A good phone for people who simply use a phone for talking
Written: Apr 09 '04
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Pros: Reliable, durable phone with no wasted frills. Long battery life.
Cons: Somewhat difficult menu, minimal ringtones.
The Bottom Line: This is a great phone for those who put function before form and gadgetry.
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| rwcat's Full Review: Samsung SCH-A310 Mobile Phone |
I bought my SCH-A310 in Jan 2003 (13 months ago) and it has been great. I like the flip-phone design and this one is sturdy. This is my first flip-phone because I always thought I would break them. Then I got tired of trying to fit a larger phone in my pocket, afraid of smashing it, breaking the antenna, etc. The flip design is also nice because I don't accidentally call people like I did with my previous cell phones. I also really like the silent (vibrate) ring.
This phone is a good size. It is a little bigger than a pager and that is how I wear it. I bought a clip for it because I didn't like the original case or the case clip that was included with the phone.
Like I said, this phone is sturdy. I've dropped it several times on tile floors, cement, etc, and no breakage yet (knock on wood). I have the standard battery and it lasts a long time. I am a medium-duty user, using about 100 - 150 minutes per month. A full charge lasts me a good three days and I always leave it on. The battery charges fairly quickly, a few hours to go from completely drained to full charge. And the battery is nickel-metal hydride, so it doesn't develop a memory like the Nicads of old. The monochrome screen is big and bright, really easy to read. There is also a small status screen on the outside (when it's closed) that shows the time, caller ID number, voicemail indicator, battery level, signal strength, and service available (roam, digital, analog).
The buttons are pretty large and easy to press without accidentally pressing multiple buttons at one time. As I said, the screen is easy to read. No color, no camera, minimal games, but a large phone book capacity. Reception and sound quality are good. There is also a jack on top for a hands-free earpiece/microphone. It uses the common hands-free kits available at Radio Shack or other non-specialized stores. There is also voice-activated dialing but I haven't really used it. It is also web-enabled but I don't use it.
As I said, there are minimal frills built into this phone. There are only three games that I've never seen before, generic semi-musical ringtones, no camera, no color screen. The things it actually does it does well. Remember when phones were for conversing?
The menu is a little frustrating to navigate, but then I never really read through the million page owner's manual. I can get to the features I want. The phone book is pretty easy to use and stores 500 numbers (I think). You can set each person's home, cell, office number and also set which of those numbers is the default for that person, which helps with high-speed dialing.
There is a two-way button on the side of the phone for quick ring-volume adjustment and earpiece volume adjustment when on a call. The only problem is that it's easy to accidentally turn the volume up or down when on a call because the button is located right where I hold the phone. The button is very useful for immediately silencing the ring, however. Handy for avoiding those inconsiderate restaurant or movie theater rings.
In summary, I am very happy with my Samsung. I am not waiting impatiently for my two-year agreement to expire so I can immediately upgrade, like I've done in the past.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 199 -$50 rbt
Recommended for: Adventurous Technophiles - Tough and Durable
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Epinions.com ID:
rwcat
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Reviews written: 25
Trusted by: 0 members
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