Comparison Sanyo 4900 v Hitachi P300
Written: Jul 21 '03 (Updated Dec 17 '03)
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Pros: Amazing Battery Life and call quality
Cons: Large size, screen plastic weak.
The Bottom Line: It's great, fantastic buy it now. If you want sleek sexy and slender go buy something else.
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| warrenm's Full Review: Sanyo SCP-4900 |
Being a Sprint user the selection of low cost phones is pretty limited, the flip phones are either expensive or dysfunctional. In the Sub $100 range you have a choice of two. I was lucky enough too own both the Hitachi P300 and the Sanyo 4900 for the same period of time. It was an arangement with www.freecellphoneguys.com. Me and my wife shared a family phone plan and were allowed to test both phones since I was unsure which was the best, then swap out for the phone I preffered. So for the most part this is a comparison between the two.
STANDARD SPECS
Hitachi P300:
Weight 3.6 oz and a 3.5 hour chat time, 10 days standby
Sanyo:
Weight 4.6 oz and a 4.5 hour chat time, 16 days standby
These are the stats you are given and they pretty much stand up in use, though not accurately measured, no stopwatch here. Another imnportant thing which can modify these stats is the existance of a long life batter for the Sanyo getting 7 hours chat and 2x days standby, albeit adding a little more thickness and weight.
Regarding the size and weight of the two phone, it is noticeable when holding one in each hand, but the hitachi slips nicely into your pocket, where the Sanyo has the "Is that a cell phone in your pocket or are you just pleased to see me?" kind of feel.
SCREEN:
Hitachi P300
It was fine long and sleek, clear and well coloured, holding 8 lines of text, with a top band showing Reception, Battery life and time (while in menu). The bottom band indicating the effect of the left select button. Quite alot of information for such a screen and slim elegant typeface.
Sanyo 4900
Screen holds 7 text lines and 1 top line displaying reception and Battery life (while in menu). This allows the text to be thicker and more legible than P300, I didn't miss the other line of text, plus the back colour helps.
RECEPTION
Hitachi P300
During my time with both phones we tested them in Tampa bay Florida and along the way to Atlanta Georgia, this covered many weak spots. At one point along the way my phone lost signal and 30 minutes later services returned and messages piled up. Signal quality was Great in Tampa Bay while my new accomodation in Atlanta Cell to Cell comunication received some static and dropped words.
Sanyo 4900
This phone maintained reception all the way on the trip though quality was poor in the areas P300 had non. When we arrived in Atlanta reception quality was better, initialy I thought it was just the Sanyo having lower lvls required to hit the reception bars displayed on the phone, this still may be true, but in each situation where there was poor reception the Sanyo 4900 came ontop calling the same number, but this was not a massive improvement it however was noticeable.
SPEAKER PHONE
This appeared to be the same quality on each. I think only realy useable when in a home and having a comunal chat. On the road the background noise obscuring conversation making us mimic the Verison advert "Can you hear me now?" The major problem is the vibration from the speaker on the back of the phones. Everyone could hear a sound quality drop when it was switched to speaker phone, Sanyo being easier to get there with its one button click.
KEYPAD
The Sanyo is slightly wider offering larger buttons, but on the Hitachi they are certainly not the tiny flip phone size. The P300 does however sport a realy funky mini joystic which I preffer over the circular pad which most other phones go for. My favourite kind of pad is the one that looks like a cross between scales and roof tiles, no space is wasted offering the greatest surface area for making sure you hit the right buttons.
WEB
This has minimal use, slow and cubersome, but I don't mind since it is never hard to get on the net when you want with a computer. This is a phone, not a camera, not a web tool.
DURABILITY (modified 12/18/03) Sanyo4900 only
After having this phone now for 6 months i can give some feedback on its durability. My wifes phone has been dropped several times and has remained intact, but it has suffered a crack along the screen from pressure while leaning against something. This does not seem to be an uncommon occurance either as, while working at a resteraunt i see a number of mobile phones on tables, and one I saw sported an almost identical crack on the screen which suggests a common weakness.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 79
Recommended for: Professionals On-the-Go - Internet and Email is a Must!
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Epinions.com ID:
warrenm
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Reviews written: 5
Trusted by: 0 members
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