samsung sgh-t219 (red) review

samsung sgh-t219 (red)

positives: the samsung sgh-t219 is easy to use and comes with ample memory and a speakerphone. negatives: the samsung sgh-t219 has disappointing sound quality. facts: though its red color is definitely eye-catching, the samsung sgh-t219 doesn’t impress. note: this product is part of the samsung sgh-t219 series. .

red has become a popular color for cell phones in the past couple of years, but on most crimson handsets the hue is restricted to the front face. now samsung takes the design trend a step further with the new samsung sgh-t219 for t-mobile. rather than just show red on the outside, the sgh-t219 brings the color inside as well for a brilliantly colored keypad. the phone also comes in a chocolate (aka brown) version, but the red handset certainly is more exciting. the feature set on both models is quite simple–instant messaging support and a speakerphone are the main highlights–but the call quality didn’t live up to expectations. you can get it for $19.99 with service. design the samsung sgh-t219 takes its basic design cue from samsung’s previous sgh-t619. though it lacks a camera, the sgh-t219 has almost the same hinge design as the sgh-t619 and, except for the color change, the two handsets have near-identical profiles. the sgh-t219 also weighs the same (2.8 ounces) as its sibling, though it’s slightly smaller at 3.5 by 1.8 by 0.8 inches. the phone fits comfortably in our hands, but its overall construction didn’t feel very sturdy and the hinge mechanism was a tad loose. this doesn’t feel like a phone for an active user. the postage stamp external display sits in the center of the large black panel on the phone’s front face. though it’s a bit small for the sgh-t219’s size, it shows the date, time, battery life, signal strength, and caller id (where available). as is the case with most low-tier phones, it has a monochrome resolution–but that’s hardly an issue since the handset doesn’t have a camera. you can change the contrast, but the backlighting time and font size aren’t customizable. users with vision impairments should take a close look before buying, as the display becomes very dim when the backlighting is off. other exterior features are limited to a volume rocker and combination headset jack and charger port on the left spine. the 1.75-inch (160×128 pixels) internal display is serviceable, but it won’t knock your socks off. the 65,000-color resolution is about what we’d expect of this caliber of phone; the user-friendly menu interface looks fine, but games and graphics aren’t very sharp. you can change the brightness, the backlighting time, the background color, and the font size and style. just below the display is the spacious navigation array. though the circular toggle is very un-samsung–the company usually goes with a square toggle–it’s easy to use and we like that it has some texture. an ok button sits inside the toggle, but it’s annoying that it won’t open the menu when the phone is in standby mode. two soft keys, a clear control, and the talk and end power buttons surround the toggle, which also functions as a shortcut to the call list, the voice recorder, the contacts list, and the text message menu. the samsung sght219 has an eye-catching red keypad. as previously mentioned, the sgh-t219’s keypad is entirely red. on the whole, it’s a nice change from black and silver. the individual keys have only a slight tactile feel, but they’re lit by bright backlighting and the numbers on the keys are rather large. fast text messengers may want to give it a test drive, though, as the keys can be difficult to use by feel. features the samsung sgh-t219 has a basic feature set that will appeal to users who just want to make calls. the phone book holds 1,000 contacts with room in each entry for five phone numbers, an e-mail address, and notes (the sim card holds an additional 250 names). you can save contacts to groups or pair them with one of 10 polyphonic ringtones. the phone supports photo caller id as well, but since there’s no camera, you’ll need to receive photos of your friends in a multimedia message. and in any case, the photos won’t show on the external display. other basics include a vibrate mode, text and multimedia messaging, a one-minute voice recorder, an alarm clock, a calendar, a task list, a calculator, a world clock, a unit converter, a stopwatch, and a timer. and to prove that lg doesn’t have a monopoly on the nifty application, samsung is beginning to include a tip calculator in its phones as well. instant messaging for aol, icq, windows live, and yahoo clients is here too, while a speakerphone rounds out the offerings. unfortunately, there’s no dedicated speakerphone button. you can personalize the sgh-t219 with a variety of wallpaper, color schemes, and alert sounds. if you’re bored with the variety on the phone you can download more options with the wap 2.0 wireless web browser. gamers only get demo versions of five titles (forgotten warrior, freekick, arch angel, lumines block challenge, and midnight pool), so you’ll need to buy the full versions for extended play. the sgh-t219 has a hefty 22mb of shared space for all downloads. performance we tested the triband (gsm 850/1800/1900) samsung sgh-t219 in san francisco using t-mobile service. unfortunately, sound quality wasn’t quite up to par. though the volume level was fine, voices had a muffled effect that came and went during conversations. at times, our friends sounded natural and clear, but at other times it was difficult to understand them fully. callers didn’t report any big problems on their end, but on the whole our experience wasn’t the greatest. speakerphone calls were about the same, but the speaker on the front flap did allow for plenty of volume. for a better t-mobile basic phone, try the motorola v195 or the nokia 6030. the samsung sgh-t219 has a rated battery life of six hours talk time and almost nine days standby time. we only got five hours of talk time in our tests. according to fcc radiation tests, the samsung sgh-t219 has a digital sar rating of 1.28 watts per kilogram.

