireless

Product Details

Color: Brown
Brand: Samsung
Model: SCHU810GNV
Released on: 2008-10-06

Features

Dual-network world phone for access to Verizon Wireless's CDMA network in the U.S., and GSM networks when travelling abroad
Access V Cast, Music and Video services via fast EV-DO data network; GPS-enabled for turn-by-turn directions; use phone as a modem for your laptop
2-megapixel camera/camcorder; Bluetooth for handsfree devices and stereo music; MicroSD expansion to 8 GB
Up to 5 hours of talk time, up to 320 hours (13.3 days) of standby time
What's in the Box: handset, battery, charger, pre-installed SIM card, international plug adapters, global support kit, user manual, quick reference guide

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Product Description
A great choice for global roaming, the Samsung Renown clamshell phone enables you to enjoy Verizon Wireless's reliable CDMA/EV-DO service here in the U.S. as well as access GSM wireless services in more than 200 destinations worldwide for voice and 150 global destinations for data. You'll be able to snap still images and videos wherever you roam thanks to the 2-megapixel camera, which includes NightShot capabilties that enhance the camera's capabilities in dark environments.

Roam globally with the built-in quad-band GSM connectivity and included SIM card.

This phone is compatible with the V Cast Music and V CAST Music with Rhapsody services, which enables you to purchase songs through your phone and download them via Verizon Wireless's fast EV-DO data network. You'll also benefit from the phone's A-GPS receiver, which enables you to access Verizon Wireless's VZ Navigator service for turn-by-turn directions. Other features include Bluetooth for handsfree devices and stereo music streaming, MicroSD memory expansion (to 8 GB), access to mobile email and instant messaging, Visual Voice Mail, and up to 5 hours of talk time.

Global Connectivity
With the Samsung Renown, you'll be able to connect to wireless networks from Europe to South America to Asia thanks to its quad-band GSM/EDGE/GPRS connectivity. It comes pre-installed with a SIM card, so customers who plan to travel abroad can activate global service at the time of purchase or by calling Verizon Wireless prior to leaving the U.S. For those who travel abroad frequently, the company's Global Value Plan offers discounted roaming charges on calls made to and from 130 countries.

The Renown includes Bluetooth stereo music streaming, a 2-megapixel camera/camcorder, and MicroSD expansion to 8 GB.

Verizon Wireless Service
With support for the EV-DO high-speed data standard, you'll enjoy fast access to the Internet and Verizon Wireless's multimedia services (additional charges applicable), with average download speeds ranging from 400 to 700 Kbps and peak rates up to 2 Mbps. (Learn more about where EV-DO coverage is offered.) The V Cast Music service enables you to download songs instantly to your phone, or purchase music through your PC and transfer the files to your phone. If purchased from your phone, you'll receive two copies of the song: a Windows Media Audio Pro Plus format at 64Kbps stereo is sent to your phone, and a Windows Media Audio 9 format at 160Kbps stereo is sent to your account in the V CAST Music online store for downloading to your PC. V Cast Music offers nearly 2 million songs, with more being added all the time.

In addition to the V Cast Music service, this phone is also compatible with Verizon Wireless's V CAST Music with Rhapsody, which enables you to access this exclusive digital music service for RealNetworks and for MTV Networks. V CAST Music with Rhapsody delivers unlimited monthly access to music on up to three Rhapsody-compatible mobile phones and players and online on multiple PCs and Web browsers. In addition, customers who purchase music over-the-air are able to download the master copy of the songs or albums to their PCs free of digital rights management (DRM) software that restricts how and where music can be played.

With this GPS-enabled phone, you'll be able to access Verizon Wireless's VZ Navigator service (additional charges applicable) for voice-prompted turn-by-turn directions, heads-up alerts, local search of nearly 14 million points of interest in the US (such as landmarks, restaurants and ATMs), and detailed color maps that can be quickly panned and zoomed. Other features include weather updates for a location without knowing the ZIP code, optional rerouting based on current traffic conditions, and a gas finder feature for finding recent gas prices in your area and getting directions to gas stations. And Verizon Wireless's Chaperone service lets you easily locate your loved ones from your cell phone or PC in real time. After defining a zone, such as an area designating a school or summer camp, you'll be sent an alert via text message when the Chaperone handset enters or leaves the zone.

