Nice concept, but poor execution
Written: Mar 24 '05
|
Product Rating:
|
|
| Durability: |
 |
|
| Clarity: |
|
|
| Portability: |
 |
|
| Battery Life: |
 |
|
|
Pros: PDA and phone integration, color screen
Cons: Bulky, quiet Palm alarm, no jog dial, battery placement, unprotected screen, can't sync with Macintosh
The Bottom Line: Spend a little more money and get the more portable Samsung SPH-i500. The i330's bulk, battery placement, and touch-screen only interface are poor design decisions.
|
|
|
| jstand6's Full Review: Samsung SPH-i330 |
I received this Samsung SPH-i330 as a free, refurbished replacement for my trusty Kyocera QCP-6035, which started having speaker problems after two years of hard use. The replacement was under Sprint PCS's replacement program, which costs $4.95 per month and is well worth it when using expensive phones such as these. I have been using this Samsung for 13 months now.
The color screen is a nice feature, although it does become very hard to read in direct sunlight. Also, having an integrated Palm and phone is a major advantage over carrying around two separate devices. That's where my likes of this phone end.
If I did not have the Kyocera before this, my list of dislikes would probably be a lot less. However, there is a clear difference in the design execution of the two phones, and the Kyocera was definitely better.
For starters, the battery placement is terrible. It is mounted at the bottom of the rear of the phone and sticks out 1/4 of an inch from the rest of the phone. This creates a huge problem when you set the phone down on a desk or table because the phone tilts away from you, making the screen hard to read; you must lean over it. But what becomes really annoying is when using the stylus while the phone is in this position. When you write in the Graffiti writing area at the bottom of the screen, the phone rocks toward you when you touch the screen, and then rocks back away from you when you release pressure. There is a way around this, which is to use both hands (one to hold the phone and one to use the stylus).
The unprotected screen is a major hassle if you like to put your phone in pockets like I do. I have never found phones of this size to be comfortable clipped onto a belt and the leather cases always seem to get in the way, especially with the side buttons. You can turn the screen off, but a single press of any button brings it back on, and the slightest touch on the activated screen presses the on-screen buttons. The screen is extremely vulnerable to damage. Plus, the screen is always getting greasy from facial oils and requires daily cleaning.
The Kyocera had a thin panel that covered most the screen that could flip open to access the full screen. Not only did this provide protection, but it also had regular phone buttons on it. The Samsung's phone buttons are all part of the touch screen. If you have big fingers like me, this is a huge problem because my thumb covers four buttons at once! You have to be really careful when manually dialing and use the very tips of your fingers. Also, you can't dial by touch (not looking), so you must stare at the screen, which, as I stated earlier, is hard to read in direct sunlight.
My old Kyocera had a nice jog dial on the left side that allowed you to access the address book directly, scroll through names, select and dial phone numbers. You could do this with the same hand you were holding the phone in and after it dialed, it returned to the phone screen. With the Samsung, you must get out the stylus, go into Palm mode, enter the address book, find the name, bring up entry details, press the little dial icon, and then put the stylus away. And the Kyocera also allowed you to scroll through call history and missed calls through the jog dial; the Samsung requires the stylus and two hands to do the same.
Speaking of the stylus... it gets pretty loose after some use and if I turn the phone upside-down, the stylus falls out!
The phone is pretty bulky. I was surprised how much bigger it is compared to the older Kyocera. The Kyocera also had a retractable antenna. The Samsung has a stub antenna that always sticks out, and it's nearly an inch long!
The Palm OS installed on the phone is an older version and has quite a few limitations compared to a dedicated Palm. For me, the biggest limitation is the inability to sync with a Macintosh (the Kyocera could not either). I find it funny that a dedicated Palm has no problem doing this, but an integrated Palm/phone cannot.
The Palm alarm is pretty quiet and it would certainly be nice if it was louder. You also cannot download any ringtones, so you are stuck with the stock ringers, which are not that great. I also have to use masking tape to keep the wall charger plugged into the phone, which makes the phone inoperable while charging. I won't hold this against the phone though... it is a refurbished unit.
Overall, the phone does its job. But, I wouldn't buy one and I am currently looking for another phone. I really like the Samsung SPH-i500 flip PDA phone. It would solve the majority of my dislikes with the i330. Unfortunately, I am also looking for another wireless carrier, but Sprint seems to be the only one offering the i500. I have no problem with Sprint (I've been with them for nearly four years), but the new place I just moved to has practically no reception with Sprint phones.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 0.00
Recommended for: Professionals On-the-Go - Internet and Email is a Must!
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
jstand6
|
|
Location: San Diego, CA, USA
Reviews written: 6
Trusted by: 0 members
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.