 

symbol mc70 enterprise digital assistant review

symbol mc70 enterprise digital assistant

product short spec: os provided: microsoft windows mobile 5.0 phone edition installed ram: 64 mb processor: intel 624 mhzxscale wireless connectivity: bluetooth, ieee 802.11a, ieee 802.11b, ieee 802.11g input device type: stylus, keyboard, touch-screen smartphones shortspec: band/mode: gsm 850/900/1800/1900 ram installed size: 64 mb

 

motorola i880 review

motorola i880

positives: the i880 has a user-friendly design and a generous range of features including bluetooth, a music player, and a 2-megapixel camera. call quality was good too. negatives: the i880 is a tad big and its integrated memory is small. also, music quality was unexceptional. facts: the motorola i880 is a strong addition to nextel’s lineup and brings some much needed features.

photo gallery:motorola i880

 

nokia 3660 review

nokia 3660

product short spec: band / mode: gsm 900/1800/1900 (tri-band) talk time: up to 240 min combined with: with digital camera weight: 4.6 oz

 

palm treo 650 (alltel, cdma) review

palm treo 650 (alltel, cdma)

the palm treo 650 for alltel offers all the same features as the other carrier variations, including bluetooth, a speakerphone, palm os 5.4, multimedia, and e-mail support. the palm-based smart phone is available for $249.99 after discounts and rebates. for more information about the smart phone’s design and features, please read our review of the palm treo 650.

 

samsung sgh-t209 (red) review

samsung sgh-t209 (red)

positives: the samsung sgh-t209 has a compact design, user-friendly controls, and a speakerphone. negatives: the samsung sgh-t209’s volume level is somewhat low, and there’s no backlighting adjustment on the external display. facts: if you’re in the market for a basic, no-hassle t-mobile cell phone, the samsung sgh-t209 is a solid choice. note: this product is part of the samsung sgh-t209 series. .

