As phones go, it does the job!
Written: Jan 22 '04
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Pros: Size, Weight, Ease of use, Reliability, durability, now available free!!
Cons: Headset fails easily, limited availability of accessories.
The Bottom Line: It does what I want, it does it well, and it does it under almost any conditions.
With the exception of the weak headset, it really has no faults.
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| scotiaguy's Full Review: Samsung SGH-R225 |
Let me tell you where I'm coming from......When I look for a cell phone, I'm looking for a mobile communication device. Something I can use to keep in contact with my family & job.
I don't buy it as a games machine, I have a PS2 for that at home, and a game-boy for travel. I don't buy it as an internet device, I have a desktop at home, and a laptop for travel.
I don't buy it as a digital camera, I have a few of those, the lowest performing of which (1.3MPixel) can outperform any camera phone. If I want to send pictures, I'll use the internet, thanks!
Therefore I don't look for any of these features in a phone, and don't see too much point in paying for features I don't use.
I do look for something which, when it rings I can tell it's mine, and with which I can communicate clearly,oh, and I don't like flip phones.
So why this phone? That's a story of evolution. I travel for work, but my do not have a company phone. Hotel rates for long distance are extortion, and so I need a cell with national service, and free roaming. Initially My wife and I had plans with Verizon, but in 2001 we were tired of $150-$400 cell bills monthly. So the hunt was on for a new plan. What was then Voicestream introduced the family plan, with 800 peak minutes per month, free roaming, free nights & weekends, and free Voice stream cell-to-cell. Too good to pass on, so we signed on. We purchased two Motorola T193 phones. A bad decision. A very bad phone, it had a Ni-Cad battery (memory forming), and such poor signal reception that we had to be outside at home to use them. We felt that perhaps this was a Voicestream issue, and grew disheartened, as we were tied for a year. after several months one of my colleagues joined T-Mobile, as Voicestream had morphed into) and purchased the Samsung R225. He was not experiencing the problems we had, and with the advantage of the SIM card, we could swap phones for a day, to "test drive".
We had to change. By this time our year was close to expiring so we went to the local T-Mobile store, and upgraded. We also extended the plan by including another number for our daughter, and so purchased two R225's @$50 each, and a Samsung S105 for my wife @ $250 (she does like flip phones, and playing with the features).
A year on from there and I have no complaints about the R225. The Li-Ion battery means I can charge when convenient, rather than only when fully discharged, and battery life is excellent. Even with regular use I only need to charge every other day.
The Display is very clear (the blue backlight is excellent, really bright) and easy to read with sufficient space to show all relevant information (time, battery level, signal strength, call duration, etc). The menu's are well labelled and simple to use, and speed-dialling is simple too. I like the vibration option, I can normally answer a call before it rings, and I like being able to group callers (like "family & friends", "work", & "unknown") and attach distinct ring tones & signal light colors to each so I have an idea of who it is before even checking the caller ID on the display.
I have used this phone in areas all over the United States, from Southern California to upstate New York, in temperatures fom -30°F to over 100°F, and only once had difficulty obtaining a signal. The phone has been extremely reliable, having been dropped several times, from as high as seven feet, and suffered no ill-effects. My colleague even had his fall unobserved from his pocket at work, and when found over an hour later it was in a puddle of orange juice under the machine he was working on. He dried it thoroughly, switched it back on, and it was good to go.
If you go to the Samsung website, accessories for this are expensive, but buy shopping around (especially on E-Bay) you can get anything you want cheaply.
Not including shipping charges, I paid $5 each for two spare batteries, $2.75 for a desktop charger, and $0.01 each for a replacement headset, and a swivel holster. Total shipping was $18, for a grand total of $30.79. My colleague paid $30 for a spare battery from the Samsung site, needless to say he now has an E-Bay account!
With all batteries charged I can travel for a week, without having to take a charger. That works for me.
The only downside I've found is that with a proprietary headset connection, your choice is limited to an in-ear type (not my favorite) and the headsets have been unreliable. I'm on my third in a year. As this is necessary for in vehicle hands-free use, I really think it ought to be better.
Your not going to find replacement faceplates/batteries/headsets almost anywhere, like you can with certain Nokia models, but they are out there a great prices if you don't mind purchasing online.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 50
Recommended for: Adventurous Technophiles - Tough and Durable
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Epinions.com ID:
scotiaguy
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Location: Florida, U.S.A.
Reviews written: 33
Trusted by: 5 members
About Me:
I never did the course on growing up, and I'm too old to start now!
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