With BroadbandAccess Connect (subscription required), you can use your smartphone as a modem for your notebook when you connect the two using a USB cable--or open a Bluetooth connection--enabling you to access the Internet or your company intranet. The tethered modem capability is ideal when you're traveling and need to use your notebook to check email, access corporate networks, or download large files like presentations and reports. And with BroadbandAccess Connect, you won't have to buy an extra PC Card or other devices.

Personalize your phone using the VZAppZone, a mobile marketplace that allows you to browse and purchase content and add-on applications. You'll get weather updates for up to five locations, news updates from Reuters, and a storefront for discovering and downloading ringtones, wallpaper and applications.

With Visual Voice Mail, you can delete, reply and forward voice mail messages without having to listen to prior messages or voice instructions. Visual Voice Mail is the ideal tool for the busy mobile professional who may need to prioritize which messages he or she listens to first.

Get access to popular Verizon Wireless features, including V Cast Mobile TV and Music, VZ Navigator turn-by-turn directions, and Visual Voicemail.

Phone Features
The Samsung Renown has a stylish cocoa brown coloring with a glossy skin that catches the light. The exterior of the clamshell sports a 96 x 96-pixel LCD screen with support for 262K colors, and it displays the current time/date, battery life, signal strength, and incoming caller ID. It also has dedicated music playback keys below the screen. Flip open the phone the reveal the 2.3-inch main LCD screen, which has a 240 x 320-pixel resolution and a 262K color depth. It's complemented by a five-way navigation pad, send/end keys, and two soft navigation keys.

The phone has a 44 MB internal memory, which can be expanded via optional MicroSD memory cards (up to 8 GB in size). The internal phonebook can store up to 1000 contact entries with multiple phone numbers per entry and the ability to store one picture per entry. The phone also displays the most recent 90 incoming/outgoing/missed phone calls.

Handsfree communication is easy thanks to the integrated speakerphone. This phone also provides Bluetooth wireless connectivity (version 2.0), and includes profiles for communication headset, handsfree car kits, and file transfer. With the A2DP Bluetooth profile, you can stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones. You can connect your laptop (either via Bluetooth or wired USB) and enjoy dial-up networking--surf the Internet, send email, and access files from a server.

The 2-megapixel camera shoots images in five resolutions (1600 x 1200, 1280 x 960, 640 x 480, 320 x 240, 160 x 120 pixels) with a choice of three quality settings. It also features up to a 10x digital zoom (depending on resolution adjustment), brightness and white balance controls, multi-shot mode (Series, Divided and Panorama), self-timer, and three shutter sounds (including silent). The phone can also capture video clips, which are capped at 30 seconds for sending via MMS messaging or recorded for as long as you have available memory up to up to QVGA resolution.

Stay in touch with friends while you're on the go using SMS text messaging. When used in combination with the phone's built-in still camera, MMS opens up a whole new world of messaging fun. The phone also comes with a built-in web browser for downloads and mobile web browsing. T9 predictive text entry technology makes it easier for entering text while composing email and text messages.

Other features include:

Personal Organizer: Alarm Clock, World Clock, Calendar, Calculator with Converter, Stop Watch, Notepad
Includes 12 polyphonic ringtones; also compatible with downloadable real-music ringers
USB connectivity with mass storage capabilities
Advanced speech recognition
Digital audio player compatible with MP3, WMA, AAC/AAC+/eAAC+
Video player compatible with MPEG4, WMV, H.264, H.263
Bluetooth version 2.0 with the following profiles: A2DP (stereo music streaming), AVRC (remote control), HFP (hands-free car kits), HSP (communication headsets), BPP (basic printing profile for text, email), DUN (dial-up networking), FTP (file transfer), OPP (object push for business cards, calendar items, and pictures), PBA (transfer contacts)
Hearing Aid Compatibility = M3/T4

Vital Statistics
The Samsung Renown weighs 4.05 ounces and measures 3.87 x 1.95 x 0.69 inches. Its 800 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 5 hours of talk time, and up to 320 hours (13.3 days) of standby time. It runs on the CDMA 800/1900 frequencies as well as Verizon Wireless's EV-DO data network; it also has quad-band GSM connectivity (850/900/1800/1900 MHz) for roaming outside the United States.

List Price:	$299.99
Price:	$49.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details