samsung churns out another simple cell phone with the new sgh-t209 for t-mobile. modeled after the samsung sgh-x495, it retains the same basic features and overall design but ditches the white color scheme in favor of two differently hued versions: silver and candy-apple red. like the sgh-x495, the sgh-t209 offers a sleek if relatively staid design and a low-range feature set that includes a speakerphone and instant messaging. although it’s a tad expensive if you pay the full price of $119, service rebates will lower it to a more reasonable $19. the sgh-t209 has a simple, compact design. the samsung sgh-t209 has exactly the same dimensions as its predecessor (5.5 by 1.9 by 1.0 inches), but it weighs slightly more, at 3.3 ounces. the sgh-t209 also inherits the same body design; it’s relatively sleek with rounded edges and no external antenna, but the overall look is rather dull. the candy-apple-red version, however, is definitely appealing. the sgh-t209 takes its external display cues from the sgh-x495’s. the postage-stamp-size screen is monochrome, but it shows useful information, such as the date, the time, battery life, signal strength, and caller id (where available). however, we don’t like the fact that you can’t change the backlighting time on the screen. when the backlighting goes off, the time can be difficult to read, and you must open the phone to make the screen active again. beneath the display is a small grille for the speakerphone, which marks another difference; the sgh-x495 also has a speakerphone, but it’s inside the handset. inside the samsung sgh-t209 is a 1.75-inch, 128×160-pixel screen that shows 65,000 colors. it’s no different from most samsung displays in that it’s bright and vibrant, but it can be too bright at times, and it’s difficult to see in direct sunlight. still, it does a serviceable job and works well for scrolling through the menus. you can adjust the brightness, the contrast, the backlighting time, and the font color. below the display are the standard samsung navigation keys, which consist of a five-way toggle, two soft keys, the talk and end/power buttons, and a clear key. the keys are easy to use, and the toggle acts as a shortcut to the messaging menu, instant messaging, the voice recorder, and the phone book. the pill-shaped keypad buttons are also typical of handsets of this caliber. they’re decently sized, and they’re lit by a bright backlight, but they’re flush with the surface of the phone. the only external features are a volume rocker and a headset jack on the left spine. the samsung sgh-t209’s feature set is basic, but it should please most cell phone users. the 500-contact phone book has room in each entry for five phone numbers and an e-mail address; the sim card can hold an additional 250 names. you can organize contacts into caller groups, but in a change from the sgh-x495, individual groups can be paired with one of 20 polyphonic ring tones, 10 of which are megatones. you can also assign groups a picture, but since there’s no camera, you’ll have to be creative. in any case, the image won’t show up on the external display. as for other features, you get a vibrate mode; yahoo, icq, and aol instant messaging; an alarm clock; a calculator; a calendar; a to-do list; 1-minute voice memos; text and multimedia messaging; a timer; a stopwatch; and a unit converter for length, weight, volume, and temperature. we were glad to see that samsung threw in a speakerphone, but you can turn it on only after you’ve made a call. overall, the sgh-t209 has 3mb of shared memory. you can personalize the samsung sgh-t209 with a variety of wallpaper, messaging tones, and display patterns. if you’re bored with those, you can download more options from t-mobile via the wap 2.0 wireless web browser. you get two java (j2me) games–snowballfight and bubblesmile–but more titles are available if you want them. we tested the dual-band (gsm 850/1800/1900; gprs) samsung sgh-t209 in san francisco using t-mobile’s service. call quality was good overall and somewhat better than that of the sgh-x495. voice quality was clear, but volume was a tad low; users with hearing impairments should test the sgh-t209 before buying. callers could tell we were using a cell phone, but they reported no significant problems on their end. it’s worth noting, however, that when using automated phone services such as an airline-reservation number, we had to speak loudly to be understood. speakerphone calls had more volume and were clearer than on the sgh-x495, due to the external position of the speaker. the sgh-t209 has a promised talk time of 5 hours and a rated standby time of eight days. our tests revealed a talk time of 4 hours, 30 minutes and a standby time of eight and a half days. according to fcc radiation tests, the samsung sgh-t209 has a digital sar rating of 1.29 watts per kilogram.

 

motorola slvr l7c (sprint) review

motorola slvr l7c (sprint)

positives: the motorola slvr l7c has decent call quality and multimedia performance. it also has a nice list of features, including ev-do capability, bluetooth, and a speakerphone. negatives: the motorola slvr l7c has a low-grade vga camera and a low-resolution display. the memory card slot is in a poor location, and the phone’s ev-do performance was a tad slow. facts: the motorola slvr l7c for sprint is a more powerful alternative to the gsm slvr l7, but it comes with some minor design differences. note: this product is part of the motorola slvr series. .

thought it has never garnered the enormous following of the razr, the motorola slvr still has been a big player in the thin-phone phenomenon. motorola has produced several models of the slim handset with varying design and features, but only one version thus far, the slvr l7c, is cdma. now out for sprint and expected soon for verizon wireless, the slvr l7c bears a striking resemblance to its closest gsm cousin, the motorola slvr l7. features are similar as well, but the l7c replaces support for mobile itunes with compatibility for sprint’s ev-do network. at the time of this writing, sprint’s slvr l7c is available exclusively at best buy for a reasonable $39 with service. otherwise, you’ll pay a whopping $329. design though sprint was a little late to the moto party, the carrier now offers almost all the models in the company’s skinny-phone lineup. as a reminder, the slvr is the candy bar alternative to both the razr v3m and the krzr k1m. we prefer the latter in terms of overall looks, but if you’re into thin and you hate flip phones, the slvr l7c is for you. it offers almost the same dimensions as the slvr l7 (4.48 by 1.96 by 0.51 inches) except that its profile is just a hair wider. at 3.7 ounces, it’s also a tad heavier than the slvr l7, but it still manages to be both lightweight and trim. it also has a more solid feel in the hand when compared with the razr v3c, and the l7c’s all-black color is attractive. though the slvr l7c looks very much like the slvr l7, it does have some significant design differences. most importantly, the display has a lower color resolution, with support for 65,000 hues instead of 262,000. the change is annoying, as we just don’t see why you have to shift to a less vivid display when you change transmission technologies. on the upside, the 1.9-inch screen is quite large for the phone’s size. you can alter the backlighting time, and while the font size isn’t changeable, it should be fine for most users. the menus reflect the simplified design that’s beginning to show up on most sprint phones. splashed with lots of yellow, the interface is simple and easy to use and is a big improvement over moto’s clunky system. the display is difficult to see in direct light and disappears completely when the backlighting is off. the navigation array and the keypad buttons are taken from the slvr l7 with few changes. that means they’re somewhat cramped and completely flat with the surface of the phone, with only minor separation between individual buttons and rows. fortunately, they’re a bit less slick than on the slvr l7, but they still can take some acclimation. a four-way toggle with a central ok button serves as your primary navigation tool; there are also two soft keys, a dedicated speakerphone key, a back button, and the traditional talk and end/power controls. as always, the toggle doubles as a shortcut to four user-defined functions. all the keys are brightly backlit. the slvr l7c’s micro sd card slot is in a terrible location. a volume rocker and the motorola “smart” key sit on the slvr l7c’s left spine. though they’re large enough, they’re too flat with the surface of the phone and are a bit slick. the mini-usb/charger port sits on the right spine just above a camera shortcut. though we were expecting to find the micro sd slot here as well, it is behind the battery instead. this new location is a major design flaw on the slvr l7c, as you have to remove both the battery cover and the battery to access it. but that’s not all, as the slot itself requires a lot of dexterity and patience to secure the card correctly. the camera lens is on the top rear face of the phone. as with the slvr l7, there’s no self-portrait mirror or flash. features the slvr l7c’s phone book holds 1,000 contacts, each of which can take five phone numbers, an e-mail address, a web address, and notes. you can assign contacts to caller groups, pair them with a picture for photo caller id or assign them one of the polyphonic ringtones. other features include a vibrate mode, voice commands and dialing, text and multimedia messaging, a calendar, a voice recorder, a calculator, a world clock, and an alarm clock. on the higher-end, there’s also pc syncing, instant messaging and e-mail, bluetooth, and a speakerphone. the slvr l7c has a simple vga camera with no flash or self-portrait mirror. though it’s no different from the slvr l7, it’s disappointing that a 3g multimedia-friendly handset such as the slvr l7c has a low-grade vga camera. a megapixel really is the bare minimum on a phone of this caliber. as such, the camera takes pictures in just three resolutions (640×480, 320×240, and 160×120), but you can choose from a number of editing options, including three quality settings, a self-timer, adjustable brightness and white balance settings, an 8x zoom, three color effects, three fun frames, and six shutter sounds (there’s also a silent option). the camcorder shoots 30-second clips with sound. editing options for videos are similar to those of the still camera. photo quality wasn’t too impressive–colors looked a bit washed-out, and objects were a bit fuzzy. videos weren’t remarkable either, with a lot of jerkiness. you’re allotted a paltry 18mb of internal memory to store your work, but you can use a micro sd card for more space. the slvr l7c has average photo quality. as an ev-do cell phone, the slvr l7c is compatible with sprint’s power vision streaming video service and its sprint music store for music downloads to the onboard digital music player. it also supports sprint’s on demand service, sirius radio channels, and the carrier’s new nfl mobile application. you also get sprint’s power view feature for watching full-length movies on the handset, though we’re not quite sure why you’d want to do that. and if that isn’t enough, there’s also special programming from comedy central and trial versions of accuweather premium and telenav navigator. the interface for power vision and the music player is no different from that of other sprint phones, which is to say it’s easy to use. we don’t miss the itunes feature at all. you can personalize the slvr l7c with a variety of screensavers, menus and clock styles, and message tones. if you’d like more options or ringtones, you can download them from sprint with the wap 2.0 wireless web browser. you get demo versions of four java (j2me) games–zuma, midnight bowling, pac-man and tetris–but you can always download more if you’re an avid gamer. performance we tested the dual-band (cdma 800/1900, ev-do) motorola slvr l7c in san francisco using sprint’s service. call quality was satisfactory on the whole. we enjoyed clear conversations with little voice distortion on our end. callers occasionally could tell we were using a cell phone, but they reported decent audio quality, as well. volume was somewhat better than that of the other slvrs we’ve seen, but it still may not be enough for some users. also, we had more trouble hearing in noisy environments and had to turn up the volume a few notches to hear people clearly. static was rare, but reception seemed to fade out now and then, especially when we were around natural obstructions. on the other hand, we encountered no interference from other electronic devices. the speakerphone was loud and only occasionally muffled, but it performed admirably overall. putting the speaker facedown on a table affects outgoing sound somewhat, and callers had trouble hearing us at times under that condition. call quality was clear with the bluetooth headset, but volume on both ends was low. music quality was on a par with that of sprint’s other motorola ev-do phones, such as the razr v3m and the krzr k1m. our tracks sounded a bit tinny, and there were noticeable bass-heavy effects. the sole speaker on the rear face provides decent output, but the music diminishes in quality the louder it becomes. you get better quality with a stereo headset, but take note that the phone uses a proprietary connection. streaming video was a bit better than it is with most of the other sprint power vision phones we’ve seen lately. pixilation was kept to a minimum, and motions were fluid. the sound level was acceptable as well, and voices matched the speaker’s mouth. our only real complaint is that the ev-do connection was a bit slow, and videos took a long time to load. on the upside, videos didn’t have to rebuffer once they started. the slvr l7c has a rated battery life of 3.6 hours of talk time and 7 days of standby time. we managed to eke out a decent 4 hours of talk time in our tests. according to fcc radiation tests, the motorola slvr l7c has a digital sar rating of 1.23 watts per kilogram.

 

motorola razr v3 (magenta) review

motorola razr v3 (magenta)

note: this product is part of the motorola razr series. .

quick take: t-mobile’s razr v3 in magenta is identical to t-mobile’s original razr v3 in silver. read our review of the first razr for a full assessment.

 

motorola krzr k1m fire (verizon wireless) review

motorola krzr k1m fire (verizon wireless)

positives: the motorola krzr k1m is downright sexy and offers bluetooth, ev-do support, and decent call quality. negatives: the motorola krzr k1m suffers from metallic music quality, poor streaming videos, and sluggish performance. also, it offers a lower-resolution camera than on the gsm krzr k1. facts: though it’s oh-so pretty, the motorola krzr k1m doesn’t offer any new features. plus, multimedia performance wasn’t reliable. note: this product is part of the motorola krzr k1 series. .

just when you thought motorola couldn’t ride the wave from its popular razr any longer, the once-staid, now-cool company rolls out its line of krzr handsets. styled similar to the razr but with a few important improvements, the motorola krzr k1m casts a slim and striking profile that’s sure to send cell phone fashionistas into a tizzy. as with its predecessor, the style-focused form factor entails some usability sacrifices in the controls, but the krzr k1m ranks as the one of the prettiest cell phones we’ve seen thus far. on the downside, performance had its high and low points, and the krzr k1m’s features set, which includes bluetooth, a megapixel camera, and support for ev-do networks, doesn’t offer any changes over verizon’s razr v3m. and in all seriousness, just where did motorola get the silly name? the krzr k1m is so hyped that verizon wireless and sprint announced availability within a week of each other, yet verizon’s version is the first to go on sale. you can get it for as low as $199 with service. (there’s also a gsm version of the phone, the krzr k1). while we don’t hide the fact that we’re growing tired of the thin-phone phenomenon, we’ll admit readily that the krzr is getting us excited about diet handsets all over again. to put it mildly, the krzr k1m is very pretty, so pretty that it makes the razr look like some circa-1980s car phone. while the razr was a one-trick pony with its design–thin from the side, yes, but also boxy and plain from the front–the krzr is beautiful all around. at 4.05 by 1.73 by 0.67 inches, it has a slightly thicker profile than the razr while also being taller and thinner when measured across its front face. the dimensions make the krzr much more comfortable to hold in the hand, and it feels better when cradled against your face. also, at 3.6 ounces (a tad more than the razr’s 3.3 ounces), it enjoys a more solid construction and a sturdier hinge. it’s still a bit hard, however, to feel such a small phone vibrate when it’s in your pocket. as moto is quick to point out, the krzr includes a plate of hardened reflective glass on its front face. though that sounded a bit gimmicky when we first heard about it, the result is undeniably appealing with a sleek and sharp look. the dark gray color is nice as well, though we’re partial to the blue face on the gsm krzr k1. on the other hand, the k1m’s darker hue attracts fewer smudges and fingerprints than the k1m. motorola promises the glass will withstand cracking and scratches, but we didn’t try to prove that wrong. another highlight was the shiny chrome plating on the handset’s bottom end. the postage stamp external display is a bit small for the phone’s size, but it shows an acceptable 65,536 colors. you can view the date, time, signal strength, battery life, and caller id (where available), and you can use the display as a viewfinder for self-portraits. the display disappears entirely when the backlighting is off, but a flick of any exterior button will activate it again. alternatively, you can change the backlighting time to always-on. the krzr k1m has touch-sensitive music controls. the camera lens lies above the display, though it’s disappointing that yet again there’s no flash. on the upside, however, one of the phone’s more interesting design features sits just below the display near the bottom of the front flap. here are three touch-sensitive buttons for controlling the music player. fortunately they are lit and usable only when the player is on–a wise design decision, as it’s impossible to activate the player accidentally–but they can be too sensitive when the player is on. we paused out music unintentionally a few times, which was annoying. overall, however, we’d favor the krzr’s touch controls above those on the lg chocolate. completing the outside of the phone is a voice-dialing button on the left spine and a volume rocker and speakerphone/smart key on the left spine. a covered mini usb port sits on the left spine as well, but it’s worth noting that, because it’s the port for both the headset and the charger, you can use only one accessory at a time. the micro sd card slot is located somewhat inconveniently behind the battery cover. we’re glad you don’t have to remove the battery as well, but we’d prefer to find it on the outside of the handset. the krzr k1m’s memory slot is hidden behind the battery cover. the krzr’s internal display measures a roomy 1.9 inches (176×220 pixels) and supports 65,536 colors. the result is a rich and vibrant screen that displays most anything well. even verizon’s clunky standardized menu interface, which few people are crazy about, looks good here. you can change the backlighting time and the brightness, but no other options are customizable. the navigation array and keypad buttons will look familiar to razr fans; they have a similar design and layout. the four-way toggle doubles as a shortcut to four user-defined functions, while the ok button in the toggle’s center opens the menu when in standby mode. surrounding the toggle are two soft keys, a dedicated camera shortcut, a clear/back key and the traditional talk and end/power controls. though the navigation array as a whole is smaller than on the razr (due to the krzr’s smaller size), it’s still spacious enough for users with big paws. keypad buttons are a holdover from the razr as well, with a flat design and no separation between the individual buttons. they have a bit less texture than on some of the newer razrs (such as the v3i), so it’s harder to dial by feel, and the keys can be slippery and difficult to master. on the other hand, they are brightly backlit. we admit we’ve just spent a lot of time taking about the krzr’s design, but look and feel are really what the phone is all about. as we said previously, it doesn’t offer anything new in terms of features, so there’s a lot less to talk about in that department. there’s a 1,000-contact phone book with room in each entry for five phone numbers and two e-mail addresses. you can organize contacts into groups or pair them with a photo or one of 20 (72-chord) polyphonic ring tones for caller id. basic features include a vibrate mode, a voice recorder, text and multimedia messaging, an alarm clock, a calendar, a calculator, a world clock, and a notepad. on the higher end, there’s a speakerphone, voice dialing and commands, a mini usb port, e-mail, and pc syncing. bluetooth is onboard as well, but its options are limited. though you still can’t use it to transfer music files and ring tones, in a welcome move toward customer-friendliness verizon is now offering photo transfers via that feature. onboard usable memory is a bit skimpy at 18mb, but the micro sd card slot gives you even more room. in a strange move, the k1m’s camera is 1.3-megapixel, while the gsm krzr k1 offers a 2-megapixel shooter. we’re scratching our heads at the disparity, which doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. nonetheless the k1m’s camera does the job. you can take pictures in four resolutions (1,280×1,024; 640×80; 320×240; and 160×120) but you don’t get a selection of quality settings. other options include a multishot option, brightness and white-balance controls, a self-timer, three color effects, an 8x zoom, 10 fun frames, and three shutter sounds (plus a silent option).the camcorder shoots clips in 176×144 resolution with sound; editing options are similar to the still camera. videos meant for multimedia messages are capped at 14 seconds; otherwise you can shoot for as long as the available memory permits. image quality was decent but not quite what we expected from a megapixel camera. images were bit blurry, and colors weren’t always sharp. the krzr k1m had average photo quality for a megapixel camera. as an ev-do phone, the krzr k1m supports the full range of verizon’s 3g services including the v cast video service and the v cast music store. the music player’s interface is standard for all phones from the carrier that support the music store. you also get access to a variety of verizon applications including vz navigator, backup assistance, and chaperone as well as a host of alternative programs and services such as fox sports mobile pro, extra tv, and weathernews. there isn’t much for gamers; you get demo versions of just two titles (tetris and pac-man). full versions and other games are available for purchase with the wap 2.0 wireless web browser. just remember that verizon uses brew instead of java. you can personalize the krzr k1m with a variety of wallpaper, screensavers, and sounds. you can always buy more choices if you want them. we tested the (cdma 800/1900; ev-do) motorola krzr k1m in san francisco using verizon’s service. sound quality was unchanged from other verizon phones like the v3m. voices were clear, and volume actually was a bit louder than most of the razrs we’ve tried. on their end, callers said we sounded fine, and they could hear us plainly in louder environments. at times there was a slight hiss in the background, but it wasn’t bothersome. reception was sharp, and the ev-do connection was strong even in buildings. speakerphone calls sounded a bit hollow but with enough volume, and bluetooth headset calls were satisfactory. music audio quality was decent, though the hiss that was audible during phone calls seemed louder here. it didn’t make our tunes intolerable by any means, but it did give them a robotic and bass-heavy effect. the music player itself was sluggish at times, and it often paused for a few seconds when navigating though different options. also, unless you set it as a shortcut through the navigation toggle, it took too many clicks to activate the player. a 2.6mb song took about a minute and 30 seconds to download, which is rather slow. v cast video also was unimpressive. it took up to a minute to access the application’s main menu and navigation through menus was sluggish here as well. what’s more, clips showed a fair amount of pixilation. if you’re a multimedia nut, verizon has better, but less-pretty options such as the lg vx8300. the motorola krzr k1m has a rated talk time of 4.2 hours and a promised standby time of 18 days. in our tests, we managed to get a talk time of 4 hours and 16 minutes. according to fcc radiation tests the krzr k1m has a digital sar rating of 1.03 watts per kilogram.

 

samsung sgh-t219 (red) review

samsung sgh-t219 (red)

positives: the samsung sgh-t219 is easy to use and comes with ample memory and a speakerphone. negatives: the samsung sgh-t219 has disappointing sound quality. facts: though its red color is definitely eye-catching, the samsung sgh-t219 doesn’t impress. note: this product is part of the samsung sgh-t219 series. .

red has become a popular color for cell phones in the past couple of years, but on most crimson handsets the hue is restricted to the front face. now samsung takes the design trend a step further with the new samsung sgh-t219 for t-mobile. rather than just show red on the outside, the sgh-t219 brings the color inside as well for a brilliantly colored keypad. the phone also comes in a chocolate (aka brown) version, but the red handset certainly is more exciting. the feature set on both models is quite simple–instant messaging support and a speakerphone are the main highlights–but the call quality didn’t live up to expectations. you can get it for $19.99 with service. design the samsung sgh-t219 takes its basic design cue from samsung’s previous sgh-t619. though it lacks a camera, the sgh-t219 has almost the same hinge design as the sgh-t619 and, except for the color change, the two handsets have near-identical profiles. the sgh-t219 also weighs the same (2.8 ounces) as its sibling, though it’s slightly smaller at 3.5 by 1.8 by 0.8 inches. the phone fits comfortably in our hands, but its overall construction didn’t feel very sturdy and the hinge mechanism was a tad loose. this doesn’t feel like a phone for an active user. the postage stamp external display sits in the center of the large black panel on the phone’s front face. though it’s a bit small for the sgh-t219’s size, it shows the date, time, battery life, signal strength, and caller id (where available). as is the case with most low-tier phones, it has a monochrome resolution–but that’s hardly an issue since the handset doesn’t have a camera. you can change the contrast, but the backlighting time and font size aren’t customizable. users with vision impairments should take a close look before buying, as the display becomes very dim when the backlighting is off. other exterior features are limited to a volume rocker and combination headset jack and charger port on the left spine. the 1.75-inch (160×128 pixels) internal display is serviceable, but it won’t knock your socks off. the 65,000-color resolution is about what we’d expect of this caliber of phone; the user-friendly menu interface looks fine, but games and graphics aren’t very sharp. you can change the brightness, the backlighting time, the background color, and the font size and style. just below the display is the spacious navigation array. though the circular toggle is very un-samsung–the company usually goes with a square toggle–it’s easy to use and we like that it has some texture. an ok button sits inside the toggle, but it’s annoying that it won’t open the menu when the phone is in standby mode. two soft keys, a clear control, and the talk and end power buttons surround the toggle, which also functions as a shortcut to the call list, the voice recorder, the contacts list, and the text message menu. the samsung sght219 has an eye-catching red keypad. as previously mentioned, the sgh-t219’s keypad is entirely red. on the whole, it’s a nice change from black and silver. the individual keys have only a slight tactile feel, but they’re lit by bright backlighting and the numbers on the keys are rather large. fast text messengers may want to give it a test drive, though, as the keys can be difficult to use by feel. features the samsung sgh-t219 has a basic feature set that will appeal to users who just want to make calls. the phone book holds 1,000 contacts with room in each entry for five phone numbers, an e-mail address, and notes (the sim card holds an additional 250 names). you can save contacts to groups or pair them with one of 10 polyphonic ringtones. the phone supports photo caller id as well, but since there’s no camera, you’ll need to receive photos of your friends in a multimedia message. and in any case, the photos won’t show on the external display. other basics include a vibrate mode, text and multimedia messaging, a one-minute voice recorder, an alarm clock, a calendar, a task list, a calculator, a world clock, a unit converter, a stopwatch, and a timer. and to prove that lg doesn’t have a monopoly on the nifty application, samsung is beginning to include a tip calculator in its phones as well. instant messaging for aol, icq, windows live, and yahoo clients is here too, while a speakerphone rounds out the offerings. unfortunately, there’s no dedicated speakerphone button. you can personalize the sgh-t219 with a variety of wallpaper, color schemes, and alert sounds. if you’re bored with the variety on the phone you can download more options with the wap 2.0 wireless web browser. gamers only get demo versions of five titles (forgotten warrior, freekick, arch angel, lumines block challenge, and midnight pool), so you’ll need to buy the full versions for extended play. the sgh-t219 has a hefty 22mb of shared space for all downloads. performance we tested the triband (gsm 850/1800/1900) samsung sgh-t219 in san francisco using t-mobile service. unfortunately, sound quality wasn’t quite up to par. though the volume level was fine, voices had a muffled effect that came and went during conversations. at times, our friends sounded natural and clear, but at other times it was difficult to understand them fully. callers didn’t report any big problems on their end, but on the whole our experience wasn’t the greatest. speakerphone calls were about the same, but the speaker on the front flap did allow for plenty of volume. for a better t-mobile basic phone, try the motorola v195 or the nokia 6030. the samsung sgh-t219 has a rated battery life of six hours talk time and almost nine days standby time. we only got five hours of talk time in our tests. according to fcc radiation tests, the samsung sgh-t219 has a digital sar rating of 1.28 watts per kilogram.